Shortwave radio kit builders

Happy Face · April 22, 2017, 09:37:52 PM

No doubt I'm not the only person here who built Heathkit and Lafayette amps and .... Shortwave radios.

Inspired tonight when the local college radio station sent out Radioland by Kraftwerk.

Man, like from fifth grade right up through graduation my short wave receiver got big use. Especially when guys were in altered states. It was early pre -synth electronic music! Just as Kraftwerk sang. A big reason I loved them and got into synths and technopop.

But beyond that ... I wonder if a few of you remember trying to hack the crystals and especially the crystal key thingies you only got if you passed some bogus FCC license if you wanted to turn your shortwave into a two way machine.

The FCC did monitor things back then so it was a cat and mouse games sometimes, right?

Dave W · April 22, 2017, 10:15:22 PM

I built a Heathkit stereo amp but never a shortwave.

Wish i had had the foresight to build a Dynaco (and to keep it).

westen44 · April 22, 2017, 11:22:02 PM

I've never built any but I've bought quite a few shortwave radios through the years. I used to like listening to news and other things from countries all over the world.

Basvarken · April 23, 2017, 02:18:41 AM

I had one of these when I was a kid:

Highlander · April 23, 2017, 08:56:27 AM

I used to play with autopilot systems on 747's...

Pilgrim · April 23, 2017, 01:08:11 PM

I have a Heathkit tube tester in my basement - I didn't build it.

I once built an entire audio production console from components after an engineer did the first module for me as a guide. Took a week.

chromium · April 23, 2017, 01:29:04 PM

I still use a piece of Heathkit gear

These "electronic design experimenters" are great for a self contained effects/signal processing testbed. This one has built in variable bi-polar DC and an AC power supply, function generator, and a couple of pots.

I added four 1/4 jacks to the back, each wired to the outer edges of the breadboard. This way I can carry it around to the amps and try out new designs. Pretty handy little setup!

Highlander · April 23, 2017, 01:34:18 PM

Beware... mad scientist at work...

gearHed289 · April 24, 2017, 08:18:21 AM

Quote from: Dave W on April 22, 2017, 10:15:22 PMWish i had had the foresight to build a Dynaco (and to keep it).

My "good" stereo uses a Stereo 70 power amp, but I did not build it.

Dave W · April 24, 2017, 09:55:19 PM

There are people selling new Dynaco clones (kit and assembled) at a reasonable price. Even if I could afford one, it would be hard to justify since my old Onkyo rig is still going strong.

amptech · April 24, 2017, 11:01:59 PM

Quote from: Dave W on April 24, 2017, 09:55:19 PM
There are people selling new Dynaco clones (kit and assembled) at a reasonable price. Even if I could afford one, it would be hard to justify since my old Onkyo rig is still going strong.

Ha ha, you sound like me! My workshop stereo used to have an old onkyo amp, bought it when i was 14. It Powered a couple of seas (Norwegian) speakers. After I restored a bunch of dynaco MK3 monoblocks, I ended using two of them in a stereo setup powering two huge tannoy's With 15" coax speakers. Dynaco amps are just so simple and great sounding.

bassilisk · April 26, 2017, 05:55:16 AM

My first "real" bass amp was a pair of Dynaco MK3 mono blocks mounted in a wooden crate with a preamp my friend built. I was driving 2 - 2x15 cabinets, one loaded with CTS, the other loaded with Altecs. One night I went with my friend to his band's rehearsal and he borrowed the Dynacos to power the PA.

The drummer loved them and offered to trade me a '69 Sunn 1000S for the Dynacos. I took it. At this point Sunn was still using Dynaco parts. I had it restored and still have it. I believe it weighs as much as those 2 Dynacos did.....