There was a Japanese company that made a smaller version
of the Collins Mechanical fitler and I htink it looked like your
discription. Poptronics ran an article int he mid 1960s about
how to add one to your existing SW receiver. I
Terry

Those filters were pretty awful................I don't remember the name of
the company name, but it started with the letter K.
They were used in the NRD-515 and in the Yaesu FRDX-400. They were filled
with some sort of foam substance that turns to a sticky jelly after many
years, causing the insertion loss of the filter to degrade. Peter Bertini
had an article in Popular Communications a few years ago on how to repair
them. I did just that for a friend's FRDX-400. You have to dismantle the
filter and clean out all of the goo with alcohol..........I used a product
called Flux-Off.
Afterwards, you have to replace the foam damping material. I used air
conditioner foam strip. Another thing about those filters....there is no
other mechanical support for the filter elements themselves. When you remove
the goo, you have the filter structure hanging by a few strands of Litz
wire. For years, I was looking for an NRD-515 until I discovered those
filter problems. I have never seen a Collins mechanical filter fail in that
manner, and I have had quite a few of those filters over the years. If any
of you ever have the problem with your JRC radios that use that filter, I
can give you advice on how to repair them.....................if you don't
feel comfortable repairing them yourself, I can repair them for you.
I did have one of those 2515 in for repair a couple of years ago, and the
unit that I repaired did not have any mechanical filters even though the
advertising hype stated that it did. It was definitely one of those slightly
oblong I.F. transformers that had the ceramic filter inside the same
structure.
For a cheap receiver, they weren't bad.
Anybody remember the transceiver that matched this unit in style? A friend
once told me that it was a Kenwood TS-510 with Allied's label.

Pete

wrote in message
ups.com...
There was a Japanese company that made a smaller version
of the Collins Mechanical fitler and I htink it looked like your
discription. Poptronics ran an article int he mid 1960s about
how to add one to your existing SW receiver. I
Terry

There is no excuse for a penny pinching move like that in an expensive
radio. My opinion of Japan Radio just went down a couple of notches.


Pete KE9OA wrote:
Those filters were pretty awful................I don't remember the
name of
the company name, but it started with the letter K.
They were used in the NRD-515 and in the Yaesu FRDX-400. They were
filled
with some sort of foam substance that turns to a sticky jelly after
many
years, causing the insertion loss of the filter to degrade. Peter
Bertini
had an article in Popular Communications a few years ago on how to
repair
them. I did just that for a friend's FRDX-400. You have to dismantle
the
filter and clean out all of the goo with alcohol..........I used a
product
called Flux-Off.
Afterwards, you have to replace the foam damping material. I used air

conditioner foam strip. Another thing about those filters....there is
no
other mechanical support for the filter elements themselves. When you
remove
the goo, you have the filter structure hanging by a few strands of
Litz
wire. For years, I was looking for an NRD-515 until I discovered
those
filter problems. I have never seen a Collins mechanical filter fail
in that
manner, and I have had quite a few of those filters over the years.
If any
of you ever have the problem with your JRC radios that use that
filter, I
can give you advice on how to repair them.....................if you
don't
feel comfortable repairing them yourself, I can repair them for you.
I did have one of those 2515 in for repair a couple of years ago, and
the
unit that I repaired did not have any mechanical filters even though
the
advertising hype stated that it did. It was definitely one of those
slightly
oblong I.F. transformers that had the ceramic filter inside the same
structure.
For a cheap receiver, they weren't bad.
Anybody remember the transceiver that matched this unit in style? A
friend
once told me that it was a Kenwood TS-510 with Allied's label.

Pete

wrote in message
ups.com...
There was a Japanese company that made a smaller version
of the Collins Mechanical fitler and I htink it looked like your
discription. Poptronics ran an article int he mid 1960s about
how to add one to your existing SW receiver. I
Terry

In article . com,
says...
There is no excuse for a penny pinching move like that in an expensive
radio. My opinion of Japan Radio just went down a couple of notches.


