Just curious to hear about shortwave receivers that people have owned that
are their longest-operating receivers. How long did they last, and are you
still using them? Did they require major overhaul at any point during their
long lives?

Jackie

In article ,
"Buzzygirl" wrote:

Just curious to hear about shortwave receivers that people have owned that
are their longest-operating receivers. How long did they last, and are you
still using them? Did they require major overhaul at any point during their
long lives?

The R8 I once owned worked fine for over a decade. The receivers I own
now are in the single digits in years.

The 7030+ display backlight is failing and I'll have to do something
about it. Any advice appreciated about the display going dark. It looks
like LED's are used for back lighting and they are failing. Some times
they go on and off so it looks like cracked solder connections to the
back lighting LEDs. The display is metal shielded so it looks like a
project to take apart if it is possible to even do that without
destroying the display.

The Drake R8B no problems so far.

The RX-340 had the bulb for the S-meter open. I replaced it with white
LEDS. It looks great and I fiddled with the dropping resistor to it so
the meter illumination and the other displays are balanced. Also had the
receiver quit on me altogether at one point. That problem turned out to
be cracked solder connections in the switching power supply board at the
output connector. All I had to do to fix that was reflow the solder on
the circuit board.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 18:36:25 -0600, "Buzzygirl"
wrote:

Just curious to hear about shortwave receivers that people have owned that
are their longest-operating receivers. How long did they last, and are you
still using them? Did they require major overhaul at any point during their
long lives?

Jackie


Got my Japan Radio Company NRD 525 receiver in 1988. Almost daily use.
Never a hiccup.

bob
k5qwg

Zenith A600 Trans-Oceanic made in late '57.

So far, so good.

Radio Shack Realistic DX 160. Bought new about 1976 and still runs as
well as it did 30 years ago. Needed no repairs. Its not the worlds
greatest rxr and has had more than its share of shelf time but I still
drag it out from time to time. Original dial lights still work.
Bob

Am Mon, 27 Mar 2006 18:36:25 -0600 schrieb Buzzygirl:

Just curious to hear about shortwave receivers that people have owned that
are their longest-operating receivers. How long did they last, and are you
still using them? Did they require major overhaul at any point during their
long lives?

I still got a Grundig Satellite 400 from 1988. I still sometimes use it on
travel, only fault is that the dial is going difficult now (I did take it
in my backpackt to Madagascar where it did get a bit damaged).

At home I still use my NRD 525 G from 1990. Never any problem with it.

Regards,

Frank

Buzzygirl wrote:
Just curious to hear about shortwave receivers that people have owned that
are their longest-operating receivers. How long did they last, and are you
still using them? Did they require major overhaul at any point during their
long lives?

Jackie


My NC-125 was built in the late fifties. I bought it used in the mid
seventies, so I've had it for more than thirty years. I partially
recapped it, re-tubed and re-alined it last year. It still works rather
nicely, thanks.

On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 08:49:24 -0500, Bill Mutch
wrote:

Buzzygirl wrote:
Just curious to hear about shortwave receivers that people have owned that
are their longest-operating receivers. How long did they last, and are you
still using them? Did they require major overhaul at any point during their
long lives?

Jackie


My NC-125 was built in the late fifties. I bought it used in the mid
seventies, so I've had it for more than thirty years. I partially
recapped it, re-tubed and re-alined it last year. It still works rather
nicely, thanks.

I have one of those I'm saving for after the Iranian EMP bomb.

"Buzzygirl" wrote in message
. ..
Just curious to hear about shortwave receivers that people have
owned that
are their longest-operating receivers. How long did they last, and
are you
still using them? Did they require major overhaul at any point
during their
long lives?

My old DX-440 from 1989 is still working fine, and I
occasionally use it so that the kids will get a chance
to play with it.

The oldest radio that I own that still works is the
Hallicrafters SX-100 Mk1, which I obtained last
year. It's it pretty good shape; some recapping
(which I didn't get to this winter) and some other
work will bring it back to great condition.

The Hallicrafters S-20R Sky Champion would have
been working, if I hadn't gotten the idea in my head
to replace the driver on it. It's been in a state of
disrepair for the past 10 years.

--Mike L.

Buzzygirl wrote:
Just curious to hear about shortwave receivers that people have owned that
are their longest-operating receivers. How long did they last, and are you
still using them? Did they require major overhaul at any point during their
long lives?

My early '40s vintage SX-28 is still going strong, although it needed a
partial recapping. The R-390 hasn't needed anything.

If you wanted to ask about medium wave, my 1916 Navy loose coupler
crystal set still works fine, other than occasionally having to look for
a new hot spot on the galena. ;-)

P.S. Tip for SX-28 owners--watch out for the coupling capacitors on the
6V6 grids. If they go and you don't catch them in time, they could take
out the (replaceable) 6V6s and the unobtainium output transformer.