The AM Forum

Yea, I know, no tubes, but it was what introduced me to the Magic Of Radio!

Complete story here -->> http://www.w1ujr.net/bruces_bench_2009.htm

The radio that started my interest in shortwave listening was the 1970s
vintage Realistic DX-160 set. I'm not quite certain what happened to my
original set, but when I went away to school, much of my early radio
gear has gone missing. So when I recently had the opportunity to purchase one
which had apparently been stored in a closet in Kansas since new, I was thrilled!

Both the set, speaker and original manual were like new, and I eagerly
fired them up at 10:30PM on October 17. Worked flawlessly. I can't
say the audio was anything to write home about, the HRO-50 sitting
next to the set on the workbench sounds Hi-FI compared to the DX-160
somewhat "tinny" audio, but it was still a treat to fire up this blast from
the past.

I've photographed the new "old" DX-160 with my old log book and
QSL cards from the early days of my radio listening. You'll note my rather
"creative" naming of certain signal types, "beep, beeps", as well the
unique spelling of days of the week. :-)

(http://gallery.me.com/brucehowes/100353/radio_Realistic_DX160_catalog/web.jpg?ver=12559008380001)

(http://gallery.me.com/brucehowes/100353/DSC_0450.jpg?derivative=medium&source=web.jpg&type=medium&ver=12559008670001) (http://gallery.me.com/brucehowes/100353/DSC_0451/web.jpg?ver=12559009010001)

(http://gallery.me.com/brucehowes/100353/DSC_0446/web.jpg?ver=12559009410001) (http://gallery.me.com/brucehowes/100353/DSC_0458/web.jpg?ver=12559010760001)

(http://gallery.me.com/brucehowes/100353/dx160-ad-color/web.jpg?ver=12559008440001)

FB indeed Bruce!

My first rig (in the 80's) was a used TenTec Argosy, which I never got around to selling.  Today it's the exciter for another rig, and is not for sale!  Glad you're having fun with the new/old receiver.

73, Karl

Bruce,

Glad you got a twin of your original rig.  If your shack is invaded by "greenies" you can point at your low power, low carbon footprint DX-160 to calm them down while you wait for the men with the nets to show up.

Your first receiver was light years ahead of my first, a Science Fair Globe Patrol regen.  That was the first kit I built followed by a Star Roamer (I was around 10 or 11 when I got the Globe Patrol).  I bought a Globe Patrol on ebay a couple of years ago but no more listing to Radio Netherland or the truly crazed propaganda from Radio Tirana, Albania.  I miss the good old days.

I have a DX-160 and it isn't a bad receiver at all.  Hirsch Houck Labs reviewed a number of receivers for a two part article on SW receivers for Popular Electronics and the DX-160 turned in an extremely high image rejection figure for a single conversion receiver.  As I recall they were pretty impressed, especially given the price.

Rodger WQ9E

my first set was a Realistic Astronaut 4 portable. #2 was a DX 160. I had SWL 'DXCC' before I was 13. Started tropical band dxing trying for 1 and 5 KW regionals on 60 meters, then came ham radio.

(http://www.mbzponton.org/n2awa/radio_Realistic_Astronaut4_1976.jpg)

I'll be happy to never see a Heath GR 64 again

Bruce:

Congrats on your recent acquisition!

I own a couple of DX160's. My second radio was a DX150A, of which I still own (first was a Halli S120).

There is a ham (Roger, forget his call..K1CMR?) that uses one in VT on the air.

Sold a DX150B Friday with speaker...near mint...for $30.00 at NearFest.

Dan

I am very happy for you! That is a moment and feeling like no other, and not always an easy thing to come by. Wasn't that one of RS's better receivers? I played with one a bit at a friend's house and thought it was pretty sensitive and easy to tune.

My first RXVR was an SX-28 in 1974. I finally got "it" back in 1995, only a very pristine one. In a trade.
I traded a very well working National NC-183 that had been painted blue (ugh..) for the nonworking SX-28. It was to a U.S. Citizen formerly of Jerusalem, as he wanted to hear the middle eastern music and lives in Texas.
I have no idea how true the history of the SX-28 is, but he said his great-great-uncle had it clandestinely in Pakistan during WWII and had just shipped it to him the US (1994), but alas the rig did not work after so many years.
The friend being extreeeemly cheap, er.. "frugal", did not want to approve my quote for recap, repair, align, and asked if I had a similar rig. The -183 was one I had for a few years and completely gone through and refurbed, just that fuggly paint!!

