[Hammarlund] RE;dumb tuning

John Morris [email protected]
Tue, 17 Sep 2002 20:44:05 -0400


I concur with the HP606A suggestion. Mine is rock solid.=20
Got it for $25 but had to put another $30 worth of 12B4's in it. If =
you've ever opened one up, it is easy to see why the output frequency is =
so stable. I've never seem such shielding and "fit and finish".=20
I also agree with Cecil on the availability of good test equip on eBay. =
Probably the one catagory where the buyer can get a deal. I bought a =
pair of scopes there and both came with more accessories than were =
advertised.

John - WB=D8RLD
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Cecil Acuff=20
  To: Mike McCoy ; Joel R. Hallas ; Hammarlund=20
  Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 10:49 PM
  Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] RE;dumb tuning


  Evening Mike and group,

          My recommendation would be a nice HP 606A or B.  It covers
  everything you might run into as far as freq coverage in aligning =
Boatanchor
  receivers.  It has a great attenuator, nice easy to read meters and
  frequency display...not to mention the vernier for fine freq =
adjustment.
  It's a little on the large side but built like a tank.  Mine was =
shipped
  east of the Miss. River from CA and arrived dead on freq.

  I also have an AN/URM 25 but find it a little confusing to use for the
  casual user. I don't really care for it...but many guys like it.

  I would add a nice frequency counter to improve the =
accuracy....something
  with a high input impedance if you can find one so it can stay "T"ed =
into
  the output without adding too much load.  I am using an HP....can't =
remember
  the model but it has 1meg inputs as well as 50 ohm inputs.   The =
counter
  will not be sensitive enough to read after you drop the level down =
pretty
  low during an alignment but once one of these nice generators are set =
on
  freq. they don't move around too much!

  You should be able to pick up a nice 606 and counter from the "E" =
place for
  around $300-$350 with shipping.  I have found the "E" place to be an
  excellent place to purchase test gear....just check out the sellers
  feedback....

  My 2 cents worth...

  Cecil Acuff....
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: "Mike McCoy" <[email protected]>
  To: "Joel R. Hallas" <[email protected]>; "Hammarlund"
  <[email protected]>
  Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 7:24 PM
  Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] RE;dumb tuning


  > Understood something 'cheap' certainly has its limitations. But I'm =
just a
  > hobbiest and have no desire/need to spend hundreds of $$$ on =
something I
  > would only use occasionally.
  >
  > Still, does anyone have any recommendations for a sig gen that would
  suffice
  > for aligning these ol BA's (even if it took longer than what would =
be
  > acceptable in a 'real' shop)? Something that maybe could be found on =
eBay
  > for a reasonable (e.g. hobbiest) sum?
  >
  > One of my problems searching for an inexpensive sig gen is not =
knowing
  which
  > ones provide an unmodulated output (vs sine/square wave generators)
  >
  > -Mike
  >
  > ----- Original Message -----
  > From: "Joel R. Hallas" <[email protected]>
  > To: "Ed Shafer" <[email protected]>; "Hammarlund"
  > <[email protected]>
  > Sent: Monday, September 16, 2002 8:00 PM
  > Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] RE;dumb tuning
  >
  >
  > > Ed,
  > >
  > > A cheap and accurate signal generator sounds like a holy grail! =
Even
  > expensive ones aren't
  > > often accurate enuf to do what you want to do. What I use is a =
cheap
  > signal generator with
  > > a cheap counter in the line to the receiver, solves most problems. =
I
  also
  > have a step
  > > attenuator between the counter and the receiver so I can reduce =
the
  level
  > and keep the
  > > counter happy.
  > >
  > > Has worked for many receivers.
  > >
  > > GL & 73, Joel, W1ZR
  > >
  > > Ed Shafer wrote:
  > >
  > > > Mike,
  > > >
  > > > I too have an HQ-180 and I am really pleased with it in all =
respects.
  I
  > tried for quite
  > > > a while to get the tracking right, but still can't get it on the =
mark
  > everywhere. I
  > > > really don't have the equipment that would make the job easy, so =
as
  you
  > said, tried to
  > > > make do with the crystal calibrator, and harmonics from a fairly
  > accurate 80 meter vfo
  > > > to get the frequencies right. I feel pretty sure that it could =
be
  better
  > than I've
  > > > gotten it, and was glad to hear your opinion about the potential
  > accuracy that could be
  > > > achieved. Still, just using the calibrator to spot myself, I can =
find
  > anything I want
  > > > to on any band. It just doesn't track evenly from one end to the
  other.
  > As you say,
  > > > it's a labor of love...I put probably 10 honest hours in on this =
and
  > wish I'd gotten a
  > > > little closer to perfect. Still, it's the best receiver I've =
ever
  owned.
  > I love the
  > > > selectivity filters...in the .5 position I can single out a cw =
signal
  in
  > a crowd, and
  > > > the slot filter is also quite a nice thing to have!
  > > >
  > > > Ed N5YX
  > > >
  > > > p.s.  I am looking for a signal generator to try to do this =
again,
  > preferably cheap and
  > > > accurate, if anyone has anything to offer.
  > > >
  > > > --- Mike Taylor <[email protected]> wrote:
  > > > > some interesting discussion about mike mcoy's question on his
  > hammarlund
  > > > > hq-180. what we're talking about here is what's called =
"tracking".
  in
  > other
  > > > > words, the ability to set the tuning dial on any dial marker =
and
  > that's the
  > > > > actual frequency you're tuned to. the hq-180 can do this. in a
  perfect
  > > > > world, we would all have singal generators that are 100% =
accurate
  > which
  > > > > would make alignment simple. few of us do. so the crystal =
calibrator
  > has to
  > > > > suffice during alignment and you need reliable reference =
points
  (like
  > wwv).
  > > > > the highest band is difficult because there are so many dial =
marks
  > spaced so
  > > > > close together. so mike, if your oscillator is even just =
100khz off
  it
  > can
  > > > > be impossible to figure out where you are. i've managed to get =
just
  > about
  > > > > perfect dial tracking on both my hammarlunds, but it's tedious =
to do
  > and
  > > > > truly a labor of love. i'd like to know how many other folks =
have
  > managed to
  > > > > get nearly perfect tracking on their hammarlunds and how much =
of a
  > pain it
  > > > > was to accomplish. 73's...mike [email protected]
  > > >
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