Wow this is a remember when for me too; I built one of these in the 60's... It always had a 60 cycle hum in the background, but other than that it worked pretty well.. It got marine band broadcasts too.. Thanks for the interesting video!
This radio is the first radio I built. I received it for my 8th grade graduation. It took me about 10 hours to build and it worked! I listened and listened to CB radio, Short wave, Longwave and Ham radio broadcasts. Two years later I studied and got my Novice Ham radio license as WN9KXG! 16 years old and all on my own! This radio really started me out into a new world of communications. I am now an Amateur Extra ham operator. Allied Radio was the ultimate company that gave experimenters very cool equipment to build and experiment with! Too bad they sold out to Radio Shack which started out great and progressively degraded to less and less serve the experimenter.
Wrote a comment a year ago. Finally got around to ordering replacement caps for the large sectional which is in this unit as I believe it is the culprit. All else looks good. I wondered what this radio cost in 1968 when I bought mine. You say $35 and prices did not change quickly in those days. So, now I order 4 caps and the cost is $21 including shipping. This is almost 2/3 of the price I originally paid for the whole radio--assuming it was $35-37!!!
@@hamrad88 PS. Just put new Capacitors in my Star Roamer today to replace the original 4 section capacitor. The unit came alive and appears well. I will need to put up an antenna to find out if it has its old stuff intact. The AM radio on band 2 gave me good indication of that today!
Enjoyed watching your video very much. I had one of these when I was in high school in the mid-60s. The Star Roamer was a head-to-head competitor with the Hallicrafters S-120, but had a number of nice features that the S-120 lacked--tranformer power supply, weighted flywheel tuning, S-meter and antenna tuner. It is possible to receive amateur cw and ssb transmissions by advancing the sensitivity control to the point that the i.f. amplifier breaks into oscillation.
Nice video I built a Star Roamer in the late 1960s was my first kit. Great radio I would stay up late nights and listen to faraway stations and dream of far off places. Real excitement for a teenager back then. And later Uncle Sam sent me to far off places, but survived to build many more kits. Thanks.
the code practice jack was so you can use the receiver as an oscillator to practice Morse code. you would go to a dead spot on the dial and max out the sensitivity so it'll oscillate
I am 57 now but I remember my dad building this radio. Me burning my fingers on the solder iron ..dad showing me how to solder....when it was done trying to listen to far off voices.....just like a old car....this radio brings back childhood memories
Thanks for bringing back old memories, Tom. I built one when I was about 14. When I got done, it wouldn't work right, and I had to return it for wiser minds to figure out why. When I got it back, it worked; but no explanation what the problem was. I suspect it was my poor 14 year old building skills. I enjoyed it till I went off to college, but lost interest after college. It's gone now, and I have no idea where it went. Wish I still had it.
Enjoyed your video. I have one of these radios. Bought it in 1969 with money I earned cutting grass. 2 bucks a yard! My dad and I built it on our kitchen table. Mine still plays very well.
i just turned mine on then off needs recapped not a big deal, been setting to long ,, i grew up on tube radios i collect short waves ,,,zeniths for one .. i just found a cherry lafayette he-30 at a swap meet an it plays
yippie: i fond my star roamer. 1st sw reciever 59 yrs ago i was 14. last re-gen type, eventually got a superheat. now long expired i was n6tux. now live in laos. sad:no amateur radio allowed. subebd anyway.
Just to show how by using the 'Sensitivity' and 'Bandspread' to dial in SSB. Lower side band... ruclips.net/user/shortsFZBRgdl_Mjc?feature=share Upper side band... ruclips.net/user/shortsDfg7K7HXlpo?feature=share And... Signal beacons on Longwave... ruclips.net/user/shortsKrek-xurVZk?feature=share I replaced all of the carbon composite resistors with film and the electrolytic multi-section capacitor. It amazes me just how good this kit radio is.
Built mine at 10-11 yrs old in 65-66. Still have it and after being in storage for 45 years, it still works. Amazing. Today's junk is programed to expire . Thanks.
My uncle had one in his garage in the 90's. I took it home and listened to the shortwave bands until shortwave kind of disappeared into radio history. Had just a piece of wire on connected. Worked quite well at night...73 N4TCM
Nice video Tom. Thanks for sharing that with us. I just finished a nice QSO with an amateur on the 30 meter band and he told me his dad bought him one of these when he was a kid. Had to look it up.... 73 Brent
Bought mine in 1968. It was still working up till 5 years ago. Now it emits noise. I believe the capacitors are shot. But which one and how many? The radio always was fully functional otherwise. I still have the manual with the build instructions!
Nice video! I built this same radio back in 1965 when I was only 14...and I still have it! It brought me many pleasurable evenings listening to stations around the globe. For example, Radio Moscow's lying propaganda against the USA. Last year I gave it a total restoration and upgraded some of the components. It still sounds great! However, since the advent of digital communications, that old thrill is gone.
Good review Tom, I was looking over some of your older reviews which are great! The only thing lacking with this radio is a BFO which can be found on Ebay as a kit the last time I looked. These old radios are nice and a fella doesn't want to cut them short they will surprise you escpecially if they are tube units! Mike Prell left as good comment and if he wants links to get replacement tubes and even parts they are avaialble for the older equipment.
