[Boatanchors] RME 4350

[Grant Youngman]

> 1) did the 4350A have that designated on the front panel.  I think one
> of mine is the A model but has no separate nomenclature.  It does have
> the "A" as the last digit in the serial number

I don't recall seeing one with "A" designated on the panel.  Nort sure 
about serial numbers since I no longer have mine.  The only 
distinguishing feature of the "A" that I'm aware of is the crystal calibrator 
switch on the panel (and the calibrator, of course).

There were two versions of this radio.  One with a black wrinkle inset in 
the front panel (like the 4300), and the last version which was grey 
Hammertone overall, with the entire front panel in the same finish.

I always liked mine, especially with the matching SSB adapter.  Most, of 
course, are in a state where the 75:1 tuning does not work well.  The 
problem is that the ball bearings in the drive mechanism score the shaft, 
so that even with additional tightening the friction was low and spotty.

This happened early in the life of these radios -- I owned a used but 
relatively new 4350A in the 60's and even it needed a new shaft (which 
was still available as a replacement part at the time).   It's always seemd 
to me that it would be relatively easy to take an existing shaft and have a 
machine shop make a new one out of some appropriate material and use 
new chromium steel balls.  If I still had a radio, I'd consider having a 
bunch of them made for all of the 43xx radios out there with lousy tuning.  
When the mechanism were new or working well it was trulywonderful.

> 2) what is the proper knob for this receiver.  One has a silver, two
> part knob 

That one.

Grant/NQ5T