[Milsurplus] RAK-RAL - the use of...

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

> On 10/22/2023 12:18 AM, Ron De Silva wrote:
> > Yesterday evening with the trusty RAL5 and TDE2 on the big 10ft diam
> > mag loop....no problem for a QSO with  C6AXX Bahamas .
> > 
> > Radios refereed to as "hopeless relics" by one of the ham magazines
> > of the 60's.

Yes, obviouisly written by someone who never used one.

What a totally IDIOT statement! When I read that in one of CQ magazine's surplus pubs, I 
think it was in their Surplus Schematics publication, I was first, completely amazed at how 
uneducated the author was, and then I got angry.

Then I realized that getting angry was useless, and I then pitied the poor fool.

Well, I was given quite a collection of both RAKs and RALs some time ago by an old 
employer. When he died, he gave them all to me.

Some were VERY badly hacked, ATTEMPTED to be converted to solid-state. Several others 
were essentially untouched. I think he planned to use them for parts to keep those he was 
using in operation. Trouble is, those receivers are so reliable, the only parts needed from 
them were some of the meters, mostly the audio level meters, which seemed to fail when 
abused..

He used a number of RAKs, tuned to one or the other of the Navy's VLF stations, with 
signal-level recorders attached, for Sudden Enhancement of Signals research while studying 
sun-spots.

https://www.aavso.org/solar-sids

Although all those I have, other than those "converted" to solid-state, are restorable, none are 
"pristine". I intended to restore at least one RAL and one RAK for usei in my shack, but I am 
now too old (81) to attempt that. And they are too expensive to ship any more.

They are all taking up space in a dry shed on our property. I wish I could sell my entire 
collection of radio stuff....

Also, I really don't have the necessary room in my shack to have two 80 lb, big, radios on my 
operating bench.

Darn it.

Ken W7EKB