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Using Vintage Regenerative Long Wave Receivers

Some of the Signals below 500KC

 Tuning around below 500kc offers some interesting challenges and a different kind of DXing. Nearly all signals encountered are either CW, MCW, RTTY or some kind of data transmission. There are virtually no voice transmissions except for foreign longwave BC stations. Here are some of the types of signals found below 500kc.

An enjoyable part of listening below 500kc is receiving the many different Non-directional Beacon (NDB) stations that are located at many airports around the world. Airport NDBs operate continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The transmissions are nearly always in MCW using a 400hz tone (1020hz was popular in the USA.) The NDB station will transmit its assigned call letters in International Morse every few seconds. The NDB ID usually is a three-letter combination that often bears some resemblance to the airport location, e.g., CHD in CHanDler, Arizona. US NDBs that use only two letters for an ID are usually "marker beacons" located at the beginning of a runway. Often, marker beacons are not listed on NAV-AID websites and therefore are sometimes difficult to identify. NDB transmitter power is generally around 25 watts in the USA, however there are some US regional NDBs that run up to 400 watts and a few coastal "transoceanic" and Alaskan NDBs that run 1KW to 2KW.

Canadian NDBs will follow their station call with a "key-down" signal until the call is sent again. This makes all Canadian NBDs easy to identify. Also, most Canadian NDBs run substantially more power than the typical 25W US NDB, so their NDBs usually put out strong signals. Sometimes Mexican NDBs will proceed the ID with a "long dash" - not "key down," just a long dash, (I have heard this on GRN several times but not on other Mexican NDBs.) NDBs can be found from 190kc up to 529kc although many NDBs are being displaced by powerful DGPS signals within the same part of the spectrum (generally signals from 290kc up to 325kc and 425kc up to 485kc are predominately DGPS signals.) Since the NDB signals are MCW, a carrier is always present on the assigned frequency. With the receiver BFO on, it is easy to locate the NDB carrier and then ID the station when the call is sent. Nearly always, there are multiple NDBs assigned to the same frequency so listening for different characteristics of the transmitted signal becomes part of the method of identification. Also, due to changing propagation, different DX NDBs assigned to the same frequency, will be heard during different listening sessions.

Once the NBD call letters are known, they can be checked against one of the NAV-AID websites. By entering the station ID, the websites will provide the NDB airport location, assigned frequency and sometimes the transmitter power. A good NAV-AID for USA and some Canadian NDBs is www.airnav.com . For all Canadian NDBs and worldwide NDBs, www.worldaerodata.com is a good source of information. These websites also provide a "double-check" that the NDB ID heard on a specific frequency is the actual station received since there are usually several NDBs with the same call letters but never are identical IDs transmitting on the same frequency. Eventually, a list will have to be maintained in order to know when "new" NDBs are received.

In addition to NDBs, there are foreign longwave broadcasting stations. These are generally located in Europe and Asia and run incredible power levels. One million watts of carrier power is common for longwave broadcast stations. Even though their power levels are extremely high, the signal's propagation faces severe losses and most longwave broadcasting is intended for regional service only. Here in the western part of the USA, it is possible to receive a few LW BC stations but those stations are never strong signals and rarely can the program be enjoyed. The strongest and most often received station here is Radio Rossii, located on Sakhalin Island (North of Japan) broadcasting on 279kc at a power level of one million watts. During the winter months in the early morning (~5AM PST,) Radio Rossii is very strong (for LW BC) and can be heard playing Russian pop-jazz music and reading their news service. These are always reports in Russian read by alternating male and female announcers with a short musical interlude between stories. Other LW BC stations are very weak and many times only the carrier can be received, the modulated information being too weak to really understand or even identify.

"Lowfer" is a nickname for the LF enthusiasts that transmit 1 watt signals to 50 foot antennas in the 190kc to 160kc band. A license is not required to operate these transmitters because their effective radiated power (ERP) is so low. The limitations have resulted in very clever ways of extracting very weak signals out of the noise in that particular region of the spectrum. QRSS, or very very slow CW, is one method used. It is so slow that a computer usually monitors the signal for several hours (all night) to assure that copy is possible. Other computer programs are also used to make possible copy of these extremely weak signals. Sometimes, when conditions are favorable, two-way human CW contacts do occur. Those are usually referred to as "Real Morse Communications" since so much on this particular band is computer driven and monitored for transmission and reception.

In other countries, 136kc is an amateur frequency that can be used for fairly high power transmissions. The limitations are not nearly as strict as in the "Lowfer" band. In the USA, 22 experimental licenses have been issued under the call WD2XSH/xx. These are licensed individuals that are carrying out experimental transmissions around 500kc (usually 508kc.) The limitations are 20 watts ERP. About half of the 22 licensees have not gotten "on the air" but some signals can usually be found. In the West, WD2XSH/22 in Sweethome, Oregon is very strong and easy to copy. These signals are CW, not MCW.

Other LW signals are WWVB (60kc) and JJY (40kc,) both pulse encoded time transmissions. JJY will identify their transmissions in CW at 15 and 45 minutes after each hour. WWVB provides no identification. Loran C stations all transmit on 100kc. They are precisely timed signals used for determining position based on the propagation delay. The US Navy has many RTTY stations operating from 20kc up to around 50kc. This is a very narrow shift FSK RTTY signal (only a few cycles shift.) All transmissions are encoded, so even demodulating the RTTY signal doesn't provide anything understandable. Still, since their exact frequencies are published, tuning the the Navy station at Cuttler, Maine, for example, is a good test for your receiving set-up. There are several computer programs available that will demodulate many of the data transmission-type LF signals and allow the user to "view" what kind of information is being transmitted. In some cases, weather maps and weather reports can be printed out from NAVTEX. SeaTTY is one such computer program.

