[drakelist] New Subscriber
Good Day All, Just welcoming myself(!) aboard this Reflector... I've been giving some serious thought of late here to do what I probably should have done some 24 years ago, specifically, buy a good set of Drake Twins. Back in '83, I elected to retire my venerable old Heathkit SB-400 / Hallicrafters S-77A combo, in favour of the latest greatest from the Far East... I've rued that day every time something major goes out with this flashy digital winking blinking contraption. Maybe I'll learn enough here to know which version of the R4 series of receiver I should have, the subtleties between all of the different variants thereof...I hope so, anyway, look forward to the day that I might have some Twins of my own here to use, enjoy, and actually REPAIR myself, as the need may arise... ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
Re: [drakelist] New Subscriber
john [EMAIL PROTECTED] made an utterance to the drakelist gang -- Welcome Ed. whichever version you buy, you'll likely be pleased. May I steer you in the direction of a B-line? I dont think you'll ever regret it! 73 John K5MO At 10:23 AM 10/27/2007, EP Swynar wrote: Good Day All, Just welcoming myself(!) aboard this Reflector... I've been giving some serious thought of late here to do what I probably should have done some 24 years ago, specifically, buy a good set of Drake Twins. Back in '83, I elected to retire my venerable old Heathkit SB-400 / Hallicrafters S-77A combo, in favour of the latest greatest from the Far East... I've rued that day every time something major goes out with this flashy digital winking blinking contraption. Maybe I'll learn enough here to know which version of the R4 series of receiver I should have, the subtleties between all of the different variants thereof...I hope so, anyway, look forward to the day that I might have some Twins of my own here to use, enjoy, and actually REPAIR myself, as the need may arise... ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ -- Submissions:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body Hopelessly Lost:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message Zerobeat Web Page: www.zerobeat.net - sponsored by www.tlchost.net --
Re: [drakelist] New Subscriber
Garey Barrell [EMAIL PROTECTED] made an utterance to the drakelist gang -- Eddy - Welcome! Always glad to have another one awaken to the great Drake equipment! :-) Here is a little overview of the 2 4 Series that might help you. The 2-B is an outstanding CW receiver, the dial calibration is a little coarse by today's standards, but for just getting on the air and enjoying a CW QSO it works as well as any. It has three (L-C) filter bandwidths, (500, 2100 and 3600 Hz,) built in along with passband tuning. The 100 kHz crystal calibrator was optional. The companion 2-BQ Q Multiplier adds a very sharp peaking filter and a nice tunable null, both at the IF. There is no matching transmitter for the 2-B. The 2-C is similar, except the tubes end at the 2nd IF with all the rest being solid state. Decent receiver but I don't think as good as the 2-B. On the plus side, the 2-NT matching transmitter is available, but is a Novice class, crystal controlled, CW only transmitter. No provision for transceive and no VFO included. The R-4 is almost a 2-B, just with a linear PTO and 1 kHz dial calibration. All tubes. Very similar in operation, and will transceive with the matching T-4X for an excellent CW station. Passband Tuner with four filter bandwidths, (400, 1200, 2400 and 4800 Hz,) passband tuning, noise blanker, LC notch and 100 kHz crystal calibrator built in. The R-4A (early 13 tube model) is an improved R-4, almost identical specifications. PTO and Band Oscillators converted to solid state. The R-4A (late 11 tube model) almost identical specifications. Product detector, BFO, AGC and low level audio stages converted to solid state. The R-4B (early) is very similar to the late R-4A, minor modifications and crystal calibrator multivibrator for 25 kHz markers. The R-4B (late) almost identical except PTO changed from bipolar to FET. The R-4C (early) very similar, except IF filters changed to crystal filters. Only the 2.3 kHz filter is standard, 250, 500, 1800, 4000 and 6000 Hz BW are available as options. The 4000 6000 Hz filters are normally installed in a special socket under the chassis and are effective on AM only. Four position filter switch. The noise blanker was optional. Entire audio chain solid state, tubes used only from RF to IF, all other stages and oscillators solid state. The R-4C (late) same. Five position filter