[Boatanchors] A "bit" off topic - Thin Audio Output in Vintage SS Rigs

[pmarkavage at juno.com]

I would suspect many of those SS ham/consumer rigs were not designed with
AM primarily in mind or any type of Hi-Fidelity type output. When you
design primarily for communication, you get communication quality.

Pete, wa2cwa

On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:24:44 -0500 Hy Chantz <chantz at well.com> writes:
> Sorry if this is a bit off-topic.   It pertains to Boatanchors, but 
> of 
> the non-hollow-state variety.
> 
> In the ~ 40 year-old SS ham/consumer rigs I've seen, made with 
> discrete 
> components, the audio typically seems very weak and 'thin'.
> 
> Is there a general rule-of-thumb why this happens? Is this primarily 
> 
> because biasing resistors are aging "up"; coupling capacitors are 
> drying 
> up and loosing value, there's conductivity across the PCB, etc.
> 
> In my limited experience, by contrast, the hollow-state BAs 
> generally 
> retain plenty of audio output, even when not in alignment or having 
> RF 
> issues.
> 
> 73
> 
> Hy W2HY