[ARC5] Oscillator Stability and Old-Time gear. (Was OT: Hally Instability)

[Glen Zook]

Back in like 1959 or 1960, a local amateur radio operator got a brand new Heath RX-1 Mohawk and was showing off the selectivity to a real "olde tymer".  The "olde tymer" listened for a while and then asked, "What do you do to hear what is happening on the rest of the band?"
The "olde tymer" was used to the extremely wide selectivity of most receivers and was using his cerebral filter to copy specific stations.  When he wanted to hear what was going on around the frequency, he just mentally widened the bandwidth.  With the broad bandwidth of the older receivers, he didn't have to even touch the main tuning or band spread dial. Glen, K9STH Website: http://k9sth.net
      From: D C _Mac_ Macdonald <k2gkk at hotmail.com>
 To: "arc5 at ix.netcom.com" <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>; ARC-5 Mail List <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>; Phillip Carpenter <carpenterpa at tds.net>; "coolbrucelong at yahoo.com" <coolbrucelong at yahoo.com> 
 Sent: Monday, November 16, 2015 10:16 AM
 Subject: Re: [ARC5] Oscillator Stability and Old-Time gear. (Was OT: Hally Instability)
   
My first receiver (and transmitter) was the Walter Ashe $49.50 Novice Station with 6SN7GT regen receiver.  Worked a lot better than the S-38 I borrowed when the 6SN7GT went dead and I couldn't afford a replacement tube. 
 
My ears aren't as good as they once were, but newbies still can't figure out how I can pick signals out during Field Day! 
 
There's still nothing that compares with trying to copy either ICW or voice signals under crowded conditions to improve operator skill.