[Milsurplus] RAK AND RAL

[Richard]

Ja Wohl, Richtig:  Ken is right.  It isn't that bad, the dial has 
excellent reset ability.  I log frequently used frequencies on the 
logging chart on the front of the RAK, and log the bottom of the amateur 
bands on the RAL.

For the RBL dial cover you can buy a thin piece of Plexiglass at the 
hardware store or on-line.  I used Plexiglass to make a dial cover for 
my AR-8510 and it turned out very well.  The old one was black and 
cracked in five places.

I tried the frequency counter on the RAL with disappointing results.  It 
worked "sort of" on the low ranges, but required turning the 
regeneration control very high.  On the higher ranges it didn't work 
because bypassing was more effective.  There is plenty of RF on the grid 
of the detector, but you don't wanna go there because you will introduce 
lots of noise.

Richard, AA1P

On 07/22/2016 01:17 PM, Kenneth G. Gordon wrote:
> On 22 Jul 2016 at 13:07, Ed Sharpe Archivist for SMECC via Milsurp wrote:
>
>> Richard--- WOW!  you mean the  RAK  is not a direct calibration?
> Ha ha! :-)
>
> NO! It has a 0-10 dial and a 0-100 dial, and you must read the frequency from a chart and
> convert. The chart is in the manual. I can send you that page from the manual as either a
> PDF or as a JPG.
>
> Once you get used to it, it is fairly easy to use, but in my opinion, the only real improvement
> one could ever make to either receiver is the conversion or addition of a direct-readout dial.
>
> Richard's suggestion of coupling a probe to the detector output and connecting that to a
> frequency counter is a perfect solution, although getting that to work with the RAL is more
> difficult.
>
> At one time, way back then, I actually bought an Eddystone 898 dial to attempt to add to my
> RAL-7, but never did.
>
> Converting either receiver to a direct-readout dial would be a formidable task. I never
> attempted it once I found out how hard it would be to do.
>
> BTW, the tuning mechanism, and the tuning capacitor, of the RAL/RAL is absolutely
> beautifully built.
>
> Ken W7EKB
> ______________________________________________________________
>