switch. The 2-B through the R-4B used L-C filters in the IF. This type of filter has much gentler slopes, which means that nearby signals are still heard, just at reduced levels. The crystal filters are steep sided, more like the crystal filters in today's receivers. Personally, I prefer the L-C filters for all except heavy duty contest use. I like to hear what is going on around my frequency, instead of listening with blinders on... The T-4 series transmitters are all pretty much the same, the T-4X had 4 pole crystal filters while the T-4XB and C had 8 pole filters. The later ones therefore had slightly better carrier and unwanted sideband suppression, neither of which has ANY effect on CW operation. ANY 4 series receiver will transceive with ANY 4 series transmitter, mix and match. There are minor things like the B line had a neon indicator light under the dial to show which PTO was controlling in transceive while the C line just turned the dial lamps on or off. The R-4 and R-4A had neither, so you had to look at the switch! My opinion. The R-4B is probably the best receiver overall. It has great audio, smooth AGC, all the filters and noise blanker are built in. The L-C filters are not quite as drop off the table selective, but I prefer that for casual QSOs. The R-4C has poorer audio, a little harsher, the better (?) crystal filters are extra, and the noise blanker is extra. The R-4 and R-4A are just earlier iterations of the R-4B, and are not quite as refined, although some say they prefer the early R-4A to the R-4B because the tube type product detector in the R-4A is cleaner. The 2-B isn't very far behind, except it will NOT transceive with anything, and the dial calibration is not precisely linear. 73, Garey - K4OAH Glen Allen, VA Drake 2-B, 4-B C-Line Service Supplement CDs www.k4oah.com EP Swynar wrote: Good Day All, Just welcoming myself(!) aboard this Reflector... I've been giving some serious thought of late here to do what I probably should have done some 24 years ago, specifically, buy a good set of Drake Twins. Back in '83, I elected to retire my venerable old Heathkit SB-400 / Hallicrafters S-77A combo, in favour of the latest greatest from the Far East... I've rued that day every time something major goes out with this flashy digital winking blinking contraption. Maybe I'll learn enough here to know which version of the R4 series of receiver I should have, the subtleties between all of the different variants thereof...I hope so,
Re: [drakelist] New Subscriber
Dennis Monticelli [EMAIL PROTECTED] made an utterance to the drakelist gang -- Great summary, Garey. It's worth re-posting every time a newcomer asks a general question. I have an early R4B I restored and think its just great. It is in daily use. For casual work, I find that the LC filters contribute little to listening fatigue, unlike the tiring ringing of crystal filters. I have also had the opportunity to work on and listen to an early R4A and thought it performed equally well. The bipolar PTO seems quite stable. I don't think I miss having the JFETs in there. Someday there will be a matched TX in the shack. On 10/27/07, Garey Barrell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Garey Barrell [EMAIL PROTECTED] made an utterance to the drakelist gang -- Eddy - Welcome! Always glad to have another one awaken to the great Drake equipment! :-) Here is a little overview of the 2 4 Series that might help you. The 2-B is an outstanding CW receiver, the dial calibration is a little coarse by today's standards, but for just getting on the air and enjoying a CW QSO it works as well as any. It has three (L-C) filter bandwidths, (500, 2100 and 3600 Hz,) built in along with passband tuning. The 100 kHz crystal calibrator was optional. The companion 2-BQ Q Multiplier adds a very sharp peaking filter and a nice tunable null, both at the IF. There is no matching transmitter for the 2-B. The 2-C is similar, except the tubes end at the 2nd IF with all the rest being solid state. Decent receiver but I don't think as good as the 2-B. On the plus side, the 2-NT matching transmitter is available, but is a Novice class, crystal controlled, CW only transmitter. No provision for transceive and no VFO included. The R-4 is almost a 2-B, just with a linear PTO and 1 kHz dial calibration. All tubes. Very similar in operation, and will transceive with the matching T-4X for an excellent CW station. Passband Tuner with four filter bandwidths, (400, 1200, 2400 and 4800 Hz,) passband tuning, noise blanker, LC notch and 100 kHz crystal calibrator built in. The R-4A (early 13 tube model) is