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Boat Anchor Ham Radio Station

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TRMark

TRMark

Jedi Knight
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Getting rid of stuff and I know folks around here have many and varied interests. I have a Navy RAL converted to Ham use along with a Bandmaster Jr. transmitter. The RAL with the power supply weighs in a about 100lbs. They both worked the last time I used them about 45yrs ago. The RAL is a very competent CW receiver. If you are restoring a WWII battleship, submarine, etc. I have the hard to find receiver you need.


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Loved my old AR-88... a real classic. But times change. I sold it in about 1974.
Got my first ham license with it as my primary receiver.
https://www.radioblvd.com/ar88.htm
 
I realize that they probably have little or no value - but, is there a military website? surely the components themselves might be worth something even if the units not so much - unless of course there is a British Submarine Forum.
 
There are groups out there (though I no longer follow that stuff). In this era, you should be able to find them on-line.
That written, I doubt there is much value in them (and certainly weigh too much to easily ship).

Those receivers are pretty lousy by modern standards, and power supplies have capacitors that go bad. Still, I hope you can find a good home for it all.
 
My Hallicrapters SX-99 sits dormant on a shelf, anoscillator circuit added in about 1959 so it could dial in SSB. The precursor to modern encryption. A couple W3xxx guys were in my past. And QSL cards from places like London and Moscow... days gone by.
 
DrEntropy said:
My Hallicrapters SX-99 sits dormant on a shelf, anoscillator circuit added in about 1959 so it could dial in SSB. The precursor to modern encryption. A couple W3xxx guys were in my past. And QSL cards from places like London and Moscow... days gone by.
Click to expand...

Was that upper or lower side band, or both?
 
Both. A switch added to go between the two. Frequency of the oscillator was "tuneable" with a rheostat to dial in a freq to allow SSB to be understood. The lower freq's were a bit harder to tweak to hear.
 
During WWll, my dad and I would drive around on Sundays talking on our Abbott TR-4 (yes I know, but that was long before...) radio call sign WJQA 75 to the base station WJQA 1. We were part of the WERS - War Emergency Radio Service. I had my license too - aged 10. I believe the youngest in the US. WWll was exciting for a kid - here in the States.
 
DrEntropy said:
Both. A switch added to go between the two. Frequency of the oscillator was "tuneable" with a rheostat to dial in a freq to allow SSB to be understood. The lower freq's were a bit harder to tweak to hear.
Click to expand...

And which side-band you were on was/is generally dictated by the band you are on (e.g., lower for 80 meters, upper for 20 meters), but I've been away from it so-long that things have probably changed.

All this reminds me that I have to renew my license (N7ALJ) by this August. Not sure why, but hate to let it go.
 
Mark -
Renew your license! Sadly, I let my license (WA8YWE) lapse in 1972 while I was in the Navy. Every now and then, I get the urge to get back on the air.
 
John Kuzman said:
Mark -
Renew your license! Sadly, I let my license (WA8YWE) lapse in 1972 while I was in the Navy. Every now and then, I get the urge to get back on the air.
Click to expand...

Thanks, John, I shall for old-time sake. The Kenwood transceiver still sits packaged up in our garage. It might even be free to renw, and one gets another 10 years. Who knows, I might still use it.
I was first licensed as a novice in 1968 (I think) as WN7PWJ, but I let it lapse in 5 years. Then I re-licensed in 1978 when they also went to the new call-signs... so I was one of the first "N" ones in my district (7).
So much has changed, and I was only ever a HF guy... with huge antennas. :smile:
 
I let my license go in about 1967, I think. The test is much different now, don't even need to know code. The HAM radio guys still using boat anchors report the RAL is still a useful receiver. There is a Tube video of a guy using it to tune in voice besides code. It is a tuned radio frequency receiver, the high point of regen technology. During WW2 there was fear the enemy could home in on the signal emitted by a super het. receiver.
 
It used to be a badge of accomplishment that one had to pass the code test. When I got re-licensed in 1978 the test still required 13 wpm but it was a QSO (and not a random 5 minutes of letters, symbols and numbers); this made it a lot easier (though the multiple choice test was tricky). I always thought CW was a fall-back in a disaster. Kinda said, but then I don't recognize a lot of the latest technology (that it computer-controlled). I only hope that kids still take our places.
 
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