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Reviews For: Palomar PTR-130K

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : Palomar PTR-130K
Reviews: 3MSRP: US 800
Description:
The Palomar PTR-130k is an all mode transceiver (AM,FM,SSB and CW) running on receive from 0-30Mhz and on transmit from 2-30Mhz. It has the size of a today Kenwood TS-50 and has an output of 50 watts. It has a full digital frequency generation with a keyboard on the front panel, a rf-clipper for ssb and only 3 knobs for operating plus the keyboard. The analog part has an even today outstanding design with the famous Plessey high integrated circuits throughout. For ssb is a mechanical filter from Collins installed as well as a 2nd one for the rf-clipper. The modulation quality is outstanding because of the filter and the Plessey circuits. It was only for a very short time (1978-1979) available. Manufactured by Palomar Electronics Corporation in Escondido, CA.
Product is not in production
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# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
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SWL377 Rating: 2019-01-02
WAY ahead of its time Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Brian KF6C deserves a ton of credit for this innovative design that was MILES ahead of the competition when it debuted. So resourceful using a calculator chip in the synth design.
KF6C Rating: 2018-04-09
Radio Designer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
As Plessey applications engineer I designed all the electronics for this radio. It was designed before the general release of microprocessors and used a calculator chip for control. It used a diode ring mixer to convert to the 40.04 MHz first IF with a synthesizer providing the first LO from 40.04 to 70.04 MHz. The synthesizer is dual loop using 10 and 9.9KHz references. The first IF is mixed down to 455 kHz with an SL1641, not the best choice for a mixer in this position considering the 15 kHz bandwidth of the first IF filter. Two cascaded Collins mechanical filters provide the selectivity to the SL1612s in the second IF. AM, SSB, and CW demodulation is done with and SL1623, while FM has its own IF and demodulator. On transmit an SL1626 mic amp is used with the main reason for the two Collins filters being to provide good RF compression when needed.
Palomar Electronics was a major player in the CB market and as such, seriously impacted by the overestimation of just how big the CB market was. This radio was intended to be a redirection of the company’s efforts. Unfortunately, as I understand it, the financial position did not allow the company to continue. I was never an employee of Palomar Electronics so any thing I say other than technical information on this radio is just speculation.
I have one of these radios that was a factory return. It has sat untouched for 41 years. I am currently in the process of trying to bring it back to working condition, assuming I don’t break the keyboard or the calculator chip that are irreplaceable.
former_K7SD_RC Rating: 2015-04-13
The 1st of the Small Radios Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I don't believe they ever got type acceptance even though they were advertised in the Ham magazines of the time. Mine came from a commercial fishing fleet. Innovative design, good filtering and the very 1st of the small radios. Smaller than anything available at the time. It is a shame the radio never made it into the ham market. It really is an engineering marvel for the 1970's. Pick one up if it becomes available, very, very few were made.