Heathkit

[Dave Edwards]

I sold my S3B combo.
The SB301/401 combos had it beat in every usable function.
I like the 301 better than my 303, but the 303 is nice if I just want to
listen for a while and not leave it on very long.  The 303 is more stable
than the 301, has less turn-on drift, and is quite a bit more sensitive.
Perhaps it overloads more easily, but I have never witnessed that.
I like the Collins receiver better than the Swan twins, but none of the
above can come close to the Drake twins.
....Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: Glen Zook <gzook at YAHOO.COM>
To: <HEATH at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV>
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 11:39 AM
Subject: Re: Heathkit


> Since I have both the Collins S-1 and S-3 line
> equipment and the Heath SB-301/SB-401 equipment I have
> been called upon numerous times to comment on the
> Heath being the "poor man's S-Line".
>
> The SB-300 / SB-400 combination are not quite as good
> as the Collins 75S-1 / 32S-1 combination.  The SB-301
> / SB-401 are better performers than the Collins 75S-1
> / 32S-1 but are not quite up to the 75S-3 / 32S-3.
>
> When I had my first SB-301 / SB-401 combination I
> bought a 75S-3A receiver.  I ran the 75S-3A in
> parallel with my SB-301 for several months before
> making a final decision.  Nine times out of ten the
> SB-301 would do anything that the 75S-3A would do.
> But, it was that tenth time that made me go looking
> for a 32S-3 to go along with my 75S-3A.  I found both
> a 32S-3 and a 75S-3 for what I was willing to pay for
> a 32S-3 alone.  I traded off my SB-301 / SB-401 a
> while later.
>
> Then I acquired a 75S-1 / 32S-1 combination for a VERY
> small price (like $70 for the both - this was in
> 1975).  I did install the Waters Rejection Tuning
> ("Q-Multiplier") in the 75S-1.
>
> About a year ago I acquired another SB-301 / SB-401 to
> "re-create" my 3rd primary station.  I have used the
> combination on 80 through 10 meters but right now have
> it paired with a Hallicrafters HA-2 2 meter
> transverter.
>
> The 500 KHz per bandswitch position on the Heath is
> much easier to use than the 200 KHz per bandswitch
> position on the Collins.  This is one reason that I
> use the Heath on 2 meters.  Also, the 400 Hz CW filter
> on the Heath is easier to use for long lengths of time
> than the 200 Hz crystal filter that came standard in
> the 75S-3A.  However, when you have to really "dig" a
> CW signal out from under a pileup, you can't beat the
> Collins filter.
>
> The Collins 2.1 KHz mechanical filter is sharper than
> the Heath SSB filter.
>
> The stability on the Collins PTO is better than the
> Heath LMO.  But, in general use the difference is
> extremely slight.
>
> Now, the SB-303 is a different matter!  The SB-303 has
> a very high background noise level, overloads fairly
> easily, the LMO is not as stable, and generally is not
> the quality (in my opinion) of the SB-300 and SB-301.
> I had one for a while and traded it off a few months
> ago.  When I did have it, I used it mainly as a
> tunable i.f. for VHF converters.
>
> By the way, I traded off the 75S-3 a couple of years
> ago for a 75A4, still have the 75S-3A.
>
> Glen, K9STH
>
>
> --- Thomas Beltran <tbeltran at EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:
>
> the SB-303/401, again, some people called it the
> > "poor man's Collins."  Whether the observation is
> correct or not, the reference demonstrates that at the
> time, cost was a factor.
>
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