[ARC5] REAL regen receivers RAL/RAK.

[D C *Mac* Macdonald]

Actually, the quality of the parts in the Walter Ashe
line seem to have been pretty good.  Millen coil forms,
Hammarlund variable caps, Stancor transformer and choke
for the power supply.  My mother apparently pitched the
transmitter and receiver after I left for the Air Force,
but I still have the power supply that I built in 1953!
I used it for many projects over the years.
 
The whole line, receiver, p.s., and transmitter with
one crystal (7277 kHz) and one coil form each for TX
and RX ran just a hair under $50 plus shipping.  I got
the receiver kit for 1953 Christmas gift, bought the P.S.
kit with paper route earnings of about $4/week, and the
transmitter from paper route tips on New Years Day.
 
Grandpa had an old crystal headset for me.  I even used
the rig on Sweepstakes in Nov 1954.  I was the only Novice
to take part from the WNY section, but my results made it
into QST.  There had to be at least three entries to get
a certificate from ARRL.
 
73 - Mac, K2GKK/5
Oklahoma City, OK




From: wrcromwell at gmail.com
To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2010 16:46:16 -0400
Subject: Re: [ARC5] REAL regen receivers RAL/RAK.

D C *Mac* Macdonald said:

The Walter Ashe regen receiver (WAR-25) using one section of a
6SN7GT as the detector and the other section as an audio amp
worked pretty well for me as my Novice receiver. If I remember
correctly, the cost of the kit was about $15. I built it in our
kitchen using a soldering iron/copper that I had to heat in the
gas stove burner for each connection!
 
I listened to quite a bit of SW broadcast stuff, too.
 
73 - Mac, K2GKK/5
(Since 30 Nov 53)
Oklahoma City, OK

 
 

Hi Mac,

The kits I had were flimsy plastic and solid state. The tuning cap in
one that I remember was a compression cap of all things! I tried to
build the 6SN7 regen I found in a copy of the ARRL Handbook. I did not
have good enough materials, good enough building/troubleshooting skills,
nor any help. I used them but when I compared them to any superhet I was
convinced they weren't serious radios.
 
73,
 
Bill KU8H