By pure chance, I decided to search out (old school for Google) the possibility of obtaining the schematics for this radio, never in a million New York Minutes, thinking that I'd locate one. WRONG! After printing it, I then went on to discover your video and was greatly pleased to find it! Thank you! My interest comes from having built and still owing the Roamer that I built back in about 1962. It was a class assignment from what we used to call, SHOP. I was not successful, having no patience, and needed to turn to the Dad of a good friend who helped me get things right. That was many years ago and this video brought back a very fond memory of that time in my life. As a result of watching this, I will soon take my Roamer out of storage and get her cleaned up. The cap is shot and needs replacing. Any suggestions as to where I can get a replacement or equivalent? Or tubes if needed? Again. Nice video! Thanks!
Mike Prell Interesting that I just got notification of this comment and yet it marked 3 weeks old. I guess the notification got lost in the mail. Two places I could suggest for parts is Ebay and hamfest. Tom
No problem. Thanks for your input. I had more fun with my Star-Roamer, usually at about 3AM. I feel sorry for today's kids who can't experience the magic. More's the pity.
I want to do that. I have replaced the caps in a few monitors to get them working. But in this older radio I am not even sure what the caps look like. Is there an online guide that might help. Thanks so much. Kevin
I still like the old analog radios too. I like having to do a little work to get a station (knob turning).
Tom
My mom's church always had a basement sale. One year she spotted one of these and bought it for me. I still have it on a shelf in my garage.
Awesome
Wow this is a remember when for me too; I built one of these in the 60's... It always had a 60 cycle hum in the background, but other than that it worked pretty well.. It got marine band broadcasts too.. Thanks for the interesting video!
Awesome
This radio is the first radio I built. I received it for my 8th grade graduation. It took me about 10 hours to build and it worked! I listened and listened to CB radio, Short wave, Longwave and Ham radio broadcasts. Two years later I studied and got my Novice Ham radio license as WN9KXG! 16 years old and all on my own! This radio really started me out into a new world of communications. I am now an Amateur Extra ham operator. Allied Radio was the ultimate company that gave experimenters very cool equipment to build and experiment with! Too bad they sold out to Radio Shack which started out great and progressively degraded to less and less serve the experimenter.
Thanks for your comments and have a great day.
Wrote a comment a year ago. Finally got around to ordering replacement caps for the large sectional which is in this unit as I believe it is the culprit. All else looks good. I wondered what this radio cost in 1968 when I bought mine. You say $35 and prices did not change quickly in those days. So, now I order 4 caps and the cost is $21 including shipping. This is almost 2/3 of the price I originally paid for the whole radio--assuming it was $35-37!!!
Yes, I recently did a show on how insane shortwave radio prices are/
@@hamrad88 PS. Just put new Capacitors in my Star Roamer today to replace the original 4 section capacitor. The unit came alive and appears well. I will need to put up an antenna to find out if it has its old stuff intact. The AM radio on band 2 gave me good indication of that today!
That is good to hear.
Enjoyed watching your video very much. I had one of these when I was in high school in the mid-60s. The Star Roamer was a head-to-head competitor with the Hallicrafters S-120, but had a number of nice features that the S-120 lacked--tranformer power supply, weighted flywheel tuning, S-meter and antenna tuner. It is possible to receive amateur cw and ssb transmissions by advancing the sensitivity control to the point that the i.f. amplifier breaks into oscillation.
Thanks
My grandad gave me a k55 already built
Nice video I built a Star Roamer in the late 1960s was my first kit. Great radio I would stay up late nights and listen to faraway stations and dream of far off places. Real excitement for a teenager back then. And later Uncle Sam sent me to far off places, but survived to build many more kits. Thanks.
Thanks for your service.
the code practice jack was so you can use the receiver as an oscillator to practice Morse code. you would go to a dead spot on the dial and max out the sensitivity so it'll oscillate
I have one of these.
I'm pretty sure you can do SSB if you turn the sensitivity up so that it goes into self oscillation.
Its not easy, but doable.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Tom
I am 57 now but I remember my dad building this radio. Me burning my fingers on the solder iron ..dad showing me how to solder....when it was done trying to listen to far off voices.....just like a old car....this radio brings back childhood memories
Thanks for bringing back old memories, Tom.
I built one when I was about 14. When I got done, it wouldn't work right, and I had to return it for wiser minds to figure out why. When I got it back, it worked; but no explanation what the problem was. I suspect it was my poor 14 year old building skills.
I enjoyed it till I went off to college, but lost interest after college. It's gone now, and I have no idea where it went. Wish I still had it.
+rinardman Interesting story. Thanks for sharing.
Tom
Thanks for your comment. Should like a power supply filter cap has failed which is quit common in these old radios.
Tom (hamrad88)
Thanks for your comment.
Tom
great video and beautiful radio.
thanks for sharing.
Built Star Roamer for rich friend in junior high. It was fun to build and hear it play when completed.
Interesting. Thanks for the post.
