On Jul 7, 12:45?am, "Beech Creek" wrote:
I am interested in opinions as to the best tube-type transceiver ever
produced and why?

I presume you mean "amateur HF band transceiver", and whether you
allow matched-pair receiver/transmitter setups that allow transceiving
on one or both of the VFOs.

I think it all depends on how you define "best", and whether you allow
mostly-SS hybrids like the TS-520S to be considered "tube".

For example, if the definition is best-performing-on-SSB one-box
transceiver, the KWM-2A is at the top. Yes it's mediocre on CW, has no
RIT and cost the earth in its time, but for performance on SSB it was
tops in its era.

If you want RIT and good CW performance in one box, the Drake TR-4cw
(the latest version) is the one to have.

OTOH, if the definition is most-performance-for-your-money, it's a
close tie between the Heath SB-101 and HW-101. I do agree about the
mechanicals but consider what they cost in their time, compared to
other rigs.

If you allow matched-pair tx/rx, the Collins S-line (meatball 75S-3C/
32S-3) are at the top, followed closely by the Drake 4C twins.

---

Although I haven't tried it, there is allegedly a cure for the cheap
Heath mechanicals in the HW-100/101 and SB series.

What you do is to look around for a junker Tempo One, which is
actually a Yaesu FT-200. All you need from it is the VFO assembly,
which covers the same range as the Heath LMO - 5 to 5.5 MHz.

Then you remove the Heath LMO/VFO and replace it with the Tempo unit.
Some mods will be needed to get supply voltages and make up for the
loss of the tube in the Heath LMO/VFO, but those aren't hard to do.
The mechanical mods are left as an exercise for the reader - if it
were me, I'd make a new front panel while I was at it. As a bonus, the
Tempo VFO unit has RIT.

The Tempo VFO is solid-state, but more important, has a sweet all-
antibacklash-gear drive and 1 kHz readout. (It's arguably the best
part of the rig).

--

Although it's not really a transceiver, but rather a receiver and
transmitter in one box with a common power supply, the Heath HW-16 has
to win the award for best-HF-amateur-tube-rig-designed-for-a-specific-
purpose. It was meant as a Novice rig for the privileges of its time,
and except for being anemic on 15 did that job very well and at a low
low price.

All IMHO

73 de Jim, N2EY

) writes:

Although I haven't tried it, there is allegedly a cure for the cheap
Heath mechanicals in the HW-100/101 and SB series.

What you do is to look around for a junker Tempo One, which is
actually a Yaesu FT-200. All you need from it is the VFO assembly,
which covers the same range as the Heath LMO - 5 to 5.5 MHz.

If you're going to start doing that, then any external VFO that covers
5 to 5.5MHz is a potential candidate. Even up to something like the
external digital VFO that went with the TS-830, though at the moment
I can't remember if it's a 5MHz VFO.

Or build an external vfo with that variable capacitor from the BC-221
that's been lying around for decades, and put a frequency counter
in the box. That's not even a new idea, there were things like that
over thirty years ago when digital ICs became cheap enough to easily
make frequency counters.

This thing will then work with any rig that needs a 5MHz VFO, and has
the advantage of not requiring dramatic changes to the rig. Many
will even have things in place for an external VFO.

There was a whole article in the September 1972 issue of CQ about
this sort of thing for the SB/HW transceivers, though I don't think
he used a frequency counter.

Michael VE2BVW

On Jul 14, 6:02?pm, (Michael Black) wrote:
) writes:
a junker Tempo One, which is
actually a Yaesu FT-200. All you need from it is the VFO assembly,
which covers the same range as the Heath LMO - 5 to 5.5 MHz.

If you're going to start doing that, then any external VFO that covers
5 to 5.5MHz is a potential candidate.

Agreed, but the idea (which I didn't state very clearly) is that you
put the Tempo One VFO *inside* the Heath rig, so it's still one-box.

If you're willing to do the external-VFO thing, just mount the LMO in
an external box and make a nice dial drive for it, plus the digital
readout.

Or build an external vfo with that variable capacitor from the BC-221
that's been lying around for decades, and put a frequency counter
in the box.

Or a mechanical dial. I've done that for homebrew rigs.

