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One of my hobbies is restoring old radio receivers - preferably ones with lots and lots
of vacuum tubes. I particularly like the Hammarlund Super-Pro SP-600 in all its various
versions. It is maybe not the best of the receivers of that era, but it has so much
personality that I find it irresistable. When I was a kid, I had heard about the famed
Super-Pro receiver, but I didn't know anyone who actually had one. In the mid-50's, they
cost about $1200, which was well out of the range of the average radio enthusiast. Today,
they are often sold by the pound. Even with my fading eyes, I can see all the parts
in these receivers. You can actually fix them!
I also have done Technical Materials Corporation CV-591A/URR single sideband adaptors. Pictures and description Here and Here. This will take the IF ouput of the SP-600 directly and produce beautiful, clear reception for SSB. It is so clear that it sounds better than a lot of AM. It is totally over-engineered. Why use 3 tubes when you can use 10? The "restoration" process didn't really take much - just rebuilding the power supply and replacing a few tubes was all it needed. NOTE: I do NOT do contract restorations. That is too much like work. If you have a receiver you want restored, please contact people that do contract work. Chuck Rippel often will do the SP-600 for people, although he tends to concentrate on the R-390A. His work is absolutely top-notch. I have set up some pages devoted to particular receivers or particular affectations. |