Pete KE9OA wrote:
Those filters were pretty awful................I don't remember the
name of
the company name, but it started with the letter K.
They were used in the NRD-515 and in the Yaesu FRDX-400. They were
filled
with some sort of foam substance that turns to a sticky jelly after
many
years, causing the insertion loss of the filter to degrade. Peter
Bertini
had an article in Popular Communications a few years ago on how to
repair
them. I did just that for a friend's FRDX-400. You have to dismantle
the
filter and clean out all of the goo with alcohol..........I used a
product
called Flux-Off.
Afterwards, you have to replace the foam damping material. I used air

conditioner foam strip. Another thing about those filters....there is
no
other mechanical support for the filter elements themselves. When you
remove
the goo, you have the filter structure hanging by a few strands of
Litz
wire. For years, I was looking for an NRD-515 until I discovered
those
filter problems. I have never seen a Collins mechanical filter fail
in that
manner, and I have had quite a few of those filters over the years.
If any
of you ever have the problem with your JRC radios that use that
filter, I
can give you advice on how to repair them.....................if you
don't
feel comfortable repairing them yourself, I can repair them for you.
I did have one of those 2515 in for repair a couple of years ago, and
the
unit that I repaired did not have any mechanical filters even though
the
advertising hype stated that it did. It was definitely one of those
slightly
oblong I.F. transformers that had the ceramic filter inside the same
structure.
For a cheap receiver, they weren't bad.
Anybody remember the transceiver that matched this unit in style? A
friend
once told me that it was a Kenwood TS-510 with Allied's label.

Pete

wrote in message
ups.com...
There was a Japanese company that made a smaller version
of the Collins Mechanical fitler and I htink it looked like your
discription. Poptronics ran an article int he mid 1960s about
how to add one to your existing SW receiver. I
Terry





Hmm, never heard this before about the 515 filters. My almost 25 year
old 515 works great, just needs a little alignment in the PBT circuit.
A friend's 20 year old one is fine and dandy too..

BDK

Hmm, never heard this before about the 515 filters. My almost 25 year
old 515 works great, just needs a little alignment in the PBT circuit.
A friend's 20 year old one is fine and dandy too..

BDK

You will be able to recognize if it happens if you start experiencing
reduced sensitivity in the SSB modes. Not a big deal to clean and repack the
filters. About an hour and a half for both the LSB and USB filters.

Pete

Hmm, never heard this before about the 515 filters. My almost 25 year
old 515 works great, just needs a little alignment in the PBT circuit.
A friend's 20 year old one is fine and dandy too..

BDK

Come to think of it...........I wonder if it depends on the user
environment..........I just don't know.

Pete

In article ,
says...


Hmm, never heard this before about the 515 filters. My almost 25 year
old 515 works great, just needs a little alignment in the PBT circuit.
A friend's 20 year old one is fine and dandy too..

BDK

Come to think of it...........I wonder if it depends on the user
environment..........I just don't know.

Pete




We both bought them around the same time. Mine was made in Nov 81, his
in 85, one of the last ones made. His was new, mine was used. Mine has
two of the K filters in it, I can't remember what the name is either. It
also has a crystal 1.2 K and a ceramic 300hz filter.

I checked it last night, and clicked through the bandwiths and the
signal strength was the same in all modes, except the 300hz one, it
always reads a little lower with that one selected.

My friend's is ok too. Both have spent the last 20 or so years in air
conditioned houses, maybe that's it. I had a ton of problems with those
5 cent phono plug interconnects over the years. De-oxit took that
problem away.

BDK

One of these days, if I can find one at a not so insane price............a
couple of years ago, I put out my feelers on the NG for a 515 and some
fellow in the Southwest offered me his unit for almost 1000 dollars. A bit
high, but I guess either the demand was there or he must have thought I
staggered in from the local tavern.

Pete

"BDK" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...


Hmm, never heard this before about the 515 filters. My almost 25 year
old 515 works great, just needs a little alignment in the PBT circuit.
A friend's 20 year old one is fine and dandy too..