Terminology

Longwave, or LW, is a general term used to identify wave lengths longer than 600 meters, or all frequencies below 500kc. However, to be more accurate, this region of the radio spectrum is divided into three sections. They are:

 Medium Wave (MW) = 300kc to 3000kc
 Low Frequency (LF) = 300kc to 30kc
 Very Low Frequency (VLF) = 30kc to 10kc

 Dealing with the Noise

The Longwave part of the RF spectrum can be very noisy with intense static making copy difficult. In an extreme RF noise generating environment maybe all that will be heard is intense "buzzing" any where you tune. These factors can pose problems when using modern equipment to tune in LW signals but what about vintage gear? How vintage LW gear responds is dependent on the noise environment and the antenna used. Most WWII LW equipment will have some kind of noise limiter and also some filtering though they may be of little use against the types of noise encountered today. Fortunately, most of the noise found on LW is originating from our own houses. Light dimmer switches are notorious for producing an intense "buzzing" RFI on LW. Certain kinds of controllers that have neon pilot lamps (the orange glowing light) can also create RFI noise. Florescent lighting, computers and monitors also can produce RFI noise. Cleaning up our own houses for RFI noise is the first step towards successful receiving of LW DX.

Another noise producer are street lamps - not when they are operating correctly but when they are malfunctioning. Usually before the street lamp goes out altogether it will cycle on and off with a time interval of about 30 seconds to one minute on the start-up cycle. During this time intense RFI is emitted. Some receiver noise limiters can reduce the interference but early LW receivers with no filters are useless during the lamp's start-up cycle. Most of the time the failing street lamp will cycle on and off every couple of minutes, all night long. Normally, if you call the power company they will come out and replace the failing lamp. You will have to have the street lamp ID number that is located on the underside of the assembly by the lens and also the street location (the ID number is visible from the ground looking up.) Fortunately for LW listening, the most intense RFI from street lamps is located in the frequency range from about 450kc up to about 4000kc.

Propagation 

The time of the year and hour of the day are important to successful DXing on LW. Although in theory LF and VLF propagation is generally considered to be mainly ground wave, most NDBs are actually in the medium wave band (MW) which is 300 kHz up to 3000 kHz. MW does have both ground wave and substantial sky wave propagation characteristics. About the only NDB DX reception is going to happen at night and up to just before local sunrise. Below 100 kHz, ground wave makes up the majority of the signal propagation, however losses due to absorption are highest during the daytime so best signals are usually a nighttime occurrence. Sometimes sky wave will still happen in the LF part of the spectrum and this also adds to nighttime's advantage for better reception. Although you can receive the Navy RTTY VLF stations running around 20 kHz day or night, weaker LF stations, like JJY at 40 kHz, can only be received just before local sunrise and night west across the Pacific to Japan.

Due to the sun's position, its affect on the ionosphere and the intense noise generated by the sun's activity, winter nights are always best for reception on LF and MW (in the Northern Hemisphere.) Summer is plagued with countless thunderstorms that add intense noise to the LW spectrum - day and night. Usually by mid-September, the LW signals are getting better and the summer noise is becoming less bothersome. By mid-May, the noise is again increasing to the point where only the strongest signals can be heard. Therefore the LW listening "season" is usually considered to be between the Autumnal equinox and the Vernal equinox. Also, low noise LW conditions generally occur during sunspot minimum during the 11 year sunspot cycle. Increased solar activity, usually favored for HF DX, increases the band noise on LW. VLF is not usually affected by much of anything which is why it is used for 24 hour, worldwide military communications. The US Navy RTTY stations located around the world are always easy to receive with equipment that can tune low enough - 20kc up to about 50kc.

Selectivity can be be achieved by use of audio filters in later sets or by advancing the regeneration control to the point where oscillation just begins in earlier receivers. Many early receivers also provide a coupling control for selectivity. By using the ear and listening for a particular tone frequency our own brain can be a very effective filter although this does require some practice to become proficient at. Another habit that old radio ops had was to copy using earphones. This will allow hearing  weak signals that are at the "noise level" - of course static bursts can be almost painful at times when using early sets without limiters. Keeping the 'phones slightly in front of the ears is an effective method used by CW ops.

Now, all of this isn't saying that a vintage superheterodyne won't do a good job on LW reception. There are quite a few really high-end LW receivers that were made for the military and for the laboratory. The Hammarlund SP-600VLF is one that is particularly favored by LW listeners since it has continuous coverage from 10kc up to 540kc. Unfortunately, it is a rather expensive version of the SP-600. The earlier Hammarlund SP-200-LX, aka BC-779, covers 100 to 400kc in two of its five tuning ranges. This receiver is usually economically priced and can really do a fine job on LW when in good condition. In fact, most vintage superheterodyne communications receivers that happen to have coverage of some of the longwave frequencies will perform quite well when used with the proper LW antenna. The limitations would be due to excessive BFO injection (required for good SSB demodulation) and AVC operation that can't be switched off which allows the receiver's gain to be controlled by the noise level. Most of the time, these functions are found on modern communications receivers and on shortwave portables, not on vintage receivers.