You guys are making me feel old with those solid state first radios! I guess I would have had a newer one too, but the -28 was found at a garage sale for $12 and my dad let me work it off. And work off the subsequent repair bill from his friend the TV repairman. This was a real bonding moment with my dad, as we had it on the kitchen table trying to work on it and I got hold of the accessory socket on the rear panel while my dad was leaning over my shoulder and we both got the B+. That is when we decided to ask his friend to work on it.

That's cool.  Here I thought I was the only poor novice who had to use one of those solid state gen. cov. receivers.

Mine, (which I used for several years)  was the Allied Radio precursor to the R.S. DX.  It was the A 2515A (http://www.noobowsystems.com/restorations/a-2515a/a-2515a-overview.jpg).  It was okay for a novice barely, and I still have it because there's something about our first receivers I guess; we can't part with them, but I haven't actually used it for anything in years.

Rich boys...  ;).
What made me fall in love with the ether was
a crystal-set kit I got for my tenth birthday,
but my first "ham" receiver was a Halliscratchers S-120.
I could just about hear the whole
40-meter novice band at once :D .
First transmitter was BC-459, quickly followed
by a Globe Scout 680A. 
I don't think I've had as much fun since.

That was my 1st shortwave radio too.  Not including the RS SW "Science Fair Kit".
My DX160 had poor, weak audio.
It  Drifted, badly.  The dial and bandspread calibration was a joke. 
What a dissappointment.  I heard they came thru poorly aligned,
no matter, it was not a good receiver, imo.

This is an item that will remain permanently in my dumpster of bad memories. 
I eventually gave it to a brother in-law, and he was not even into radio.  Don't care what he
did with it.  Avoid.

 ::)

Wow Bruce, it is always fun to relocate/re-obtain those old rigs that you first started with!  My first receiver would be a 1939 Zenith console Model 7S363. Our neighbor presented me (I was 13 at the time) with the old Zenith and of course, I had to remove the chassis from that big cabinet to utilize it for a "real" ham receiver.  For a crude BFO, I utilized another little AC-DC radio that I set along side the old Zenith and tuned it to heterodyne in the IF of the Zenith.  Lots of fun!  I heard and worked a lot of stuff as a novice with that old Zenith.

That model of Zenith is fairly common and I have thought about getting another one some day to recreate my first Novice set-up.  In years of collecting and restoring old radios, I have seen a few of them, but never actually obtained another one.

73,  Jack, W9GT

This thread has morphed into a great exchange of other folks first sets, what a delightful turn.  :)

Yes, the DX-160 was no stellar performer, it was not well calibrated - hence my "three marks part" note in the log, the audio is tinny, but gosh darn it, when I was young I thought it was GREAT! Sure, I dreamed of a digital frequency readout, better selectivity, etc. but that little radio took me around the world!

In fact, that simple set started me on a journey that I am still traveling, some 33 years later! It got me interested in electronics, electronics lead to my mechanical curiosity, which fueled my interest in cars, which drove me into the European car world, then my own businesses. Then too my interest in those stations from foreign countries fueled my interest in current events, reading, history, and now writing. I don't think my parents had any idea that my late night radio listening habit would have taken me down that path.

It's really interested to read how other folks have rediscovered, or recollected on their youth.
They say you can never really go back home again, but with the magic of radio, anything is possible.

I got to chime in on this one!! Y'all had it a lot better than me!! My first was a Lafayette Explor-Air 3 tube regen kit. I would have died for something like a DX-160, or even an S-40!

I got it when I was in the 5th grade (IIRC) The OM, my uncles and older cousins were taking bets that I wouldnt be able to put it together. I very carefully read the instructions and managed to pull it off. (I couldnt let them see me fail)

Talk about a worthless P.O.S. ! ! ! !  No sensitivity, little or no selectivity,(now that I know better) but I spent hours and hours listening to it.

Due to sentimental value, I still have it, and it still works!! But I wouldnt use it if I had to. ;D ;D

Its kinda funny, I was up in the attic and was looking at it 3 days ago. It brought back the words of an old song to me. "Aint it funny how time slips away"

                                                      The Slab Bacon

Glad you got your original rcvr back.  I was lucky, started out with a S-85 to go with my DX-40.  Later added an International Crystal 6M converter since the sunsport cycle was going great then.  Still have the S-85 and it still works, somewhat.  Needs maintenance; it's only 51 years old.

