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Reviews For: Johnson Viking Invader 200

Category: Transmitters: Amateur radio

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Review Summary For : Johnson Viking Invader 200
Reviews: 1MSRP: New Price/Year: $619.50/1960-63
Description:
Modes: SSB/AM/CW
Bands: 80 - 10 Meters
Input Power: 200W-SSB,CW, 90W-AM
VFO: Yes
Power Supply: Internal
Final Tube(s): 2ea. 6146 parallel
SSB Method: Crystal Filter (9 MHz)

Size: 11.5"h x 21.0"w x 17.5"d
Approx. Weight: 55 lbs
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0014
K7PP Rating: 2010-08-01
Great fun for the experienced Ham Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Obtained this rig sight unseen and was pleasantly surprised.
It runs 100 watts output on CW and Sideband without effort. You can pick up an Invader dirt cheap because it does not have 11 meters.
Also, because AM is another story.
Here's where the "experience" comes in.

There is no real way to tell if you are properly modulating the AM signal. True, the instructions do tell you to "load to Maximum output on CW, then set the output meter to 100 and then back the drive down to 90 watts or so and then switch to AM. Adjusting the audio until it just starts to distort in the receiver and then back it down a bit" and that, dear Friends is how the book tells you to adjust for AM.

If you want an AM rig, buy a Valient or Ranger or , if you come across a 500 then by all means.

The Invader is, however a really good SSB transmitter. It sounds good on the air and is pretty darn stable. The heaters in the VFO run all the time. Bandswitching is effortless and all the metering is combined into one meter. It measures relative output and nothing more.

On the down side, the unit comes with a two wire AC cord. A good mod would be to upgrade to a three wire. Also, this unit relies on a negative bias supply to turn off the finals in standby mode.
This is a Chernobyl waiting to happen.
The HV runs all the time leaving plate and screen voltage present on the 6146's at all times.
When in standby, the control grids get a full -160 volts all the time.
In my case, I received the unit, plugged it in and you should have seen the light show.
Do you self a favor. If you get one of these units, pull out the 5U4 and 5R4, insert a volt meter into jack TP1 in front of the PA cage and verify that you have -150 or so of bias.
Chances are high that the two electrolytics might be bad and destroy the 6X4 which supplies the bias .

Anyway, all and all, I'm having a great time with my Invader on all modes. It sounds great on CW and SSB as well as the so called AM which is really upper sideband with carrier.
If adjusted properly, it to sounds good.

Respectfully,