HRO 60s now worth over $1500

[w1vtp]

WOW!

[MikeKE0ZUinkcmo]

Thanks Mike, I shipped today, after going through it one final time.

I like your avatar.

[K1ZJH]

Soooooooooooooo Mike....

Does this mean you like the new SX-101 better than that old clunker
National?

Pete

[Detroit47]

How does the HRO50t compare to a 60. I have never played with the one I have.

N8QPC

[ke7trp]

I have the 50T and the 60.  The 50 does not have the selectivity of the 60.  Not even close.  50-1 is better then the 50T but still not as good as the 60

[k4kyv]

OK,

I will sell my HRO-60 with 13 coils and buy this:

http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/atq/2718037869.html

Such a deal!

Dan

If you paid me $5000, I might agree to clutter my living space with that piece of crap - for a few months, anyway.

[N6MV]

 Don't Get Excited, I congratulated Mike on the sale of his HRO 60, which he said - he was very happy about - but I purchased one - last year
 on E-Bay - in good condition - with the standard 4 coils set - for  $212, because the Seller requested local pickup and there were only 3 bids.

[KM1H]

Mine was $250 with 4 coils, box, calibrator, NBFM, manual and speaker....local pickup.

It was even recapped and the reason for the sale is it didnt work....the doofus made several errors with the caps.

The HRO 50-1 is closer to the 60 for selectivity but is single conversion. The 50 wasnt in production long due to barn door selectivity complaints.....I like mine for that reason.

Carl

[MikeKE0ZUinkcmo]

Hi Pete,

Does this mean you like the new SX-101 better than that old clunker National?

As a fellow collector of old "room heaters," you know the answer is, yes, and no.  It was and is a good receiver with it's attendant pluses and minuses, but it was time for it to go, making way for another radio. 

An HRO-60 was the first real "Ham" radio I ever saw, and it belonged to Hobby Hobbson, W6LI.   I was eleven.   When I happened to run across the one I had, on ebay, I just had to have it.

[N6MV]

Spoke to Mike and I congratulated him for receiving the highest amount ever paid for an HRO-60 on E-Bay, but I think it ought to be mentioned that many of us have paid much less for an HRO -60, and - in particular- my two recent HRO-60 purchases in April and December of 2011- on E-Bay - for two working and in good condition HRO-60's were not for $1880 but $212.50 and $305, so don't get excited - for - as correctly mentioned above one sale of over $1800 for an HRO 60 does not establish its Mkt price.

Personally, IMHO, there is no comparision between the Collins 75A-4 and an HRO-60 when it comes to either sensitivity or selectivity , and if anyone is considering purchasing an  HF "boatanchor" receiver, because I own and listen to both, I definitely would recommend spending a little extra and purchasing a Collins 75A-4.

73, Jim (N6MV)

[ke7trp]

Depends on what the reciever is used for Jim.

 SSB and CW?  THe 75A4 is your machine.  AM, and short wave?  The HRO60 is the better reciever, much better audio and all the bandwidth settings right at your finger tips.  75A4 audio for AM is crappy and 90% of the time, It wont come with an AM filter, Just a CW filter and if your lucky an SSB filter. The AM filters are expensive at $199 each new for the 75A4 and even then, you wont have the HRO audio quality.

Both machines are great!  We have both here and I enjoy both!

C

[Steve - K4HX]

There is little or no difference in sensitivity between the two receivers. On the lower HF bands, the ambient atmospheric and man made noise will be 10's of dB above the noise floor of either receiver, so sensitivity is mostly irrelevant. It would appear the HRO has the better dynamic range.


HRO-60

Band          MDS     Blocking   Two-tone D.R.   
                      (20 kHz)    (20 kHz)   
    
80 meters   -142 dBm   121 dB      86 dB   
40 meters   -142 dBm   114 dB      83 dB   
20 meters   -139 dBm   111 dB      78 dB   

74A-4

Band           MDS      Blocking   Two-tone D.R.   
                         (20 kHz)      (20 kHz)   
    
80 meters   -141 dBm     102 dB        79 dB   
40 meters   -141 dBm     100 dB        77 dB   
20 meters   -141 dBm      98 dB        75 dB   

Measurements from W1VD

http://www.w1vd.com/NationalHRO-60.html
http://www.w1vd.com/Collins75A4.html

[ke7trp]

Impressive.  I wonder if the 60 with the PD2 beats the 75A4 on SSB?

http://youtu.be/8fQJqDaa-XI

[K6JEK]

Impressive.  I wonder if the 60 with the PD2 beats the 75A4 on SSB?

http://youtu.be/8fQJqDaa-XI

Thanks for posting the product detector video. Like you I have both.  While the sensitivity may be comparable,  there can be no doubt -- The A4, beats the HRO hands down in lift-ability.

[ke7trp]

More like LUGABILITY 

C

[KM1H]

There is no way you can compare a HRO-60 to a 75A4, each was built for completely different markets.

Its a lot easier to build performance into a very narrow tuning range to start with, and the HRO-60 development goes back to 1949 with the 50 and the only changes in later models were in the IF and double conversion in the 60. The HRO's were the only multi use high end radio to also have a big ham market. Try that with a 51J series or SP-600.

Jays tests unfortunately stop at 20M and my A4 experience says its a dog on 10M as built and a NC-300/303 and SX-115 will blow it away there. A carefully rebuilt 60 will reach well below the outside noise level and is my choice on 10M AM.

Ive yet to ever hear anybody brag about any Collins audio

OTOH with careful mods the A4 can become the best ham band receiver ever which is why Ive owned one since 1965.

Carl