Demonstration of the Heathkit HW-16 CW Transmitter

Want to buy it?

[NBHA]

Nice rig. It was my very first in the 70s. I still have one that I put on the air once in a while. BTW, just a nit, but the rig is, I believe, a transceiver since it is both a transmitter and receiver in one. I believe this is true regardless of whether or not it is rockbound.
Take care and many thanks for the very nice video.

[nbrb]

One of these was my first radio in the late 70's and early 80's. It was a good novice rig. Lots of fun! N9BRB

[steverobeson]

"...it's not really a transceiver because it requires a crystal..."~~~Really?~~A device is a TRANSCEIVER when the TRANSmitter and the reCEIVER are a homogenous unit, and the HW-16 meets that criteria.  The frequency determining methodology is not germane.~~73~~Steve, K4YZ

[Capecodham]

It has been a while, I think I tuned for maximum reading.

[mnpd]

I own four of these things. Don't collect them --- just ended up that way. The older VF-1 VFO is a far better choice than the matching HG-10; far less drift and chirp. There are a ton of modifications and information for these old rigs on the Web, and some of that information is incorrect. One persistent myth is that you need to externally power any VFO you use, or you'll blow the HW-16's power transformer --- which is hogwash. My VFO pulls so little power that it will continue to send CW for several seconds after its power supply is interrupted. An second VFO power supply is also said to eliminate chirp --- not so. Some of these rigs chirp while others don't. Anyone getting one of these vintage rigs needs to replace the three large electrolytic filter capacitors posthaste (two are paper, the other aluminum bodied). It's a guarantee that one of these will blow and leak oil all over the chassis.

Interestingly, the "all tube" HW-16 uses one transistor in the sidetone circuit which includes a horribly raspy neon tube. Best to cut that out and use the receiver itself as sidetone monitor.

[Waypx]

not a harmonic frequency such as 40 mtrs is to 15 mtrs.

[Waypx]

throw up an inverted vee, get a straight key, go nuts on the novice round up!!