[Collins] KWS-1K

[Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer]

Seems to me that doing a special mark on the escutcheon (the K) when the
only difference is that the PA tubes were not included (likely they
weren't installed in the KWS-1 either for shipping) and the HV power
supply of that SN wasn't made was a lot of trouble. Not very logical.

Without digging out my KWS-1 manual, I'm remembering that the HV power
supply was built into the base cabinet, but the exciter power supply sat
on a shelf or rails. So likely the RF cabinet was in one box, the
exciter power supply in another, the PA and rectifier tubes another and
the HV pedestal yet another. So shipping a K just meant shipping the RF
and power supply boxes. But no, the Collins scheme required making a
special RF section with a K on the escutcheon to show to the world it
was shipped without PA tubes and power supply. A mark in the production
schedule makes sense, a different model doesn't. Surely there were
enough HV power supply pedestals destroyed in shipping that making a few
extra for replacements was reasonable and needed.

I suppose that since the model number was engraved with a pantograph
engraver into the plastic molding as needed for receiver or transmitter
that telling the gal running the engraver to make one special today with
KWS-1K wasn't a big deal. An extra few seconds of engraving time was
all, took more coordination to get it on the right radio than to get the
K carved.

73, Jerry, K0CQ

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Entire content copyright Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer.
Reproduction by permission only.