[turretslug]

I don't like to be too damning of something that someone had obviously genuinely intended to be a useful, straightforward, value project to many amateurs but there's an element of "must get in a beam-deflection mixer"- the "magic bullet" syndrome that we saw with lots of "must have" devices such as GaAs FETs. The need to keep cost and complexity down meant unbalanced drive and an uncomfortably wide ranging, free-running 1st VFO- not good compromises for sensitive amateur SSB use. An AR88 would probably be more stable! (And by the way, that's not a condemnation, simply an indication that anyone building this set and expecting noticeable improvement over the comms receivers of yesteryear might have been underwhelmed for the effort).

To me, BFO apart, and considering the coverage, it might have been better pitched as "Performance BC SWL receiver with beam-deflection mixer"- where ultimate stability and sensitivity would be less crucial and good signal-handling in the days of "shout loudest" HF broadcasting would have been useful.