Great topic. Mine was the "Sky Buddy II", purchased in a 29.95 close out sale at Radio Shack in the mid 60s. Even with no selectivity, I found it irresistible. Being a dumb kid, I ran it for several weeks without an external antenna, so when I finally thought to hook a wire to the ANT terminal, I was stunned by the onslaught of signals. Equally dumb, for a time, I thought that loud buzz sawing diathermy machine noise were airplanes in flight!

<snip> Equally dumb, for a time, I thought that loud buzz sawing diathermy machine noise were airplanes in flight!  <snip>


 ;D  ;D   Me too! !    ;D  ;D

 '  Equally dumb, for a time, I thought that loud buzz sawing diathermy machine noise were airplanes in flight! "

Hear's "one more for the pile"


klc

My first true short wave receiver came out of a Zenith console (AM/FM/SW/phono). It think it tuned somewhere between 3 and 12 mHz. The dial glass had been smashed and discarded so it had no dial markings. I next migrated to a Crosley AA5 which I converted to receive SW using a passive "converter" from an article in Boy's Life. Had several clip leads on the various coils to change the frequencies around. Most of the time I never had a clue what frequencies I was listening to. As a Novice, my first receiver was a National NC-109 funded from my morning and afternoon paper routes. When I received my General, the National was replaced by a Hammarlund HQ-170A.

Dan

That be Roger KB1CMR  I have photos that document his receiver (and xmtr) as found in the post below.

http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=21605.0

Here's the evidence.  What a blast visiting Roger. :)

Al

Oh gee. . . . 'hadn't thought about that first station in years. Yes, another who owned an S-120 and thought cross mode communications AM to my CW all the way to Canada was serious DX. My transmitter was one I built during the course of a Bell and Howell radio course. As I recall it was an open chassis except for the 2E26 final enclosure and capable of AM even if I wasn't. It's a good thing crystals were required at that time because I can't imagine how I would have known if I was in the band. The antennas were a pair of dipoles 90 degrees from each other and my side tone was facilitated by turning down the RF gain and listening to my own signal . . . .thanks for the trip down memory lane. . .
Art
WØBA

Bruce,

My first set was a BC-652 from a ham but that next Christmas I had a brand new DX-150 under the tree. My parents spoiled me rotten. They had a A version, a B version and then the 160's.

www.dxing.com/rx/dx150.htm

The 150 was 100% bipolar.

Mike WU2D

It was not my first shortwave radio, but I took a slightly earlier version (DX-150?) with me to East Africa in the late 60's.  It worked OK, but the front end sucked - images and birdies all over the place.  But it was one of the earliest solid state  general coverage "communications" receivers on the market, and at that time you  could expect to pay a big premium in performance for the novelty of "solid state".

My most vivid memory of that receiver was listening to a news cast on short wave and hearing the staid BBC announcer's voice, without any emotion: Rock musician Jimi Hendrix was found dead in his London hotel room, apparently from a drug overdose.

This is the radio my grandfather gave to me for Christmas sometime in the 50's.   I found about ham radio and sent reports and got a few QSL cards.    It got me started in ham radio.
I still have the radio, but it is hamboned with some extra switches, not like the one shown here:

http://www.grandcanyontuberadio.com/silvertone/silv7224.html

Cool thread! My first real shortwave receiver was a used Knight R-100. Not great, but usable for listening around and learning more about ham radio and listening to CB as well and getting familiar with the shortwave broadcasts. (and yes, I thought those buzzing noises were airplanes too - obviously multiengine by the sound of it!   My buddy and I would listen for long periods waiting for the pilot to pick up the mike and make a regular transmission  ;D)

When I actually got my novice ticket, the limitations of it became more apparent - not much selectivity and the tuning was pretty fast.

The first station I was actually able to make contacts with was a borrowed BC-348 from my scoutmaster/Elmer and a home made 50C5 transmitter on a piece of wood. Was the cover story on an issue of Electronics Illustrated and I had enough junque box pieces to build it. Later on that got replaced with a Knight T60 for cw and some AM phone when I got my Advanced ticket. Upgraded the receiver to an HQ-170 after a year or so and used that for my senior year and took it to college.

Good memories. I'd kind of like to find another HQ-170, that was a cool set. Not sure I need another R100 though.

What were those buzzing noises, I remember them also?

New category: first transmitter. Mine was a Lafayette phono oscillator. 115VAC open chassis. Lots of fun...

