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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 28th Jan 2019, 10:36 am   #1
JimAttrill
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Default Inherited Barlow-Wadley XCR-30 with FM

Hi all, this is my first post on this forum. I live in Johannesburg South Africa where the BW radio comes from.
My Father-in-law who was French (d. 2010) worked for Radio South Africa French service broadcasting to the north as there are few French speakers in South Africa although quite a few nowadays mainly from the DRC.
I believe he knew Dr. Wadley and he used to use this radio to listen to his own channel on short wave. I don't think he ever used the FM receiver.
This radio is a late model serial no 17728. It has been lying around in a garage for a few years now, luckily with the batteries removed.
I have just switched it on and the FM reception is excellent even though the original whip aerial broke off long ago. I remember my FIL using a piece of wire indoors. I am using a 15" piece of wire at the moment.
The external case will need some cleaning and one of the tuning knobs is also missing this is the 'clarify SSB' control.
What I would like to know is how long was the standard whip aerial? I have read the specs that I can find and the length is not mentioned.
I am a bit of a newbie to radio although I do remember servicing an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy E1 back in the late sixties which had a RACAL RA17 radio fitted which seems to have the same circuitry as the BW. But I was not a radio person then being an engine fitter!
Later I owned a JRC 505 which was a lovely radio unfortunately stolen in a burglary and not replaced.
I now own a small Sangean radio which must be 30 years old now and an Amstrad 6011 which doesn't seem to receive anything at all. Anyway it looks pretty. I was hoping to use it for the air band.
The BW has a plug for an external aerial and a a ground or I can just use wire into the remains of the broken whip aerial.
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Old 28th Jan 2019, 12:58 pm   #2
dave walsh
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Default Re: Inherited Barlow-Wadley XCR-30 with FM

Hello and welcome to the Forum Jim. A very interesting back story to your radio there re the Dr Wadley connection. I'm sure someone can advise your re the broken whip aerial but I doubt that the length will be that significant in terms of reception-practicalities must limit these to a couple of feet in the end. If you are looking to tidy things up with an unbroken whip though, it may be possible to source a replacement or something very close Of course, using a long wire and earth/ground from the sockets-possibly via an ATU [Aerial Tuning Unit] is likely to bring the best results. I'll leave it to others who can offer more exact advice, particularly re picking up on Air Band Transmissions via the Sangean. I once got a Pilot [out of Gatwick] calling for assistance on landing re a passenger who appeared to have broken a leg... actually on the aircraft!
I've got a JRC 515 [Rolls Royce but not in use at present!]

Dave W
Bexhill
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Old 28th Jan 2019, 8:09 pm   #3
Jon_G4MDC
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Default Re: Inherited Barlow-Wadley XCR-30 with FM

Today a good source of telescopic whip replacements is the extendable magnetic pick up tools advertised in DIY shops and online.

Hope they still include the springs which keep electrical continuity between sections.
They feel OK so chances are good.
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Old 28th Jan 2019, 11:08 pm   #4
Paul_RK
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Default Re: Inherited Barlow-Wadley XCR-30 with FM

Just checked my XCR-30, serial 11900, and the aerial extends a fraction over 29" from the knuckle joint. I can't see anything suggesting that it isn't original, but confirmation from a second set would of course increase the likelihood of the length being as specified.

Paul
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Old 30th Jan 2019, 9:38 am   #5
JimAttrill
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Default Re: Inherited Barlow-Wadley XCR-30 with FM

The kHz dial scale seems to be out of kilter. It is possible to move it while keeping the wheel steady. Is there a way to set this properly?

It receives FM very well even Classic FM on 102.7 MHz which is a pretty weak station, but I can't hear anything on AM USB or LSB.
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Old 31st Jan 2019, 12:02 am   #6
Argus25
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Default Re: Inherited Barlow-Wadley XCR-30 with FM

Hi Jim,

The XCR 30 is a great set and well worth fixing up. Many I have come across are out of alignment, and they need to be correct for excellent results.

I wrote a description of how the system works, taking a different approach to what was written before, it helped me understand the radio better. As I noted in the text the "loop" is a bit of a misnomer as it is a feed forward control system. This does not include the FM version though, but it does include a better way to set up the AGC than is in the BW manual:

http://worldphaco.com/uploads/THE_AM...LEY_XCR-30.pdf

(PS: in the circuit diagram of the AGC system there is a resistor missing in the base of TR10 that I have not corrected yet, so ignore that)
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