[Clegg] Looking for some Clegg information.

[N4ch at aol.com]

Hello all.....
 
Enjoyed seeing all the comments on Clegg's VHF stuff,  including references 
to the FM-27A/B "crystaplexed" rigs.   The  company's first frequency-agile 
solid-state radio for 2 meters FM ALMOST took a  different direction.   
Back in 1970 or so, I had the pleasure of  meeting K2EWL (or maybe it was 
W2EWL.......not sure).   He was  visiting a couple of friends in NC 40 years ago, 
and he had a prototype rig for  2 meters FM, borrowing from the hybrid 2M 
FM that Clegg was manufacturing at the  time, the 22'er FM.   This particular 
radio had a solid-state receiver  that covered 146-148 (there was no FM 
activity below 146 MHz at the time), and a  mostly tube-type transmitter, and 
it had 9 crystal-controlled  frequencies.   For those of you that have seen 
or owned a 22'er MK II,  THAT was an AM rig, and it too was a hybrid.   It 
had 2 VFOs, one for  the receiver, and one for the transmitter.   About the 
time Clegg  announced the 22'er AM MK II, FM was beginning to really take off, 
and demand  for AM gear was heading downhill fast.   It's interesting to 
look at  the inside of a 22'er FM........the chassis is punched for the 
assemblies that  were called for in the AM version.   I'm guessing Clegg had a big 
 inventory of chasses and cabinets for the AM box, and they came up with 
the FM  version to try to avoid having to scrap so much stock.   Anyway, the  
prototype FM rig I mentioned earlier was unique (at least for the time), in 
that  it had a simple receive VFO, and it covered 146-148.   It had  
hand-marked tick marks every 30 KHz, so it was quite easy to land on the  frequency 
that was desired.   There was a 3 position transmit offset  switch, so the 
radio would easily access any of the standard repeaters that were  
on.........and a discriminator meter made it easy to get pretty much dead on  
frequency.   Unfortunately, that was the last I saw of this conceptual  
rig.........Clegg ran a handful of ads for at least TWO different versions of a  FM-27 
(no "A" or "B" suffix), which had a "crystaplexed" receiver (it covered  
146-147 only, I think), and a 9 or 10 channel crystal-controlled  
transmitter........basically its transmitter was a solid-state version of what  was in 
the 22'er FM.   This radio was "halfway there" as far as  frequency agility 
went.   One could receive everything over a 1 MHz  range, but had to buy 
transmit crystals for specific frequencies in order to use  the rig.   The FM-27A 
ads came before any FM-27s were shipped (I'm  ASSUMING none ever got 
sold).........and the '27A had (almost) the complete  package, as far as a 
crystaplexed rig went.   The receiver covered  146-148, but the transmitter would 
go only 146-147, leaving a void for those  wanting to use repeaters that were 
beginning to appear above 147  MHz.   The FM-27B went the last mile as far 
as full 2 MHz band  coverage went........both TX and RX covered 146-148.   
Unfortunately,  not too long after all this, the FCC authorized repeater use 
between 144.5 and  145.5 MHz, and Clegg was once again faced with having to 
update their offerings  for the band.   The net result of this was the 
FM-DX, which was one of  the BEST synthesized radios made by anyone.   It had a 
super receiver,  40 watts of clean TX output, and it covered the whole band 
with margin on both  ends of the band.   Unfortunately, it was the last Clegg 
2M FM rig  made in the US........the FM-88 and its "A" version that 
followed were made in  Japan........probably by Uniden, who made lots of other rigs 
for other  companies, including Midland, Henry Radio (they made the Tempo 
2020) and  others.
 
Back to '2EWL........I think he became SK not too long after I  met him 40 
years ago.   He did a lot of design and wrote numerous  articles on early 
SSB gear, dating 20 years or more back before I met him, so  his knowledge far 
exceeded just FM and repeater topics.   When I met  him, he was working for 
Clegg, as a contract engineer, I think.   Sure  wish I knew what happened 
to that rig he showed me.........and I'd also be  interested in hearing if 
anyone out there has ever seen either version of the  original FM-27.   I've 
been scouring hamfests for almost 40  years.
 
73, Herman, N4CH.