[Milsurplus] USS Slater DE-766

[Bill Cromwell]

Hi Ken, Steve,

Some people have used a frequency counter as an electronic dial and it 
does require the detector oscillating. Nobody is going to listen to AM 
on a RAK anyway because the system passband is way too narrow. So CW it 
is (and maybe some of the narrow digital modes).

As for the logging dial, I used a computer spreadsheet and it's built-in 
graphing utility to make a tuning chart for each of the bands. It is 
pretty easy to preset the dial or to translate the dial to a frequency 
with that. And as Ken has said, it is resettable so that you can easily 
find a previously logged frequency. I have been able to preset the dial 
just from the graph and when the expected station came on the air I was 
zero beated and had to move off to hear the tone!

The Q5er idea occurred to me with a converter (xtal controlled) ahead of 
the RAK. If I last long enough I am going to visit that but I want it to 
use vacuum tubes. Giant IF and detector (RAK) and compact front 
end/converter on top.

73,

Bill  KU8H

On 5/21/20 9:41 PM, Kenneth G. Gordon wrote:
> On 21 May 2020 at 20:37, Steven Syrotynski wrote:
> 
>> Hi Ken and Bill, thank you for your advice on this, i have an RAL-7 with
>> it's power supply that i have yet to put in my shack, (must build larger
>> house next time, :) ), i went to look at it and i see that switch. I
>> will after a little cleaning fire up the one on the ship next weekend,
>> sincere thanks for everyone's help and advice,
>> Steve
> 
> You are most welcome, Steve. My only complaint with my RAL/RAK was the lack of direct
> frequency readout. But after I had used them for a short period, I found the places I needed
> to be and had no more trouble.
> 
> I am almost certain one could very lightly couple a good frequency-counter to the
> regenerative detector and, with the detector oscillating, get a good readout.
> 
> You probably wouldn't see much with the detector in the non-oscillating condition though.
> 
> One thing that amazed me about the RAK is that there is no "other side of zero-beat". It
> simply isn't there. It is truly "single signal". Amazing.
> 
> I've often thought the RAK would make an excellent, although quite large (!), "Q-5er". :-)
> 
> Ken W7EKB

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