ITT Mackay 3010C Receiver

[Sandy W5TVW]

At 11:37 AM 10/22/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi Sandy,
>
>       There seem to be a fair number of these rattling around the BA market.
>Maybe you should post your gottcha list so we know what to avoid.
>
>TNX.
>Al
>
        The Mackay 3010C receiver is, circuitry wise, very similar to the RACAL
RA-17 with a crystal oscillator in place of the RA-17's troublesome
"Wadley Loop" synthesizer.  It is very robust and has a heavy cast aluminium
chassis!
        Things to look out for when considering the purchase of one:
        1.) The "fiberglass tape" dial system.  Look out for enlarged or
enlongated sprocket holes in the "tape" itself.  Make sure the two reels
still have "spring loading".  When the receiver is tuned from one end
of the tape to the other, there shouldn't be any "hang up" in the reels.
This may indicate a bad takeup spring in a cartridge below the reel.
Make sure the toothed belt between the reels is in reasonably good
condition.  Check the belt that goes from the main tuning knob shaft
up and over the oscillator unit to the cog that drives the tuning
mechanism.  They are frequently dry rotted and/or cracked.
I understand that one fellow replaced this by getting a belt of the correct
length and number of "teeth" (but it was too wide) and reducing
its width by VERY carefully cutting it with a razar blade.
        The belts and the dial tapes ARE NOT AVAILABLE-  AT ANY PRICE...
from Mackay!!  We ran out of these when I was working for them a few
years back!
        2.) If the receiver was used on a ship (95% of them probably were)
beware of any corrosion that may be present and its severity.
        3.) The receiver may or may not have a "selectable sideband" BFO.
This was an option!  One version has just a BFO Pitch knob.  The modified
version has a concentric shaft BFO pitch control and "upper/variable/lower"
BFO mode positions.
        4.) There is normally a 3 khz. plug-in Collins mechanical filter
supplied
with the receiver.  One extra socket is present for a "CW sharp" mechanical
filter.  Seems like it has 1 Khz or 0.5 Khz bandwidth, I don't remember
exactly.  If you get a receiver with two filters, pull and check the filters
to make sure they are correct.
        5.) Some versions of the receiver use a 6688 in the RF stage, some use
the higher gain 7788.  The 7788's are getting scarce *and* expensive!

        The main thing to watch is the mechanics of the "dial" system, as parts
for this are usually "unobtainium" unless you find a junker someplace!
Electrically, the set isn't especially a problem.  These were normally supplied
with no cabinet.  They were rack mounted.  If you find one in a cabinet,
consider
yourself very lucky!

        I know of around 25 of these that were in old Lykes ships that went
to India
to be run up on the beach and scrapped.  Gone to us forever!  (Unless you have
inside connections in India!)  This set was largely replaced by the later
Mackay 3020 all digital synthesized sand-state receiver.  (Whis is also no
longer in production).

        I hope this little digest will be helpful to those of you who might
see one at
a flea market and want to know what the main "gotchas" are.

73,
E. V. Sandy Blaize, W5TVW
"Boat Anchors collected, restored, repaired, traded and used!"
417 Ridgewood Drive
Metairie, LA., 70001

***Looking for a Hallicrafters SR-75, SR-34******
*** Also surplus TRC-10 Transmitter/Receiver ******

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --
To subscribe: listserv at listserv.tempe.gov
and in body: subscribe BOATANCHORS yourfirstname yourlastname
To unsubscribe:  listserv at listserv.tempe.gov
and in body: signoff BOATANCHORS
Archives for BOATANCHORS: http://www.tempe.gov/archives
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --