[Lowfer] LWBC QRN

[craig wasson]

Interesting - I almost bought the SW-4A as my first non-surplus
receiver back when I was in high school, but the Drake SPR-4 came out
just in time so I got it instead.  Pretty similar except the SPR-4 had
more options for shortwave listening.  24 band crystal sockets, noise
blanker (great for LORAN on 160) an optional 6KHz and .5KHz filter for
AM and CW and it was 100% solid state.  I still use that receiver to
suppliment my SDR-IQ.  Rock solid and you can tune within 100Hz
easily.  I even filed on my PTO slug to make it perfectly linear
across the 500KHz band it tunes.

Note the hole in the top of the case.  It's for the loop antenna which
I have - and it works extremely well even though it is indoors.  Great
null for pulling out the DX station from under the local.  But the
loop only works up to 1.6 MHz.  You could probably rig one up - it's
just an aluminum frame with a single loop of RG-174 strung around it
to a 1/4 inch plug.  Single turn loop with the shield open at the top.
 Preamp is built into the radio and activated when you plug in the
loop antenna.

If it is anything like my SPR-4 it is a really nice radio.  I logged
so many hours on mine I had to replace the tuning knob I had worn
through.  Only problem was when using it with the TX-4C transmitter.
The VFO's were designed 5KHz apart from each other so when you fiipped
from the TX vfo to the RX vfo you had to remember to adjust the dial
by 5KHz.   Or when using the band synthesizer that replaced all those
band crystals.

Craig - N6IO


On Tue, Apr 16, 2013 at 2:32 PM, Michael Sapp <wa3tts at verizon.net> wrote:
> Hi All: Dex wrote.....
>
> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 7:07 PM, Dexter McIntyre W4DEX
> <dexter.mc at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> QRN has LWBC wiped out but is noticeable lower than on last several
>> evenings.
>
>     Work and tax forms kept me MIA much of last week, but I managed to pry another classic LW receiver from ebay that was listed as "not working".......
>
>
> a Drake SW4A....."not working" turned out to be what looked like green cadmium oxide on the pins of the tubes and sockets. A good cleaning of those components brought the radio back to life.  So I'm perhaps 25 percent through a clean up and then an alignment, but the initial testing on the LW band was promising....
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jPzIrU5HS4
>
>
>     This radio has an excellent preselector, as I am located under 5 miles west of the local 1020 kHz 50KW station, yet no trace of AM intermod on LW when using my EWE antenna and feeding the SW4A with a 9:1 transformer and a separate RF  isolation transformer......even with the EWE in the NE position....
>
>     A fews after snagging the Drake, this little National NC-57M gem was acquired.  It may be a few weeks or more before I this one gets back into service, but physically & mechanically it looks good...
>
> http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/wa3tts/IMG_2841_zpsbe4fe7e6.jpg
>
> http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/wa3tts/IMG_2842_zps817704b0.jpg
>
>
>     Good to be able to play with some classic radio toys I could not afford when I was a kid......and more likely to better appreciate them today.
>
>   73,  Mike wa3tts
>
>
>
>
>
>
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