Small Tube Receivers

[Chris P.]

Say a fellow wanted to set up an AM station while camping and wanted to use a tube receiver, but not a boatanchor. What are some good choices? I have a couple S-38's (yeah I know ) which would work if I wanted to hear everything in the AM window at once. Anyone ever put a crystal filter in one?

Is there anything s-38 sized, but all around better? Or maybe a homebrew regen would do well?


Chris

[w1vtp]

I've owned 3 S-38 receivers and they all sucked. I even knew enough as a snotty-nosed kid (16) that it sucked and went out and bought a SP-100.

Roger KB1CMR uses a Radio Shack DX-160 for his main station receiver and he's completely off the grid. Sure it's a transistorized receiver but it does have a decent track record.  I think someone one who frequents this forum uses one also (but not as a main receiver).  I've never used one but it strikes me that would be a far better choice as a proven AM performer.

Al

PS: that other guy was Bruce W1UJR.  Here's his story

http://www.w1ujr.net/bruces_bench_2009.htm

[WQ9E]

The Mosley CM-1 is a good S-38 sized receiver but not that easy to find.  The Lafayette HE-10/KT-200 which is actually the Trio produced 9R4J is a very competent receiver that looks something like the S-38; I have one and find it works very well.  The Heathkit mobile receivers, the early MR-1 and the later HR-20, are also quite competent.  Of course the Drake R-4 series are all compact and excellent.  Another lightweight and fairly compact is the Trio produced Allied A-2516.  The Lafayette HA-350 is another possibility.

As posted earlier, if you still want vintage but SS is OK then the DX-160 from RS is pretty decent.  I have a little Knight R-195 paired with my T-60 and it is close to the DX-160 for ham usage.  The Drake SPR-4 performs nearly as well as the regular Drake R-4 series receivers (but lacks passband tuning) and is solid state.  The Heathkit Mohican is OK on 80 and 40.

Finally, how about the Zenith Transoceanic?  The early are tube type while the later are SS.  A lot of the Japanese all band portables would work fine for limited ham use also (Panasonic RF-2200, 2800; Sony CRF-230B, 320; Sanyo RP-8800, etc.).  There are a lot of nice Grundig Satellit series receiver with nice audio and decent filtering plus a BFO.  Lots of choices!

[KX5JT]

Chris!  This sounds like the perfect opportunity to try a your hand at building a simple direct conversion rx from a few little tubes! 

John

[Ed/KB1HYS]

If you want simple, light weight and decent performance a two tube regen using battery tubes might fill the bill.  Lot's of 12v fil/plate automotive types out there that go cheap because there's no market.  Easy to deal with too as you can use all Low voltage components. 

I have a little chinese portable shortwave that does ok for general listening, has a bfo, and a filter of sorts. 

[W1DAN]

How about a Drake 2B?

Not the best audio, but a small rx.

Or a PMR8.

73,
Dan
W1DAN

[Superhet66]

A well matched, high efficiency inverter with a low idle draw would open up your possibilities as far as line vltge rcvrs.  ( You could go old school and hand crank your self some glow also, see below  )

Most vintage receiver pages list power consumption along with the vitals.
You could make a "best of" list as far as amp/hr requirements and throw it to the lions here.

May the best survive  

PS. thanks Al, for relieving any guilt I had about passing up several Hali. S-38's at fests and garage sales over the past few decades.
 

[W3RSW]

One size up you have a Hammarlund HQ-100 and other nice choices for general coverage.
Somehow 'all tube' and 'not boatanchor' requirements don't quite match.

It's a good question though, trying to find a good, smallish, "Gen Coverage" tube receiver.

Somehow I think we're trying to recreate our youth with new, affordable, easily repairable, understandable, introductory, but perceived single signal tube gear having a minimum of stages.

We'd like to find a combination of 'eras', where a classic front panel (S-meter,main and bandspread tuning, bfo, agc off/on, rf or if gain, audio gain, T/R/standby, ant. trim, etc.)
is combined with one stage of RF, two of IF, decent IF passband filter of at least one crystal,  one stage of amplified AGC, couple of audio, pp output if obtainable, and a decent product detector, 1600 kc IF.. . you name it, using 1960's technology in a spiffy 40's cabinet.

 

[WD8BIL]

I go along with SH66. Get a 12VDC to 120VAC 300 or 500 watt inverter and take along you favorite BA receiver.

Works for me.

[W3RSW]

So I Googled SH66 to see what kind of receiver that was. 

I are not too bright once in a while.

[WD8BIL]

SH66 = Superhet66............ 2 posts up, Rick!

