Here you have some information about different units of the SP-600 series. Thanks to Benjamin D. Hall
for providing some of them. Please, e-mail any corrections or information about new units to add to
the list. I'm looking for all kind of SP-600 mods and magazine articles references to include them
here. Thanks!.
Comments:
- Retrofitted with product detector mod as outlined in QST, 1970.
- Someone attempted the crystal option but didn't complete it.
- Khaki coloured front panel.
- Can't remember what type of capacitors it has.
Comments:
Rack mount military unit.
Comments:
R274/FRR
S/N 969, Order 3376-PHILA-52
- Medium grey front panel.
- SO239 antenna connector.
- Retrofitted with crystal option.
- Don't know what type of capacitors it has.
Comments:
Frequency coverage starting at 100KHz till 29.5MHz.
Comments:
This is a military unit with the underneath sprayed with the
anti-fungus varnish.
The capacitors fitted are not the dreaded black tubular. They are
made by Astron and have a silvered colored body with a transparent
plastic cover around the tubular body.
The 0.01 uF caps are labelled ASTRON CP09A1 KF103K3 AAQFP 6-01-10
.01 - 600.
The 0.02 caps are similar and are also made by ASTRON.
They all look to be factory installed as the varnish is still
covering the solder joints.
The caps inside the IF cans however are disc ceramic.
The antenna connector looks to have been factory modified to an
SO-239 style to accept coax cable.
This one is housed inside a Hallicrafters CY-1345/GR cabinet with US
Army Signal Corps labelled on it.
It has the regular dial lock.
Comments:
It has the yellow colored anti-fungal coating on top and on bottom of the
chassis. It has the metal astron caps (the same ones that are in a lot of
R390A's) and ceramic caps in the IF's. It still is in the original condition
when the army decommissioned it years ago. I plan to restore it soon,
although it is not at all in bad shape.
Comments:
S/N 245, Order 1689 PHILA-51-01
Has some original disc caps, many red and brown micamolds, and GREY fugly
color-coded tubular pieces of sht, all of which are coated with the original tropical varnish, had official-looking mod consisting of resistor ntwk at
V6 and V8 to coax to BNC on rear apron, no clue what it was for (previously
asked group, nada), no other mods, is complete.
Comments:
Rear Panel has:
IF Output, AVC O/P, Audio O/P, 3/8 A fuse, 1.6A fuse.
Nothing else special, it HAD the infamous BT capacitors, but they are ALL
gone (yep, even the ones under the RF deck and in the turret).
Comments:
R274A/FRR
S/N 597, Order 1689-PHILA-51-01
It is really heavy (it has an enormous case). Works _great_.The letters 'JX', '2571' and '597' are stamped into the plates, everything else is printed on.
Comments:
It is mint and all original (until I finish replacing all of the black beauty caps)
Comments:
R-274A/FRR
S/N 1866, Order 3376-Phila-52
Has 'Dial Lock' rather than IF gain. Brown Ugly Caps. Even has top cover intact!.
Comments:
R 274A/FRR
S/N 1571, Order 3376-PHILA-52
This one is a rack mount (in cabinet now), and has the dial lock knob.
Comments:
R-274B/FRR
NObsr-52039, 13:CHC
Has penciled date of 4-28-57 in 2 places on chassis.
Comments:
R-274B/FRR
Has dial lock. Rack mounted.
Comments:
R-274B/FRR
NObsr-52039, 1983:CHC
Dial lock, black caps, rack mounted, missing 2 of three 'top hat' tube retainer rings, missing one screw on crystals retainer assembly, no top and bottom covers. Otherwise complete and in excellent working condition, scratches and some paint chipping on face.
Quite good conditions, apart from some scratches.
Comments:
It was full of the black uglies, and has the IF gain mod rather than a dial lock. The IF gain is an obvious mod, install was real ugly, but it does have a stick-on IF Gain label over the dial lock marking on the front panel.
Comments:
Lots of black uglies but in good shape. Seems to have been well looked after in its working life (at an HF monitoring station, I think). No defective caps so far, but VFO/Xtal select switch is broken. Big deal to get in and change it. Must do so soon, however. Non-mil radio. Will be a very nice radio when its fixed.
Comments:
R-274C/FRR
Order 3376-PHILA-52, US Navy Property 82858-000890
Has tuning lock, crystal deck no crystals. Looks original. Doesn't work. Couple of lousy solder joints.
Comments:
Military Name Plate Data:
Signal Corps R-542/FRR
SN 304
Order 3376-PHILA-52
The set is in generally good condition.
Comments:
R-274C/FRR
S/N 598, Order 3376-PHILA-52
Comments:
Came with dial lock, black caps (all have been replaced). Front panel (originally gray) had been repainted ugly beige, engraving and all (now restored to its original glory). No cabinet, but had top/bottom covers.
Comments:
R-274C/FRR
S/N 532, Order 3376-PHILA-52
Uses the tubular caps (but not for long). The input conn. for the antenna is a standard UHF. I thought these used twinax conn.? Gray front panel, white letters engraved.
Comments:
Very badly treated unit but one which has some promise if I can find or manufacture the parts:
SP-600-JX-14, Ser # 9422, US Navy Tag # 62858-000890.
Unit is missing AF and RF Gain control knobs, crystal selector knob, ball-end toggle switches,
VFO cutover switch, tube shields, tube hold down clips/posts, top and bottom covers,
and much I have not detailed.
Comments:
It's a bit different from any others I've seen.
It's a rack mount with a gray front panel. It has a
Collins transformer on the back mounted to a bracket
600 ohm to 8 ohm for the speaker with a 1/4" phone jack.
Instead of the middle knob on the left side it has a toggle
switch marked 'Meter RF and AF' which switches the meter.
The most unusual thing is a rack and pinion operated switch
for two antenna connections. It's located on the top right of
the front panel. It's operated with a black lever similar
to a transmit/receive switch. It uses a UG201A/U connector
both front and back of the switch. The pinion moves the rack
fore and aft to select the input on the tee shaped switch.
With the rear connector inside the radio I suppose it is
used for a permanent antenna connection and the one on the
front panel might be for testing? There is no if gain control
but it has a nice bfo setup when the switch is in the ssb
position. No markings for cw just ssb. The chassis seems to
be all stainless steel.
I just had it on and was listening to the guys on 3885 being
maliciously interfered with by the ssb goon squad. It sounds
a lot better than my Drake R8.
Comments:
R-274C
S/N 956, Order 3376-PHILA-52
Not a dual diversity model, tuning lock instead of IF gain. Only real oddity is that it came with a tripple triode product detector mounted under the rear deck near the if out strip. its not a hack the bracket has a part # stamped into it.
Comments:
Has a decal just to the rear of the serial number tag stating it to be the property of the
"Federal Communication Commission". I purchased it this fall from a ham who restored it after
what seems to be a lengthy basement storage.
It was manufactured with ceramic disc caps and a few tubulars that were
swapped out by previous owner. It has the IF Gain mod with the stick-on label and
the four red knobs. A not connected to anything toggle switch of the
same type used elsewhere on the panel was added to the upper left of the
panel, between the meter and tuning bezel, even with the top edge of the
bezel. It is an excellent performer and has great audio. I listened
to the final broadcast of Radio St Helena for over 40 minutes with only
minor corrections necessary.
Has NO 'Black Beauties' (Hoorah !!). It has SO-239 connectors on the back for external VFO, BFO and IFO (IF Oscillator) signals. Also one more not identified that I have to trace out to see where it goes.
Comments:
Black ugly caps, not a military unit
Comments:
No military contract number shown on name plate; has dial lock
instead of IF gain control; no other unusual mods or features;
original Hammarlund cabinet.
Comments:
IF Gain, ceramic caps, 2 of 2 tube retainer rings missing. Otherwise unit
is complete with original cainet and matching speaker. Cabinet and matching
Hammarlund speaker are painted black. Unit looks like new inside and out.
Has original wrenches.
This unit was made for the Military but probably purchased by a
Hammarlund employee. I am the third owner. I bought it 4 weeks ago
from a man who lives about 16 miles from where Hammarlunds were made.
(although I was told by the fellow that this unit was probably not made
at his local Hammarlund plant).
Has black dial skirts with raised aluminum colored
numbers. I've been informed that this style of dial is known but not often
extant.
Comments:
Disk caps, not a military unit, has IF output, bfo, ifo, and remote jacks
(factory config). Instead of a dial lock,it has an IF Gain control
(the glued-on label is long gone). It has a coaxial antenna connector (SO-239),
not a 'Twinax' connector.
The 'I.F. Gain' circuit appears to have been a 'depot mod'. It's neatly done, but the wiring is routed alongside the laced wire harness, not in it. Also, the panel was modified with a label that was glued on. This might explain why all JX-17's aren't the same.
Comments:
Never had Black Beauties
Factory Mods:
External oscillator inputs for HFO, IFO, and BFO via SO-239's on rear panel.
Two additional controls: 'IFO' (two positions) 'EXT' 'INT',
'BFO-AVC' (4 positions) 'EXT-SLOW' 'EXT-FAST' 'INTERNAL SLOW' 'INTERNAL FAST',
'HFO' switch has an added 'EXT' position,
dial lock replaced with IF gain control with paste on metal label,
frequency control unit uses 7-pin miniture tube rather than 6AC7.
