[Hallicrafters] SX-88

[Glen Zook]

The last RME receiver, the RME-6900, built after RME was bought by Electro-Voice and production moved to Buchanan, Michigan, is a good receiver for the late 1950 period.  However, it definitely was low production and not that many are around these days.  However, I agree that most of their receivers were marginal, at best.

The audio quality, at least in the particular RME-6900 that I own, is definitely the best sounding on SSB of any receiver that I own.  I attribute this to the fact that, at the time, Electro-Voice was very big in "hi fi" and that carried over into this particular receiver design.

Now there were some allusions made in the advertisements for the RME-6900 that were not exactly correct.  Not untrue, but the actual situation was not as presented.  Supposedly, Larry LeKashman, W9IOP, VP of Electro-Voice, received s/n 1 just a couple of hours before the 1958 CW Sweepstakes Contest.  He reportedly used this receiver to set a new record.  

I grew up less than 30 miles from W9IOP (who lived in South Bend, Indiana).  Harold Brooks, W9VW, lived about a mile from my parent's house and often operated W9IOP in DX contests, etc.  Harold was at W9IOP for a little while during the 1958 SS contest and definitely said that W9IOP did use the RME-6900 during the contest.  However, it was used as a keying monitor and not as the primary receiver.  Larry used his Collins 75A-4 as the primary receiver.  Now the advertisements said that the RME-6900 was used for the contest and it definitely was used.  But, the advertisements gave the impression that the receiver was used for making contacts which it was not!
 
Glen, K9STH


Website:  http://k9sth.com


________________________________
From:Carl <km1h at jeremy.mv.com>

RME continued to build crap until they finally faded away.

One of my favorite 30's receivers is the SX-17 which I use often on 80-20M.

Carl
KM1H