[Fred k2dx]

Although rare, the Davco DR 30 would be vintage SS, battery powered, and a decent performer...


http://www.miami.muohio.edu/garland_archive/personal/w8zr/vintage/receivers/davco.htm

[W1GFH]

Say a fellow wanted to set up an AM station while camping and wanted to use a tube receiver, but not a boatanchor. What are some good choices? I have a couple S-38's (yeah I know ) which would work if I wanted to hear everything in the AM window at once. Anyone ever put a crystal filter in one?

Is there anything s-38 sized, but all around better? Or maybe a homebrew regen would do well?

What would you be bringing for an XMTR? Once you have lifted one BA into the car, what difference would one more make?

[Chris P.]

Thanks very much everyone. I have a few ideas now.

For some reason that Mosley has caught my eye.

What would you be bringing for an XMTR? Once you have lifted one BA into the car, what difference would one more make?

BC-610






No actually it will be a dx-40 with some mods.

[WQ9E]

The Mosley is a unique little receiver, all tubes are type 6AW8 so you don't need a box full of different spares

It operates as a single conversion receiver on 80 meters and has built in crystal controlled converters for the other bands.  A Q multiplier really helps the selectivity and mine already had an RCA phono plug on the back (looks factory but it may have been an unusually neat ham install) to which I hooked  a Globe Q multiplier.  I have been using mine with a Johnson Adventurer in a small sized setup but it would do a decent job on vintage SSB with its built in product detector.

I found mine at a hamfest a few years ago; they show up on ebay at times and are scarce but far from rare. 

[Chris P.]

How well does it do without a q multiplier if a sideband station happens to fire up a couple kc away?

[W1UJR]

Say a fellow wanted to set up an AM station while camping and wanted to use a tube receiver, but not a boatanchor. What are some good choices? I have a couple S-38's (yeah I know ) which would work if I wanted to hear everything in the AM window at once. Anyone ever put a crystal filter in one?

Is there anything s-38 sized, but all around better? Or maybe a home brew regen would do well?


Chris

Hi Chris, sorry I missed this topic, have been busy and out of town quite a bit the last few months.

As VTP so well pointed out, the DX-160 is a neat rig for portable use, abet a tad large for hiking, would be fine if you didn't have to carry it in your pack.

For what its worth, I love regens and have been on a regen kick since last year. A home brew regen would be ideal, sounds great on AM, works FB on SSB and CW as well with some careful tuning. Most regens use higher voltages than transistorized sets, but you could easily replicate the set pictured below, needs only 12 volts, covers the AM broadcast band, and 2-16MC on the shortwave bands. Power consumption is low, about 500-600 ma and it uses three of the 12DZ6 tubes. Best of all, it does not have a much bigger than a paperback book!

If you'd like more details and photos on this little regen, just drop me an email at w1ujr@mac.com.

Or, if you want to go the QRP route, you could build any of the Elecraft kits, but they are SSB and CW only at this point.
I debated moding my K2 for DSB AM but decided to hold off. I've built the K1, K2 and KX1, but the KX1 is the best for hiking and outings, will fit in your pocket!

Good luck, shortwave and ham radio is very fun in the great outdoors!

-Bruce

[W2DU]

H Bruce,

I like regens too--they're great!!!

My first ham rx in 1933 was a 201A regen detector, and single 201A audio into cans. Later on I built a 2nd rx with a '57 regen detector and a single '56 audio into cans, using it untll 1938 when I got my first store-bought rx, which first was a Hallicrapter SX-17 that I didn't like particularly well, so I exchanged it for an RME-69. The 69 is a tremendous rx, which I'm still using. When I pounded the mill with the SX17 on the table the local osc went crazy with the signal jumping all around. Not so with the RME--stable as rock.

I worked most of my dx on 40m cw with the 57-56 combination during the period prior to 1938, and haven't had much desire for dx since then.

When I first saw this thread I thought it was about receivers with small tubes.

Just kidding,

Walt

[Chris P.]

Bruce, sent you an email.

[WA1LGQ]

   How about an Elmac PMR-6, 7, or 8? Or a Gonset G-66? Or a Gonset G76 transceiver. Or a RT77/GRC-9 transceiver. Too many choices. Have fun!.........Larry

[KC4VWU]

Or, how about a Gonset mobile converter and small HB regen detector as in the writeup featured in ER #179? I bought a Super 6 and a 3-30 at the last two hamfests I attended for less than 20 bucks.

Phil

[ke7trp]

Not tube but a yaesu FRG7 or FROG would be nice. Its actualy a fine AM reciever and can be battery powered.  I used one after my main station receiver died for a few nights.

C

[N3DRB The Derb]

somebody's been spray painting graffiti on that dx 160. I got swl dxcc x2 on one of them before I was 13. I was doing some pretty good tropical band dxing, 1 and 2.5 kw locals from latin and south america. they were always so excited to get a reception report from the states. Some of them sent back handwritten letters in english and photos of the station and crew.  As I recall, 2.1 to about 2.3 Mhz was the hot spot.

The music they played was out of this world.