To the left is a 1951 period Collins AM station featuring a fully restored and operational 32V-3 100W AM transmitter, 75A-1 receiver and 270G-1 speaker. 

The rig on top is a restored 75A-3 receiver complete with 3 and 6KC AM filters.

Collins 20V-2

Speaking of AM, here is an example of >REAL AM.<  Its a restored, completely operational Collins 20V-2, Commercial AM Broadcast Transmitter.  It's been retuned and operates crystal controlled on 1.885 Mhz in the 160M band.  Weighing in at 1,300 lbs, the
20V-2  employs a pair of 4-400s in the PA modulated by second pair.   This commercial heavy weight is capable of 1KW output of carrier on a 100% duty cycle basis.

You can just see components of the commercial audio chain to the right of the transmitter.  

Of course, it is teamed up with an R390A receiver.

Collins "Gold Dust Twins"

The SSB years begin.  Pictured at the left are the venerable "Gold Dust Twins" so nicknamed for their nearly $3K (in 1955 dollars) price tag.  Running 1KW DC input, the maximum legal power at the time, the KWS-1 makes power with a pair of 4CX250's.  

Shown is the 75A-4 receiver, 312A-1 (serial #1)  speaker and KWS-1 transmitter. The 3' tall, 90# floor standing power supply is out of the picture at the right.  The KWS-1 still has the original production tag attached.  It is #1225 and was completed July 31, 1958

Collins KWM-2 & "S" Line

My "S" Line components include, from left to right, 51S-1.  A winged emblem KWM-2 station with 516F-2, 30L-1 and 312B-5.  A round emblem "S" Line with 75S-3B, 312B-4, 32S-3, 30L-1 and 516F-2 is further right.  

Out of the picture is a round emblem 30S-1 sitting on the floor. 

Oh yes, the shelf the 120lb 32V is perched on is made out of double 3/4" plywood.  Still, I wonder if the 30L-1 directly below it is "nervous" with all that weight just above?

TenTec Orion 565AT/Alpha 86
 

The TenTec Orion 565AT to the left is easily the best transceiver I have owned in my 31 yeas on the air.  While not offering quite the "soul" of the vintage equipment, the Orion and Alpha 86 combo are easy to put (and keep) on the air.  The

FT-1000D is backup and is also dedicated to PSK31 and SSTV.

The emblem of the Coast Guard Command at which I serve, USCG CAMSLANT, is the desktop on the Computer monitor.

 

Rockwell-Collins KWM-2A's


Something you just won't see every day. The "last of the last," "best of the best."  A pair (and 2 at one time !) of Rockwell-Collins KWM-2A Transceivers, sold circa 1978.   

These would have been among the last built.  Less than 100 have been accounted for.

M-Squared 20M4 @ 100'
 

WhatKindaAntennaIsThat?

The no longer made, M-Squared 20M-4 is a 20 meter mono-bander, 4 elements, wide spaced on a 48' boom.  This one is at 100' on Rohn 25G tower that with 100% guying.  3 sets of Phillystran 1/4" equiv attached to 24" x 12' long phone pole auger-anchors 80' from the base.

We're lucky enough (depends on your perspective) to live on a farm.  The tower is located in a pasture near our barn.  All the cabling runs through 4" drain pipe kept water free with several dry-wells.  The tower is grounded by 6 - 50' lengths of 2" copper strap buried 8" below the ground and 3 #8 bare copper cables going to wet-grounds.  All the cables detach at the tower and can be pulled back 40' to help with lightning protection.

The land behind us all belongs to Weyerhaeuser Lumber.  RFI, Tower-complaints are few and far between.

Wire antennas for 160, 75, 40 and 15 are at various heights on the tower.  Feed selection is VIA base-mounted. remote Co-Ax switch.