The AM Forum

Hi!

I have the possibility to lay my hands on some Collins stuff.

HF-8020 PA
HF-8030 PS
HF-8010A Exciter
HF-8090 Remote ctrl

The equipment is in excellent condition, probably never used, just installed.
So, to one of the interesting questions, is this equipment known to be “good stuff”
or will it just make my hair turn grey over night? I’m 44 years old and starting to see some grey hair, the beard is also starting to turn grey…  

Any ideas / comments about the equipment, never mind the colour of my hair….

No good.
Not a single tube in it.

Buy it cheap and flip it for something better.

http://www.tomeidenshi.co.jp/frend/HF-8014A/HF-8014A-E.html

Well Paul, at least there is a 4CX1500B in the final. But since it doesn't glow in the dark, maybe it should be called a transistor?  ;)

73/Morgan

Very good stuff hope you get the cables. I've had a couple chances to get the matching receiver. The model with the tuning knob goes for real money but the thumbwheel frequency entry can be bought cheap.

Hi!

Unfortunatly the RX is not included, I would be nice to have one...
The equipment is ready to use, complete documentation, extension cards/cables and a couple of boxes with spareparts. 

Jump on it! receivers turn up from time to time. If it is in new condition it should out last you.

So Morgan, are you on the air with it yet ?

Please QSY


hee hee

Always nice to get a good deal on mint gear.  My example -- two, never used, high powered VHF Motorola HT600, 6 channel jobs and "CN" late production. Their serial numbers were within a few notches of each other, so they'd probably been together on a shelf somewhere the past 20 years.  $10/each.    I put some simplex frequencies in 2 channels, and weather radio channels with tone decoding for squelched alerts, and they've been great.

HT600 is a good radio.

Hi!

Paul, the transmitter is not at home yet. Since we will be moving to a new QTH, starting this week, it will take a little bit of time before I can have it on the air.

Speaking of finding old new stuff... I've got a 51J-4 that was discoverd about 15 years ago, brand new. I bougt it from the second private owner.

heres the receiver you want. Sorry didnt realize that you were in sweden this stuff cannot be exported.To bad for you. :(
Post some pictures for all of us.

73s

Thank's for the picture! Actually I've found a possible RX for my equipment, located in Europe.
But, it makes me wonder... are they made of pure gold?

can you post a picture of the equitment

Hi!

Well, I will, as soon as I have it. It needs to be picked up, and I have not done that yet.
Just moved in to a new QTH, from an apartment to a house. I'm busy....
(The garage is bigger than the apartment we had!   :-)  ) 

oook 

Well, the stuff is finally home now. With help from a good friend who took a trip to Denmark were he picked up the equipment. Everything seems to be in very good condition, judging by the colour of the 4CX1500B it has seen no or very little use. Documentation and some spare parts etc were also included. I will take some photos as soon as I find the camera.

While carrying the power supply down to the cellar, I thought that I must start exercise to get stronger. Then I realized that I weights 158 lbs (71.6 kg).
What I need now is a HF-8040 antenna coupler, that would be nice to have...   

You cant determine the use by the color of the tube. The blower would keep the tube nice and cool.The tube should look new until the day the tube wears out.Unless there is some sort of major fault.
please post some pictures.

Hi!

You are of course right, looking at the colour of the tube is not a reliable method.
However, my experience is that tubes that have seen many running hours often show some discolouration. To be more correct(?), they show oxidation of the surface.

Having had the time to make a quick investigation of the stuff, everything indicates that the equipment is very close to NOS. And this is in line with the information from the seller.

The thing I need now is an antenna coupler HF-8040, if anyone knows were to find one, please let me know. I know were to get an 851S-1 with preselector HF-8060, we will se what happens. Any advice? How well does the receiver perform? Receiver options to look for?   
 

I had an 851S-1 and it was an OK receiver.  Better than the 651S-1.  Make sure you get the complement of filters, if possible, because they're some oddball IF frequency (460 KHz, or 450, or something).  The optical encoder in mine was bad; just needed one transistor replaced and it was good to go.

I can't say it was my favorite receiver ever, but there wasn't anything I hated about it.

Yeah my yaesu 1000d receiver totally blows it away lol

Your right if you were looking at a regular store bought ham amp. But when it comes to a rf generator or a collins amp which is desined to stay on all the time and has a blower which is the right size then no you probably wont see a difference in the tube color. I have had many rf generators henry and plasma therm and when I looked at the tubes they always looked brand new. Only a few have been bad but they still looked new. Even the red writing looked sharp. Lool for dust on the hv wires. Look at the other components you cant go by what the tube looks like. I forget what that unit looks like I have never owned one. But isnt their an hour meter mounted some where. My unit has one.