an improved R-4, almost identical specifications. PTO and Band Oscillators converted to solid state. The R-4A (late 11 tube model) almost identical specifications. Product detector, BFO, AGC and low level audio stages converted to solid state. The R-4B (early) is very similar to the late R-4A, minor modifications and crystal calibrator multivibrator for 25 kHz markers. The R-4B (late) almost identical except PTO changed from bipolar to FET. The R-4C (early) very similar, except IF filters changed to crystal filters. Only the 2.3 kHz filter is standard, 250, 500, 1800, 4000 and 6000 Hz BW are available as options. The 4000 6000 Hz filters are normally installed in a special socket under the chassis and are effective on AM only. Four position filter switch. The noise blanker was optional. Entire audio chain solid state, tubes used only from RF to IF, all other stages and oscillators solid state. The R-4C (late) same. Five position filter switch. The 2-B through the R-4B used L-C filters in the IF. This type of filter has much gentler slopes, which means that nearby signals are still heard, just at reduced levels. The crystal filters are steep sided, more like the crystal filters in today's receivers. Personally, I prefer the L-C filters for all except heavy duty contest use. I like to hear what is going on around my frequency, instead of listening with blinders on... The T-4 series transmitters are all pretty much the same, the T-4X had 4 pole crystal filters while the T-4XB and C had 8 pole filters. The later ones therefore had slightly better carrier and unwanted sideband suppression, neither of which has ANY effect on CW operation. ANY 4 series receiver will transceive with ANY 4 series transmitter, mix and match. There are minor things like the B line had a neon indicator light under the dial to show which PTO was controlling in transceive while the C line just turned the dial lamps on or off. The R-4 and R-4A had neither, so you had to look at the switch! My opinion. The R-4B is probably the best receiver overall. It has great audio, smooth AGC, all the filters and noise blanker are built in. The L-C filters are not quite as drop off the table selective, but I prefer that for casual QSOs. The R-4C has poorer audio, a little harsher, the better (?) crystal filters are extra, and the noise blanker is extra. The R-4 and R-4A are just earlier iterations of the R-4B, and are not quite as refined, although some say they prefer the early R-4A to the R-4B because the tube type product detector in the R-4A is cleaner. The 2-B isn't very far behind, except it will NOT transceive with anything, and the dial
RE: [drakelist] New Subscriber
Eddy, Welcome. This is a really great bunch. Drake radios and Collins were my dream rigs as a kid. Now that I am 57, I finally have the radios I lusted after as a kid. I am sitting here as I type listening to the contesters on 40M on my C line. What fun! R. Hunter Ellington, Esq. Shareholder Gorrell Giles PC 1331 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1000 Denver, Colorado 80202 (303) 996-6585 Direct (303) 996-2680 Fax [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of EP Swynar Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 8:23 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [drakelist] New Subscriber Good Day All, Just welcoming myself(!) aboard this Reflector... I've been giving some serious thought of late here to do what I probably should have done some 24 years ago, specifically, buy a good set of Drake Twins. Back in '83, I elected to retire my venerable old Heathkit SB-400 / Hallicrafters S-77A combo, in favour of the latest greatest from the Far East... I've rued that day every time something major goes out with this flashy digital winking blinking contraption. Maybe I'll learn enough here to know which version of the R4 series of receiver I should have, the subtleties between all of the different variants thereof...I hope so, anyway, look forward to the day that I might have some Twins of my own here to use, enjoy, and actually REPAIR myself, as the need may arise... ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
[drakelist] New Subscriber
Hi Gang, I am new to this list and use a Drake L7 Amp. Currently driven by an ICOM 756 Pro II as primary and a Kenwood TS-940SAT as a backup. Based on comments on this list, I am ordering a Peak Readingkit for my W-4 Wattmeter. I think the L7 is the best amp ever for the price and someday I hope to find another one to use in a SO2R setup. I am a big 160 meter buff and hope to meet some of you on the air. 73, Bob Wade - W6RTW
