Show us your shortwave set(s)
 

Would love to see what you folks are using for SWL. Not nessessarily just antique stuff but this needs to go in some forum :)

I'll Start with mine.

1929 Pilot Super Wasp - Need to aquire a few more coils and I'll start the restoration on this one.


1941 Zenith Transoceanic 7G605 Sailboat


Now lets see yours :)

Steve

targeteye.......Wow, the ol' 1941 Zenith Transoceanic 7G605 Sailboat is a beauty. My shortwave is the JRC NRD-525. The bottom radio is a VHF/UHF Icom IC-R7000. My stuff isn't as old, but I sure enjoy listening.

Wow. Those are some cool old receivers you got there!, especially that Pilot Super Wasp! Is that a battery only rig or can you run it on regular AC?

Well, here's my 2 rigs.
First is the Hammarlund HQ145X

And the National NC125. (Taken just before I recapped it last spring. I'd let you see a "now in service" pic, but my wife has the cam today)

One of these years I'll scratch up enough scratch to drop on a restored R390 or 390A which will end my collection. I mean, what could possibly top that one??

dang, some very nice radios.

I sure hope Sandy chimes in.

I doubt if y'all would want to see my SW radios- nothing older than mid eighties. Sold my only looker, a Halli SX-71, recently :(

My best, a 1946 Scott 800B, handles 6-16 mc. Two stage IF, 3 position selectable IF bandwidth, RF amp, 24 tubes total (if the pics come out in the wrong order, its the one in the nice wooden cabinet)

The Philco 39-116, two bands 1.8 mc-5.5 mc, 5.5-18 mc, single IF, RF amp. 13 tubes total, but 5 are used for the remote control stuff. Its long since been re-assembled, but this is a pic of the chassis while it was on the bench last winter.

I also have a Hammarlund HQ-170 that I seldom use. Its not a general coverage set, and the BFO is a little unstable on it so its really annoying to actually use. All I get is amateur radio traffic, and since most of that is SSB its a real chore to listen to since the BFO floats and wanders. Its probably an easy fix, but I just haven't gotten around to it. I really wish it was a GC set, its a great radio with excellent sensitivity and selectivity.

Oh, man! What'd you go and get rid of your Halli for? Well, I can't be too hard on ya: back when I was a stupid youngster, I had a '71 and a bought brand new DX 160A and (I still can't believe it...that I sold it) a mint condition ANG/RR5 with power supply. I sold them all to buy drum equipment when I became a working musician. I still cringe at the thought of letting the Angry-5 go. Ah. well... live and learn!

Here are a couple of my Drake's

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/m...15thisoneM.jpg

Also have a few of these R390A's, never know when you need a backup. Oh by the way, the meters are a bit radioactive!

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/m...s/DSC01650.jpg

Also have some older Collins receivers and some newer Kenwood.

Good grief, I'd have to choke up all of AK's bandwidth...and I don't have a quarter of what Unca Sandy's got!

Here's some I've already taken pics of:

Just a random comment here... IF I could find one in grade-A condition, I'd like to have (mainly for novelty's sake) a McKay-Dymek DR33. I understand that those multi-position tuning switches were pretty much garbage and they are now made of 100% unobtanium.

I don't have any impressive ones :-( Here are a couple that I happen to have handy photos of.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...plus/S-120.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...7/P9180001.jpg

A few more kicking around downstairs in various states of dishabille, but nothing really much nicer than the two above.

Someday, someday...

Oh, I dunno... drums are cool. I think you did a lot better than I did, which was pay some bills :(

Mhardy,

I like that old Heathkit, looks in really good shape.

Fisherdude,

Love that old Hammarlund HQ-180, had one on loan from a friend back in High School. Got me hooked on SW radios.

Steve,

The "1941 Zenith Transoceanic 7G605 Sailboat" Love the stitching on the speaker grill. Very Cool Radio!

Gaget73,

"1946 Scott 800B" That cabinet looks brand new! Beautiful piece.

Love the R390A, I spent thousands of hours on one of those back in the 60s,
Former Navy CT

You folks have some awesome stuff!!

Jdandy - Very cool NRD. I've lusted after a 515 since I saw them new in the catalogs as a kid. Alas, they sell for way to much money. I'm sure the 525 is a better receiver.

Ablethevoice - The one I have is actually an "A/C superwasp" The metal box right next to it is the Pilot power supply. It uses 224's and 227's. I also have a Non-A/C superwasp completely dissassabled and in horrendous condition. It is a DC set and uses 222's and 201's. I've always liked the looks of those Hammarlunds.

Ponderbear - I actually like seeing the 80's stuff just as much if not a little bit more. That is when I first got into shortwave and most of those sets were way out of my pocket book range.

gadget - I had a friend up north that had a 800B. I fabulous piece of equipment and a real bargain in Mono hi-fi much less SW.

Hwirt - nice drakes. Along with the NRD-515 an R7 is my dream radio. Again, just too dang much money!!! How does the R8 compair to the receiver section of your TR7?

Fisherdude - Another great looking Hammarlund and 390.

mhardy - I had an S-120. A real classic and reliable set! I suspect many folks started with that set.

I"m envious of you r390a owners. There is absolutely no way I could sneak one of those into the house :).

Steve

Here's my HQ-160. I know, I shouldn't have anything on top, but the 5U4 is the main source of heat and it's at the rear right. The set runs pretty cool.
https://www.msu.edu/~yurkon/HQ160.jpg

John Y.

Nice, John! I'm looking to add a 150 and a 160 to my collection, but they're getting hard to find, and pricey!

Steve,

"How does the R8 compare to the receiver section of your TR7?"

Sensitivity wise about equal, the R8 sounds better for listening to short wave broadcasts due to the type of filters used and the synchronous detector. The R390a beats them both for sensitivity. I also have an R7 which performs on par with the R8 &TR7 but has a few additional controls not found on the TR7. I believe the design of the receiver sections of the R7 & TR7 are very similar.

Why ANYBODY would want one of those big, old, ugly, grey things w/the 17 or so black knobs is beyond me...They don't even have speakers in 'em, you CAN'T pick up Kiss-FM on 'em, & as far as moving one around ? Fuggeddaboutit. Besides, they have WAY too many tubes, get WAY too hot, & only a PhD/rocket scientist from 55-65 can work on one of the damthings...Cheap bestids what made 'em didn't EVEN make cases for 'em, neither...

Sandy, it took you 22 hours from the first post to show up. You're losing your touch.

Ahh, hell, it's Christmas...Thought I'd cut 'em a little slack..Just stood it as long as I could, thoughh...(grin)

http://www.indianaradios.com/AK/Supe...20600s%202.jpg

This is probably the only true SW receiver, or boat anchor, in my collection when not counting my general coverage multiband antique radios. It's a 1936 Raco "Super Clipper" ham receiver. Instead of being a superhet, it's a TRF/Regenerative receiver.

Tube Line Up:
6K7M...1st. R.F. Amplifier
6K7M...2nd. R.F. Amplifier
6K7M...Ultra High R.F. Amplifier
6J5M...Detector
6J5M...Preamplifier
6L6G...Audio Output.
80...Rectifier

This receiver is so much more fun to tune in a station then it is to listen to it because it takes so much more tuning and tweeking to bring in that elusive station then it does using a regular superhet. BFO is accomplished by overdriving the regeneration control. Here's the schematic,

http://www.indianaradios.com/Raco%20...files/img3.gif

More details can be seen at: http://www.indianaradios.com/Raco%20...er%20Radio.htm

Michael Feldt
www.indianaradios.com