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Author Topic: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station  (Read 1025 times)

KC0VQ

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Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« on: October 26, 2021, 07:42:05 PM »

I'd like to build a 50s-style station around a Viking Valiant that I hope to get restored and running between honeydews. I have several boat anchor receivers sitting in storage waiting to be restored and used, and would like to select one age-appropriate receiver to pair with the Valiant in a retro CW/AM station. Among the candidate receivers are: Hammarlund SP600, HQ-180A, HQ-170, Hallicrafters R-274/FRR, SX-42, SX-43, SX-96, Knight R-100A, National NC-125, Heathkit RX-1, etc. etc. I'm leaning toward the SP-600 or the Halli R-274/FRR - they need work...but the Knight, National and Heathkit are working now and might need just an alignment tweak to peak their performance. I'm curious to hear what the community would suggest as the best receiver from the one's that I've listed above. When active some decades ago on a few CW nets, I used a 40s-vintage surplus Navy RBC receiver and a AN/GRC-9 transmitter...twas a lot of fun, but it's time to move on up and get back on the air with a little more power and a lot more signal quality donchano.

Thanks!
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K7LZR

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2021, 08:47:49 PM »

I think that the HQ-180A or the Knight R-100A would be good choices. And they both have those sexy rounded corners :).

I also have an R-100A, and a Hammarlund HQ-140-X. Both receivers are good performers on AM, but the HQ-140-X is exceptional.
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G3RZP

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2021, 01:37:28 AM »

The HQ170 and 180 develop backlash in the tuning drive with age, and spare pinch wheels are unobtainium unless you have very well equipped machine shop to make the punches needed. The SP600 is reputed to be bear to repair in the RF section. The R-274/FRR would be my choice
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NI0C

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2021, 05:02:11 AM »

From the list you gave, I'd use the SX-96. You might also consider the SX-100, or one of the SX-101 series.
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WA9AFM

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2021, 07:02:07 AM »

Although not in the original list, you might consider the National HRO-60.  Yes, it requires the coil set and weighs a ton, but GEEZ it looks great on an operating desk.
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W1BR

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2021, 07:14:12 AM »

I'd go with a NC-303. But, if restored the SX-42 is a good RX.
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WA5VGO

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2021, 08:08:28 AM »

There is no best receiver. Just use the one you personally like.
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K4WH

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2021, 08:12:50 AM »

I think a HQ 180 or 170 would be great,  but I would want a Drake 2b myself.  While a lot, and hard to find, a nice restored, Collins R390A or 75A4 would be nice as well, not of time period but would be a lot of fun.

Best of luck and have fun.
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N8YX

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2021, 08:13:00 AM »

There is no best receiver. Just use the one you personally like.
After having used several with the feature for an extended period of time, I'd say get something with an ECSS detector. Can pull a weak amateur AM signal out of the mud as well as it can a severely fading SWBC station.

Yes, these aren't "boat anchors" but I actually want to HEAR the guy at the other end of the QSO.
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W1BR

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2021, 08:32:04 AM »

I think a HQ 180 or 170 would be great,  but I would want a Drake 2b myself.  While a lot, and hard to find, a nice restored, Collins R390A or 75A4 would be nice as well, not of time period but would be a lot of fun.

Best of luck and have fun.

75A4 is 1950s era and is a good choice.  Unfortunately they are a holy
grail amongst collectors and often command asking prices that I feel
are beyond reason.  I got very lucky and found someone selling
a KWS-1/75A4 pair, very late serial numbers, in collector condition for
a fraction of the typical pie in the sky ePay prices...  that being said,
at present I also have a NC-303 right next to the 75A4... and a HQ-150
that is paired with a highly modified Q-Fiver that upconverts to 440kHz
so it can be paired with a CE Sideband Slicer for even better CW selectivity.
A Ranger I and a B&W 5100 provide the TX side, along with the KWS-1.
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WC4R

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2021, 08:38:10 AM »

Hammarlund HQ-180.
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KM1H

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #11 on: October 27, 2021, 09:07:46 AM »

HQ-170/180 either plain or A. Needs the audio mod
NC-300/303
R-274 and 274D AKA SX-73 easy to work on
R-388/51J3
75A3     Without the AM filter, the 75A4 is poor for that mode.
SX-100 late models  The SX-96 was a soon canceled dog with collector interest only
HQ-140X, 140XA, 150
NC-183D a bit narrow on AM but the IF can be realigned. Superb audio

I own and use several in that list.

Carl
Ham since 1955

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N8FVJ

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2021, 10:06:16 AM »

Best AM receiver I ever used is a Collins 51J4 with the 6kHz AM filter.
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KM1H

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2021, 10:19:47 AM »

I left that off due to typical high price and mine is parked most of the time due to lack of much useful AM on the SW bands these days
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HAMHOCK75

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Re: Best Receiver To Accompany Viking Valiant In A Vintage Station
« Reply #14 on: October 27, 2021, 12:05:35 PM »

Unless you mean best looking vs best performing receiver, I suggest not selecting a single conversion receiver.

On this thread, I was examining how well the LO and pre-selector of the R100A could be aligned. The answer is not well. When they track, the sensitivity is good but image rejection is not great like about 22 dB on 10M. It is near impossible to get good tracking over a very large frequency range when the LO and pre-selector are mechanically linked so both image rejection and sensitivity suffer even more.

https://www.eham.net/community/smf/index.php/topic,124474.msg1118520.html#msg1118520
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