[Collins] Collins gear mystery solved

[Dave Brown]

Back in Jan 2003, I posted thus--
Some years ago I saw a Collins  transceiver or transmitter that at first
glance looked like a rackmounted piece of S-line gear or a KWM-2
transceiver. It wasn't though, which is why I took an interest in it at the
time, as it looked very like the S-line cabinet styling but rack mounted.

Well I was totally wrong- I tracked the gear down and it is not like what I
remembered-it looks nothing like an S line at all! ( Well it was nearly 15
years ago when I last saw it!)

It is in fact a 32RS-1C and it "followed me home" this afternoon. Only two
channels fitted and no 302E-2 directional wattmeter, but it does have the
152J-1 phone patch. It's not had power on it for at least 15 years but looks
to be generally in good condition. Handbook was in the cabinet.(6th edition,
1 December 1961)

See http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tractorb/32RS1/  for a few pictures.

The two coil sets fitted are for 5.5-9MHz and 2-3.3 MHz, but the latter
coils may be modified, because the crystal for that channel corresponds to a
signal frequency of 3900 kHz. (assuming they haven't gone LSB on 4.81MHz )
And there IS evidence of coil can removal. So I have 40m coverage as is, and
may have 80 as well, albeit with modified coils.
The handset and handset cradle are not original- the cradle is broken anyway
and the handset is cracked and has no PTT switch, so thats a couple of
things I would like to track down for starters.
And I'll have to remove the mic connector added where the handset cord went
through the panel.

Most unlikely to be any of the coil sets around but no harm in asking I
guess? And what about a 302E-2?
If there's anyone out there with one of these in working order I'd like to
hear from you. Hope to have this one up and running in a week or so.

73
Dave, ZL3FJ