Collins R-388/URR

[C2]

I just picked one up today. How is the sensitivity on these receivers? So far I have just been receiving on the MW band, but do not receive very many stations.

Are there any troublesome or hard to find tubes that I should be keeping an eye out for? Any other tips for keeping these running well? I'd like to clean the controls.

I'm not at all a tube guy or up on the vintage gear and I'd hate to do something "wrong" to this one.

 

[C2]

I was playing around with this unit a bit more this afternoon and I think it has a receive problem. I can only receive about 3 AM broadcast stations and there is a loud cyclical hum near every 100KC mark.

It might be some sort of contact problem so I was going to take a can of flux remover and spray it down real good. At least I know the AUDIO GAIN pot needs a good blasting so I might as well clean the whole thing out, get it all nice and wet and blast it with some compressed air to get all them cobwebs and dust out.

After I clean it out, what kind of oil should I use on the gears? Usually I just use vasaline.

Does anyone know what the BREAK IN switch is for? Most of the pictures I've seen show a SPEAKER jack in this ones place, but the panel is clearly stamped BREAK IN. It does not seem like it does anything.

This thing would look good in a nice custom teak cabinate. I might build one if I can get it working better.

 

[Hamin' X]

Sounds like you might have the 100 Kc calibrator turned on.

Break-in keying for CW?? Might be used to automatically mute the audio during transmit. Just a WAG.

Rich