Selective Level Meters as Longwave Receivers

I have used two selective level meters as LW receivers, a Sierra Model 128 and a model made by Cushman. The Sierra was a vacuum tube model and was fully operational with a good set of tubes and I performed a full alignment. However, that particular model did not have a BFO. This made finding any NDBs very difficult so the results were quite limited. It seemed to be just "okay" functioning as a LW receiver. I also had loan of another selective level meter made by Cushman. This was a solid-state model that did have an on-board BFO. It didn't matter, I couldn't pick up any signals using it. The set's owner was also disappointed with the Cushman's performance as a LW receiver. My conclusion is that selective level meters are designed for finding and measuring leakage or unwanted signals on transmission lines or telephone lines - not for receiving very weak signals off of an antenna that is in a very noisy environment.

Tuned Loop Antennas or End-Fed Wires

Though LW stations can be tuned in using almost any type of antenna, the "Tuned Loop" provides the user with low noise reception due to its high Q, high selectivity. Another advantage is the ability to null out noise if it is from a particular direction. Most man-made noise will be directional and can be nulled out. The selectivity of the loop will help with atmospheric noise by increasing the receiver's response to the tuned frequency and increasing the signal to noise ratio. The End-Fed Wire is generally any wire antenna that has no feed line - one end of the antenna connects directly to the receiver antenna input. Usually, EFW antennas are between 75 and 250 feet in length. Much longer than 250 feet and the EFW begins to exhibit "long wire" characteristics of improved directional gain off of the ends. Extremely long, "Beverage" antennas perform entirely different (much better) than the typical, short (for LW) End Fed Wire. The EFW's advantage is that doesn't require tuning and gives a fairly consistent response throughout the receiver's tuning range. However, because of this wide response, it's susceptible to all kinds of noise - made man and atmospheric. While it's interesting to compare the two antennas, I have found that almost without exception a well-designed tuned loop antenna will always outperform an end-fed wire. This is especially true with more modern receivers - the newer the receiver's design, the better it usually works with a tuned loop antenna. Very early three-circuit tuner regenerative receivers (1920s) seem to be much happier with wire antennas of various configurations rather than relatively small tuned loop antennas. However when using WWII or later vintage receivers, either regenerative or superhet, the tuned loop antenna provides the low noise and higher signal strength necessary for successful DX NDB station copy.

Additional Loop Antenna Information as of Jan. 29, 2009: I'm very pleased with the performance of the six-foot loop. I really think its performance is at least equal to the ten foot loop that was mounted outside and, many times, I think it's actually better. During the past two months (12/08 and 1/09) I have logged over 100 new NDBs using the 6' loop. That's not total NDBs heard  - it's just new NDBs I hadn't heard before. Best DX was YY 340kc in Mont Joli, Quebec at around 2500 miles. Also, in the other direction, LLD 353kc at Lanai City, Hawaii - also around 2500 miles. Greatest DX wasn't a new NDB for me - it was DDP 391kc in San Juan, Puerto Rico at around 3500 miles - but DDP is a transatlantic beacon running 2KW - it's not hard to receive. I think the main advantage of the six-foot loop is the ability to point it in the direction of the stations and exclude other stations that are perpendicular to the antenna axis. LLD is a good example since Reno's NDB NO is very strong and transmitting on 351kc and LLD is on 353kc. LLD is a transpacific beacon running 1-2KW and would be an easy copy if NO was not a local NDB. Fortunately, those two NDB signal paths are physically about 90 degrees apart at my location so I can somewhat null NO and copy LLD by pointing the loop SW. Signal levels on the six-foot loop are about the same as the ten-foot loop was. The receiving limitations are primarily the atmospheric noise and relative conditions, then local noise and finally the receiver's ability to pull signals out of the noise. The RAZ-1 is very good at weak signal detection.

    Non-Directional Beacon Stations in Nevada

"AEC" - 209 kHz - NDB for Base Camp, Nevada AEC is on 209 kc and can be received here day or night, indicating that the transmitter might be running power higher than the 25 watts normal for NDBs. AEC is located near Warm Springs, Nevada on Hwy 6 about 60 miles east of Tonopah, Nevada. The site is called Base Camp. The antenna is an "inverted L" configuration with the shack located at one end near the pole support. From aerial photos it appears that there are a number of ground radials running out from a central location between the two poles. At one time AEC transmitted voice weather along with the MCW ID, however nowadays just the CW ID is transmitted.  Base Camp is a US government controlled, fenced air field with a maintained runway and some minor support buildings. Though the runway was recently repaved, there are large "X"s painted at each end of the runway to indicate "as viewed from the air" that it is closed and not in use. Apparently no hangers are at the site. What the exact use of Base Camp is remains unknown, although once it was part of the Tonopah Test Range. Though some speculate it now has some connection with Groom Lake/Area 51, this is highly unlikely. AEC is not listed on any of the NAV-AID sites yet it is in operation 24 hours a day, everyday. It is listed on LF websites that show logs of received stations.     photo left: AEC at Base Camp, NV - this great photo is by Steve McGreevy N6NKS, from www.auroralchorus.com

Other Nevada NDBs (Inactive)

EMC - 375kc - Winnemuca, NV - Off the air since 2002
MCY - 326kc - Mercury, Nevada was operated by the US Air Force & the DOE at Desert Rock. Location was north of Las Vegas, near Beatty. Listed on several NAV-AID sites. Latest online information suggests that the NDB is active and is located at the Beatty, NV Airport - info is dated Nov '08. MCY has not been received here and although it is on the same frequency as the powerful Canadian NDB DC, Princeton, BC, it should still be an easy copy. Consider MCY inactive
PYD - 414kc - Groom Lake, Nevada (Area 51.) Sometimes listed on NAV-AID sites but has been off the air for several years.
SPK - 251kc - Sparks, Nevada has been off the air for at least 20 years. The location was at the old Reno-Cannon Airport (now Reno-Tahoe Int'l AP.) This station had voice weather with MCW ID.
XSD - 278kc - Tonopah Test Range - Inactive

