In US shipboard receivers, the RAL was the only HF receiver to use regenerative circuit. ( I was going to say, “only receiver” but i recalled there was a bunch of VLF receivers,
RBA, RAK, and other civilian models…none of these were superhet. )
The RAL is a cream puff compared to the heavy metal RBB, RBC and RBA receivers. It works pretty well though. Due to the numbers of other things i have already, i cannot own one,
though; just too big.
Around 6 decades ago i was inspired by a QST article, “An NAA Receiver”, to build one, which used a single triode on the VLF band. NPG/NLK and all the others were strictly CW then
and it was superb CW practice, altho it was coded and no way to check your work. I don’t know when they all went to narrow shift RTTY; if anyone knows, please tell me. It was sometime in 1963 – 1980. I actually had a QSL from NPM Hawaii and i sure wish i had
not thrown it out. Thanks to L. G. Rawlins, Lt., for signing the QSL. Thanks also to NPG/NLK ( NPG, Jim Creek, WA keyed by NLK SF CA ) for teaching me the Morse for “/”, which i would have no reason to learn otherwise. I think now with the proliferation
of sinewave slicing devices out there, urban
VLF reception is out.
A slight digression.
-Hue Miller