[Collins] Late 51J-4 with strange modification

[WF2U]

I concur that the knobs on the unit Heinz bought are original for a late
series of the 51J4 as I used both configurations in the 60's. However- did
anyone see the inside of that receiver? I can't tell from the photo of the
auction item whether the receiver is still there under that "modification"
or it is just the panel with the knobs...
Heinz, maybe you can tell us?

73, Meir WF2U
Landrum, SC
> -----Original Message-----
> From: collins-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:collins-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of asmagal at fc.up.pt
> Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2005 7:34 PM
> To: collins at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Collins] Late 51J-4 with strange modification
>
>
> Greetings!
>
> Around 1962/1963 an intelligence service where I have been working
> for a while, bought a lot of 51J4 receivers, probably more than half
> one hundred, and as far as I can remember, all of them come from
> Collins with the S-line buttons.
>
> 73, Antonio,CT1TE.
>
> Quoting Gerald <geraldj at ispwest.com>:
>
> > On Sun, 2005-08-21 at 13:02 -0500, Mac McCullough wrote:
> >> Indeed I have had several of these,   and this seems to have
> been a version
> >> made up for a specific customer is my guess,  but yes I have
> seen and owned
> >> several of these ..  although non had or came with a cabinet .  mac/mc
> >>
> > The knob swap could have easily been done by anyone with enough S-line
> > knobs. Those knobs were readily available within Collins and at Collins
> > Surplus store in Cedar Rapids during the early 60s. Much of the Collins
> > surplus stock was sold in bulk to W0MLY and later to Surplus Sales of
> > NE. All the shafts are standard 1/4" using set screws so any style
> > including stock mil spec or consumer radio knobs could be applied and
> > they would function.
> >
> > As far as I know the serial numbers should have been sequential so the
> > serial number should have shown the manufacture date or era.
> >
> > I have a 51J-3/R388 with a light gray smooth panel, the labels are all
> > engraved except the standby switch label. It has no SN tag, but has a
> > large round Collins Emblem at that location. There's an early R388 SN
> > penciled on the chassis rear or the cover. I don't know if this is a
> > Collins variation or later. Though I'd kind of expect the standby switch
> > to have been engraved if the panel was modified at the factory.
> >
> > I recall seeing mostly 51J receivers in the labs and production at Cedar
> > Rapids in 1963-4. The 51S-1 I saw in 1964 was at Richardson. Its
> > conceivable that receivers may have been redecorated when used in test
> > equipment racks so they matched the other custom test equipment.
> > --
> > 73, Jerry, K0CQ, Technical Advisor to the CRA
> > All content copyright Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer
> >
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