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Reviews For: Squires-Sanders SS-1R

Category: Receivers: Amateur Radio

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Review Summary For : Squires-Sanders SS-1R
Reviews: 2MSRP:
Description:
Amatuer Radio Band Receiver. The Specifications
Here is a quick rundown on the SS-1R specs:

Ham bands only
Selectivity - 5 KHz, 2.5 KHz, and .35 KHz The CW filter is only a two pole lattice filter. The 5 KHz filter is L-C's
Sensitivity: <0.5 uV except for 7 MHz where the sensitivity is 1 uV

Image ratio: 60 dB
Modes: AM/CW/USB/LSB
Stability: <100 Hz
i.f.. rejection: 60 dB
Antenna impedance: 50 ohms. This was important. This receiver doesn't work with mismatched antennas.
Frequency accuracy: 1 KHz

These specifications don't reflect the receiver's main strength, it's ability to handle large signals. There were many receiver that could stand up to the SS-1R and many were better in the areas of sensitivity, readout accuracy, and selectivity but few of them could claim anywhere near the large single handling capability of the SS-1R.

The incredible 7360 mixer tube
Taking advantage of a new type of vacuum tube, the 7360, the need for an RF stage was eliminated. Further, this tube was designed to be a balanced mixer and it took a lightning bolt to overload it. (Just kidding!) The 7360 was a very low noise, very linear mixer. Properly adjusted, there was little i.f. feedthrough and receiver sensitivity was at least a good as receiver employing "hot" r.f. stages. To take care of images, a 5 MHz i.f. was used. But, the high i.f. frequency was not enough to insure adequate image rejection since only a single tuned circuit precedes the 7360 mixer tube. What was done was to make the tuned circuit parallel resonant on the desired frequency and series resonant at the image frequency. That was a very neat trick. Best of all, it worked. It's unfortunate that this frontend design was not developed further.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://radioworks.com/Hamshack/Shack4ss1r.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
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N4VHG Rating: 2008-06-04
Years ahead of its time Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I found an SS1-R with the band scope, speaker and noise blanker at a hamfest in the 80's for $40. It looked like it had sat in a chicken coop.
Once cleaned up and alligned it outperformed every other reciever I owned then including a sherwood R4C and a round 75s3c in the 2.5kc selectivity setting.
I paired it up with a CE-100v and then a B&W 6100. It fearures motordriven tuning, an adjustable band width scope which incorporates a moving "blip" to indicate tuning point.
It has a non-standard IF design and some bands tune backward; however the mechanical digital display compensated for this.
Two additional bands can be added as well as WWV at 5mhz. I added 17meters with a junk box crystal.
Pros:
Strong signal handling on phone
Accurate dial
Compact for its age
Selectivity on AM and SSB is decent
UNIQUE...never saw another up close

Cons:
CW selectivity is not as good
No PBT of IF shift
Will not transceive;
must use a separate transmitter
Lots of interconnecting cables

It can be seen in my QRZ profile (N4VHG)
AC7PN Rating: 2007-01-22
Good linearity and great AGC Time Owned: N.A.
Perhaps the best RX for topband is one-of-a-kind. I had a Squires-Sanders SS-1R that had been owned by Sherwood. He had modified it for 160M by sacrificing one of the general coverage bands. Unfortunately, I never did try it on topband while I owned it. It was, however, the best RX that I have ever used on 80M. It would dig sigs out of S9 summer static that were totally inaudible on other receivers such as the 75A4. Part of the reason was its outstanding AGC, the best I have ever seen. It was also extremely linear....the IMD chacteristics were probably far better than any present-day commercially available receivers normally used by hams, although unfortunately I never did run lab tests on it. Neither did Bob. I still regret selling that RX....it was superior to my R7 in digging sigs out under tough condx, and an absolute joy to listen to on SSB and CW.

Jerry AI6L