[Boatanchors] Cost of radio

[Michael]

Just sort of butting in here a bit ... 

I picked up an SX-24 a while ago for use with my prewar rig.  It's not in
fantastic shape right now and needs a whole lot of TLC to make it act like
it did in 1939 or so.  

Drew's comment of "Just like the SX-28 whose prices we impoverished radio
mavens are trying to get away from," speaks of one reason why I like this
Rx.  It's not perfect and I don't expect it to be but as long as I can get
it to work on 160, 80 & 40m, it's all good.  Anything past that is gravy.
It also fits the concept of the young "po' boy" ham who's save his pennies
and finally was able to buy a real commercial receiver.  For whatever
reason, he settled on this one.  Why, beyond the fact that the SX-28 cost
twice what the SX-24 did (and came out a year later assuming Our Boy got his
Rx in 1939), is not germane to the discussion.  

Jim's solution to the Band 4 weakness sounds like a way to address the
problem rather than just say it's no good and move on.  There are probably
other ways to improve the set using prewar technology so as to keep it more
or less period accurate.  (I'm not counting the use of more recent
replacement components; they're "collateral damage".)  Tube swaps come to
mind right off although I haven't looked at the line up to see what can be
changed.  Mechanical instability is something to be dealt with directly but
it is also something I'm glad I'm aware of ahead of time.

It's easy now to say that a piece of equipment made 70 years ago isn't any
good, that it's essentially junk.  In 1939, $90 for the radio with tubes was
a lot of money - a lot of lawns mowed, papers delivered and some serious
hustle to get the Rx in the first place.  Two or three years later, Our Boy
will be enlisting in the service after the attack on PH and very likely
being introduced to far better equipment than he ever dreamed of using.
After that, his SX-24 will pale by comparison but until that happens it's
still a marvelous machine in his eyes.  On the other hand, that old grey
wrinkle will look pretty good after having to deal with green or black
wrinkle under less than ideal conditions.

Just my thoughts through a medication-induced haze.

Best regards,
 
Michael, WH7HG BL01vk76IM
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/NTH/index.aspx 
http://wh7hg.blogspot.com/ 
http://kludges-other-blog.blogspot.com 
Hiki Nô!