[R-390] Regulated filament voltage

[Drew P.]

Bob Wrote:

[snipped]

"Why is it that some folks simply cannot leave this wonderful working
design alone?  I certainly have YET to see or hear a single individual
whom has the mental and design wherewithal that equals, much less
*exceeds* the collective knowledge and wisdom of the entire Collins team."

We tinker with these radios because we like to tinker.  Atop that, we, as stewards of these fine receivers, in a way envision ourselves to be somehow allied with the brilliant designers who created them.  We then become "armchair engineers". We conduct seances to commune with the ghost of Art Collins on the Astral Plane.  No harm in that.  We see the Achilles Heel (every design, even the best, has at least one) as the somewhat failure prone 3TF7, and this coupled with the high price of a 3TF7, and ready availability of technology that wasn't around when these were designed, makes BallaSubstitutes ir-"resist"-ible. 

How many mods do you see for the RF deck?  Not many.  We can't find a way to REALLY improve upon it.  But a BallasTube that goes "pop", $50 or more for a new one, cheap new electronics, a cheapskate mentality, mostly easy design at 60 Hz and no RF to deal with, and idle time making the hands wanto do the Devil's work....you get the picture.

"That LM-317?  I swear, Art made me do it!!"

Drew