AM RADIO EQUIPMENT - High Frequency AM boxes
I have a number of old AM rigs which were originally marine radio's but will tune nicely on 160 metres.
The beauty of these old "boat anchors" is that they were made to last, constructed with quality parts and laid out simply so that servicing or modification is usually straightforward. In some cases the AM marine radio equipment also had a built in AM broadcast receiver. More on these in the near future.
And from the old Forestry Commission of Victoria comes an AWA FP-1 transceiver. Now I am advised that these can be a little tricky to convert to the amateur 160 metre band and that the receiver is not quite "hot". I am enlisting the assistance of two experts to gain some valuable information on this beast, namely Dallas VK3EB and Greg VK3CN. More soon.
BOAT ANCHORS (OLD HEAVY RIGS)
Recently I was given an old Galaxy V High Frequency radio, complete with power supply and speaker. By chance at one of our radio club meetings I was able to purchase a spare Galaxy V, just the box, for a very reasonable cost. So I now have one to restore and a spare, a very good situation to be in given the age of these beasts. More to follow in the near future.
I also have a Type 3 MK II, a portable "suitcase" radio which is currently being restored. This unit is complete with morse key, spare valves, coils and a handheld microphone. The suitcase is in need of repair, but what a great relic from World War II. I have used this radio on 40 metres CW and it seemed to work well. Photographs and information to follow in the near future.
ICOM
Coming soon some thoughts on the IC251E, IC45A and the "old" faithful 2 metre rig, the IC22S.
The IC22S is my main "study" rig, mostly used on 146450MHz Simplex with the WANSARC radio group. I even have a spare diode matrix board, which I must configure with a full compliment of diodes. The IC22S runs 10 watts or 1 watt and is able to operate on simplex or repeater operation.
If you see an IC22S for sale on eBay, VKHAM or any other site, you may wish to acquire one as a "standby rig". I would not be paying any more than $100 for one in immaculate condition, but they do make a great rig for the study or workshop, even just for monitoring 2m activity.
The main "shack" 2 metre rig was the Icom IC251E, a "chunky" all mode AM/SSB/CW rig with digital display and variable power output. This rig was acquired in the early 80's from the estate of one our "Silent Key" foundation members of WANSARC, Ted Cusworth, then VK3ZZO. Recently I met up with an old mate, Karl VK3ZKH, and he showed me the sister rigs for 6 metres and 70cm. He had been looking for an IC251 for some time. Call me sentimental but the thought of Karl having all three rigs, "in synch{" so too speak, was fitting, so I sold the rig to Karl for a very reasonable price. Karl has advised that he has used the rig already with great results and I am pleased that the rig has stayed within the members of the club and that the new owner appreciates the rig as much I did.
Aside from being a very reliable rig it has been sentimental for me to use this rig in memory of Ted VK3ZZO and his contribution to WANSARC. His memory still lives on in the club with Karl now using this rig.
KENWOOD
Kenwood has produced some exceptional rigs over the years, including the TS120 (both V and S), the TS520S, the TS820S and the TS50.
In terms of receivers, value for money is still to be gained from acquiring the R-1000, a digital readout general coverage receiver from 200KHz to 30MHz in 1MHz steps. I have recently acquired one of these gems for $100 and although the receiver needs a clean from dust it has been a great buy. The R-1000 also has a clock, timer, recording output jack and stepped 60dB attenuator.
The TS520S was purchased second hand over 10 years ago and is still going strong. Being a hybrid unit with valve output, the trick for longevity is to be conservative with the power output - don't drive these rigs too hard. The TS520S is capable of 160 metre (1.8MHz) operation on SSB only, however I have never had an appropriate antenna to run on 160 metres. This will change soon.
The TS50 is the most modern rig that I have and was only purchased in 2008. I have yet to explore all of the benefits of this rig however I have been impressed with the receiver sensitivity and the ability to operate 10 metre FM. In Victoria Steve VK3JSR has developed a very extensive repeater linking system with inputs on 10m FM, 6 metres, UHF and SHF.
Here are a number of links for Kenwood equipment I have owned and/or used, with some comments and specifications:
R1000 HF receiver
TS50 HF transceiver incorporating a general coverage receiver
TS660 Quad Band 50,28,24 and 21MHz transceiver
PHILIPS
Philips have produced some very robust radio equipment in the past, and many radio people will remember the FM900 and the 8030 series.
The FM900 equipment came in a local version, a conventional radio transceiver with a front panel, or a remote version with a remote control head connected to the "brick" via a multi-core cable.
Many FM900 rigs are still used for a variety of commercial or amateur applications.
Philips produced some very robust VHF and UHF radio equipment in the form of the 8030 series radio.
The 8030 equipment I have consists of a smaller, light weight head and transceiver "brick", together with a flat interconnection cable. The 8030 is able to be programmed via software and the unit has a variety of hardware configurations for low band VHF, mid and high band VHF and UHF.
Now some people wither love them or hate them, however I have found these rigs to be very reliable. The microphone audio can be a bit thin, but this can be rectified with some modifications.
More on the 8030 soon.
YAESU
It is amazing to think that the Yaesu company was founded by an enthusiastic Japanese amateur who had the foresight to build his own transceiver, then was astounded by the number of friends wanting the same rig.
And that one of the most popular transceivers, the Yaesu FT-101, is still commanding good $$$ on the secondhand market, despite being a half of century old.
The Yaesu FT-7 was first released in Australia in the late 1970's.
I purchsed my rig from Bail Electronics at Box Hill in 1979 for $379 - ironically the FT-7 has retained its value and recent secondhand sales of these boxes have fetched between $400-$500.
The FT-7 is the ideal QRP (low power) rig - no frills, so fancy buttons, no memories - a simple to use but reliable transceiver for the 80,40,20,15,and 10 metre bands. It is simple to use, simple to tune, offers a nominal 10 watts output and has a more than adequate receiver.
With only 10 watts and an End Fed Zepp, I worked 32 stations over 4 days whilst portable in NSW - not bad for a QRP rig.
Here are a number of links for Yaesu equipment I have owned and/or used, with some comments and specifications:
FT-7 QRP HF transceiver
FT200 HF 100 watt transceiver
Created on 07/10/2008 10:55 PM by mesadm
Updated on 04/24/2010 11:18 AM by mesadm
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