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Reviews For: Collins Radio

Category: Amateur Radio Equipment Repair

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Review Summary For : Collins Radio
Reviews: 96MSRP:
Description:
For all your Collins repair and restoration needs, please contact me.

My speciality is the S-Line and KWM-2 equipment. Collins parts on stock, both new and used - please inquire on availability or from other sources. I know that many of you are new to Collins so if I can assist you, please feel free to call me at (814) 487-4403.

Also, allow me to assist you in buying or selling your Collins.

We are located near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 70 miles east of Pittsburgh. Visitors to the Collins Radio Center are always welcome Drop off your Collins for repair/restoration if you wish.

Thank you - David Knepper, W3ST/W3CRA, editor of the Collins Journal and secretary to the CRA.

Join the largest Collins organization in the world today at www collinsra.com. Our email address is collinsradio@comcast.net

Product is in production
More Info: http://collinsra.org/home/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00965
WA6DZH Rating: 2021-06-24
Repair 30L-1 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Does great work at a reasonable price. I dropped my rig off at his place of business and had a great eyeball qso with him and the opportunity of seeing his collection of Collins equipment plus other vintage Ham and Broadcast equipment.

My current call is WA6DXI
73,s and Have a GREAT DAY
Don
WK9Q Rating: 2020-09-11
Collins S-line repair above and beyond! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Dave is fast, thorough and talented. He repaired my Collins S-line receiver and couldn't have done a better more outstanding job. And.. the price was remarkably low. This man has my total endorsement!
Neil WK9Q
W9XU Rating: 2019-10-16
repair 75s3 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just received a 75s3 receiver from the passing of a life long friend and ham buddy. He had owned this radio sense we were kids in 1964 or so. Due to many reasons this radio then sat on his table for nearly 50 years unused. I called Dave Knepper and we spoke about refurbishing and aligning this radio. Dave completely cleaned and refurbished it. I received a 15 step list of services performed. The radio looks and works just like new. I would recommend Dave to service and repair Collins radio
gear


W3PSI Rating: 2019-09-27
Excellent Service Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've known Dave for close to twenty years and he hasn't let me down yet. I recently sent him one of my Hammarlund receivers and it came back better than new. Dave also works on my S-Line equipment.If you need your Collins gear working great again take it to Dave. He has all 5 star ratings he must be doing something right.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by N3NNL on 2016-08-13

I sent Dave my 51S-1 receiver that needed some attention. Dave fixed it and had back to me in a week. Dave has fixed other Collins equipment for me and I always am very satisfied with his work. If Dave doesn't know about it Collins never made.
Thanks Dave.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by N3NNL on 2010-06-03

