[Milsurplus] RAK AND RAL

[Bill Cromwell]

Hi,

I have some radios, including a RAK, that have the so-called 'logging 
scales'. I consider them to be "direct reading" of zero to one hundred. 
The RAK has 1000 (one thousand) tuning marks on each band. I have used 
WWV, xtal calibrators, and eventually a signal generator with a digital 
frequency counter to provide the frequency of several of those 1000 
points on the tuning range of each band and enter them into a spread 
sheet. Any spread sheet program will do and no matter about which OS and 
Office suite you like best. Let the spread sheet print out your tuning 
graph. Put one sheet (with one graph) per band in a nice little folder 
and keep it with the radio.

I have used such a chart to preset the RAK to a desired frequency and 
when the appointed net time arrived I heard no signal. It was exactly 
zero-beat! Don't give the ole bah humbug to those "logging scales". The 
kind of scale you think you need is really just a logging scale all 
tricked out with different numbers.

Logging scales are as easily resettable as those so-called "direct 
reading" scales. Any non-linearity across the tuning range will not be 
reflected by that pretty scale but the spreadsheet curve will easily 
show them AND give you the right frequency. Some of my early experiences 
with logging scales used them on little toy radios that covered umpteen 
Megacycles in one band and changed frequency merely breathing on the 
radio. I didn't like them. It isn't the fault of the zero to one hundred 
(or one thousand) scale(s). It's the little toy radio at fault. But 
please don't pry out your "direct reading" dial and replace it with a 
"logging scale <evil grin>. Keep your radio original.

That ballast tube in the RAK/RAL power supply is not needed unless you 
are using it aboard a ship. Take it out. Reduce the power consumption. 
Better..operate it on batteries.

73,

Bill  KU8H

On 07/22/2016 03:06 PM, Ed Sharpe Archivist for SMECC via Milsurplus wrote:
> Ken Please!  yes  I need the  RAK manual!
> the  whole thing please!!!
> ok if the calibration of the  dial is pretty close I can deal with a 
> chart! a preexisting chart is  great!
> even  worse though were the  3  dial trf  sets  where people kept  
> logs....  I do not think  they came with chart...
> yea  a little box on to  with a digital readout  would be WONDERFUL!
> thx  Ed#
> In a message dated 7/22/2016 10:25:52 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, 
> kgordon2006 at frontier.com writes:
>
>     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
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