[MRCA] weekend

Sun Mar 20 16:15:27 EDT 2016

I have an ARC-38 non “A” that I don’t operate near enough! The difference between the SSB and AM head appears to be just the mode switch with 95% of the head being involved with the frequency selection and channel drum, the mode sticker on most that list SSB just peals off! I was lucky in finding the RT-311 and head together along with the 180L tuner and bracket. I had a 618S1 before that and cut an ARC-38A head in half to just use the mode and gain controls until locating the correct head for that radio.
 Back when I was doing that project an ARC-38A that I bought at Dayton gave its life to provide spare tubes, choppers and a PTO assembly that was used for a time to make a 618S QSY. All of the mechanical parts were saved and it turns out a number of the clips and other imposable to find parts were available from that caucus. So I went to the “bone yard” today and found the missing clip that I needed to assemble the stupid slip clutch and have that all back together and after mechanical alignment of the display have everything back together now.  NAVAER 16-30ARR41-502 has three pages on the mechanical drive systems of the receiver, sections 4.30 to 4.42 with 4.42 being on the Dial Zero Function. I read the words several times and know they are saying something but cannot get my small brain to comprehend what they are saying, lots about elevators? Think the ET of the fifties must have been smarter then the ones in the seventies and eighties being I have no issues understanding the AN/GRC-106 and other more modern radios.
So the ARR-41 is up and working now but have to wonder how well it will work the next time I go to use it?

Ray F/KA3EKH
________________________________________
From: MRCA <mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of Meir WF2U <wf2u at ws19ops.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2016 3:46 PM
To: 'Jack Antonio'; mrca at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [MRCA] weekend

I haven't been on the net for a long time!

Since I reorganized my shack and grouped my gear in different sections
according to branches of service and even countries, I didn't have time to
hook up anything (I need to build a bunch of cables as well). My only
boatanchor station capable of AM which is hooked up and operational is a
"civvy" station: a Collins 32V2 transmitter with a National NC-300.

Talking about the ARC-38: I managed to find one original, "non-A" as they
say in the R-390A circles... I have the original military power supply for
it and also a 115 VAC 50 Hz to 115 VAC 400 Hz static inverter. I could only
find an ARC-38A control box, which is actually a depot-converted one
originally made for the ARC-38. The mods are listed in the ARC-38/ARC-38A
manual so I may be able to reconvert to the original if I can figure out how
to disassemble the control box innards, which looks like a Chinese puzzle
and packed like a sardine can. Anyone with experience/ideas of converting
the function switch back to original or just using as it is, simply using
different pins on the remote connector?
Or, better yet, does anyone have a line on an original C-1398/ARC-38 control
box?

Hope to rejoin the OMRN net soon!

73, Meir WF2U
Landrum, SC

-----Original Message-----
From: MRCA [mailto:mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jack Antonio
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2016 2:26 PM
To: mrca at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [MRCA] weekend

On 3/20/2016 1:02 PM, Ray Fantini wrote:
The
> next morning managed to sleep right thru the five AM net; five o'clock
> comes early around here.

I managed to get myself out of bed at 5:30, went to the shack to turn
everything on to make a late check in, only be greeted by a solid wall
of QRN. Only caught a couple of words here and there. A front was moving
through the area at that time. At least the grass got a good watering.
>
> Back in the shop the ARR-41 is up on the bench. Some may be compelled to
compare all this to
> the R-390 but in my mind it has more in common with radios like the
> ARC-38 and later 618T family then its huge and heavy relative the R-390

I agree with that assesment. My R-648 is working, but it does need a
mechanical overhaul, the tuning is a bit stiff, plus the BFO  wanders
around a couple of kc. I think it is the varactor tuning, either a bad
pot or maybe the varactor itself is going south.

> Being that I have a thing for the ARC-38 that's what brought me into the
> idea of using an ARR-41 as a companion receiver, they even share a
> common audio module.

Would have been neat to have another ARC-38 to ARC-38 qso. If Pete
JWU gets on, we could have a three way.

Jack Antonio WA7DIA/4

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