35W4 rectifier
12BE6 RF and audio
Tube heaters series connected through a wire wound resistor
It was AC-DC and very dangerous.

My first transmitter was a Johnson Valiant.  It was a present for Christmas 1974.  I passed my novice exam before Christmas but during those slow days of FCC license processing it was well into the new year before I could put it on the air.  In the meantime I had fun tuning it up into a pair of 100 watt light bulbs in parallel.  The hum from the Valiant plate transformer was my keying monitor and it took very light loading and reduced drive to meet the 75 watt novice limit on 80 meters.

Recreating my 1974/75 Viking Valiant/SX-101 setup was what got me started with vintage gear in 1994.  I now have a couple of Valiants and I still have the SB-102 that was my upgrade from the Valiant.  I traded my original Valiant for the RF deck from a Desk KW which was then traded for my first tower and beam in 1975.  I finally got a complete Desk KW a few years ago.   I don't have any urge to collect a copy of my first Rohn 25G tower.

Rodger WQ9E

oh that aint so bad. when I was a wee tyke, I used to wonder how the movie film got changed in the back of the TV when the channels were changed, and why it never ran out of film. The explanation of "I wanted to see where the film went" did not help the situation when I broke the CRT of the spare TV that had been moved into the garage by using a pair of my father's water-pump pliers to "unscrew" the yoke. I was astonished that there were no reels of film in the picture tube, and also by the explosion. My father was also "astonished" but for entirely different reasons.

The first transmitter was home made. It came straight from figure 9-2, grid-leak oscillator, in the "Radio Amateur's handbook", the non-ARRL version written by Collins in 1957. The circuit showed a triode, a switch in the plate circuit (haha the "key"), and a coil with a tickler, and a battery. It had no component values therefore I figured any would do. I wound a coil with a couple 20 or so turn windings on a toiler paper tube, and since I did not have a battery, I used a 450V power supply made from TV set parts. The tube may have been a 6A3, I don't recall, but I used the biggest one I had. I did not have a capacitor for tuning, so I decided to just do without. I took this approach because I did not have enough parts to build the real transmitters toward the back of the book. The diagram showed no place to hook up the antenna, so I just strung a wire across the room and hooked it to the plate terminal. Well I fired this up and was going to see if I could hear it on an AM radio. It pretty much was there, from 530 to 1650.. and also in the TV set as my father informed me. The most often heard phrase in those days seemed to be "what the heck are you doing in there?!?".

Boy.  Some of you guys started pretty fancy.  As  JN, I had little money but managed to get a Halliscratcher S38B and built the 6L6 xtal oscillator on a wooden frame.  Even then, I knew that there had to be something better than the S-38B.  Not too long after that I picked up a Hammarlund SP-100.

It's been a fun ride down this ham radio road for me.  My current job was based on the fact that I had a ham ticket.  If I hadn't mentioned that during the interview, I would've not been hired.  That was 47 years ago.  What a ride

Al

Many of those buzzing noises were Russian (USSR)  jammer stations jamming Radio Free Europe and Voice of America. 

My first transmitter was a home brew job built from the 1957 Handbook.  It was a 6146 xtal oscillator with pilot lamps for grid and plate meters.  Ran a novice kilowatt (75 watts input).  A little hard on xtals, but worked great and I worked many contacts with it on 40M CW as a novice.  Later...graduated to a Knight T-50 with a WRL screen modulator for my first real phone rig.  I also built many 6L6 rigs during my early amateur radio career.  Built them on wood boards, old salvaged chassis from old radios, etc.  I always enjoyed home-brewing.....couldn't afford those fancy commercial rigs.

73,  Jack, W9GT

Lots of memories: I was an active SWL for years and my first radio was also Science Fair Globe Patrol regen which I built as a 12 year old (still have the grade school report card where the Science teacher, a ham, wrote about my 'radio project'). 

My 1st transmitter was a Halli HT-40 (had my ticket for about 1 1/2 yrs now) but 'graduated' to an Apache about a year ago.  The HT-40 keeps on going, even after zorching the dropping resistor early on (incorrectly replaced the IN0007 diodes in the power supply -- never saw a resistor glow bright orange before) and figuring out how to load a transmitter.  The Apache is currently on the bench after zorching sounds started coming out of the PA compartment...   

You guys had electricity?

First Receiver.  (With matching speaker)  I ran that striped telephone wire all over the place for an antenna.....

Rich