[Boatanchors] Boatanchors Digest, Vol 103, Issue 14

Sat Aug 11 17:53:44 EDT 2012

Preston. Both the 390(A) and SP-600 are great radios, BUT my recommendation (from an 'ole f-at that has almost 200 receivers) would be an R-388 or 51J-3. These are both fantastic receivers. I've had maybe 6 of the 388s, all worked beautifully, but most were cosmetically 'challenged'. ha ha 
Sold them all, after I restored the cosmetics.
I came across a 51J-3 which is the same radio as the R-388, in civies. I have a mint 1967 EAC 390A with a CV-591 SSB converter, but I like the 51J-3 more. (I've got a bad wrist!)
Both the 388s and 51J-3, use common tubes, are VERY stable and the sensitivity surprises me even today. The stability is so good, that if you know how to use a BFO, it will stay on frequency as long as you can stand it. Of course, we're NOT talking about the garbage on 14.313, etc!
One great thing about these radios is that they use 'dogbone' capacitors under-chassis for bypass/decoupling. At least every one I have ever looked at!
I've replaced thousands of "black beauty" caps in all kinds of BA radios. I have a large part of my shop for capacitor /testing and fault isolation. Both leakage and ESR.....I have only seen ONE disc cap go bad, NEVER had a 'black beauty" PASS a leakage test, and most importantly, NEVER seen a 'dogbone', fail.
So, at least when you are starting off with a 388 or J-3, you can pretty much concentrate on tube issues and alignment. My 75A-4 was loaded with "black beauties" and every single one was nfg, even had a leaky Mica cap (rare).... The SP-600 are even worse since some of the caps are 'fun' to get to.
Yep, the radios are CW/AM, BUT you can buy several excellent SSB adapters for not much money. Chap here in FL, (ESP) makes one that is outstanding, small, and inexpensive.....
The dial drums are usually pretty crummy and faded/brown , but Charlie (K3ICH) sells some perfect replacements.

ron
N4UE
aproaching 50 yrs as a ham and a retired EE

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Sent: Sat, Aug 11, 2012 12:11 pm
Subject: Boatanchors Digest, Vol 103, Issue 14

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oday's Topics:
   1. Re: First radio (djed1 at aol.com)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
ate: Sat, 11 Aug 2012 09:10:03 -0400 (EDT)
rom: djed1 at aol.com
ubject: Re: [Boatanchors] First radio
o: kf5evv73 at gmail.com, boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
essage-ID: <8CF45D9C1126CDC-136C-545C2 at webmail-d012.sysops.aol.com>
ontent-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I have both, and if I had to pick one, it would be the R-390.  A good one is not 
ard to tune, and the benefit of an accurate frequency readout is significant.  
he one other choice with the R-390 is whether to get the older (and rarer) 
-390 with the conventional IF filters, or the more common R-390A, which has 
echanical filters.  
s far as antennas- both will work, and both have about the same input 
mpedance.  The R390 has an antenna trimmer, which will help match a random 
ire.  Both were generally intended to operate with good antennas tuned to the 
perating frequency.  I operate mine with an antenna tuner, so that my dipole 
an be matched at most any frequency.  For receiving, a small tuner doesn't cost 
uch.
njoy   Ed  W2EMN

-----Original Message-----
rom: Preston Clark <kf5evv73 at gmail.com>
o: boatanchors <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
ent: Fri, Aug 10, 2012 10:34 pm
ubject: [Boatanchors] First radio

 am currently looking at getting my first boatanchor radio i am
ossed between the collins 390 or the hammarlund  SP-600 i plan on
sing it it for general listening  and i need to know the antenna
pecifications for these and if one better than the other  i currently
ive in a house that i can use a outside antenna  but need the
lexibility of maybe using a loop antenna if anyone has done that
lso any ideas of adding a transmitter of the same period  thanks
Preston kf5evv
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End of Boatanchors Digest, Vol 103, Issue 14
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