[Boatanchors] 955 socket?

[Troglodite at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/28/2005 6:16:28 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
brianclarke01 at optusnet.com.au writes:

I did  that too. The 958 wouldn't quite cut the mustard. And, I found that 
the Tx  
and Rx frequencies were slightly different, using the 958A in Rx as a  
super-regen. So, I designed up a base station with those different  
frequencies 
in it and then all the hand-helds could talk back to base. I  used a 3S4, as 
I 
recall, as the detector/AF amplifier/modulator in a  reflex circuit. Crikey, 
that 
brings back memories! All in a box about 9" x  3" x 1.5". The biggest part, 
apart from the 19" antenna, was the 67V5  battery.
We discovered this T/R frequency difference right away when we built the  
first two. Each of us would tune to the other, and gradually we walked right out  
of the band. The solution, if I recall correctly, was to add a resistor in 
the  B+ line to the 958 when it was switched to receive mode. This shifted the  
frequency just enough so that it matched the transmit mode. The value of the  
resistor was determined by experiment. These things were very simple, no 
crystal  control, AM and FM modulation at the same time. But in the early 50's, 
they  served the purpose.
 
I still have a pair of Abbot TR-4's that one day may serve to demonstrate  
the kind of gear that was used by WERS. (War Emergency Radio Service) The last  
descendent of this type of radio was probably the Heath "Lunchbox" 6 and 2 
meter  rigs, which used a supperregen receiver. Nowadays, few people are familiar 
with  that "rush" sound, but the old superregen had great sensitivity and 
excellent  noise immunity for it's simplicity. With a simple preamp to isolate 
the antenna,  it was quite useable. Without the isolation, you ran the risk of 
losing some of  your friends that had more sophisticated gear in the same band. 
:-)
 
73,
 
Doug Moore KB9TMY (Formerly K6HWY)