Comments:
It needed no restoration whatsoever save some weak tube replacements. It is all original, looks very good and works like new.
Comments:
Has the IF gain control also. That is what is shown in
the ckt diagram as well. Also something different on the back panel.
It is full of those black caps. Ug!.
Comments:
Operational and complete set, no black uglies - all disk ceramics of the
0.01 mf value (post-1956 standard). Tuning lock, IF and AVC out, 100 ohm bal antenna input.
Good shape, except that 'The BA Butcher' hacksawed the vertical U-bar
stays on the chassis sides off. Non standard cabinet - perforated metal w/o lid.
Cracked but complete fuse cover, no hex keys. Filter electrolytic changed app 1980
(Cornell-Dubilier 20+20+10+10 mF). Some scuff marks from the cabinet bolts,
and pencil 'doodling' in the engravings, otherwise the front panel is ok.
Manufacturing date (hitherto) unknown, but the bathtub caps has a '10-58'
stamping. Rumor says it was used for the Stockholm Radio maritime service, but not
confirmed (yet).
Comments:
Picked up in the late 60's from military salvage - used it for many years
then it went into storage until now.
Comments:
Original manual dated 1963. No 'Black Beauties'. IF output. Purchased new in January 1964 (incoming
inspection tag dated 23 Jan 64 still attached. Inspection tag carries the logo of the Swedish
Telecommunications Administration, but by all probability not used in their stations, probably
bought by them as a cover for use in the Swedish SIGINT centers, as a Swedish military nomenclature
decal still is readable on the chassis. I am the third known owner, the receiver has been in storage
for at least one decade
Comments:
Higher S/N reported until now. Perhaps a different S/N scheme?. NO black uglies. No military tag. Currently working although it could benefit of a detailed alignment.
Comments:
R-274C/FRR
S/N 1612, Order 3376-PHILA-52
Its last owner was the Pacific Missile Range (Navy) at Point Magu, Ca. I rescued it from a surplus store where it had been dropped on its face bending the front panel in. I hammered it flat and repainted it. Inside it was in very good condition except for the cooked resistors in the bias rectifier circuit. I had to replace a couple of micas in the turret but it still has all of its 'black uglies' and it works fine. I added a low distortion heterodyne detector (solid state) which gives great CW/SSB and hi-fi AM. It's reversible of course, no new holes, no irreplaceable parts removed.
Comments:
R-274C/FRR
S/N 1766, Order 3376-PHILA-52
Black uglies; I've replaced almost all.
Comments:
R-274C/FRR
S/N 3200, Order 25693-Phila-53
It had black uglies.
Comments:
Clean of Black Uglies apparently a military unit, no modifications visible.
Unit is in excellent electrical and cosmetic condition.
Comments:
On the tuning capacitor cover there is a sticker that says:
'FOR DIRECTION FINDING OPERATION - REMOVE WHITE-BLACK LEAD
FROM SCREW TERMINAL NUMBER 8 ON TERMINAL BOARD E13 AND
CONNECT TO SCREW TERMINAL NUMBER 7'
The radio seems to be complete except for the missing Allen wrenches and one of
the metal pop-in covers on the main tuning box. The power cord is decomposing
quickly so that will have to be changed before proceding. I do have the re-cap
kit that Roy Morgan was offering awhile back, so when I have some time and room
on the bench, it will be ready for the blackcapectomy. Stay tuned.
R-274C/FRR
S/N 2402, Order 3376-Phila-52
Comments:
This receiver came through a friend who got it from MARS (I believe in
Germany) while he was in the Air Force. The radio came complete with Black
Beauties which have been replaced. No other mods noted. The radio is
currently being restored and recapped. 12/1/99
Comments:
It has black beauty capacitors in it and the dial lock.
It has an aluminum front panel which is in such bad shape
that it is not fit for refinishing. I'm told that the malady the panel
suffers from is called intragranular corrosion. This SP-600 has no cabinet.
My SP-600 condition is currently 'bad', due to rust and corrosion, but it is
complete. A previous owner bolted on an outboard product detector. I
haven't turned this SP-600 on yet, because I'm sure that it wouldn't work if
I did.
Nothing else noteworthy to report about it.
Comments:
R-274C/FRR
S/N 1580, Order 3376-PHILA-52
My unit has the Tuning Lock knob, and seems to be in all respects a typical unit, with no unusual features. However, one comment is that it does have some unmarked BNC connectors on the back (three, to be exact). Two of these have a short (3 inch) piece of Coax to connect two of these connectors/jacks together.
Comments:
This rcvr is a rack-mount model with top and bottom cover plates. The present
power transformer is a Hammarlund model 31029.2 (as far as I can learn, the
JX-37 models were originally made with 25HZ transformers). It has a dial lock,
and NO black caps; they all are disc ceramics.