Amen to that!!
PatAt 06:51 PM 12/2/2007, you wrote:
>Ah yes, those old radios were fun, weren't they. At least back then, we
>could get our fat fingers inside them and work on things. Today, the
>components are so small that even most sighted people can't work on
>anything. Besides, half the functioning of modern radios depends on what's
>in the ROMs.
>
>Steve
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Pat Byrne" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 17:22
>Subject: Re: Old Heath Gear
>
>
> > I've seen several S38s, Steve; can't remember which suffix. They
> > were all kind of similar - you had to be careful where you rested
> > your other arm while you were working the controls!!
> > Once I owned an Eccophone; it either came to be before the S38 series
> > or was built alongside of them. I forget the background, but
> > Eccophone and Hallicrafters were somehow related. It was a pretty
> > dead little ac/dc receiver broadcast to 30 megacycles (not mehahertz)
> > in four bands but it let me listen to shortwave next to my bed!!
> > My favorite Hallicrafters receiver was an S76. It was general
> > coverage, dual conversion. But it had a problem in the second
> > conversion stage where all the sensitivity would go away. I had some
> > pretty techy friends look at that part of the radio and could never
> > discover the problem. So eventually I traded it for something
> > else. The Harvey Wells got upgraded to someone's homebrew version of
> > a DX100 (with an external VF1), and eventually a Viking Valliant
> > which I got for $100 from Allied Radio because it had an
> > ibntermittent which blew line fuses at an alarming rate. They sold
> > it "as is". A patient friend found a carbon path on the terminal
> > strip where the plate voltage winding of the transformer fed the 866
> > rectifiers. Broke away the offending erminals and I used that
> > Valliant until I was finally converted, (kicking and screaming) to
> > SSB. That was a NCX3 but the first ten years of transmitters,
> > receivers and learning was probably the most fun.
> > Pat, K9JAU At 03:06 PM 12/2/2007, you wrote:
> >>Pat,
> >>
> >>Did you ever see a Hallicrafter S38E? It was a nice looking receiver, but
> >>it had two giant shortcomings: it had no power transformer (AC/DC), and
> >>no
> >>BFO. I think it used some sort of feedback circuit to generate the tone,
> >>which meant that if signals got too strong (like the 40 meter Novice
> >>band),
> >>the tone disappeared. There was no RF gain, so you couldn't correct the
> >>problem.
> >>
> >>Steve
> >>
> >>----- Original Message -----
> >>From: "Pat Byrne" <[log in to unmask]>
> >>To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >>Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 14:28
> >>Subject: Re: Old Heath Gear
> >>
> >>
> >> >I think I later owned an AR2 and don't believe it was a lot different
> >> > than the AR3. I upgraded from the Heath to a Hallicrafters S20R and
> >> > what a difference!! Then one of the wafers in the bandswitch arced
> >> > and that was the end of that receiver!! then it was a National NC57;
> >> > all the way in to the late forties!! And the Globe Scout was
> >> > replaced with a Harvey
> >> > Wells TBS50. Bandswitching, plate modulation and all!! Now I was in
> >> > the big leagues!!
> >> > Pat, K9JAUAt 11:19 AM 12/2/2007, you wrote:
> >> >>Pat,
> >> >>
> >> >>I heard about the AR3, but never actually used one. One interesting
> >> >>quirk
> >> >>of my AR2 was that the BFO didn't work due to an open oscillator coil.
> >> >>I
> >> >>discovered that by proper adjustment of the Peak control on the QF-1, I
> >> >>could make it act like a BFO, and that's what I did for most of my
> >> >>novice
> >> >>career. I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven when the coil got
> >> >>replaced
> >> >>and I had a real BFO.
