E.F. Johnson Viking Valiant
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| Frequency | TX: 160–10 m |
| TX power | 200 W |
| Modes | AM, CW |
| Weight | 33 kg (72.8 lb) |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Year | 1956 |
| antenna | SO-239 |
Johnson's big AM/CW transmitter. 275W CW / 200W AM input from three 6146 tubes in parallel (with two 6146 push-pull modulators). SSB is possible with an external exciter like the Central Electronics 20A. A pi-network output tunes nearly anything, and the built-in VFO is stable. Johnson's best build quality.
~73 lb (33 kg). AM only without an external SSB exciter. The modulation transformer fails and replacements are custom-wound. The three 6146 finals should be matched. The Valiant was expensive new, and maintenance costs add up.
The powerhouse of the Johnson Viking line. A Valiant and a 75A-4 was a competitive station for any contest in the late 1950s. AM operators on 3885 kHz still run these.
The Johnson Viking Valiant is a powerful AM and CW amateur transmitter from E.F. Johnson, produced from about 1956 to 1962, a big, heavy station transmitter for the operator who wanted serious power. It covers the 160 through 10 meter bands and uses three 6146 tubes in the final amplifier, rated at about 275 watts on CW and 200 watts on AM phone, with a built-in VFO and power supply making it a complete transmitter.
It was a step up from the smaller Viking Ranger, offering substantially more power for stronger signals and better reach, and its robust construction and clean, full-bodied AM audio made it a favorite of phone operators. Large and weighty, the Valiant anchored many a high-power station of its era. Well-regarded and sought after, especially by AM enthusiasts who prize its audio and authority on the band, it remains one of the most respected vintage Johnson transmitters.
It is a discontinued classic. See the Viking Ranger and the SSB-capable Invader.