That's not even a new idea, there were things like that
over thirty years ago when digital ICs became cheap enough to easily
make frequency counters.

I made one in 1975. But it's a lot more than just a counter.

For one thing, the VFO frequency isn't the signal frequency. But the
big deal is that, in the Heathkits, the VFO tunes the wrong way (5 is
the high end of the band and 5.5 is the low end). Both are solved by
use of a presettable down-counter.

This thing will then work with any rig that needs a 5MHz VFO, and has
the advantage of not requiring dramatic changes to the rig. Many
will even have things in place for an external VFO.

Agreed. But if you want a one-box tube transceiver, and you happen
across a junker Tempo One with a good VFO, the result could be pretty
sweet without all the work of building a stable VFO.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Michael Black wrote:
Jim, N2EY writes:

Although I haven't tried it, there is allegedly a cure for the cheap
Heath mechanicals in the HW-100/101 and SB series.

What you do is to look around for a junker Tempo One, which is
actually a Yaesu FT-200. All you need from it is the VFO assembly,
which covers the same range as the Heath LMO - 5 to 5.5 MHz.

If you're going to start doing that, then any external VFO that covers
5 to 5.5MHz is a potential candidate. Even up to something like the
external digital VFO that went with the TS-830, though at the moment
I can't remember if it's a 5MHz VFO.
Or build an external vfo with that variable capacitor from the BC-221
that's been lying around for decades, and put a frequency counter
in the box. That's not even a new idea, there were things like that
over thirty years ago when digital ICs became cheap enough to easily
make frequency counters.

This thing will then work with any rig that needs a 5MHz VFO, and has
the advantage of not requiring dramatic changes to the rig. Many
will even have things in place for an external VFO.

There was a whole article in the September 1972 issue of CQ about
this sort of thing for the SB/HW transceivers, though I don't think
he used a frequency counter.

Michael VE2BVW

I married a Drake RV4 to my SB102 for split operation (using the SB102's
xtal oscillator as a buffer).
Bryan WA7PRC

On Sat, 14 Jul 2007 13:28:03 -0700, wrote:

On Jul 7, 12:45?am, "Beech Creek" wrote:
I am interested in opinions as to the best tube-type transceiver ever
produced and why?

I presume you mean "amateur HF band transceiver", and whether you
allow matched-pair receiver/transmitter setups that allow transceiving
on one or both of the VFOs.

I think it all depends on how you define "best", and whether you allow
mostly-SS hybrids like the TS-520S to be considered "tube".

I had an 820 which I liked and preferred to the 520.

For example, if the definition is best-performing-on-SSB one-box
transceiver, the KWM-2A is at the top. Yes it's mediocre on CW, has no
RIT and cost the earth in its time, but for performance on SSB it was
tops in its era.

Back in the 70s I had a KWM-2 and a 2A as well as the separate 32S3
and 75S3 and other incarnations. Although the Collins had the looks
and feel, I think my TR4C was the best of the lot as an all around
transceiver. It lacked looks and feel but it worked well.
I also had the Drake B and C line twins, but was not really fond of
them.

My favorite tube rig was the KWS1 with a 75A4 which worked well and
sounded good. You could also heat the ham shack with it in the winter.

http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/boat1.htm
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/boat2.htm
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/boat3.htm

I also liked the old Hallicrafters seperates SX101A although the 115
was a better receiver, HT32B transmitter, and HT33B amp. I'm
currently restoring two complete sets (A and B series) although the
photo only shows one set...
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/boat8.htm
If you want RIT and good CW performance in one box, the Drake TR-4cw
(the latest version) is the one to have.

OTOH, if the definition is most-performance-for-your-money, it's a
close tie between the Heath SB-101 and HW-101. I do agree about the
mechanicals but consider what they cost in their time, compared to
other rigs.

If you allow matched-pair tx/rx, the Collins S-line (meatball 75S-3C/
32S-3) are at the top, followed closely by the Drake 4C twins.

Again I'd place the Drake transceiver ahead of the Collins seperates
having had both. I really didn't care for the Drake twins in the B and
C line. I will admit that was a longgg time ago and time does dim
my memory from that far back.

Roger (K8RI).

Roger (K8RI)