Enjoyed your video. I have one of these radios. Bought it in 1969 with money I earned cutting grass. 2 bucks a yard! My dad and I built it on our kitchen table. Mine still plays very well.
Thanks for the report.
i built one on our kitchen table too in 8 grade ,, i still have it ..they play very good ,,
This one was built by my wife's grandfather while he was in a nursing home.
i just turned mine on then off needs recapped not a big deal, been setting to long ,, i grew up on tube radios i collect short waves ,,,zeniths for one .. i just found a cherry lafayette he-30 at a swap meet an it plays
That is great to hear. I too started out with a big Zenith console that belonged to my older brother.
yippie: i fond my star roamer. 1st sw reciever 59 yrs ago i was 14. last re-gen type, eventually got a superheat. now long expired i was n6tux. now live in laos. sad:no amateur radio allowed. subebd anyway.
Interesting. Thanks for the sub and have a great day.
Same here 14 when i got my u.s. citizenship
Just to show how by using the 'Sensitivity' and 'Bandspread' to dial in SSB.
Lower side band...
ruclips.net/user/shortsFZBRgdl_Mjc?feature=share
Upper side band...
ruclips.net/user/shortsDfg7K7HXlpo?feature=share
And...
Signal beacons on Longwave...
ruclips.net/user/shortsKrek-xurVZk?feature=share
I replaced all of the carbon composite resistors with film and the electrolytic multi-section capacitor. It amazes me just how good this kit radio is.
Built a Star Roamer in 1964 or 65. Brings back memories.
Interesting
Built mine at 10-11 yrs old in 65-66. Still have it and after being in storage for 45 years, it still works. Amazing. Today's junk is programed to expire . Thanks.
My uncle had one in his garage in the 90's. I took it home and listened to the shortwave bands until shortwave kind of disappeared into radio history. Had just a piece of wire on connected. Worked quite well at night...73 N4TCM
Thanks for the story. Have a great day.
Nice video Tom. Thanks for sharing that with us. I just finished a nice QSO with an amateur on the 30 meter band and he told me his dad bought him one of these when he was a kid. Had to look it up.... 73 Brent
+Binder Dundat You are welcome.
Tom
Bought mine in 1968. It was still working up till 5 years ago. Now it emits noise. I believe the capacitors are shot. But which one and how many? The radio always was fully functional otherwise. I still have the manual with the build instructions!
Got your email. See my reply.
Thanks for the information.
Tom
Thanks for sharing.
Tom
Nice video!
I built this same radio back in 1965 when I was only 14...and I still have it!
It brought me many pleasurable evenings listening to stations around the globe. For example, Radio Moscow's lying propaganda against the USA. Last year I gave it a total restoration and upgraded some of the components. It still sounds great! However, since the advent of digital communications, that old thrill is gone.
Good review Tom, I was looking over some of your older reviews which are great!
The only thing lacking with this radio is a BFO which can be found on Ebay as a kit
the last time I looked. These old radios are nice and a fella doesn't want to cut them
short they will surprise you escpecially if they are tube units! Mike Prell left as good
comment and if he wants links to get replacement tubes and even parts they are
avaialble for the older equipment.
Dennis Petersen I always wanted to try one of those external BFOs.
Tom
Any chance of turning it into a transceiver?
No
B Out of control earlier dont need him or want him here
I like it.I had a Knight Space Spanner,3 toub regen. Back in the 70"s one of My frst sw radios.I would like to find one to have in the shak. KC2NXP
Yes, it is an interesting radio.
tom im glad i did not waist my money on this radio it was ok 4 beginners but other than that a poor radio for a entry level ham fb om
Great video.
I have one that just buzzes at me.
By pure chance, I decided to search out (old school for Google) the possibility of obtaining the schematics for this radio, never in a million New York Minutes, thinking that I'd locate one. WRONG! After printing it, I then went on to discover your video and was greatly pleased to find it! Thank you! My interest comes from having built and still owing the Roamer that I built back in about 1962. It was a class assignment from what we used to call, SHOP. I was not successful, having no patience, and needed to turn to the Dad of a good friend who helped me get things right. That was many years ago and this video brought back a very fond memory of that time in my life. As a result of watching this, I will soon take my Roamer out of storage and get her cleaned up. The cap is shot and needs replacing. Any suggestions as to where I can get a replacement or equivalent? Or tubes if needed? Again. Nice video! Thanks!
Mike Prell Interesting that I just got notification of this comment and yet it marked 3 weeks old. I guess the notification got lost in the mail. Two places I could suggest for parts is Ebay and hamfest.
Tom
No problem. Thanks for your input. I had more fun with my Star-Roamer, usually at about 3AM. I feel sorry for today's kids who can't experience the magic. More's the pity.
I would like You to do more old reviews on old radios.
OK, I have lots of old radios most of which are too heavy for me to move nowadays. :)
I want to do that. I have replaced the caps in a few monitors to get them working. But in this older radio I am not even sure what the caps look like. Is there an online guide that might help. Thanks so much. Kevin
Where may one parts and tubes for these?
+Mike Prell Ebay but buyer beware.
Thank you, Sir!
+Mike Prell You are very welcome.
Cq
make the "music" stop !