[Hammarlund] sp600 for ham work?

[WF2U]

I use the SP-600 quite often on the ham bands. I usually match it up with a Heathkit DX-100 transmitter. My favorite modes are CW and AM on the low bands.
You just have to get used to handling the tuning of the SP-600 across the ham bands which are only a small section of the general coverage dial. With the selectivity cranked up and delicate fingers for fine tuning, the SP-600 is quite usable on the ham bands.
Some people will knock the SP-600 and the other receivers of its era for the lack of the SSB mode. They assume the receiver is going to be used for SSB, forgetting that it's not the only mode of ham operation. Usually, those of us who use older receivers, also use transmitters which are AM and/or CW only. That's the kind of operation the SP-600 is designed for and excels as a receiver. It's easy to copy SSB, using the proper CW technique on the pre-SSB receivers: Crank up the audio gain and control the volume/sensitivity with the RF gain control. The detector won't overload from the signal and override the injection from the BFO.

Have fun.

73, Meir WF2U
Landrum, SC



> -----Original Message-----
> From: hammarlund-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:hammarlund-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Eugene Hertz
> Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 9:08 AM
> To: hammarlund at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Hammarlund] sp600 for ham work?
> 
> 
> Hi all, I am setting up my very first shack which I am assembling 
> from various things I've collected over the years (when I was 
> only a collector of boatanchors).  For my receiver, I have an 
> sp600, but I don't know how applicable this is as a ham receiver. 
> Obviously it doesnt have ssb, but I will build a kit to address that.  
> 
> I also have a yaesu FR-101D which is ham bands only, or an hq129x 
> or hq140x which have bandspreads for the ham bands (if I recall 
> correctly, but I am not in front of them right now and may be wrong).  
> 
> I have a but of getting used to with the sp600 dials, the right 
> hand one not being calibrated in Hz, but a logging scale, so I 
> guess the question is, is a ham-band only receiver "better" from 
> a tuning perspective than an GC receiver like the sp600? Or would 
> I be better off using something with a bandspread for the ham 
> bands. (Of course, I know there are many reasons why one would 
> choose one receiver over another, but I guess this question 
> pertains only to tuning and bandspread)
> 
> Thoughts? And Thanks!
> Eugene
> 
> 
> 
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