Any Boatanchor Collectors?

[gogo_gadgit]

 

[gogo_gadgit]

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I'll just have to settle for my Heath HR-10 receiver, DX-60 transmitter and HG-10 VFO for now. My TS-820S is more of a classic and not quite a boat anchor.

 

[HiDef]

Chrome verses aluminum knobs. The battle is 50 years old. Mine didn't match either until I bought a Seneca for 5 bux at Hosstraders to scarf the matching knobs from. I landed up repairing the Seneca and using it for a 2 meter AM net that no longer exists.

 

[KD8LWX]

Why not? Many of them have been around for at least 50 years and are still working/looking like new. I'll bet that 90% of the rigs made today won't be able to do that. The boat anchors are a true OPERATORS radio and not a USERS radio. They also sound soooo much better on AM which is gaining in popularity.

When you say operator radio, do you mean it is repairable at home like old cars, or ....?

I didn't know you could hear the difference. I was under the impression that the new radios were better sounding because of all the digital parts.


As far as being around in 50 years, I don't think I will be around in 50 years, so....


I guess it is like collecting old guns. I enjoy the history behind them.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

When you say operator radio, do you mean it is repairable at home like old cars, or ....?

That is applicable as well but I was thinking more along the lines that the user actually has to know a few things about tuning and adjustments as well as proper plate and grid currents more-so than on a new radio. He actually has to operate the radio rather than simply plug it in and key the microphone.Kind of like jumping out of the pickup truck and into the cab of an 18 wheeler. they are both trucks but one has to know a lot more about one of them in order to drive it properly.

I didn't know you could hear the difference. I was under the impression that the new radios were better sounding because of all the digital parts.

Todays radios are very limited in their transmitted bandwidth whereas the boat anchors tend to be a bit wider. this results in better audio. Another thing most guys do not know is that almost all of the modern radios do not transmit full carrier double sideband AM like the old boat anchors do. They actually transmit the carrier and one sideband,usually the upper sideband. This limits the tx bandwidth to half of the boat anchors audio right out of the gate. this is why it is often hard to obtain a rich quality sound on AM with a modern rice box without modifications.

As far as being around in 50 years, I don't think I will be around in 50 years, so....

I hear you on that one. I'll be 97 in 50 years. Might make,probably not.

I guess it is like collecting old guns. I enjoy the history behind them.

History is good too but every now and then one gets the urge to fire off a round or two. Same thing with radios. A few contacts a week on an old AM rig keeps a lot of guys going.