[Collins] KWS-1

[Carl]

> One of the first mods I made to my new S=3B was to replace the BFO
> adjustment pot that was switched at the CCW end of rotation with a pot 
> with a push pull switch. So when I set the BFO frequency for my likes (or 
> for narrow shift RTTY) I could switch to SSB and back without having to go 
> through the setting process again. I don't know why it wasn't built that 
> way from the beginning, unless the engineers never used a modern TV set 
> with a push pull switch. I had no trouble at all buying the better switch 
> and pot assembly in a TV parts store.
>
> The filters of those days had a lousy time response turning lighting into 
> extended crashes and power line noise into continuous noise (as seen on a 
> scope that I connected to the jack I added to the end of the receiver IF 
> strip). A few years later I used a vintage Q-5er with converter and wired 
> up my receiver/TX patch panel so I could use either the Q-5er or the S-3B 
> or both with my transmitters. Often on 75 meters I could copy through 
> thunderstorms with the Q-5er and couldn't with the S-3B because of that 
> filter ringing. The Q-5er selectivity came from loosely coupled ferrite 
> core IF transformers at 85 kHz and had a more Gaussian amplitude response 
> with a fine time response. Lightning came through as clicks, not crashes. 
> The modern Collins mechanical filters offered as options in the Yaesu 
> FT817, 857, and 897 don't ring nearly so much.

Thats why I like to use a NC-300 or HRO-60 under those conditions. One with 
a 80 KHz IF and the other brute forcing it with a load of 455kc IF circuits. 
The Collins R-390 is another decent storm radio but not the 390A.
The USN RBB and RBC by RCA is perhaps the peak of electrical storm radios 
but I havent used a R-390 at sea. Yeah, I have those also (-;

Anothe USN radio is the mid 30's RAK and RAL regens, the peak of regen 
development. It uses and audio peak limiter as a form of AVC that is 
extremely effective and easy on the ears. I used a RAL often at sea for 
hamming and have the pair here also. The RAK (it tunes 15-600kc) is better 
on CW only and feeding a 455kc IF or building a crystal controlled down 
converter into it would be an interesting experiment.

Carl
KM1H