[Milsurplus] SRR-13 versus R-808/GRC-14

[Glenn Little]

Hue

I have some experience withthe SRR series, particullary the SRR-13.  THe 
series uses a projection system of frequency display.  A light shines 
through a dial that is rotated with the tuning capacitor.  This causes the 
projection of the tuned freqiency onto a frosted glass window eheere the 
frequency is displayed.  When the lamp burns out, there is absolutoly no 
frequency display.

THe receiver, as most military sets, requires special extenders or test 
sets to work on the modules.  There is a special adapter to allow the 
testing of the tubes in their plugin carriers in a tube tester.

I found that the oscillator was unstable.  The tunining capacitor has metal 
straps that screw down to the various modules in the frequency selection 
path.  When a totally plastic tuning wand is placed in proximity to these 
straps going to the ocsillator module the frequtncy shifts noticably.

I had at on time thought of making this a solid state receiver. With each 
tube in its own plugin module containing the biasing and decoupling, it 
should be fairly easy to do and is reversable by using unmodified 
modules.  I have given up on this idea.

The switch arms that you refer to are a problem.  They convert front/back 
motion into rotational motion for band switching.  I think that these are 
on three or four modules and some of these modules have two switch arms. 
These modules, as memory serves, are the RF amplifier, the mixer, the 
oscillator and I am pretty sure taht there was at least one more module.

The SRR-13 is the only military receiver that I know of that Sam's 
Photofacts published a service manual for.

I hope that this may help.  I have no experience with the R-808.

73
Glenn
WB4UIV

  At 05:46 AM 1/6/02 -0500, Kargokult@aol.com wrote:
>Anyone out there used both of these receivers and can comment
>on their relative performance and operability?
>
>I am thinking:
>R-808 has plug in tubes.  SRR-13 soldered in, plus hard to find.
>R-808 has top band too wide, 16-32, SRR-13 has top 16-24,
>24-32, is this right?
>R-808 more mechanically robust (bulletproof, too) whereas SRR
>has some noteriety for ?switch arms? or some kind of arm subject
>to breakage.
>I like the looks of the SRR/FRR series more, but i am trying to decide
>which direction to go.
>Tnx, Hue Miller
>_______________________________________________

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Glenn Little                         glittle@awod.com   QCWA  LM 28417
Amateur Callsign:  WB4UIV            wb4uiv@amsat.org   AMSAT LM 2178
QTH:  Goose Creek, SC USA (EM92xx)                      ARRL  TAPR
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