[Boatanchors] Racal RA6217A Manual?

[rbethman]

Robert,

I operated from Columbus, GA.  The whole bunch of us used to 
"off-handed" make an obligatory "Hello" to the Powder Springs monitoring 
station.

Angelo Ditty used to come down to Columbus, GA and visit with some of us 
Amateur Operators around '80.

Another one that used to be found at the Fixed FCC monitoring stations 
was the CEI Type 906A1. (30MC - 300MC)

Caught that one on E-bay back around 2000.

I used it on 9/11/2001, and all that week listening to all the Military 
Air chatter.  Listened to Atty Gen Ashcroft being escorted to Richmond, 
VA, then from there back to DC.

Regards,
Bob - N0DGN


On 12/5/2014 11:47 AM, Robert Nickels wrote:
> Michael,
>
> Congrats - all Wadley Loop receivers are interesting and well worth 
> the care to restore.    The RA-6217 was a purpose-built version of the 
> RA-1217 solid-state receiver and sold in the late 60s-early 70's 
> timeframe to the US Government for suveillance/sigint purposes.
>
> A little Google searching will turn up more on it's history, including 
> the problems associated with many receivers of that era - difficulty 
> in servicing due to tightly packed construction and lack of extenders 
> and service aids, the Mallory Inductatuner, and obsolete solid-state 
> components as well as the challenges involved in troubleshooting and 
> aligning  the drift-cancelling loop.
>
> You can find the manual for the British equivalent RA-1217 online 
> here:  http://mikea.ath.cx/6217/
>
> Note that the standard receiver had a 455 Khz IF but a variant 
> substituted a 100Khz IF board instead.   Mine is anything but deaf, 
> and aside from a few rough spots on the Inductatuner, is a very hot 
> receiver.       I've always liked it - but even moreso after coming 
> across this photo showing one of the honorable purposes they were put to:
>
> http://i.imgur.com/zqsqgwD.jpg
>
> They were used in the fixed FCC monitoring stations too, and growing 
> up just 50 miles from Grand Islant, NE - that was one QSL card I did 
> not want to receive!
>
> 73, Bob W9RAN