NDB Station Log 2006/7 - 2008/9

The following are the NDB stations that I have copied from here in Virginia City, Nevada using only vintage, tube-type receivers. I have logged most of these NDBs using the 1941 RAZ-1 receiver, but I have also logged quite a few with the 1945 RAK-7 and 1944 RBL-5 receivers in the past. I have also logged some "newly heard" NDBs with the 1920 SE-1420, the 1922 RMCA IP-501A, the 1955 Collins R-390A (485-530kc only) and the 1940 Hammarlund SP-200-LX receivers. The antenna was a 10' diameter remotely tuned loop that was destroyed by wind. Now, the main antenna is a 6' remotely tuned loop located indoors (as of Nov'08.) I have also found some new NDBs using various wire antennas. These NDB stations have been received during the 2006-7, 2007-8 and 2008-9 seasons. Stations are listed alphabetically along with frequency, location and power of the transmitter, if known. This log is always updated as new NDBs are copied. Total as of Mar. 2, 2009 is 246.

The following are in-depth profiles of some of my favorite vintage Longwave Receivers.....

The Radiomarine Corporation of America was a division of RCA that specialized in the operation of RCA's Communications Stations and sold RCA-built equipment for both major communications stations and for shipboard installations. The AR-8503 was introduced around 1938 and was designed mainly for shipboard installations. A matching pre-selector was also included, designated as the AR-8503-P. Additionally, an AC power supply was offered, the RM-6. Although in an emergency, the AR-8503 could be operated from a battery pack the preferred method of operation used the RM-6 to supply the required 6 volts for tube heaters, +22 vdc for the detector B+ and +90 vdc for the amplifier plates. Sometime around 1941, the US Navy wanted to install the AR-8503 on some of their smaller ships and a contract was issued for a small number of receivers. "RAZ-1" designated a complete set of equipment that included the CRM-46092 Receiver (AR-8503) with the matching CRM-50092 Pre-selector (AR-8503-P) and the CRM-20096 Power Supply (RM-6.) The contract date was just five days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec 2, 1941.

The CRM-46092 receiver uses four metal octal tubes in its regenerative circuit. The RF amplifier, detector and first audio are all 6K7 metal octal tubes while the audio output tube is a 6F6. The CRM-50092 preselector uses a single 6SG7 metal octal tube as a tuned RF amplifier. The CRM-20096 uses a 5Z4 metal octal tube for the rectifier. The CRM-50092 pre-selector receives power from the CRM-20096 power supply via a three foot long, three conductor cable that is connected to the power supply ground terminal along with the 6vac terminal and the +90vdc terminal. The CRM-46092 receiver has four tuning ranges covering 15 KC up to 600 KC. Three bandswitches - two on the receiver and one on the preselector - have to be utilized for changing tuning ranges. The National Type-N dials are scaled 0 to 100 and have a 180 degree layout. A tuning chart is provided in the manual to correlate the dial reading to tuned frequency. Coupling, Regeneration and Volume controls are on the front panel and the preselector also has an RF Gain control. Audio output is provided for a single audio stage or for full audio output via two telephone jacks on the front panel. Output is designed for the Western Electric 509W earphones and, although any Hi-Z 'phones will work, the 509W phones seem to give the best immunity to noise. The receiver case is shock mounted and is made of copper plated steel painted a grayish-brown color. The preselector case is made of aluminum and painted to match the receiver although it is not shock mounted. The power supply is a standard steel box painted gray. The front panels of the receiver and the preselector are machine textured aluminum that has been matte chromium plated.

Left photo: The CRM-46092 chassis showing the large bee's wax dipped coils and the sparse layout of components. The tuning condenser is inside the shielded box in the center of the chassis.   Right photo: The CRM-50092  preselector chassis showing the tuning condenser and the 6SG7 RF amplifier tube. The RF coils are under the chassis.

I first saw this RAZ-1 in 1997 at the home of W3ON, John Ridgway. It was setting next to the SX-28 he was going to sell me (if I could lift it off of the table.) I asked John if he wanted to sell the RAZ-1, to which he replied, "You wouldn't take a longwave receiver away from an old Navy radioman, would you?" John was living in Galena, Nevada at the time but since he was 85 and now alone, he was moving back to Maryland. John lived to the age of 93, becoming an SK in January 2006. To my surprise, in the summer of 2006, I got a 'phone call from an estate agent who said that they had found a letter among John's papers that stated that he wanted his radios and parts to be sent to the "Radio Museum in Virginia City, Nevada." The agent was calling me to see if I really wanted any of "this junk." I told them I did. The estate paid to ship the parts and equipment back out west. The shipping of the 22 boxes was spaced out over about a six week period. In the 21st box was the RAZ-1. Shipping had caused one small problem, one of the largest coils had broken from its mount. The large buss wiring had kept it in place and all that was required was to glue the mount back together and screw the coil form back in place. I acquired the correct shock mounts from N7ID. I did have to replace the filter capacitors in the power supply for quite reception.

