I really like the SRR-11/12/13 receivers, but, apparently, the troops who had to use them hated their guts.

I have a number of them here. Only one SRR-12, though.

As designed, they run hotter than heck, which contributes to short MTBF when in service.

Some hotshot designer, possibly inexperienced, had the screen voltage supply connected directly to the plate voltage source for too many tubes. I.e., screen voltage was identical to plate voltage.

When I worked on these back in the 1960s for a non-military user, I added properly bypassed 51k resistors to each screen-feed.

Temperature dropped dramatically, receiver characteristics didn't appear to change, and reliability went way up.

The user I was working with used the SRR-11s to monitor Navy VLF stations 24/7/365 for some propagation research he was doing.

After my simple mods, they ran quite well.

The modular construction makes them fairly easy to work on.

All the connectors are still available from Mouser.

I have write-ups on a couple of them on my website, www.w7ekb.com

Ken W7EKB





Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, an AT&T 5G smartphone


-------- Original message --------
From: Hubert Miller <[email protected]>
Date: 7/18/24 14:09 (GMT-08:00)
To: [email protected], [email protected]
Subject: [Milsurplus] SRR-13 basic questions

So i bought yesterday an SRR-13, a receiver whose format and look i have long considered really cool.

I had one briefly around 1990, but i didn’t want to get involved with it and i just shipped it to another fellow.

One thing i like is that the high band is 24 – 32 MHz, compared to 16 – 32 MHz for the R-808 and 14 – 29 MHz

for the R-274. ( I took a look yesterday at a Lafayette HA-800, a basic solid state ham band receiver of the

“Lafayette class”, which means not in the Drake, Kenwood, Yaesu class ham equipment; i noted that on

15 meters, the dial markings are actually better on this $100 ( ca. 1990, new )  radio than on the $975 ( ca. 1956,new ) R-274. )

Anyway…

  1. Why is the SRR-13 so darn heavy? I was very surprised, lifting and moving it.
  2. Those fragile “arms”, are those the ‘extensions’  for sliding it forward from the cabinet? If broken, is that some kind of deal

breaker, or can you still live with it, and use it?

  1. Is this hard to service, i mean with the module construction? ( I have never even opened one up. )

 

I have recently overbought an R-808, SX-73, ARR-41, and the SRR-13.  The R-808 will have to go, as i’m turned off by the alignment

requirement to remove the RF and IF sections and cable them back to the mother chassis – requires finding connectors – i’m told

these are same as in old Tek tube scopes – and making up jumper cables for them – a hassle that turns me off.

The SX-73 i can admire but, no dust covers on this one, plus the 20 and 15 meter band dial resolution is not good.

ARR-41, i haven’t looked at the manual but  i really don’t like mechanically complicated machines. I think about how simple the

Lafayette HA-800 is inside and the thought relaxes me instead of  burdens me. I don’t care at all about contests, competitions etc.,

it’s just the fun experience that i’m after. OH….i also bought the CONAR Novice Twins. All this stuff is gear i would never be motivated

enough to buy where it had to be shipped, but it was local and right in front of me. The CONAR Twins had enough technical limitations,

but i don’t care; they’re quite compact and i can either keep them or not, no big deal.  ( I also have the ‘ARRL Novice Twins’ with the

2x 6AQ5 regen receiver, and the Weskit one-tube Novice transceiver. Very relaxing to just think about those. )

Your  input is welcomed.

-Hue Miller