[Boatanchors] RME 4350 Help!!

[Glen Zook]

One thing that often helps with the sensitivity of the old 2 or 3 terminal antenna/ground connection receivers is to use a balun with at least a 4:1 ratio.  This is because most of those receivers were designed for an input impedance between 300 and 600 ohms.  When you connect coax directly to the input the considerably lower impedance often "loads down" the input circuit and the sensitivity decreases substantially.

Often you can use a balun that was designed for television sets between the coax and the receiver.  Although not "perfect" they often work very well.  Many of the really old baluns don't make it down to the 80 or 160 meter band.  However, the vast majority of those made in the past 15 to 20 years will make it down to at least the 80 meter band and most make it all the way down to the AM broadcast band.

For the article that appeared in Electric Radio a while back go to

http://k9sth.com/uploads/TV_baluns.pdf

Glen, K9STH

Website:  http://k9sth.com


--- On Sat, 5/30/09, Daniel Wright <dwright12 at neb.rr.com> wrote:

I just acquired a very very nice RME 4350 (not "A"). It is just beautiful, but is also pretty deaf. I checked the tubes and found a couple of marginal ones that made a marginal improvement. The S meter barely moves off the peg and the signals I do hear are weak. I know the radio has been.....what?...."restored"? Or at least re-capped somewhat. The antenna terminal strip has been replaced with an SO-239, very very nicely done. I would love to get this beautiful rig up and running correctly. Are there any RME experts on the list? I have the owners manual, but it's pretty sparse on details. Is there a service manual? Is there a SAMS photofact on this rig? ANY help would be greatly appreciated!!!