The RAZ-1 is very sensitive and almost any station on LW can be tuned in however the lack of a calibrated dial makes this somewhat difficult if looking for a specific frequency just using the RAZ-1 dial alone for reference. Though I could use a heterodyne frequency meter if it is important to determine the exact frequency being received, I find it is easier to know approximately where I am tuning by listening to known adjacent signals. In other words, if the NDB MOG is zero beat (or being heard in the background) and I'm trying to copy another weaker signal partially obscured by MOG, I know that weak NDB is on 404kc or very close to it, since that is MOG's frequency. I can usually determine an unknown NDB's frequency within 1 or 2 kc by this method. The lack of any kind of limiter is sometimes a problem if local noise is present, however switching to the loop antenna has greatly reduced local noise. To reduce noise to a minimum, the Coupling is set very close to zero (0 to 25% maximum,) the Volume about 25% to 60% advanced, Regeneration right on the oscillation point (oscillating) and then signals are peaked with the the Preselector and then slightly manipulated with the Trimmer control. The Preselector gain is usually set to about 85%. These settings usually result in the best response of signal to noise along with the greatest selectivity. Although very strong signals are encountered from local or powerful stations, very weak MCW signals are the norm when searching for DX NDB stations. Usually, with several NDBs on the same frequency it is possible to slightly de-tune the loop antenna to one side or the other of the frequency and enhance one or more of the NDB signals for successful copy. I have logged more NDBs with the RAZ-1 than any other LW receiver. It can always be relied upon to pickup whatever is out there as long as reasonable conditions are present.

RCA-Andrea Radio Co.   U.S. NAVY Andrea Radio Co. CND-46155, RAK-7 Longwave Receiver Andrea Radio Co. CND-46156, RAL -7 Medium and Shortwave Receiver

The Navy wanted more modern LW, MW and SW receivers in the mid-to-late thirties so RCA provided the Navy with the RAK/RAL series. These new receivers had to be "bullet and bomb" proof, in other words, the ship had to take a couple of torpedoes, be sinking fast and the radio gear would still be working. The RAK/RAL series is just that - built like the battleships they served on. The construction is something to marvel at - so over-built, so heavy duty with no expense spared - it's no wonder that most RAK or RAL receivers still function with all original parts even though they are pushing sixty-five years old. The design concept was to provide maximum reliability by simplicity of design - and it paid off since the receivers were in use up until the end of WWII with their last service on board submarines.

 The RAK, (aka CND-46155 by its Andrea/Navy designation, substitute "R" for the "N" for the RCA /Navy designation) covers 15kc up to 600kc in six tuning ranges. The tubes used were large six-pin type, 6D6 tubes for the two RF amplifiers, a 6D6 for the regenerative detector, a 6D6 for the first audio amplifier, a 41 for the audio avc amplifier and another 41 for the audio output. The power supply, CNV-20131, was a separate unit that used a 5Z3 rectifier, an 874 regulator tube and an optional 876 ballast tube. The 876 can be left out of the power supply if the AC power is stable and noise free. An internally mounted switch routes the 120vac to a different tap on the power transformer if the ballast is not required. If the ballast tube is installed it will be on regardless if it is used or not although less current is flowing through it when it is switched out of the circuit. When switched in, the 120vac actually is dropped through the ballast and a different tap on the power transformer is used (~70vac) thus providing the regulation of the AC to the transformer if the line voltage is not stable. The receiver has a low pass filter that is permanently connected in the audio circuit to roll off the upper audio frequency at about 1200 hz. An elaborate audio avc circuit allows the user to limit the audio or noise peaks at an adjustable level. This was to allow the receiver to be used in heavy static conditions. Also a selectable audio bandpass filter was provided to enhance CW reception in noisy conditions. The RAK is designed for CW or MCW only. Voice can be received but it is severely limited on the higher audio frequencies making copy difficult. The manual states that another receiver should be used if voice reception is required - like the RAL. The tuning of the RAK is heavy duty, gear driven and the tuning dial readout is shown on two circular dial scales of 0 to 10 and 0 to 100. The actual tuned frequency has to be correlated with a graph that is in the manual. The receiver does provide a logging chart on the front panel for a "most used frequencies" reference. A frequency trimmer, an antenna trimmer, sensitivity and regeneration controls on on the lower panel of the receiver. The meters monitor audio output level in db and tube heater voltage. The RAL receiver is almost identical construction but has nine bands covering 300kc to 23mc. Additionally, the low pass filter can be switched out of the circuit for voice reception and a vernier frequency control is provided. Most of the concern about a stable AC line voltage was directed at the RAL receiver which itself can become unstable at high frequencies if the line input varies. Normally, the two receivers operated together through a control box (CND-23073) that allowed the radio op to monitor two frequencies simultaneously. The control box also could be used to switch the AC to the receivers on or off.

Nowadays, the RAK might be considered a very large, heavy receiver with a separate large, heavy power supply - both units built like battleships - be sure to provide an ample table for the receiver set-up. In my installation I have the power supplies for the RAK/RAL receivers bolted to the underside of the table. I provided for a space of about 3.5" above the supplies to allow good ventilation for the ballast tubes. I do run the power supplies with their ballasts even though it is probably not necessary. The actual difference in power consumption is significant - the ballast dissipates about 140 watts. I have run the receivers both with and without ballasts and I notice that the received noise seems to be less with the ballast in use. In actual operation, the RAK is a very sensitive receiver that spreads the LF tuning range over several bands. This bandspread action is nice for tuning in weak stations or trying to separate several stations that are on the same frequency - as many NDBs are. The major problem is that calibration is relying on the readout versus a graph and that graph is in the manual. The first thing to do is make a copy of the frequency graph to keep with the receiver. Next is to calibrate the RAK so the readout is fairly close to the graph. Then it is easy to keep track of where you are in the LF spectrum. If it is important to know the exact frequency, I use a heterodyne freq-meter set up. The audio avc will help with static crashes and to a certain extent, noisy conditions but if it is advanced too far it severely clips the audio with high distortion. The adjustable bandpass filters are almost useless. This is due to the high frequency chosen for the first audio frequency cut-off - 450hz. This may have been okay for true CW but that is seldom encountered anymore in the LF bands. All NDBs use MCW with a 400hz tone. The lowest setting of the filter works okay on NDBs but the other bandpass frequencies are even higher and so are not very useful. Due to the RAK's high sensitivity, noise levels can get out of hand rather quickly. The tuned loop antenna, with its high Q, really helps reduce the noise and increase the signal to noise ratio. Additionally, the Audio AVC can be used in severe conditions. The audio output is taken from the front phone jack. It is 600 ohms Z and, while the RAK will easily drive a 600 ohm speaker, many more weak signals can be copied using earphones rather than a speaker. I have tuned in all of the normal LF signals with my RAK-7. The best NDB DX were several in North-Eastern Canada and Puerto Rico's powerhouse transatlantic beacon, DDP. At lower frequencies, the RAK seems to get better and better with JJY at 40kc a fairly regular copy. The Navy RTTY signals around 20kc are always present. Like many of the WWII Longwave receivers, once the RAK is used regularly and the operator becomes used to its quirks, it "becomes" a great performer - it was all along, the op just has to "learn" his receiver.     

