sctvguy1 wrote:
On Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:34:37 -0800, COLIN LAMB wrote:

The Star Roamer is the same basic configuration as the S-38 series and
the S-120. There is no good reason why the Star Roamer should be
significantly better than either.

For minimalists, I like the regenerative sets. Super-gainers (super-het
with regenerative if stage) can be quite good, altough there are not
many examples - and a few that were sold were cheaply made.

Simple rigs can be fun to use.

One note - using a simple receiver with one tuned stage, a long antenna
can allow the receiver to overload badly, especially by broadcast
stations. In that case, a short Hi-Q antenna (a loopstic), can
significantly improve reception.

Congratulations on restoring the receiver.

73, Colin

For some reason the old S-38 and the Knight are more sensitive than the
S-120 was. I have never heard any good things from people who had the
S-120, most said it was deaf as a post! My mother got it from Sears on
layaway(does that date me?). I think it was $69.95, or some such. What
did I know then? I do know that it was very inaccurate, not very
sensitive nor selective, and basically a dog. My dad in the AF later got
me a surplus R-390 from a comm squadron that was scrapping them, and then
I found out what SW/BCB was really like! Unfortunately, it was an
aircraft model, that required a 28 volt power supply to go along with the
radio. When I turned it on, the lights in the house dimmed!
I had a Heath GR-54, which was a bit better design than the Star Roamer.
It worked ok on the lower bands, but on the highest frequency band
it didn't get much besides TV birdies.
I almost bought an SP600 when a surplus store on Canal Street in
lower Manhattan got a truck load of them in and was selling them cheap.
The major reason I didn't buy one was that it was too heavy to carry
home on the subway. (Now if I had thought ahead and brought a hand
truck with me.... assuming I would have been allowed to bring one on the
subway). Then again I wonder how hard those things are to restore.