I am very fortunate that I found Dave Knepper. Dave has fixed a few of my radios. Not only is he very knowledgeable but the man is a straight shooter. He does'nt try to rob you like other techs out there. I drive from Philadelphia to his QTH which is about 350 miles one way. When you find a great tech it's worth it.
W2JPH Rating: 2019-09-26
KWM-2 & PM-2 "Ride" Again Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
For more than 6 decades I have had a deep and abiding respect for Collins amateur radio equipment. Thus when I had the opportunity to acquire a KWM-2 transceiver and PM-2 power supply earlier this year I did so with some degree of trepidation, knowing full well that I might encounter a few "issues" that the seller had neglected to inform me of, or was unaware of, but which in all probability would be worthy of repair. The 2 units arrived in exceptionally excellent condition BUT the keyway was demolished on the KWM-2 power input socket and the chassis and cabinet were devoid of any of the necessary hardware that is required to properly secure the power supply to the transceiver. By exercising extreme caution I was able to mate the two units and get them operational but performance was marginal at best. The question then arose as to whether or not I should try to "resurrect" the units by myself, using the applicable Hi-Res Communications videos, OR take them to MR. DAVID KNEPPER, W3ST/W3CRA. of the Collins Radio Association in Sidman, Pennsylvania for repair and complete alignment in accordance with Collins specs. I contacted Dave and he told me he would be only too happy to help. After making the necessary date and time arrangement my XYL and I made the 5-hour drive down to Dave's home to deliver the KWM-2/PM-2 to him and then tour his fantastic Collins Radio Museum. WOW! It's far better than any candy store I can ever remember being in as a kid. Dave was very gracious in the 2 or 3
hours that we spent with him and, knowing that my XYL was NOT a ham, he kept the conversation animated and interesting in such a way that she felt entirely at ease and not at all consumed by boredom. Dave is an incredibly busy man with a lot on his plate so it took a number of days from start to finish before the repair/restoration process was complete. Throughout it all our communication remained superb in every respect and I always knew what stage of the game he was at. My XYL and I made a 2nd trip to pick up the units when they were ready to "ride" again. Dave was even able to supply the exact same hardware that Collins used to secure the PM-2 to the KWM-2. The overall performance is now, to sum it up in one word, STELLAR. There is one additional thing I would like to mention which impressed me beyond all measure. I had mentioned to Mr. Knepper that I would
like to be able to keep the power supply and transceiver separated from one another and still keep them operational. He offered to build for me an interconnect cable of sufficient length to accomplish what I had in mind - even though he had never built one before much less seen one. He mailed the completed and tested cable to me a few days later! If that isn't truly outstanding customer service then I don't know what is. HONOR UNTO WHOM HONOR IS DUE is a good way to sum it all up. Consider trusting all of your Collins repairs to Dave Knepper. You won't be disappointed.
K3MA Rating: 2019-05-21
Excellent Service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Dave checked out my 74A-4 and found a few tubes needed to be replaced and did a realignment. It now works like the day it left the factory.

Reasonable, responsive and a man of integrity.
K5TNL Rating: 2019-04-02
75S-1 Repair/Tune Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I sent my 75S-1 to Dave for repair and tuneup. He looked it over and found some issues with the band switch, which he repaired. As well as some other miscellaneous problems that were causing some oscillation, etc. I had previously had him work on a 32S-1. Everything is now up and running great. Along the way, I've gotten to know him fairly well and consider him a friend, through our several phone conversations. His pricing is very reasonable with a 'do unto others' attitude.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by K5TNL on 2018-11-16

I called Dave about my Collins set. The 75s-1 needed alignment and an overall lookover from work I had done. We talked for a while about various things. He is a genuinely nice guy who knows his stuff when it comes to Collins. I sent in my 75s-1 and got a phone call within a day or so of it getting there, telling me it was ready to be shipped back. He tuned up the PTO and lubed it. He checked it all out and made various repairs as well as touching up the cabinet with paint and putting new rubber feet on it. I got a list and explanation of all the work he did which I though was nice. All the freq's are spot on and the radio works great. I have now sent in my 32s-1 to him for repair. (I packed the radios for shipment in a pelican case which worked out nicely.)
WB2NEW Rating: 2019-03-27
KWM2A repair Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Dave did a good job in reasonable time. I have a very old 2A that finally died on me. I couldn't find the problem. After the second trip to Dave it is working fine. He also is very reasonable with pricing for the repair.
K0SDG Rating: 2019-02-01
David made my 75S-3 look and perform like new! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I'm a bit late getting this review out, but I want to say how David Knepper did a fantastic job cleaning, repairing and aligning my early WE 75S-3 receiver for me this past June. It had lived in a smoking environment for many years before I acquired it and it looked (and smelled) like it inside and out. When I got it back from W3ST, however, it positively sparkled! Not only that, but it performed wonderfully across all the bands (such as they are these days).

David has a knowledge base steeped in decades of experience, is personable, very reasonable with his rates and is a man of his word. I enjoyed our chats, learned quite a bit, had my expectations surpassed on the repair and gained a friend to boot. I could not have asked for anything more.
K4MO Rating: 2019-01-14
KWM2-A Service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Dave did a great job getting one of my KWM2-A's back on the air. He was able to make the PTO as smooth a silk and get the whole rig running in top form. Highly recommended!