National Co., Inc.   U.S. NAVY  CNA- 46161-B,  RBL-5   Longwave Receiver

National Company also provided a great LW receiver for the Navy in WWII - the RBL series of regenerative receivers. Following the long Navy tradition of  National providing NC-100A types of receivers - like the RAOs and similar HF receivers, the RBL series uses the same general appearance with a similar dial layout and a familiar band switching feel. Though the bandswitch looks like the RAO catacomb system, it isn't. The mechanism uses several large gears to simultaneously actuate two large ceramic switches to provide band changes. The RBL is the same approximate size as the RAO receivers so it was probably intended that they be paired up for coverage from 15kc to 600kc on the RBLs and 540kc to 30mc on the RAOs. Unlike the earlier LW receivers described above, the RBL has a built in power supply and has direct frequency readout on the illuminated dial. The circuit uses a cascade of three 6SK7 RF amplifier stages. The detector is a 6SG7 regenerative autodyne detector followed by a 6H6 audio limiter circuit followed by a 6K6G audio tube. The power supply rectifier is a 5U4 in early RBLs but later was changed to a 5Y3G. Like the RAO, some RBL receivers were built by Wells-Gardner Company. Heavy duty construction, ample shielding, copper-plated cabinet under the black wrinkle paint are standard construction used in the RBL receivers. They were normally bolted to a cushioned mount that attached to the holes in the lower front and rear corners of the cabinet. Nowadays these mounts are usually missing. Included in the circuit is an audio filter for wide or narrow bandwidths and an adjustable audio limiter. The limiter is very well designed and works wonders in reducing the static crashes while not distorting the audio signal. The direct frequency readout on the dial is the major advantage of using the RBL receivers and the accuracy is impressive considering the receiver's age. The illuminated dial is quite a departure from the usual military LF receiver. The lower controls are gain, regeneration, bandswitch, antenna trim and frequency trim.

This RBL-5 required a little work before it was functioning to its specifications. The tubular antenna connection input that attaches to the box that bolts to the back of the cabinet was shorted internally so essentially whatever antenna was connected was shorted to chassis. Removal of the tubular connector and just running the coax through the box directly to the antenna and ground terminals fixed the problem. Also, there was a soldering job at the audio output transformer that was poorly done. Exactly what the object of the solder job was is not known but it probably was in search of the lack of output that was really caused by the shorted antenna input. Fortunately, no original parts were removed - only the connections to the audio output transformer were moved to incorrect terminals - we just returned everything to the original connections and then the receiver output operated normally.

I have logged a lot of NDBs using this RBL-5 receiver, primarily because the RBL-5 is easy to use, very sensitive, has direct frequency readout and the limiter functions quite well. The limiter makes long sessions of receiving comfortable since the static crashes are reduced to the point where they aren't causing headaches anymore. I take the audio output right from the earphone jack on the front panel running 600 ohm 'phones for best copy on weak signals. The NBDs normally copied are multiple stations operating on the same frequency, with two and sometimes three different CW identifications being heard simultaneously. Using the RF trimmer and the Antenna Compensator controls, it is usually possible to enhance one or the other of the MCW signals and identify the particular NDB, (the RAK and RAZ LW receivers also have this ability to manipulate the signal a little to enhance copy.)

Radiomarine Corporation of America   IP-501-A   Longwave Receiver Commercial Shipboard Receiver 1922

"NDBing with a 1922, battery operated, regenerative receiver? You gotta be kidding!"

One has to remember, the IP-501-A was the commercial shipboard receiver that was built to the highest standards of the day. It was well-known for its superior performance and reliability. It is the "R-390" of the 1920s. This three tube receiver uses a three-circuit tuner with a regenerative detector and two transformer coupled audio frequency amplifier stages - not exactly the norm for a lot of radio receivers in 1922. What really sets the IP-501-A apart from the other three-circuit tuner regen sets is its incredible Antenna Tuner section that is entirely shielded from the main part of the receiver (which is also entirely shielded.) The Antenna Tuner allows exact tuning of the antenna's impedance so the load remains the same on the Secondary circuit. It's like having a built-in pre-selector. The only transference of signal happens by way of the small variable coupling coil located inside the Antenna coil. The fact that the receiver cabinet and front panel are entirely shielded results in no hand-capacity effects when the receiver is operated as an autodyne detector. This makes tuning CW super-easy. The Secondary Tuner has six frequency ranges from 1000kc down to 40kc and the dial is calibrated in meters. The Tickler coil is actually a variometer built into the Secondary coil form and includes load windings from the Secondary inductance to improve regeneration on the lower frequencies. The audio amplifier section is standard and uses two RCA interstage transformers. The audio gain is more-or-less controlled by the filament voltage and the operator can also select how much gain is required by using one of the phone jack outputs. The phone jacks also control the filament voltage to the tubes and only the tubes needed are in operation when that jack is selected. Maximum audio is from the AF2 jack which provides Det + 2 AF stages. In high noise level conditions or for very loud signals, AF1 saves the operator's ears by using just one audio amplifier. If the DET jack is used, only the detector tube is in operation - this would be for receiving local transmissions. Intended audio output is to Hi-Z earphones but the IP-501-A will drive a horn speaker loudly from the AF2 jack. To power the receiver up requires 6vdc at .75A for the filaments, 45vdc and 90vdc for the B+ requirements and -4.5 for C bias. The filament adjustment pot controls the A battery into the receiver and is used to turn off the receiver. Pulling the phone plug from one of the jacks will turn off the tubes but the meter will still show A battery voltage unless the filament pot is turned off. The tubes normally used in the IP-501-A were UX/UV-201A triodes.

