[R-390] Re: Racal RA-117 Assistance needed

[Jordan Arndt]

Can anyone give me any tips or info on the reliability of components in the
older RACAL receivers...I'd like to know what someone else may have found
regarding the Paper Caps , resistors etc....Does anyone know an e-mail address
for Robin Filby, who is supposed to be one of  the vintage RACAL experts..?
The RA.117 that I'm working on has a date of 1965 and a Canadian Marconi
'Depot date' of 22/10/1975....

The previous user had dissassembled the ENTIRE radio right down to the
modules, and I really could use some discussion with some who has some
experience on these fine receivers...I'm breaking it down section by section ,
and re-capping and replacing out of spec resistors...So far, what I've found
is the resistor values are lower than spec..
ie., a 1k resistor measures 912 ohms... a 15k resistor reads 14.2k....I
realize that the heat of summer isn't the best time to be starting this, but
given the extent of the work, and a 1 module per week in my 'spare time' ,
it'll still be a couple of months before I attempt to re-apply power to the
reworked receiver...

Interesting to note, the reason the previous user did the rework in the forst
place was that he had no 6688 tubes, so he 'modded' the radio to use 6EH7
tubes...it's also filled with 6AU6WA tubes in place of all the 5749/6BA6
tubes...and he tried to use 1/2 of a 6AL5 dudl diode to replace the EA76
subminiature AGC rectifier....The radio did work to some extent , otherwise I
wouldn't have bothered...

The RA.17 is one of my favorite 'Band cruisers' , and I'm sure this will be
the case once the buttons go back on this RA.117....
I will be taking detailed pictures and notes of the entire process, just for
posterities sake, and to document what is easily the broadest 'rework' I have
ever attempted...

Here's to summer and to Vacuum tubes...!  73 de Jordan....


Jordan Arndt wrote:

> > I have just acquired a Racal RA.117 receiver....
> > I would like to know if anyone who has one in good original condition ,
> > that could take some clear quality pictures of some detail I need in the
> > IF section , at least to start with...
> > The previous "user" replaced the 6688 tubes with 6EH7 tubes, redid a
> > bunch of the wiring, and generally hacked up one of my favorite all time
> > BA's...
> > I got it 'fairly' cheap, and I would much prefer to get it back in shape
> > and working, as opposed to parting it out or selling it as is...
> >
> > I have the online manual, but the pictures, and even the schematic
> > aren't of much help , as they are not at all clear enough for detailed
> > viewing...
> >
> > 73 de Jordan....