Some Collins gear Click on a piece of gear in this picture (at least most of them) for more photos and info about that piece of gear   On the bottom we have a Round Emblem S Line. From left to right: RE  75S3B, 32S3, and 30L1. One row up from the bottom we have a Winged Emblem S Line.  From left to right it includes: WE 75S3, WE 32S3, and WE 30L-1. On top of that we have (from left to right) a RE 312B-4 station console, a WE 312B-4, and a WE 312B-5 station console with remote VFO - for use with the KWM2A and its companion 30L-1, both of which are in the shop for repairs just now. And on the far right is a 312B-3 speaker. On the left side of the table there are two 75A4s. The one on the bottom is serial number 1637, which has been restored by Howard Mills. It works great, is very "hot", and appears as though it were brand new.  On top of it is 75A4  serial number 55 which has just been restored by Howard Mills (in late 2000), although it had not yet been restored when this photo was taken.  It now works and looks better than the other one!  Howard does really fine work.  Click here to see the complete specifications of the 75A4. On top of the 75A4s is another 312B-3 speaker, an ICOM speaker, and the Radio Shack audio power amplifier that is used with the R390A. On top of that is a small (but heavy) Infinity satellite speaker that is driven by the audio amp and used with the R390A line level output. The microphones are (from left to right) Astatic "Silver Eagle", Astatic "Night Eagle", and Electro Voice 664.

More information about Boatanchors at WY6K Round Emblem S Line Winged Emblem S Line 75S-3 Specs 32S-3 Specs 30L-1 Specs 312B-4 RE 51S-1 75A-4 serial # 55 75A-4 serial # 1637 75A-4 Specs R390A R390A Production History R390 Production History Hammarlund HQ 170A VHF

In the relay rack (from top to bottom): An R390A, Collins 51S1, an Hallicrafters SX-101A, Hallicrafters HT32B, and a large high voltage transformer for a linear that I intend to build.

Military Radios

Click on a unit in the picture for more information about that unit
	This R390A was made by the Capehart Corporation.  The R390A is a general coverage receiver that was designed by Collins Radio in the early 50's and was first placed in military and intercept service in 1954.  It is arguably the best performing vacuum tube receiver ever built.  However, it was designed before the advent of SSB, so it does not have a product detector.  One can still receive SSB by using the BFO, but it is suboptimal.  Several SSB adapters were made that can be added.  They are rare enough that they sell for as much as an R390A. This panel mount 51S-1 works fine. However, there is no real comparison between the performance of these two receivers. The R390A is much better in virtually all respects - except that I prefer the "feel" of the tuning on the 51S-1 and it is, of course, better for SSB - it has a product detector and the appropriate filters.
The 51S1 is a general coverage receiver designed and manufactured by Collins Radio.  They were sold mostly to the government, but a few were also sold directly to hams.  In 1963 the 51S-1 was priced at $1,828.  Today, in the summer of 2000, you will pay anywhere from $900 for a rack mount unit in poor condition up to $3,000 for one in a cabinet in excellent condition.  I went for a rack mount unit because I was out of table space.  But since then I have moved and now I also have a couple of table top units.

In the boatanchor shop.

On the left is a perfectly mint condition Globe Chief Deluxe transmitter. This is the rig I had as a novice in 1958 (probably not this particular unit though). It is here in the shop because I was about to try it out.  In the center on the bench is a 312B-4 station console that I am cleaning up and about to put into service. On the right is a Hammarlund HQ110 receiver that I was restoring at the time the picture was taken. Just in front of that and a bit to the right is a 516F-2 power supply that I keep in the shop for S-line gear. The scope is a Tektronics 2465, 300 Mhz, dual trace.