> >> >>
> >> >>Steve
> >> >>----- Original Message -----
> >> >>From: "Pat Byrne" <[log in to unmask]>
> >> >>To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >> >>Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 10:26
> >> >>Subject: Re: Old Heath Gear
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> > Steve,
> >> >> > I started my ham life with an AR3 and a Globe Scout 40 with plug in
> >> >> > coils. The receiver was so terrible that i waited until I got my
> >> >> > code
> >> >> > speeed up to 13 before I took my general - thought working the
> >> >> > Novice
> >> >> > bands with the AR3 wouldn't have been fun, even with the QF1. Also
> >> >> > had a VF1 with the Globe and worked a lot of 160 - still really like
> >> >> > that band although it is way different now.
> >> >> > Pat, K9JAuAt 08:44 AM 12/2/2007, you wrote:
> >> >> >>Any of you guys remember the Heath AR2? That receiver, and a DX40
> >> >> >>was
> >> >> >>my
> >> >> >>novice station in 1961. I used a Heath Q multiplier, which improved
> >> >> >>the
> >> >> >>selectivity of the receiver, but the AR2 drifted like crazy. I have
> >> >> >>to
> >> >> >>say,
> >> >> >>though, that the DX40 was a nice little CW transmitter as long as
> >> >> >>you
> >> >> >>used
> >> >> >>it crystal controlled. I eventually got a VF-1 for it, but never
> >> >> >>got
> >> >> >>the
> >> >> >>chance to use it on the air. That VFO was more unstable than the
> >> >> >>AR2.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>Steve
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>----- Original Message -----
> >> >> >>From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
> >> >> >>To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >> >> >>Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 00:49
> >> >> >>Subject: Re: Old Heath Gear
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> > My first contact was made from the Nebraska School for the Blind
> >> >> >> > on
> >> >> >> > April
> >> >> >> > 25, between 4 and 5 PM, on 80 meters in 1966 and running the SX99
> >> >> >> > for
> >> >> >> > our
> >> >> >> > receiver and the A T 1 for our transmitter because the DX60B was
> >> >> >> > broke
> >> >> >> > like
> >> >> >> > usual. My home station in Omaha was a DX20 and a BC348 receiver,
> >> >> >> > using
> >> >> >> > no
> >> >> >> > tuner, and 100 feet of wire running to a tree behind the
> >> >> >> > apartments.
> >> >> >> > I
> >> >> >> > had
> >> >> >> > a blast using crystals on 80 and 40 meters for six months till I
> >> >> >> > took
> >> >> >> > the
> >> >> >> > general. Years later, I went over to a friends with an expensive
> >> >> >> > watt
> >> >> >> > meter. The final 6L6 showed just under 10 watts output so we
> >> >> >> > plugged a
> >> >> >> > brand new tube in. It still showed just under 10 watts output.
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > Phil.
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > K0NX
> >> >> >> > The Zenith Tube
> >> >> >> > www.RedWhiteAndBlue.org
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> >> >> > From: "Ed Malmgren" <[log in to unmask]>
> >> >> >> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >> >> >> > Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2007 9:49 PM
> >> >> >> > Subject: Old Heath Gear
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >> My first transmitter was a Heath kit A T 1. It ran about 25
> >> >> >> >> watts
> >> >> >> >> as
> >> >> >> >> I
> >> >> >> >> remember. In about 1965 I loaned it to a fellow ham who needed
> >> >> >> >> something
> >> >> >> > to
> >> >> >> >> get on the air. About 5 or 6 years ago I called him and ask,
> >> >> >> >> what
> >> >> >> >> ever
> >> >> >> >> happened to that old rig. He told me it was setting in his
> >> >> >> >> cabinet
> >> >> >> >> and
> >> >> >> > was
> >> >> >> >> just waiting for me to come and get it back so I went and got it
> >> >> >> >> and
> >> >> >> >> it
> >> >> >> >> is
> >> >> >> >> setting here on a shelf in the shack. I don't have any crystals
> >> >> >> >> to
> >> >> >> >> see
> >> >> >> > if
> >> >> >> >> it works. I guess they may be worth something now days also.
> >> >> >> >> I'm
> >> >> >> >> not
> >> >> >> >> interested in old gear myself, I like the new things hi. I think
> >> >> >> >> it
> >> >> >> >> was
> >> >> >> > the
> >> >> >> >> first transmitter kit from Heath. Ed K7UC
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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