Operating any radio receiver that uses batteries for its power source can be a hassle and expensive unless you are all ready set-up to run battery receivers. Usually highly-filtered power supplies provide "close to pure" DC voltages to operate these types of receivers. I use a Lambda 6vdc 4A power supply for the A supply, a 1920s RCA Rectron B Eliminator for the B supply and a 4.5vdc battery for the C bias. Hi-Z earphones are necessary for the audio output and I generally us a set of 2200 ohms dc, Western Electric 518W 'phones. The IP-501-A also requires a fairly large antenna worked against a true earth ground for best performance. In operation, the filaments are set to about 4.5 to 5.0vdc using the panel meter as reference. Tuning is accomplished with the Secondary Condenser and then "peaking" the signal with the Antenna Condenser. Sensitivity is controlled by use of the Tickler. Since an adjustable resonance and load can be controlled by the Antenna Condenser control, the Tickler control can be set to one position and doesn't require too much adjustment per each tuning range. Selectivity is controlled by the Coupling control. Changing the settings of any of the controls will always cause an interaction in any regen set when it is used as an Autodyne Detector (oscillating regenerative detector.) When the IP-501-A is used as a three-circuit tuner with Autodyne Detector, the Coupling control must be set to "Critical Coupling" for best performance. This requires the operator to tune through the Antenna Condenser's resonance while listening for a "double-click" (and for the oscillating to stop.) If the clicks are heard, this indicates too much coupling. Continue to loosen the coupling and retune the Antenna Condenser until no clicks are heard at resonance. Now the Coupling is set properly. Large changes in tuned frequency will require minor adjustments to the Coupling setting. All tuning can usually be accomplished using just the Secondary Condenser control for tuning stations and then using the Antenna Condenser for adjusting the signal to maximum. Now and again you will have to slightly re-adjust the Tickler. For tuning in NDBs, the IP-501-A should be operated as an Autodyne Detector receiver. This provides a heterodyne so the NDB carrier can be easily heard. Regenerative detectors can become unstable at the oscillation point and good construction helps to stabilize the regeneration. The IP-501-A is very stable and easy to operate in the Autodyne set-up since that was one of its intended uses - to copy the CW from arc transmitters.

I have had this IP-501-A since 1979. A ham friend sold it to me after he had traded a telephone pole for it. I have performed three restorations on the set over the years. The last one in 1984 brought the IP-501A back to full original configuration and appearance internally and very good restored condition externally. I used the receiver back in the 1980s with a 125' EFW antenna and tuned in all the normal AM BC stations one would expect. As far as NDBs, the only one I remember tuning in was SPK, located at the old Reno-Cannon AP. I remember SPK because they used to transmit voice weather with the MCW ID "SPK" in the background. I really didn't know how to get a lot of performance out of the IP-501-A back then. The AM BC performance was fine but listening to AM BC over a horn speaker gets boring after awhile. When I opened the museum in 1994, the IP-501-A was installed in a display case and it stayed in the case for almost 15 years. Lately, I had been thinking about trying something different, as a challenge to the performance capabilities of early regenerative receivers. Since the IP-501-A was the commercial receiver of choice in difficult environments and it had every indication of being the "best" of its day, I decided to give it a try. I used my ham antenna, a 135' tuned dipole, but with the feedline shorted. This would provide a vertical with large capacity hat configuration similar to the large "T" antennas of the twenties. Our initial tests turned up a small problem with the IP-501-A's circuit selector switch. We had no detector plate voltage but it was just a bad contact that needed a bit of cleaning and we were up and operating,...sort of. Lack of audio output was another easy fix. The bias SS power supply had failed and was at -25vdc, definitely in the cut-off region for UX-201As! I sub'd a battery for the bias and then the IP-501-A sprang to life. Before power-up, I had tuned the receiver to around 800 meters as a pre-set and, to my complete surprise, SX 367kc in Cranbrook, BC, Canada was coming in (this was at about 5PM local time in December.) I tuned in a few more NDBs and then decided to wait until about 10PM and try again. At 10PM, I received around 25 more NDBs tuning from 326kc up to 414kc. Best DX was the 2KW transatlantic beacon DDP 391kc in San Juan, Puerto Rico and most difficult was probably ULS 395kc, a 25W marker beacon located in Ulysses, Kansas. Impressive performance from a 1922 regenerative receiver. In a three week period, I logged over 100 NDBs using just the IP-501-A. Some of the difficult NDBs received were PN 360kc Port Menier, Anticosti Island, Quebec, YY 340kc Mont Joli, Quebec, YKQ 351kc Waskaganish, Quebec and IY 417kc, a 25W marker beacon in Charles City, Iowa.

