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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