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Old "Boat Anchor" tube receivers vs. Solid State receivers?
On 3/7/10 07:46 , Mike M. wrote:
Hello, How do the old tube type receivers such as the Hammarlund ,Hallicrafter etc compare to the modern solid state receivers in performance? Depends on the radio. There is no hard and fast rule about hollow state vs solid state. Each operator may have his or her preferences and prejudices, but it comes down to what you like and how well the circuitry was designed. R-390/R392 still stands in legend as the lowest noise floor of hollow state. While the higher end Ten-Tecs and W-J stand toe to toe with it in solid state. Tube receivers are prized for their audio. Warm, smooth, and pleasing to the ear. And this can be true. Then again, solid state audio can be more precise, almost clinical, and equally pleasing to the ear. It depends on the circuitry, and what attention to detail is paid. And it depends on application. A noisier receiver with a good antenna can easily outperform a better receiver with a mediocre antenna. Now, there have been some very good development in receivers since the end of the tube era. No longer do we have to toy with phasing on a crystal filter for reasonable selectivity. We can now select from a range of filters, shift the passband, and engage synchronous detection to clean up a buried signal. Similarly, performance over a wider range of frequencies with excellent consistency is possible with modern receivers than with vintage boatanchors. In many cases. But certainly not all. Modern receivers can be far more power efficient, present a smaller desktop footprint. But the truth is, that if you select your receiver wisely, and you apply an antenna that will bring the most out of your receiver, you can use, effectively, any receiver you enjoy, and achieve the results you're looking for. Older rigs will take more fiddling, and there will be thermal drift to deal with. Newer rigs will come up quickly, stay put sooner, and will require less fiddling to do the same job. I am curious about the longevity of the tube radios on the market. Thank you, Mike McManus That's going to depend on the availablity of tubes, mostly. Some are getting difficult to come by. Some may still be substituted with more available, or better, tubes. But nearly all tubes are out of print for RF work. You're going to have to scrounge for NOS. And sometimes pay obscene prices from scalpers. (Many of whom frequent these groups.) And some specific components like tuning capacitors and IF cans are getting difficult to find, as well. That's not to say that tube rigs are any worse than solid state in this regard. The most recent generation of AOR rigs is now based on out of print chips for which there are no substitutes. And displays for Drake receivers have been drying up for a number of models. Similarly, many rigs are finding themselves to be of limited serviceability due to discountinued parts of all types. Find an SP-325. Ten-Tec doesn't even acknowledge that they built it. While Fair Radio sells parts and whole subchassis for R-390 and R-392. That said, it is generally easier to modify a point to point wired tube rig for a different tube, or other component, than it is to modify a PCB based solidstate rig for a newer IC. But, too, that's not always the case. So, again, it depends on the radio. And it depends on your commitment to the receiver of your choice. You'll can always build a receiving station to fit your needs and the rig of your choice. And at the same time, you can always find SOMETHING to keep your favorite rig working, if you ensure you have the technical understanding, and the tenacity to keep it working. Once you understand the limitations and the advantages of each, the whole tube vs solid state thing becomes largely a non issue. My Drakes and Ten-Tecs sit next to my Hallicrafters and Hammarlunds. Everyone of them gets a regular workout. |
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