Nice report but you didn't say if the 8716 is better than the Space
Spanner? ;-)


wrote:
OK, folks, I took the plunge and bought a "AS-IS but not DOA"
Watkins-Johnson WJ-8716 on E-bay.

For those who haven't used or seen them before, this is not a SW
portable. This is not a SW tabletop. This is a rack-mount receiver sold
in the 80's to the military, certain 3-letter agencies, certain
laboratory environments, etc. My particular unit has the GPIB
interface, the Preselector, ISB, and the regular (not microprocessor)
front panel.

The seller wasn't particularly communicative nor awfully quick to ship,
but after a week it got sent via UPS and arrived safely. Packing job
wasn't stellar but it was good enough (and after all these things are
pretty sturdy).

Just for a base of comparison: I've owned many SW receivers over the
years. My first was a Knight-Kit Space Spanner. Since then I've had an
assortment of ham and SW equipment - if you can name a brand, model, or
seller, I probably had at least some contact. Usually I stay away from
the newest and shiniest stuff, and in the past couple years my main
pieces of equipment were some R-390A's and the associated
electromechanical maintenance. I was very happy with the R-390A's as AM
and CW receivers, but they predate modern SSB stuff and the lack of a
product detector was a sore point. R-390A's are also a true joy to work
on - modular construction, nice big glowing tubes, a geartrain and cams
up the wazoo, the works!
snipped

You like that Watkins Johnson Radio,do you? I have said it before,I
believe Watkins Johnson Radios are the best Radios in the World.Maybe
some day,I too will own a Watkins Johnson Radio.
cuhulin

What kind of acid bath stuff did you dip the corrosion part of the radio
into? You didn't dip the whole radio in there,did you? I once found a
can of CRC-222 in a scrap metal/junk yard.The spray can only had a
little bit of CRC-222 stuff in the can.That CRC-222 was amazing at
getting rid of battery corrosion.I can't find it in any of the stores
around here,I even checked with the industrial supply stores around
here,they dont sell it.I have a tube of stuff here that is suppose to be
good at preventing corossion.It says on the tube,CONTAX.Blackburn 1525
Woodson Road St.Louis,Missouri.OXI E.Inhibiting Compound.Protects all
electrical connections.Cat No CTB.Instructions.Wire brush the bare
connector or abrade with emery cloth.This may be done through a coating
of Contax or immediately before applying Contax.Apply a liberal coating
of Contax to both the cleanest connector and contactor and surfaces of
the contactor.Insert conductors into connector and secure per
manufacturer's instructions.Wipe off any ecess Contax compound.CAUTION:
Do not abrade plated surfaces of connectors.

I guess it's good stuff,I found it in a scrap metal/junk yard about
twenty years ago.
cuhulin

wrote:
What kind of acid bath stuff did you dip the corrosion part of the radio
into?

Kodak stop bath, which is acetic acid with an indicator. Pretty much
the same stuff as vinegar (maybe a little less flavor!)

You didn't dip the whole radio in there,did you?

The damage was limited to the board that had the battery, plus just a
little bit of crud on the edge connector (not actually on the contact
part.)

Adjacent boards didn't show any damage.

Tim.

HFguy wrote:
Nice report but you didn't say if the 8716 is better than the Space
Spanner? ;-)

Only much later did I ever appreciate the simplicity and sparseness of
the Space Spanner :-).

Tim.

Kodak stop bath? It just so happens I have a package of Kodak stop
bath,along with buku kilo other photographic materials and photographic
thingys (photo enlargers,one of them old offset machines and buku kilo
other photo related thingys sitting out there in my old shed in my back
yard.You name it,I probally have it.
cuhulin

On Fri, 3 Feb 2006 10:04:34 -0600, wrote:

Kodak stop bath? It just so happens I have a package of Kodak stop
bath,along with buku kilo other photographic materials and photographic
thingys (photo enlargers,one of them old offset machines and buku kilo
other photo related thingys sitting out there in my old shed in my back
yard.You name it,I probally have it.
cuhulin

That stuff has a finite shelf life, especially when stored in the
backyard.