A history of these early wireless receivers and the companies involved is included in our article "SE-1420, IP-501 & IP-501-A - The Classic Shipboard Wireless Receivers"  - also included is an updated NDB log for the IP-501A that shows the incredible performance that can be achieved with early regenerative receivers - use navigation index below.

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USCG - Loran-C  Master Station 'M'  - 100 kHz - Fallon, Nevada

Above: The Loran C antenna from main gate. The mast is 625 feet tall with each side measuring about six feet across. The capacity hat is about 900 feet diameter and is formed by the 24 top cables drooping down to large isolators. The size of the installation can be compared to the street lamps near the base of the antenna and just visible is the roof of the station house.

Just outside of Fallon, Nevada is the U.S. Coast Guard Loran-C Station which provides a navigation utility for the Pacific Ocean and the West Coast. Loran-C is part of a world-wide system of navigation mostly used for sea going craft. The Fallon station is designated 'M' since it is the Master Control station for the other three West Coast stations designed 'Y' in Searchlight, Nevada, 'X' in Middletown, California and 'G' in George, Washington. These three stations along with the master station in Fallon allow navigators to determine their position by use of a special Loran C receiver that accurately measures the pulse characteristics of the received signal to determine station ID and then accurately measures the time delay of the precisely timed signal (based on a Cesium atomic clock standard) to determine the receiver's distance from the transmitter. By using the master station signal and at least one slave station signal, the receiver position is determined by timing the two wave fronts to determine their intersection point in reference to the receiver's location. If another slave station can be received then the calculation of intersection point becomes more accurate and likewise the receiver's position. Various corrections are incorporated into the computations to allow for skywave propagation (if any,) terrain (over land or over water) and other minute interferences. Three HP Cesium atomic clocks keep the accuracy of the system constant since correct timing to the nanosecond is essential for determining true position. The best accuracy of Loran C is about 50 to 150 feet.  The transmitter is running 400KW at 100 kHz. The antenna mast is 625 feet tall and 24 top conductors drooping down to large isolators form the enormous capacity hat for the system. The signal consists of a rapid, continuous "tick-tick tick..." centered at 100 kHz. The signal is actually a pulse train made up of eight pulses from each Loran C station. The Master 'M' station has an extra pulse in the train for identification as a "master." Timing is critical as every Loran C station is on 100 kHz and each station has to send its pulses at a precise time for the system to maintain accuracy.  The Fallon Loran C is easy to receive anywhere in the west. It is particularly strong in Virginia City as we have "line of sight" to the Loran-C antenna, even though it is nearly 60 miles away. This is because VC is on the east slope of Mt. Davidson at 6200 feet elevation and looking 60 miles east is Fallon at 3980 feet elevation. You can see Mt. Davidson from the Fallon Loran-C Station. The USGC station and antenna are located West of Fallon at the end of Soda Lake Rd. with a right turn onto Loran Rd. to the site. Below are some photos taken at the station in July 2007.

Above: The Control Room with Signal Generators, three Cesium atomic clocks, signal and transmitter monitoring, alarms, communications with slave Loran stations. Everything has a duplicate for redundancy.

Above Left: The 625' Antenna base stands on five ceramic insulators. The entire weight of the tower and guy system is supported by these 5" diameter insulators. The feed line is an air spaced coaxial feedline housed in an eight-inch diameter PVC tube. The box at the end of the feedline is the lightning arrestor. The output of the feedline connects to the tower base with 2" diameter copper pipe. The device to the left of the tower is a coupling transformer for the tower lights - it allows isolation from the AC line if the tower is struck by lightning. The ground connection can be seen at the base of the insulators - four copper sheets 2 ft. wide and .125" thick are buried and also connect to the radial system that is about 900 feet diameter. For a scale to the size of this installation, the sides of the tower are 6 feet across. The circular pads at the top of the triangular section are for fitting spacers to hydraulically jack the entire tower up for maintenance to the base mount. Left: The Loran C 400 KW transmitter built by Megapulse. Most of the transmitter consists of sixteen drivers (eight panels on each side) that shape the final output signal. The station can operate with up to two drivers not working. Past the drivers is the output stage followed by the output coupler. The output coupler attaches to the feedline via two large cables. The incredibly large switching load on the transmitter power supplies results in a very loud audible representation of the transmitted signal. Right: Looking into the rear of the transmitter bay. The red tags remind the technicians that 30,000 volts is present when the transmitter is operating. Also note the yellow sign regarding the noise present around the transmitter.

Left: The output tank of the transmitter. One inductor is hand tuned for a "rough" setting while the final tune is accomplished remotely with the motor driven inductor. Below the inductors is the solid state output magnacoupler. Large capacitance can be used with solid state transmitters resulting in smaller inductors. These inductors are about 10" diameter. The coils are wound with a cloth covered multiconductor cable. Right: The output coupler stage. The loading inductance is adjusted with a special tool that fits onto the eccentric knob on the shaft. This allows adjustment with the panel installed and the transmitter operational. Below are the massive capacitors that allow the use of smaller inductors. For size reference, the inductor is about 10 inches diameter.   Note: These photos were taken of the standby units. The access doors to the operational units cannot be removed while the transmitter is running without causing a system shutdown. Even removing these standby unit access doors would have triggered an alarm had it not been bypassed in the Control Room prior to opening.   Thanks to USCG ET1 Chris Shanks for the tour of the facility.

Henry Rogers W7HTR  © November 2007, new info added Oct.2008, Nov. 2008, Jan 2009 

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