[SignalOne] Speakers, history, economy.

[kiyoinc at attglobal.net]

** Reply to note from Fred Wed,  2 Jun 2004 04:00:55 -0400
(EDT)
  
> How rare is the Cx-11S speaker?  must be rare I never seen one, these 
> Milspec radios inside are built like a Rolls-Royce. Anybody ever wrote a 
> history book on the company, I believe the company was changing hands every 
> few months when they were in business.

Paul:

> From what I have observed through the years, probably the
> most common  speaker for any S/O transceiver is the Collins
> 312B-4 console!

Is that strange or what.  Phone patch, directional wattmeter,
receive/function, not much there for the S/1.   I use an old 
Radio Shack die cast box-speaker, the Minimus-7, on my CX7A.

I am interested in the history of S/1.  How it was formed,
who worked there, what they were trying to do. The various
incarnations of the company to the final unravelling.  Last
year I met a fellow at a local Hamfest who was still fuming
over losing his 781.  Did I get an earful from him. 


My profile is probably similar to many here. I was first
licensed in 1963 at the age of 16. Radio equipment was really
expensive then.

I had used Hallicrafters, $200 for an HT-37, about the same for
an SX-101A. Forget Collins, much to pricey for a college
student. 

When S/1 came out a few years later, it was impossibly
expensive. The CX7 cost half the price of a new car, not a VW,
a car like a Mustang or Camaro or low end Porsche, a 912.  

I got my CX7A two years ago on eBay.  It was a $200 basketcase.
I have been gradually bringing it back. (thanks to help from
this and the amateur-repairs list)  

Current status - the receiver works, I fixed PTO-B, the
ferrite load was slipping.  Dual receive works, passband tuning
works, CW sounds good.  On AM though, I can hear the BFO
feeding through. The digital readout is clear and accurate. 

The keyer works and cycles the transmitter.  QSK is fine.  I
can hear the CW on another receiver but it is really weak.  

I can't "use" the built in keyer. I've used a TTL accu-keyer
for 30 years.  The S/1 and the accu-keyer have a different
notion of buffering.  

The 4CX350F is still in the radio and the HV wires and PS mods
are still in. 


Question - Is the S/1 mike wired the same as Collins?  


So here's the "economy" mystery.  35 years ago, the S/1 was
about half the price of a Porsche.  Today, it is about half the
price of a Porsche wheel. 


de ah6gi/4