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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 12th Nov 2018, 10:27 am   #1
Kevin Hoyland
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Default RCA AR88 Receiver. R.1967 variant.

Hello.

Came home from Golborne swop meet with a RCA AR88. On the front is a tag saying:-

Receiver type R.1967
Ref -nu IOD/18430
A^M
serial no ATB 1062
Modified by B.T.R. LTD

It has all the tools that came with it when new and the Bristol wrench for the grub screws for the knobs on the the front panel.

I have a AR88 LF that was modified by C.G.N. in the workshop.

Kevin.
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 10:42 am   #2
M0FYA Andy
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Kevin,
Any chance of a close-up picture of the AM label, please?
Many thanks,
Andy
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 11:08 am   #3
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Looks to have a non-original output transformer.
The front panel has extra holes in the headphone area, but one bunged-off, so I think it's seen two rounds of mods.

David
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 11:17 am   #4
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

This seems to be a post-war use of it.
If you want to know more then Air Publication 2566D seems to be where to look.

It is possible that one change was to have a higher impedance output than normal, so this fits with a changed output transformer and extra sockets.
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 11:20 am   #5
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Nice one- always good to have a thermionic project as winter draws in! Looks pretty good inside and out- not to mention the bonus of included trim tools.

I was reminded of a previous thread (also from Kevin) by that output transformer, the transformer looks to be of good quality, perhaps a UK military contract to replace the RCA original?

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=138320
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 11:45 am   #6
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

If it's any use the under chassis layout and schematic for the R1967 are shown on the two pages of AP 2566D that are included at the end of the link shown below (scroll down to the end):

https://www.blunham.com/Radar/Signal...68andR1475.pdf

Lawrence.
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 11:57 am   #7
Kevin Hoyland
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Lawrence
The link you you have put on will not work .
Thanks for helping.
Kevin.
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 11:59 am   #8
ms660
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Hoyland View Post
Lawrence
The link you you have put on will not work .
Thanks for helping.
Kevin.
I've since edited out an error, it now works ok for me.

Lawrence.
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 12:03 pm   #9
Kevin Hoyland
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Lawrence its working know, Thank you.
Kevin.
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 12:19 pm   #10
Kevin Hoyland
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Andy.
Photo of A/M Label.
Kevin.
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 5:17 pm   #11
M0FYA Andy
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Kevin, many thanks!
Andy
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Old 12th Nov 2018, 7:39 pm   #12
Kevin Hoyland
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

You are welcome Andy.
Regards
Kevin
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Old 13th Nov 2018, 11:11 am   #13
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Slightly curious that the aerial trimmer shaft coupler is a solid (patina'd brass?) item- normally this is a sprung isolating coupler that allows for a smidgeon of front support bracket/chassis misalignment without being too hard on the bearing plus a bit of fore-and-aft movement inevitable with handling by the unappreciative. It's always possible that there were changes in component availability over the production life, though.
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Old 13th Nov 2018, 12:27 pm   #14
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

The couplers on both my AR88s are solid, too. It uses the bushing in the capacitor and that in the chassis bracket to stabilise the whole knob and shaft assembly from rocking.

David
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Old 13th Nov 2018, 12:37 pm   #15
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Looks like the grafting points for the S meter are different to the original AR88.

Lawrence.
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Old 13th Nov 2018, 4:00 pm   #16
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

That's usually the first query with a lot of people ie has it got an original meter-circa 1942 [I think] but these are apparently very rare now and given this is a 1967 retro fit, I suppose that would be unlikely. I'd never heard any mention of these post war modified versions before anywhere but they would have been both readily available and of such very high quality that it would make sense. Both sets look very similar but only one has the blanking plate and a sixties date. Did you get any further info re the background history on either at the point of purchase Kevin?

Dave W

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Old 14th Nov 2018, 3:28 pm   #17
Kevin Hoyland
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Dave.
No I did not get any background history on the 2 two sets. They are 88LF sets
and the RAF and RN would put two 88LF linked to each other to make a Dual Diversity receiving outfit for shore wireless stations. On the web it says That CGN did a Technical hand book on the dual diversity unit for installation specification and repairs. I have been looking for this manual for a long time.

Kevin.
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Old 14th Nov 2018, 5:43 pm   #18
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Default Re: RCA AR88 Receiver.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler View Post
The couplers on both my AR88s are solid, too. It uses the bushing in the capacitor and that in the chassis bracket to stabilise the whole knob and shaft assembly from rocking.

David
I'm slightly surprised! I'd taken it as read that longish shafts like this frequently had some sort of compliance/give added, not least because in the professional environment things don't always get treated with kid gloves and knobs get jarred and knocked. Also the long-term wear problem with slight mis-alignment. Admittedly, it seems to have been a post-WW2 thing for receiver makers to really pay attention to isolating circulating currents and minimising oscillator radiation with isolating couplings, coil-boxes isolated from chassis, insulated band-change and gang-capacitor shafts and so on, but the aerial trimmer is a pretty "hot" item from the point of view of oscillator escape and the HRO was a notorious and early example of stuff getting out!

Anyway for the record, my mid-range serial number set with its springy isolator,

Colin
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