geojunkie wrote:

Anyway, I am now thinking about getting a license. I would prefer to
stay vintage tube based. Even though I was born in 55, I just can't
get excited about digital gear, and enjoy having to do most of the
thinking. My question is whether a vintage tranmitter, such as an HT32
would be appropriate for a novice HAM? I actually have an SX-101a
(from ebay) on the way and I think they would make a great pair.

Dan

I've owned both a HT-32 (B-model) and an HT-37 although it was years
ago. I think they are both good rigs and if one was wanting a vintage
xmtr neither would be a bad choice.
Problem with many old xmtrs is that the audio bandwidth tends to be
wider than some people like and there will always be some tinny,
over-compressed rice box user to point that out to you on the band.
The other problem with the filters is that often they have drifted off
their centre/skirt freqs making 'by-the-book' alignment difficult.
I'm not going to categorically toss the HT-anything into being a problem
but its something often encountered with many vintage SSB rigs.
HT-37s go for dirt cheap these days and for the money its not a bad
choice when it comes to bang for the buck. Plus its a neat looking rig!

-Bill

"- - Bill - -" exray@coquidotnet wrote in message
...
geojunkie wrote:

Anyway, I am now thinking about getting a license. I would prefer to
stay vintage tube based. Even though I was born in 55, I just can't
get excited about digital gear, and enjoy having to do most of the
thinking. My question is whether a vintage tranmitter, such as an HT32
would be appropriate for a novice HAM? I actually have an SX-101a
(from ebay) on the way and I think they would make a great pair.

Dan

I've owned both a HT-32 (B-model) and an HT-37 although it was years
ago. I think they are both good rigs and if one was wanting a vintage
xmtr neither would be a bad choice.
Problem with many old xmtrs is that the audio bandwidth tends to be
wider than some people like and there will always be some tinny,
over-compressed rice box user to point that out to you on the band.
The other problem with the filters is that often they have drifted off
their centre/skirt freqs making 'by-the-book' alignment difficult.
I'm not going to categorically toss the HT-anything into being a problem
but its something often encountered with many vintage SSB rigs.
HT-37s go for dirt cheap these days and for the money its not a bad
choice when it comes to bang for the buck. Plus its a neat looking rig!

-Bill


Bill makes some very good points. Here are a few more to consider.

Using a separate transmitter and receiver, particularly when they weren't
specifically designed to directly interface with each other, may make it
harder to initiate or maintain a QSO. They have to be zero-beated and if
the radios drift at all you may end up spending more time chasing your tail
than rag-chewing. For a beginner, it may get very frustrating.

Some of the parts, particularly the mechanical filters, can be hard to find.
If the filters have detuned, as Bill eludes to in his posting, you'll suffer
mild to excessive reduction in transmit audio quality. I have no experience
with the HTs when it comes to filters, but have replaced several in the
Collins S lines. Sometimes you can buy them for cheap, sometimes not. I
always sweep mine before installation to avoid a lot of work for nothing.

One other poster asked a similar question a few months ago. I pointed out
that the operator needs to be prepared to retune the rig when making
significant changes in frequency. This can get more complicated and time
consuming if you use a non resonant antenna and tuner as you have to tune
the radio first into a dummy load, then tune the antenna tuner. Yes, it can
be done. I do it all the time and I love my boat anchors (all ten of them).
But it can be a hindrance to enjoyment for some people, especially new
operators.

Good luck with your decision and license quest, and hope to hear you on the
air soon

73,
Scott, WN1B




-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

In article , "Scottm"
writes:

Some of the parts, particularly the mechanical filters, can be hard to find.
If the filters have detuned, as Bill eludes to in his posting, you'll suffer
mild to excessive reduction in transmit audio quality. I have no experience
with the HTs when it comes to filters, but have replaced several in the
Collins S lines.

Wow, I hadn't realized that mech filters (and maybe even xtal lattices?) can go
sour with age.

Presumably this would happen in receivers as well -- now maybe I know why some
of my BA RX sound better on SSB than others? Though all are more than
acceptable.

Given a transceiver, where the same filters are used in tx and rx, if most
received SSB signals sound good, cna you assume the tx side is good also? Not
counting problems in the diver and final, of course.

I have only one Collins set, a KWM-2, which makes any SSB signal sound
terrific. I've had goon on-air reports from it, so I guess its filter is
hanging in there.
73, Mike K.

Oscar loves trash, but hates Spam! Delete him to reply to me.

"Mike Knudsen" wrote in message
...
In article , "Scottm"

writes:
Wow, I hadn't realized that mech filters (and maybe even xtal lattices?)
can go
sour with age.

I'm wouldn't say its with age, specifically, but use and mositure migration
appear to be the culprit. I've opened bad ones up and found breaks in the
tiny spot welds that attach the wire to the disks. I assume that either a
good solid jolt (read UPS drop test) or the constant minute vibrations the
filter experiences could do this. I have also opened them up to find
moisture migration that has curroded or rusted the wire and disks. Any
change in the spacings of the disks will dramatically change the filter's
charactoristics.


Presumably this would happen in receivers as well -- now maybe I know why
some
of my BA RX sound better on SSB than others? Though all are more than
acceptable.

Given a transceiver, where the same filters are used in tx and rx, if most
received SSB signals sound good, cna you assume the tx side is good also?
Not
counting problems in the diver and final, of course.

Yes. But sometimes it really hindges on the ear of the critic as well as the
mic response. You can lose a couple hundred cycles on receive and still
think that it sounds OK. You can lose a couple hundred cycles on TX and it
will still transmit but not sound nearly as good as it should. This is
particularly true with the S lines that use a 2.1 KC filter. You lose 200
cycles on the lower side and now your bandwidth is only 1.9 KC and sounds
very tinny. Conversely, however, the opposite sideband sounds great because
it has widened its passband. Also, when you transmit you are being compared
against every other transmitter. When you receive, everyone is going to
sound equally broad or narrow to you unless you compare it directly to
another receiver.

One final point, shifting of the 455 IF crystals can cause a similar result.
If they drift off frequency, they will shift the IF. If they shift the
lower too low or the upper too high it will cut part of the response the
same way that a change in the filter will.

I have only one Collins set, a KWM-2, which makes any SSB signal sound
terrific. I've had goon on-air reports from it, so I guess its filter is
hanging in there.

The KWM-2 is a great radio. I have a RE 2A and love it.

73, Mike K.

Oscar loves trash, but hates Spam! Delete him to reply to me.




-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

The HT-37 is not a filter type rig but a phasing type. Regards Sparks