Actually, it had an A knob with an applied aluminum disc :) I took the knob
and skirt from my junker and put it on the T-4X, so they match a "little"
better. Yeah, the black lettering was also a big ergonomic change.
I've owned two C-lines in the past: an early one with the older-design
mixers and nylon gears and a very late one that had the frame-grid mixers
and brass gears. Liked the way the older one sounded better. There was a
fix for the frying-pan sizzling of the 3rd mixer that I recall consisted of
a new RF choke. I put that in and the sound was greatly improved. It's
definitely much easier to run transceive with the C's.
Steve Wedge, W1ES/4
To be is to do - Socrates
To do is to be - Plato
Do be do be do. - Sinatra
All my computers have my signature with various pearls of wisdom appended
thereto.
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Garey Barrell" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2011 9:43 AM
To: "Steve Wedge" <[email protected]>
Cc: "Drake List" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Drakelist] Anyone ever look inside the PBT box?
Steve -
Cool, that makes all that filter stuff irrelevant. I'm about 97% CW, and
only get on SSB when forced by circumstance... :-)
Now if it was a KWM-2, you'd have BIG problems.. !
Yes, as I said, _MANY_ of the earlier 4 Series radios got the "B" knob
upgrade. But does it have the flat or dished skirt??
Other than the filters, the later transmitters have no 'technical'
improvements, just ergonomics, until you get to the T-4XC with the
'shared' CO and 3rd LO for stable transceive.
73, Garey - K4OAH
Glen Allen, VA
Drake 2-B, 2-C/2-NT, 4-A, 4-B, C-Line
and TR-4/C Service Supplement CDs
<www.k4oah.com>
Steve Wedge wrote:
Being a mostly CW operator, I'm not surprised at this.
I've been making an attempt at going back to SSB - which would be a grand
movement for me from c. 1989 and even then, probably more since '85.
It's funny, but the T-4X that I got with the R-4B already had the
B-series knob with it. Since I routinely don't run these rigs beyond
100W in either mode, I suppose all of the directives, etc. are probably
meaningless to me.
I suppose that anything required beyond 100W with these rigs will require
a "helper" anyway.
I have that "helper" and it, too, will be online soon - to be called upon
when needed. :-)
Steve Wedge, W1ES/4
To be is to do - Socrates
To do is to be - Plato
Do be do be do. - Sinatra
All my computers have my signature with various pearls of wisdom appended
thereto.
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Garey Barrell" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 10:57 PM
To: "Steve Wedge" <[email protected]>
Cc: "Drake List" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Drakelist] Anyone ever look inside the PBT box?
Steve -
Not really..... Yes, the neon 'PTO in Use' lights were a nice touch,
but the 'above the belt' switch from aluminum to black lettering made
all the difference in the world in being able to READ what they said.
The new MAIN TUNING knob with 'dished' skirt also made them much easier
on the eyes, especially in lighting with any glare. That's why MANY of
the R-4 and R-4A receivers no longer have the old main knob and flat
skirt, but ended up with the 'new' style with the nice bright aluminum
center. LOTS of those knobs and skirts were sold when the "B" came out.
Most important of all though was the change from 4 pole crystal filters
in the T-4X to the 8 pole used in all later models. The T-4X actually
doesn't meet the 'Purity of Emissions' requirements in the FCC
regulations. Both the Carrier and Opposite Sideband suppression are
much poorer in the T-4X. Obviously the T-4X is 'grandfathered' in, and
if you are not driving an amplifier, most will never notice the
difference. However, IF you use an amp, and/or have a nearby ham
neighbor, you may make new friends! :-) Of course if you only operate
CW, not a problem as the T-4X has that nice, smooth T-4X(any) keying.
The 'B' also saw the conversion from bipolar to FET in the PTO for
improved stability.
Other than the above, not much difference! :-)
73, Garey - K4OAH
Glen Allen, VA
Drake 2-B, 2-C/2-NT, 4-A, 4-B, C-Line
and TR-4/C Service Supplement CDs
<www.k4oah.com>
Steve Wedge wrote:
#2 is still in its pristine, late-1960's state. I just bought it with
a very nice-but-dusty T-4X and MS-4 and AC-4 from Shelby. I have shut
if down for now, though, as I've noticed significant AC hum on the
signals. Once I get my PTO back, I'll run my R-4A with the revitalized
PTO whilst I begin work on R-4B #2. This will include re-capping all
electrolytics.
My take is that this set I bought at Shelby represents what a lot of
hams with Drakes had during that period: The receiver was enough of a
progression from the R-4A to be worth upgrading, but the transmitter
wasn't really different enough to warrant dumping the T-4X for a T-4XB.
From what I've seen, the major difference is the neon dial indicator.
Steve Wedge, W1ES/4
To be is to do - Socrates
To do is to be - Plato
Do be do be do. - Sinatra
All my computers have my signature with various pearls of wisdom
appended thereto.
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Garey Barrell" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 6:13 PM
To: "Steve Wedge" <[email protected]>
Cc: "Drake List" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Drakelist] Anyone ever look inside the PBT box?
Steve -
What did you do to the PTO in R-4B #2? I thought they were both
jumpy?
I would use just about any small coax you have for the injection.
It's not long enough to matter what impedance or loss (within reason!)
it is.
The headphone jack on the R-4A was in that location, and the panel
still has the locator mark in the "B" location, and of course the main
chassis has the cut-out needed. Drake probably had enough
'complaints' about the front panel location interfering with access to
the RF GAIN and the SSB/CW switch. I didn't complain, but the PHONE
plug body sticking out there made it very difficult to switch the
SSB/CW switch.
So now we have to deal with the silly little flat plugs!
73, Garey - K4OAH
Glen Allen, VA
Drake 2-B, 2-C/2-NT, 4-A, 4-B, C-Line
and TR-4/C Service Supplement CDs
<www.k4oah.com>
Steve Wedge wrote:
Now I'm home (and listening to R-4B #2, which is going to need to be
re-capped but is otherwise working in a sterling manner) and checked
out the info on the PBT assembly. It sounds pretty simple once the
cover is removed.
I'm now at the point with R-4B #1 where I feel that I owe it to the
rig to put it back - more or less - to the way Bob Drake intended it
to be. That means I'll need to re-route a new Injection cable inside
the rig, as the PO shortened it when he moved it over to the SPARE
location (WHY he did this, I will never know, and it's my
understanding that he's an SK). The audio mods I'll probably leave
in, as the rig sounds nice and rich, but that variable AGC delay is
seriously messing up the ability to control RF gain. I think I'll
put a headphone jack where that extra goofy knob is as I have seen
more than a couple of B's that have had this change (in all honesty,
moving the headphone jack to the side wasn't a great move...)
Question here is this: what can I use for the internal cable in the
R-4B to go from the pre-mixer to the INJ jack? I will have to
replace this since the PO shortened it :-(
Steve Wedge, W1ES/4
To be is to do - Socrates
To do is to be - Plato
Do be do be do. - Sinatra
All my computers have my signature with various pearls of wisdom
appended thereto.
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Chris Kepus" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 11:25 AM
To: <[email protected]>; "'Steve Wedge'" <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [Drakelist] Anyone ever look inside the PBT box?
ROTHFLMAO!!! Made my day reading your softly worded post, Garey! Had
to
clean up some coffee that squirted out, though. RTFCD and
derivatives;
i.e., RTFIM, RTFD, etc., are most fun play words. :-))))
73,
Chris
W7JPG
"As some have said, 'RTFCD!!' :-)
73, Garey - K4OAH
Glen Allen, VA"
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