[Lafayette] HA-800?

[Greg]

Oh my gosh!

I think we just reactivated the LAFAYETTE reflector!

You're certainly welcome to your opinion Peter.  The only thing I will not 
change my mind on is the overall construction quality and performance of 
those old Lafayette receivers compared to what the American manufacturers 
were doing at the same time and doing it right.  Here's a good example of 
what I'm talking about: I've repaired dozens of old Hallicrafters receivers 
over the years and found them to be relatively easy to get most of the 
performance back relatively quickly. Lafayette stuff is loaded with stuck 
metric screws covered in green goo and white paint in strategic places which 
makes them slow going.  Also, Lafayette loaded them up with those cheap 
white dog- bone capacitors. I hate those little buggers.
I have a HA 410 too. It puts out 12 watts and has had every electrolytic and 
paper cap replaced in it. All the tubes have been replaced with American 
tubes. About a year ago the receiver desensed so I tossed it on a shelf for 
the next go around.
That's my 10 cents worth
73's all
Greg
WA7LYO
Kinston NC
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Markavage" <manualman at juno.com>
To: <lafayette at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 8:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Lafayette] HA-800?


> Actually, I tend to disagree. The Lafayette gear will perform to specs
> given that components of the equipment are up to their specifications.
> Shorted and leaky caps or resistors out of tolerance will degrade any
> piece of equipment including American made stuff. The Lafayette receivers
> are no more difficult to align then any other receiver. If you lay a
> typical Lafayette receiver schematic next to a typical Hammarlund or
> National schematic of comparable equipment, you'll find very similar, if
> not identical, circuits in many of them. It was a lot easier during those
> early years to lift a design then trying to reinvent the wheel.
> Unfortunately, back then, the initial new, up to spec components, were
> not designed for 40 year life, so deterioration of components became
> common in time even without the big stresses of heat, humidity, cold,
> etc. of basements and garages.
>
> My Lafayette HA-460 and 410, 6, and 10 meter transceivers, still perk
> along during sporadic E openings and worked great during the last sunspot
> peaks.
>
> Pete, wa2cwa
>
> On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:32:08 -0400 "Greg" <bluebirdtele at embarqmail.com>
> writes:
>> For what it's worth Bob:
>> The lafayette tube stuff will not be great performer and the chances
>> of it
>> working on arrival ain't so hot.
>> I would like to recommend a couple of inexpensive "sleepers" that
>> will
>> perform well and are relatively easy to align etc.
>> First is the Hammarlund HQ 110 (not the HQ 100 it doesn't have a
>> bfo)
>> Another good one is the Drake 2A or even better, the Drake R4. Price
>> wise
>> the Hammarlund is the least expensive, then the 2A and R4.
>> 73's
>> Greg
>> WA7LYO
>> Kinston nc
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Bob Macklin" <macklinbob at msn.com>
>> To: "Discussion of radio equipment made by Lafayette"
>> <lafayette at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 5:11 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Lafayette] HA-800?
>>
>>
>> > Thanks Pete,
>> >
>> > I am reluctant to by a SS reciever. I had a Heath Mochuan and a
>> GR-76(?).
>> > Both were dogs compared to tube type receivers of their period.
>> Both were
>> > somewhat OK on the AM BC band. But not much else.
>> >
>> > The HA-800 may be OK for a portable setup. I am not much
>> interested in the
>> > Direct Conversion recievers being sold these days. Ant I have been
>>
>> > thinking
>> > about a systemt to take up to Mt. Rainier.
>> >
>> > But my primary interest in is one of the earlier tube GC
>> recievers. There
>> > is
>> > a HA-225 closing today. It needs work so it might not have much
>> interest.
>> > But it does not cover the AM BC band. That's OK.
>> >
>> > Bob Macklin
>> > K5MYJ
>> > Seattle, Wa,
>> > "Real Radios Glow in the Dark"
>> >
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message ----- 
>> > From: "Peter Markavage" <manualman at juno.com>
>> > To: <lafayette at mailman.qth.net>
>> > Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 1:40 PM
>> > Subject: Re: [Lafayette] HA-800?
>> >
>> >
>> >> It was designed for SSB/CW operation. The two mechanical filters
>> in it
>> >> drive the AM signals down to telephone quality. Considering the
>> age of
>> >> those semiconductors, I bet some are already driving up the noise
>> floor.
>> >> The 2SK19 FET front end does little to keep the receiver from
>> going into
>> >> overload on strong signals. IF overload, going through two
>> mechanical
>> >> filters, is probably worse than telephone quality with a bad
>> earpiece.
>> >> But, if the price is "cheap" what the heck. I much prefer
>> Lafayette's
>> >> tube short wave/amateur band receivers. A great tube ham band
>> only
>> >> receiver is the HA-500 but, again designed for SSB/CW, with AM
>> quality
>> >> not given much consideration. It also has 2 mechanical filters,
>> is dual
>> >> conversion, and covers 80 to 6 meters.
>> >>
>> >> If you like real "dogs", try the Lafayette BCR-101; their last
>> short-wave
>> >> receiver offered.
>> >>
>> >> Pete, wa2cwa
>> >>
>> >> On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:00:27 -0700 "Bob Macklin"
>> <macklinbob at msn.com>
>> >> writes:
>> >> > What is the opinon(s) on the Lafayette HA-800? It appears to be
>> a
>> >> > solid state HAM BAND only receiver.
>> >> >
>> >> > How does it's quality compare to the eariler tube type
>> receivers?
>> >> >
>> >> > Bob Macklin
>> >> > K5MYJ
>> >> > Seattle, Wa,
>> >> > "Real Radios Glow in the Dark"
>> >> > _______________________________________________
>> >> > Lafayette mailing list
>> >> > Lafayette at mailman.qth.net
>> >> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lafayette
>> >> >
>> >> >
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