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Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment.

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Old 7th Dec 2019, 5:40 pm   #1
skyking_comms
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Default Park Air Electronics 360 Channel Aircraft Band Monitor

Recently acquired this for my vintage airband collection. Wondering if anyone has any further information on it?

Thanks,

Darren
www.raf-fairford.co.uk/vintage-airband
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Old 7th Dec 2019, 6:11 pm   #2
G6Tanuki
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Default Re: Park Air Electronics 360 Channel Aircraft Band Monitor

From memory, they used a 'modified' FM Band-II tuner.
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Old 7th Dec 2019, 10:46 pm   #3
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Default Re: Park Air Electronics 360 Channel Aircraft Band Monitor

Thanks - I wonder what the modification was in 1972 as stated on the sticker?

Quote:
Originally Posted by G6Tanuki View Post
From memory, they used a 'modified' FM Band-II tuner.
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Old 7th Dec 2019, 11:39 pm   #4
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Default Re: Park Air Electronics 360 Channel Aircraft Band Monitor

Can't remember exact model number it was 10ss or 15ss (wss?) There was the optional 50kc channel filter which might have been the mod. Pretty certain it was all in house, no bought in tuner as far as I recall. I left part way through the manufacture run in late 1969.
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 12:05 am   #5
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Default Re: Park Air Electronics 360 Channel Aircraft Band Monitor

50kc/s was the channel spacing for '360 channel' radios, which it has written on its panel.

They went to 25kHz spacing and 760 channels in the late 70s

After the FM band got occupied up to 108MHz they had to require aircraft to switch to broadcast-proof radios, or fit special filters.

They've just stumped up grants for planes to re-equip for 8.33kHz channels. The USA hasn't felt the need to go to 8.33.

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Old 8th Dec 2019, 4:05 am   #6
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Default Re: Park Air Electronics 360 Channel Aircraft Band Monitor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler View Post
After the FM band got occupied up to 108MHz they had to require aircraft to switch to broadcast-proof radios, or fit special filters.
Given that the USA had the 88 to 108 MHz FM band from mid-1945, would not aircraft travelling internationally have needed suitably immune VHF airband receivers from that time? 88 to 108 MHz was also the Region II FM band from 1947. ITU Region III was 87 to 108 MHz from 1947, although not all countries used the whole band. Europe/Region I was in fact the outlier with 87.5 to 100 MHz originally, extended upwards to 104 MHz and then to 108 MHz. Japan had VHF channels in Band II from c.1953, with channel J3 sound at 107.75 MHz.

The brief descriptions of the Park Air airband receivers available in Wireless World etc., indicate that from the late 1960s, dual-gate mosfets were used in the front ends and linear ICs in the IF strips. This suggests that they paralleled FM tuner technology developments of the time if not using exact FM circuits.


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Old 8th Dec 2019, 3:04 pm   #7
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Default Re: Park Air Electronics 360 Channel Aircraft Band Monitor

To be fair to this receiver, it's not in the same league as the sort of equipment carried by an airliner, or even general aviation these days. Park Air do have more sophisticated equipment available though.
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Old 8th Dec 2019, 5:31 pm   #8
CambridgeWorks
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Default Re: Park Air Electronics 360 Channel Aircraft Band Monitor

Exactly. Original design 10ss is late 60s, free running oscillator, reasonably stable generally. There was then the option of the switchable crystal filter module. The 360 channel model is a further development, as it has an effective capability of tuning through that number of channels. Scale calibration will hardly be good enough to select say 123.45Mhz though. Designed for use as a general purpose monitor rx for business use or for the richer aircraft enthusiast to listen in. Park air was started by Fred Parker, G3FUR from Stamford. His first portable ventures were using Japanese am/fm portable radios that were converted for airband am and often sold at airshows. He was well into modern design, hence some of the early fet front ends. One I remember had dual gate mixer and tuned circuits of tinned 18swg wire tuned with quality ceramic preset trimmers. We used to wind the coils in batches, using a drill bit.
At this time valve tx were made, typical models 50z and 50x.
His first venture into solid state tx was for Nipper aircraft Castle Donington, the model was I think 20A It was available as a transportable. This was one I helped build a few of. About 3 or 4W rf iirc. 20 crystal controlled channels with 4 additional switch selected plug in sockets on the front panel.
I think one was offered on this forum a few weeks back.
I spoke to Fred earlier this year and he still was as bright as a button! He must be in his 90s by now.
The company is now called Park Air Systems, owned by Northrop Grumman and located at Market Deeping, near Peterborough.
These days there are some advanced products for ground radio offered. Nothing is for airborne use. Back in 1969, there were 7 full time, including Fred, plus several part time, including a secretary and 3 or 4 Airworks Services radar technicians from North Luffenham Midland Radar. They were usually involved modifying the portables or assembly work on their rest days from the 24hour cover at work.
Nowadays, the workforce is maybe 100 to 150 in a custom built factory.
A google search will provide more information and marketing videos.
Rob
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Last edited by CambridgeWorks; 8th Dec 2019 at 5:40 pm.
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Old 11th Dec 2019, 9:38 pm   #9
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Default Re: Park Air Electronics 360 Channel Aircraft Band Monitor

Thanks for all the information Rob - I was especially interested in the early history of the company. Fascinating stuff!

I've added some of your information to the vintage airband Page - www.raf-fairford.co.uk/vintage-airband
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