BDK

Come to think of it...........I wonder if it depends on the user
environment..........I just don't know.

Pete




We both bought them around the same time. Mine was made in Nov 81, his
in 85, one of the last ones made. His was new, mine was used. Mine has
two of the K filters in it, I can't remember what the name is either. It
also has a crystal 1.2 K and a ceramic 300hz filter.

I checked it last night, and clicked through the bandwiths and the
signal strength was the same in all modes, except the 300hz one, it
always reads a little lower with that one selected.

My friend's is ok too. Both have spent the last 20 or so years in air
conditioned houses, maybe that's it. I had a ton of problems with those
5 cent phono plug interconnects over the years. De-oxit took that
problem away.

BDK

The radio itself was pretty good.................I knew a fellow back in
Iowa that had Collins filters installed and he was pretty happy with the
result. I was going to match the impedance of the new filters to the '515
but I lost track of him. It is still my favorite of the JRCs.

wrote in message
ups.com...
There is no excuse for a penny pinching move like that in an expensive
radio. My opinion of Japan Radio just went down a couple of notches.


Pete KE9OA wrote:
Those filters were pretty awful................I don't remember the
name of
the company name, but it started with the letter K.
They were used in the NRD-515 and in the Yaesu FRDX-400. They were
filled
with some sort of foam substance that turns to a sticky jelly after
many
years, causing the insertion loss of the filter to degrade. Peter
Bertini
had an article in Popular Communications a few years ago on how to
repair
them. I did just that for a friend's FRDX-400. You have to dismantle
the
filter and clean out all of the goo with alcohol..........I used a
product
called Flux-Off.
Afterwards, you have to replace the foam damping material. I used air

conditioner foam strip. Another thing about those filters....there is
no
other mechanical support for the filter elements themselves. When you
remove
the goo, you have the filter structure hanging by a few strands of
Litz
wire. For years, I was looking for an NRD-515 until I discovered
those
filter problems. I have never seen a Collins mechanical filter fail
in that
manner, and I have had quite a few of those filters over the years.
If any
of you ever have the problem with your JRC radios that use that
filter, I
can give you advice on how to repair them.....................if you
don't
feel comfortable repairing them yourself, I can repair them for you.
I did have one of those 2515 in for repair a couple of years ago, and
the
unit that I repaired did not have any mechanical filters even though
the
advertising hype stated that it did. It was definitely one of those
slightly
oblong I.F. transformers that had the ceramic filter inside the same
structure.
For a cheap receiver, they weren't bad.
Anybody remember the transceiver that matched this unit in style? A
friend
once told me that it was a Kenwood TS-510 with Allied's label.

Pete

wrote in message
ups.com...
There was a Japanese company that made a smaller version
of the Collins Mechanical fitler and I htink it looked like your
discription. Poptronics ran an article int he mid 1960s about
how to add one to your existing SW receiver. I
Terry

"Pete KE9OA" ) writes:
Those filters were pretty awful................I don't remember the name of
the company name, but it started with the letter K.
They were used in the NRD-515 and in the Yaesu FRDX-400. They were filled
with some sort of foam substance that turns to a sticky jelly after many
years, causing the insertion loss of the filter to degrade. Peter Bertini
had an article in Popular Communications a few years ago on how to repair
them. I did just that for a friend's FRDX-400. You have to dismantle the
filter and clean out all of the goo with alcohol..........I used a product
called Flux-Off.

Of course, one pays quite a bit for Collins mechanical filters, and
that's always been the case. Those Japanese mechanical filters were
significantly cheaper, at least back then. Reading the old magazines,
I've sometimes wondered if at least some times people were calling
ceramic filters the wrong thing.

Your description of the insides reminds me that some guy wrote about
a homebrew receiver in the early sixties, I think it was in CQ, and
he made his own mechanical filter. No, I don't have it handy and
can't specify the issue, but every so often I come across the article,
and wonder how practical it was to do. It seems like we'd have
read more about doing it if it was something easily doable.

Michael