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Reviews For: Collins 75A-4

Category: Receivers: Amateur Radio

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Review Summary For : Collins 75A-4
Reviews: 25MSRP: 695
Description:
10-160 meter AM/SSB/CW Receiver
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00254.2
WA3VJB Rating: 2003-08-22
Awful on AM Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My first-hand experience with the 75A4 is limited to "trying" to use the receivers owned by others during brief visits to the AM gathering points on 75 and 40 meters.

I was very disappointed in the quality of receive audio.

Puzzled, since this receiver has been held in high regard, with market prices reflecting this, I did some research and some asking-around among owners and users.

Turns out the 75A4, as designed, includes an unacceptable amount distortion in the audio stages and a lack of adequate bandwidth on AM receive.

There are many modifications to re-work the audio stages to minimize this distortion, and there are aftermarket filters to give a decent slice of bandwidth for reception with this improved audio.

Stock? Most people using them for AM on the shortwave ham bands will tell you they don't sound very good. Many are left "on the shelf" as conversation pieces, tubes unlit, radios unused.

Moreover, the receiver is an orphan, with no matching Collins AM transmitter. It is smaller than the 32V series transmitters, and was not meant to pair with senior Collins models like the KW-1, 30K, or any of the Collins AM broadcast or military transmitters enjoying widespread use on the ham bands.

It does fit the the KWS-1, which provides incomplete AM at similar levels of distortion.

FORMER_K6ZL_RS Rating: 2003-08-21
A big name, Ok receiver Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I've owned 3 of these. One was Like new, one in poor shape, and one in the middle. Collectors have driven then "out the roof", price wise. The were designed primarily for AM & CW, and do well there. But on SSB
all of mine displayed slow rolling drift. If you gotta have one, get it. They look great on the shelf.
KD2E Rating: 2002-11-03
Fairly nice Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I love to use my A4. Tuning around with it is a joy! It has great frequency readout, and stability. But, that is all it does very well.
The little Drake 2B is actually a better receiver in many respects...just doesn't have the same 'feel'
I used to have the matching KWS1, but didn't use it much and sold it off.
JAMES_BENEDICT_EX_N8FVJ Rating: 2002-11-03
Great, audio needs 'a little' Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Great receiver, however the audio is not great. A few modifications did clear it up just fine. What makes the radio desirable is the stability, real passband tuning, selectivity and the analog dial that allows anyone to find a frequency! And, 'its a Collins'.
WB6MYL Rating: 2002-08-14
argueably, one of the best ever Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I, as with the previous reviewer, have a large collection of receivers/rigs (probably 50 at last count). I love my R-9000, TR-7, FT-1000D and the 51J-4; these are great rigs and special in their own right; however, when it comes to fidelity it is hard to beat an A4 for listening pleasure; that wide open audio that Art and his boys put in that St James box is hard to describe except for "very analog" and "tooooobey"; this is deemed even more impressive considering you are talking about fifty year old technology. You can find these things sitting in garages and attics with years of neglect, plug them in, and many hear very well (yes you typically have to recap and/or retube but it is worth it). Argueably one of the top two or three amateur band receivers ever made; Best analogy: listen to the top of the line stereo receiver from a hi-fi jobber and compare it with a set of 60s vintage McIntosh tube monoblocks; great pass-band (although I beleive the Drake passband is better) and best sounding rig in my shack with the exception of my 390A/TMC 591 SSB adapter; I wish I could get these black beauties in my 401K.
Thanx for reading. Phillip W. Harris, PhD.P.C.