Knight Star Roamer

[N8YX]

Almost makes me want to run out and buy an SB-303/SB-310 pair.

Almost.

Good job, George!

[W1GUH]

Almost makes me want to run out and buy an SB-303/SB-310 pair.

Almost.

Good job, George!

Stay away from the solid state LMO.

[W3WN]

Do you wanna Roam the Stars, Span the Space, Master the Span, or Hop the Ocean? I built an Ocean Hopper in 6th grade,my first shortwave receiver, and went for the complete coil kit. Notice the Long Wave plug in coil is 79 cents vs 65 cents for the others. If you wanna hear those frantic international distress calls, you gotta pay the piper, not to mention the coil winder with Litz wire patience. While the top of the line Span Master was futuristically tempting, I confess the O-Hopper's baroque trap door and retro plug in coils caught my eye something wicked. The vanilla Space Spanner gave you budget bandswitching, but... I do recall the Spanner being the spotlight project of a later iteration of the Boys' Book of Radio & Electronics, which represented some supplemental instructions if ya got in a jam, but....it was about as spacey as Buster Crabbe's Flash Gordon, without the flat out Captains Courageous old school swashbuckle of the Hopper, goofy name and all.

$2.00 down. Anyone buy any of these on time?

Back in my Novice days, I had a Space Spanner. I honestly don't recall now how I came up with it, but I think I bought it a the annual auction the old Livingston (NJ) ARC W2MO had as their annual fundraiser. I had a lot of fun listening to it.

When we moved from NJ to PA, of course it came with us, but didn't work as well (I'm sure the antenna at teh time had a lot to do with it), and I foolishly canabalized it for another project one day.

One day, I'll pick up another one, just for nostalgia's sake.

[K7SGJ]

Nothing works as well when taken from NJ to PA.

[Jeff K1NSS]

Nothing works as well when taken from NJ to PA.

Hah! Post Jersey traumatic stress...



"and I foolishly canabalized it for another project one day."


Lotta that went on. One always kept a predatory eye on one's radio herd, watching for signs of weakness, decline, a certain melancholic dishevelment indicating the device in question had outlived its purpose, whatever its prior utility, novelty, or sentimental value. Be great to put a frame around that moment, when, in one's mind's eye, a childhood electronic friend suddenly looks like a dirty old Merc on blocks, begging for release and reincarnation as a warbley one tube Hartley oscillator destined to make space noises on 20 meters.

[W3WN]

Nothing works as well when taken from NJ to PA.

Not true! When it comes to corrupt and self-serving politicians, PA has NJ beat hands down.

[W1GUH]

Hah! Post Jersey traumatic stress...



"and I foolishly canabalized it for another project one day."


Lotta that went on. One always kept a predatory eye on one's radio herd, watching for signs of weakness, decline, a certain melancholic dishevelment indicating the device in question had outlived its purpose, whatever its prior utility, novelty, or sentimental value. Be great to put a frame around that moment, when, in one's mind's eye, a childhood electronic friend suddenly looks like a dirty old Merc on blocks, begging for release and reincarnation as a warbley one tube Hartley oscillator destined to make space noises on 20 meters.

Amen! My first receiver was an AR-3. It suffered an undeserved fate when I finally got a "good" receiver. Today, AR-3's are rare at hamfests. Haven't seen one in decent condition for a looooooooooog time. This might explain it. I'd LOVE to have one now.

R.I.P, trusty AR-3. Hated it for a few reasons. Looking back, probably the BEST entry-lever novice receiver out there, especially with the QF-1.

[n2ize]

I finally got around to repairing the little Knight Star Roamer receiver that I bought at a yard sale last summer for 8 bucks. After a clean up, I had to re string the dial cord. When the receiver was turned on it just hummed. Tests indicated the 4 section paper electrolytic filter cap wasn't doing anything but taking up space on the chassis. I replaced it with 4 new caps. I also replace the old selenium rectifier with a new 1N5408 diode. Then I hit all the pots and switches with Deoxit D5. I have been DXing the AM broadcast band with it hooked up to my inverted vee. It's amazing such a simple design can work so well.
Attachment 4928Attachment 4929Attachment 4930

Wow, that sounds exactly like what I have going with my dad's old tube Zenith portable that I am fixing. I replaced the selenium rectifier and now I am replacing the 4 section electrolytic condenser with 4 new electrolytic condensers. I also replaced all the other wax paper caps with modern day orange drops.

[w2amr]

Wow, that sounds exactly like what I have going with my dad's old tube Zenith portable that I am fixing. I replaced the selenium rectifier and now I am replacing the 4 section electrolytic condenser with 4 new electrolytic condensers. I also replaced all the other wax paper caps with modern day orange drops.

It's only a matter of time before the old selenium rectifier fills your shack with toxic stinky smoke when it gives up.

[n2ize]

It's only a matter of time before the old selenium rectifier fills your shack with toxic stinky smoke when it gives up.

It already started to happen. I powered uip the radio on the bench and wasn't getting any voltage to the tube filaments. A minute later I noticed a very foul odor. I thought that a mouse or rat or something died behind the bench and was rotting.Then I noticed smoke coming from the selenium rectifier and the wirewound series dropping resistor was glowing red. I don't think the selenium rectifier was bad but it was looking right into a short, perhaps the 4 section filter cap that followed it. That's why there is a silicone rectifier in its place now.and the 4 section filter condenser is being replaced with 4 new electrolytic s. Once I get it rewired up correctly (knock on wood) the thing should play...I hope.