[Collins] Restoratiom, modify, Etc.

[William J. Diamond]

To restore or not to restore, that is the question.  The word restore =
means just what it says, restore to orig factory specifications. Can a =
Collins rig be fully restored?  No it cannot since orig. resistors, =
caps, lytics and tubes are simply not available.  To the purest, this =
would destroy the rig to use (gasp) a non Art Collins blessed part.  =
Does this make the rig worthless or unpure to do so, no it does not.

I have been using and working on Collins since before some of the purest =
were even born. I would hate to guess how many rigs I have restored over =
the years.  Did you catch the word restored?  I put the rig back to the =
specs that it met with new.  I never modify or update with a "better =
fix"

A lot of the collectors like myself like to get the equipment as close =
to orig performance as possible but a modern day Mylar cap is not going =
to kill it.  Now to the profit making collector, it might be more =
desirable to have or sell a rig that was orig.  I personally prefer my =
Collins to work and I have to question how many "orig." rigs will work =
right, I doubt very many if any.

As to the operation of the equipment, I do use the majority of my =
Collins and Drake stuff frequently but just for my own personal =
enjoyment.  The Collins and Drakes did great when you could cruse the 20 =
M band for hours and only hear a few signals.  Today is a different =
story, with the crowded band conditions and the pile ups looking for one =
more contact before bed time, it is starting to remind me of the XX band =
several years ago.

When this happens, I switch to one of my modern rigs with excellent =
filtering and DSP and yes, I can really enjoy a contact or two.  =
However, for pure enjoyment, I use the vintage stuff but not in crowed =
band conditions.

Does the vintage, work as good as the modern rigs, no they do not as =
they were not designed to but they do work good..

Now as to modifications.  I once owned a pair of "A" Line receivers that =
had been owned and modified by engineering students over the years at a =
very famous school.  Each new group tried to make them even better.  The =
result was 2 basically junk receivers one of which I never was able to =
fix, I called it the Collins from Hell.   One of the early attempts to =
solid state it was to break the glass of  the 6AL5's and solder diodes =
in their place and stick them back in.  Honest, I still have a sample. =20

Now back to basics, we are all different, some like modern, some like =
old, some like orig. and some like modified but it is our equipment to =
do as we please. There is no need to flame others that do not see a =
Collins the same as everyone else.  Is a Collins something made in =
heaven and should be worshipped?  No it should not.  Is it something =
that belongs in Hell, no it is not.  Just enjoy them for what they =
are...


wjdiamond@sbcglobal.net

William J. Diamond  ( Bill )
  Rogers, Arkansas USA=20

Ham Radio Operator WR=D8T
Flying The Flag And Using
American Made Equipment
Long Before It Was Popular




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