Thanks Mike for the time/effort making this video. Always something new to learn about the "command" sets! I own 3, and now restored they perform great. cheers Frank in Australia
This is such an interesting series, Mike. I wish RUclips had been around in the mid 50s when I got my first command set. Many wonderful memories! Thank you for taking the time to record and share your knowledge. 73 -- de Mick, WB4LSS
What an excellent series of videos, thank you very much. I am currently waiting for a command receiver to come up on eBay UK- preferably the 6-9Mc variety. It does happen occasionally!
A couple of things, Mike. 1) The receivers which tune from 6 - 9.1 MHz can differ in the IF transformers: usually, but not always, the BC-455(*) receivers' IF transformers do have only one coil. However, SOME have two coils. The R-27/ARC-5, especially the late models, can have two coils. 2) You are absolutely correct about the selectivity-values: in point of fact, the "40 meter" receivers have, essentially, no selectivity at all to speak of. I see that you have left the "can-caps" or "flower-pots" in your receivers: do you operate them at voltages lower than the original 250 VDC, or have you "restuffed" the can caps?
Interesting about the IF cans and the coils. All of those receivers were picked up at the Nearfest hamfest and were quickly put into working condition for the videos. I did not replace or shotgun the caps. If a cap was flat out shorted, I replaced it, but other than that, I left them in if they still worked. I am sure they all could use re-stuffing! That said, I had a WS19 that I shotgunned all of the 0.1 uF Sprague paper caps out of and tested them and found that all from that batch were 100% and I had wasted my time!
Yes. Shotgunning the caps is not a good idea. I test them all before doing anything with them. In MY case, every single receiver I have has been essentially destroyed before I got them. Testing the can caps at their rated voltage shows every single one to be unacceptably leaky, so I replace them, one at a time. I have a couple of youtube videos on the receivers I have refurbished. Thanks again for your videos...also for your Feb 2014 article on "Noise Reduction by Phasing" in ER. vy 73,
BTW, there is another article in ER mag on using the BC-453 as a "Q-5er" for the other receivers using harmonics. It works extremely well. Also, I have done a search on the net to try to find 2830 KHz crystals with zero luck so far. Your idea of modifying the 1st IF in the BC-455 into a crystal filter is absolutely excellent!
![Delco High Performance Radio Receiver! [Repair]](/img/1.gif)
Mr. Carlson's test equipment is spot on.
Thanks Mike for the time/effort making this video. Always something new to learn about the "command" sets! I own 3, and now restored they perform great. cheers Frank in Australia
This is such an interesting series, Mike. I wish RUclips had been around in the mid 50s when I got my first command set. Many wonderful memories! Thank you for taking the time to record and share your knowledge.
73 -- de Mick, WB4LSS
What an excellent series of videos, thank you very much. I am currently waiting for a command receiver to come up on eBay UK- preferably the 6-9Mc variety. It does happen occasionally!
A couple of things, Mike. 1) The receivers which tune from 6 - 9.1 MHz can differ in the IF transformers: usually, but not always, the BC-455(*) receivers' IF transformers do have only one coil. However, SOME have two coils. The R-27/ARC-5, especially the late models, can have two coils. 2) You are absolutely correct about the selectivity-values: in point of fact, the "40 meter" receivers have, essentially, no selectivity at all to speak of. I see that you have left the "can-caps" or "flower-pots" in your receivers: do you operate them at voltages lower than the original 250 VDC, or have you "restuffed" the can caps?
Interesting about the IF cans and the coils. All of those receivers were picked up at the Nearfest hamfest and were quickly put into working condition for the videos. I did not replace or shotgun the caps. If a cap was flat out shorted, I replaced it, but other than that, I left them in if they still worked. I am sure they all could use re-stuffing! That said, I had a WS19 that I shotgunned all of the 0.1 uF Sprague paper caps out of and tested them and found that all from that batch were 100% and I had wasted my time!
Yes. Shotgunning the caps is not a good idea. I test them all before doing anything with them. In MY case, every single receiver I have has been essentially destroyed before I got them. Testing the can caps at their rated voltage shows every single one to be unacceptably leaky, so I replace them, one at a time. I have a couple of youtube videos on the receivers I have refurbished. Thanks again for your videos...also for your Feb 2014 article on "Noise Reduction by Phasing" in ER. vy 73,
BTW, there is another article in ER mag on using the BC-453 as a "Q-5er" for the other receivers using harmonics. It works extremely well. Also, I have done a search on the net to try to find 2830 KHz crystals with zero luck so far. Your idea of modifying the 1st IF in the BC-455 into a crystal filter is absolutely excellent!