Receiver

[ka4koe]

Managed to get schedules meshed and picked up an SP600 yesterday.

P

[steve_qix]

NICE condition!

[nq5t]

It is pretty. 

The Tuning Lock appears to have been replaced by what looks like an AGC speed control.  Not something I've seen on a stock 274B before.  Wonder if this has some mods in it?  And a product detector perhaps?

[KB2WIG]

Nice.  I've been lusting after one for years. I almost got one, but when I returned to the table, it was gorn.

So, I guess that P has asked himself the question " Do I feel  lucky ? "


klc

[WQ9E]

Nice looking unit Philip!  Like NQ5T says I bet it has a product detector modification since someone went to the trouble of adding multiple AGC release times.

I have a couple of SP-600 variants and two of the Hallicrafters SX-73 version and all are very good all around receivers with nice tuning feel and reasonable all-mode selectivity.

[ka4koe]

It was a true basket case. Restored by Al N8UJ

http://www.boatanchors.org/SP600sn7092.htm

Yes, it has a product detector in it. And true to form as a lot of these radios, drifts above 20m. But it sounds FABULOUS on good old amplitude modulation.

I understand ER Mag had some suggestions about helping drift; one was moving the transformer tap from 115 to 125 volts.

Philip

[nq5t]

Changing the power transformer tap is a very good idea if you don't run your old gear off a circuit with a bucking transformer or other means to lower the usual high line voltage.

My SP-600 (JX-17) was the first major restoration project I undertook when I got interested in old gear some 20+ years ago, and is still one of my favorite and most used radios. I experimented with putting a solid state product detector in it at one point, but finally concluded that an external adapter (CE Slicer, HC-10, and currently a B&W 370) gave generally better results.  So the product detector came out.  The last SP-600 -- the SP-600JX-21A -- was produced by Hammarlund with a product detector factory installed.  It might be worth getting a schematic for that rare variant and seeing how what you have installed in the radio compares to what Hammarlund did.  BAMA doesn't have one, but they are available from commercial sources like Manualman, etc.  That said, I don't know how well the 21A actually works on sideband.

There's also an SP-600 anthology on BAMA that has a wide variety of tech information, mods (but why ruin a perfectly good thing?), etc.

This is a (very) old picture of my receiver that still shows up on the web from time to time.  My old website is long defunct.
http://www.jvgavila.com/sp600.htm

Grant NQ5T

[K6IC]

(Stating the obvious)

WOW !!!  That IS a beautiful RX,  Phillip.  Congratulations.

That is the nicest looking SP-600 I've seen,  have fun with it.     Vic

[Carl WA1KPD]

Nice radio!
Be sure to engrave your call with one of those home kits, right above the lettering on the right hand front upper corner. That way if it is ever stolen you can prove it is yours!

You may also want to add an ARRL decal between the dials

Carl
/KPD

[Pete, WA2CWA]

There's a lot great looking SP-600's out there in radio land and then some that leave you in wonderment.



And a lot more good and bad:
https://www.google.com/search?q=sp-600&client=firefox-a&hs=jBF&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=9PlfU8bNB-ausATFmIGoCQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1280&bih=791#channel=sb&q=sp-600&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&imgdii=_

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

It was a true basket case. Restored by Al N8UJ

http://www.boatanchors.org/SP600sn7092.htm

Al's call is W8UT.

There's a lot great looking SP-600's out there in radio land and then some that leave you in wonderment.

The 600 seems to have been a favorite of John Leary for his experiments and improvements. Some of the paint jobs would give you a headache, but he made some pretty hot receivers out of a very common set. Les Locklear has had a few of them and has one left, probably the most tame looking one John made. Some were painted red and green, with gold diamond accents. Then there was the NC-800.....

[ka4koe]

Typo. Never met Al but we've been corresponding for a number of years. Class A individual all the way. I managed to manhandle it upstairs without dislodging any viscera.