Fw: Re: [Heathkit] SB 102 vs HW 101

[windy10605 at juno.com]

A point for the HW-101 is the dial mechanism. The HW-101 uses a
--simple-- dual Jackson Bros ball drive and a 0-500Khz marked dial which 
rarely goes bad (may need lubrication) and would be easy to replace if it
did. The SB series dial mechanism looks "cool" (more Collins like ....but
it isn't) uses a cam follower for the "x00" portion of the display ....a
cam follower which wears out, uses a pinch roller vernier drive which is
more difficult to adjust and slips if the drive ring is not exactly
centered, after 30 years the plastic dial discolors and crazes with time,
AND the four points where the drive ring is attached to the plastic (at
"15", "40", "65", and "90") create weak spots. That, combined with the
stress over time, at the pressed in center hub, creates the potential for
radial cracks from the hub--out to those four positions. Check your dials
and see...as I recall "15" is the worst. A little epoxy can slow the
process down ....but it's a patch. Someone was making replacement dial,
but CRS prevents me from telling you who.

The hinged cabinet of the SB series is much handier than the HW cabinet
but that's part of the "look cool" dollars. The boards are the same. In
fact, I've seen later level board suffixes in the typical HW-101 series.

BOTH units have the same silly filter switch level mechanism which
requires high torque and results in breaking off the lever (especially
after many years of dirt/junk buildup inside). If you find one with a
good lever, the previous owner was careful or you don't have a CW filter
installed. However, having a bad switch lever is no guarantee that a CW
filter IS installed .....because the seller may have sold it for $40
separately. There are TWO types of lever switches ...one uses a setscrew,
the other uses a two spline cut (yes the hubs do interchange
....carefully). 

Those Heathkit transceivers will live forever .....keep em' cookin'.

73 Kees K5BCQ 

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Glen Zook <gzook at yahoo.com>
To: Richard Franzson <Franzsrf at umdnj.edu>, Heathkit at mailman.qth.net
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2006 07:53:59 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: [Heathkit] SB 102 vs HW 101
Message-ID: <20060803145359.53011.qmail at web52907.mail.yahoo.com>

The HW-101 is basically a stripped down version of the
SB-100 / SB-101 / SB-102.  It uses a "normal" VFO
instead of the much more stable and accurately
calibrated LMO.  Also, the SSB filter has 2 less
"poles" and therefore is not as good.

Now I prefer the SB-101 to the SB-102.  The primary
difference is that the SB-101 has a tube type LMO and
the SB-102 has a solid-state LMO.  Unfortunately, many
of the solid-state LMOs are not as well calibrated as
the tube type LMOs.  Basically the solid-state LMOs
are "on" at the 100 KHz points but vary all over the
place in between.  The tube type LMOs are generally
well within 1 KHz at any point on the dial.  There are
exceptions, but generally the tube type LMOs are
better.

There is a fellow in Florida who can make the
solid-state LMOs "track" as well as the tube types. 
However, the amount of work that is required is
considerable (usually several hours).  Since the tube
type LMOs are generally more able to "track" in their
frequency response I therefore prefer them to the
solid-state LMOs.  As such, in my opinion, the SB-101
is better than the SB-102.

Glen, K9STH


--- Richard Franzson <Franzsrf at umdnj.edu> wrote:

I am looking to purchase either a SB 102 or a HW 101.
Which of the two is the better? I know the HW rig came
out after the SB.









Glen, K9STH

Website:  http://k9sth.com

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