[Boatanchors] Allied Radio SX-190

[Glen Zook]

I have an AX-190 and, back when they were basically new, the SWL version, the SX-190.

The receivers were made by Trio-Kenwood and do have connections for BFO, VFO, and heterodyne osciallator on the rear panel.  Allied Radio, before the acquisition by Tandy Corporation (Radio Shack), was working with Trio for a matching transmitter.  After the Tandy acquisition, the matching transmitter was dropped.

There are both Allied Radio and Realistic (Radio Shack brand) versions available.  The receiver that I now own has the Realistic brand on it.  Also, there were 2-different materials used in the construction of the receivers.  The original receivers had basically pressed paper for the circuit boards and the later version had green epoxy boards.

The VFO does drift for between 15-minutes and 30-minutes before finally settling down.  On 20-meters, and higher frequency bands, the receiver definitely suffers from poor sensitivity.  There were a number of articles in the amateur radio magazines about improving the sensitivity on the higher bands.  Like virtually all solid-state receivers of the 1970s, early 1980s, the receiver does overload relatively easy.

I own a Collins 75S-3A, 2-each Collins 75S-1, an Eldico R-104, and a Heath SB-301, among other receivers.  The AX-190 definitely is NOT equal to those receivers!  Frankly, I keep my AX-190 on my test bench to use when I am working on HF transmitters (to be able to hear the quality of the transmitted signals).

The AX-190 / SX-190 are "ok" receivers, definitely better than most of the "low end" receivers.  But, there is no comparison to the Collins and Heath receivers.
 
Glen, K9STH


Website:  http://k9sth.com
On Wednesday, April 16, 2014 8:33 AM, Ron Lawrence <w4ron at carolina.rr.com> wrote:
 
I've never used one, but I've been in love with the look
of them since they first came out.
There was one for sale at the Charlotte hamfest last month,
I walked by it or looked at it from our near by flea market
table at least a dozen times those 2 days, but I was strong
and resisted the urge to buy it. 
It was the SX-190 like the subject of the OP, which is 
for shortwave b'cast, where as the AX-190 is for the amateur
bands.

A neat looking radio, that's just my .02 worth.

R-


---- Bob Jackson <bob145 at suddenlink.net> wrote: 
> Guys - I have no idea about the good/bad points of this rig. So, I went to eHam.net for some info. There's only two "reviews" of this set there and both speak very highly of it. One even compares it very favorably to the likes of an SPR-4, and HR-500 and a Collins 75-S3. That's a bit hard for me to swallow SO, I'm coming to you for the "straight skinny"! 
> 
> Your opinions, please ...
> 
> Bob AG5X
> _______________________________________________
> Boatanchors mailing list
> Boatanchors at puck.nether.net
> https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Knee-deep in the cosmic overwhelm, I’m stricken
by the ricochet wonder of it all: the plain

everythingness of everything, in cahoots
with the everythingness of everything else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

73, RON w4ron 
http://radioheaven.homestead.com/menu.html 




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