It doesnt really matter how many hours are on it all that matters is that it works.Take care of it they arent easy to fix.

Get your self a complete hanger queen. Shouldnt be to hard to find those amps are pretty common. The bigger ones are rare

73s

whats up with the pictures lol

Hi!

Pictures of the 1 kW amplifier. Rockwell Collins HF-8020
(NO, I did not paint the walls pink, that's the way it was when we moved in...)

And some pictures of the power supply. Rockwell Collins HF-8030

Hi!

Update; I found a HF-8040, Antenna Coupler, or should I say, it found me.
Current location is Germany, it will start it's journey to it's new home next week!
Anyone who knows anything interesting about these couplers?

Hi Morgan,

Did you get your HF-80 system going? How do you like the coupler? I am just about to setup my HF-80 system...took most of the day to get it out of the shop, dismount it all from the rack cabinet and get it to the house. I considered using the Bobcat to move most of it, especially the PS but I used the hand cart instead. What a beast.

So, it's all warmed up and back to 20C and ready to reconnect in my shack. I remember it was noisier than the 737 but for some reason the mic didn't pick it up in my old shack/shop. I have Sonex panels mounted in closet where it is going, right next to the Bauer broadcast TX.

My plan is to use this mainly with my TAPR HPSDR as it puts out 500mW and this HF-8020 only needs 100mW. Should be a kick butt setup.  ;D  I may bring in the 8050A RX one day, and after I hear about your experience with the coupler, I may look for one of those. When I bought my system I got all the manuals and the manual for the 8040 was there, but it was missing from the pallet of equipment. Darn!

Cheers

Paul
VE7KHz

LMAO Paul ;D ;D


Nice looking stuff for sure. I wonder how these things will hold up 50 years down the line. I'll be 131 then :o :o :o

Hi Paul!

Oops, a late answer, didn't see you post until now.
I have parts of the stuff up and running, 8010A + 8020 + 8030, it seems to work fine.
The only "show stopper" I have had so far har been the pressure switch for the PA cooling, but that was fixed easily. Now I have to have a look at the delay circuit for the HV a.k.a. filament timer. Have to make the timing manual, since there is NO delay. Have had a look at the circuits and it seems quite straight forward. The coupler and 8090 remote are still waiting to be put into service.

I have no "complaints" about background noise from the "jet engines" unless it sit in the front of the PA/PS, slightly surprising? I have the narrow filter (2.35 kHz) in the SSB generator, one could have expected comments about the limited passband, but everybody seems to like the sound of the TX.

I can not explain how much I like this rig! I just "need" a few more things, like a matching receiver and possibly pre/post-selectors. But, I have many other things going on.
Right now I'm waiting for a Skanti TRP-8750 (750 W, solid state) to come home to it's new home, to day I have a TRP-8250 (250 W). So I "need" a 8750...   :-)

Hi Morgan,

That's great news! Glad you have it up and running. I too have the identical setup here, working 100%. I have now connected my TAPR HPSDR system to the Collins PA and it is working just perfect. I need to make a few adjustments to the TGR and IGR settings in the PA as it folds back power output at 1100W and tends to flatten out AM modulation a bit. I am running the PA at 250W carrier and mod peaks are knocking down the carrier about 25 -50 watts or so. In the 8010 exciter there is the large Collins mechanical filter, but there are also a multitude of other RLC filter options on the piggyback card attached to A8. I have the manual for this but it reads like an encyclopedia and I haven't been able to figure out how to get those other filters to work. There are 2 sets of jumpers on A8, one near the bottom connector, and one mid/left side of the board. These control what filters work when you change the mode switch on the front panel. I ended up putting a .1uF cap across the mechanical filter and that made a huge difference in the audio quality. There is still the final roofing filter in line somewhere on that card...

I haven't really tried the setup on SSB but I am sure it will work as it should. Love the amp. Tunes up quickly and automatically. Did you get the TS-8020 service panel with yours?

Keep us updated and let me know if I can help with anything. I have studied the manuals for the PA and exciter, but that's it. I haven't brought in the 8050 yet, but may do that. I also may bring in the 8060 preselector to use with the TX/RX of HPSDR.

I have the HF-80 sitting in the closet next to my Bauer 707 broadcast TX. Fits with 1/2" to spare.  ;D

Cheers and 73
Paul
VE7KHz

Hi!

Hello Paul, yes I do have the TS-8020 service panel, fun to look at when the amp tunes.
And, useful if it needs trouble shooting.

At the moment I'm searching for the control cable to the coupler. There is a company in Germany, but they do not want to sell to me. They only sell to the military and to federal users. I have to write a new letter to them...
The search goes on.
I hope for a miracle!