[ARC5] transistors

[MillerKE6F at aol.com]

There were some functional solid state designs or  at least hybrid 
tube/transistor designs in the early 60s and the Collins 618T3  and its variants 
come to mind:
 
    Of special interest was the 3 MHz central clock  which, without any 
digital logic, managed to deliver a number of different  frequencies using 
simple injection locked bipolar transistor oscillators.   A simple and clever 
design that not only solve the sticky problem of deriving  nice sine wave 
signals from an odd ball and odd frequency with only a handful of  common parts.
 
    The synthesizer in the 618T was also solid state  and made use of 
complex mixing and lock schemes which worked most of the  time.  The IF and Audio 
sections also all transistor including a   functional AGC system. 
 
    Point is it didn't take ICs to get a job done  well.  And the damn 
thing even automatically tuned its driver and PA  system.  Of course the radio 
probably cost a king's ransom even in 60s  dollars.  Odd though that Collins 
kept turning out S line gear for decades  after the 618T, technology that 
would have been easy to move into consumer ham  gear even in hybrid form.  
 
    Bob, Ke6f