[Boatanchors] Is this the ULTIMATE SWLing Bandcruiser, or what?

[Philip Atchley]

Hi,

That ad and thread that appeared here for the "Ultimate" boatanchor got 
a chuckle from me ;-) Now, I just gotta "brag" a little here <grin>.

For some time now the "favorite" SWL receiver in my modest collection 
has been the overhauled Hammarlund SP-600JX-14.  I've had a number of 
SP-600's, all very nice, but never hung onto them.  They were usually 
sold or swapped to get a more "DXer friendly" set, usually Digital.  But 
I was always SORRY that I let them go, and sooner or later got another.

Of course, we all know that these sets are no longer being made, and 
every time you go to get another the price has gone up even higher (some 
of them cost as much as R-390A's now).

Anyway, this one has been THOROUGHLY gone through and overhauled.  And 
this week I added the "ultimate" touch.  An outboard AADE DFD1 DIGITAL 
Display!  It took a number of hours to get the little critter to work 
correctly, to where it would read consistently and accurately, but I did it!

Now, I consider this to be the "ultimate" SWLing "Bandcruiser".  On very 
weak signals it hears better than the newer Icom IC-751 transceiver 
(though the 751 has sharper selectivity and steeper skirts).  It has the 
smoothest flywheel tuning this side of heaven, AND it has frequency 
resolution and accuracy BETTER than an R-390A!  And to top it all off, 
it has those 'cool' lit up twin dials that makes it appear that it has a 
pair of eyes looking at you.

Yep, it's a keeper!  I may eventually have to get a nice cabinet and 
replacement front panel for it, but all that is way down the road!


73 de Phil  KO6BB
My DXing tools (RECEIVERS), all fully overhauled:
    Hammarlund SP-600 R-274C/FRR, 18 tubes (Circa 1952)
    National NC-60 Special, 5 tubes (Circa 1960)
    Heathkit Mohican  (Circa 1962)
    Icom IC-751 Digital Transceiver  (Circa 1986)
    Grundig S350 Digital Portable (Circa 2004)

THE BEACONEER'S LAIR:  http://www.geocities.com/ko6bb/
QSL GALLERY: http://photobucket.com/albums/y123/KO6BB/
Merced, Central California,    37.3N  120.48W  CM97sh

******************************************************