Tag Archives: Dan Robinson

Dan notes a Collins 51S-1 NOS that is near record price

[See update below]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

This NOS 51-S1 is headed for a record price for an Ebay sale. I have only seen one of these in this condition in my decades on Ebay. This is a rare rack version complete with box and original accessories. The preselector, also NOS, sold earlier today:

Click here to view on eBay.

I’ll watch this auction just to see how high the price goes. At time of posting, it was at $4,850 US (plus shipping):

UPDATE: The winning bid was $5,500 US plus $56.19 shipping:

eBay Find: Barlow Wadley XCR-30 Receiver

47 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

Barlow Wadley’s show up every now and then on Ebay, but infrequently with the original papers.

Rarely, one sees them with the original box. These are great representatives of SW radio history, though you have to take care to ask question of the seller.

This price appears to be quite high (roughly $490 US), especially for a radio without the FM band, which was added in later production runs:

Click here to view on eBay.

Thanks, Dan! Someone brought one of these to the SWL Fest some years ago and it attracted quite a crowd. I’ve never had one on the air, though–very curious how well they perform.

Are there any SWLing Post readers who own the Barlow Wadley XCR-30? Please comment!

Historic Bawdsey Radar site receives £1.4 million grant from the UK government

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(Source: Bawdsey Radar)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for sharing this article about the historic Bawdsey Radar site:

(Source: Engaget)

A radar site considered by some to be as historically important as Bletchley Park will be preserved, thanks to a £1.4 million ($2 million) grant from the UK government. The Bawdsey facility in eastern England, established in 1938, was the world’s first operational radar station. The then-brand new technology helped the allied forces win the Battle of Britain, and some historians think it may have shortened World War II by as much as two years. The facility was closed in 1991, and is on Britain’s “at-risk” heritage list because of structural issues and water damage.

According to the preservation group Bawsdey Radar, construction work will start in September 2016 and the building will open to visitors in September 2017. The goal is not just to conserve it, but also to unveil a new visitor exhibition featuring physical and virtual displays. The UK’s “Heritage At Risk” adviser John Etté said the facility “played a vital part in the development of radar technology during [WWII], and had a huge impact on post-war electronics and defense system,” including GPS, water technology, radar guns and the microwave oven.[…]

Continue reading at Engaget…

One of the highest prices ever paid for a Collins 51J-4

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Collins-51J4 Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

Over $2k for this receiver, which appears to be quite unique. It is not one of the well-known and quite rare Beckman 51J4s, and likely it was re-finished to give it the almost white-grey color it has.

But it does have an interesting tuning addition, what the seller calls a factory-installed 4:1 vernier knob. Regardless, it fetched about as much as any 51J4 has ever brought in on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181975178674?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Thanks, Dan! That 51J4 is a beauty. I’m always amazed at the price Collins equipment fetches at auctions and even at Hamfests. You’re hard-pressed to find anything under $800 and rare units (like the 51J4 above) sell for so much more.

Someday, I’d like to add a Collins R-390A to my collection, but first I need to make room for it and start saving! My buddy, Charlie (W4MEC) has rebuilt several R-390s and I’ve no idea how he does it. The tuning mechanism alone is one amazing (and complicated) piece of engineering! Charlie loves a good challenge, though, and he’s certainly brought a few R-390s back into full service.

BBG Watch: Apology issued for digital media outages

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Some of you may have noticed that the Voice of America has been having problems with their online and internal digital content the past few days.

The BBG Watch–a watchdog for US government broadcasting–took a very critical look at the recent failures and connects them to a much bigger picture of dysfunction.

Click here to read the BBG Watch story.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor (and former VOA White House Correspondent) Dan Robinson, for the tip.

BBG Watch: BBG hit with $400M employee contractors suit

1 Reply

(Source: BBG Watch via Dan Robinson)

A $400 million class action lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims against the Broadcasting Board of Governors over personnel and contracting practices overseen by top agency officials in recent years. The plaintiffs, several Voice of America (VOA) workers, allege that the U.S. government-funded, international news broadcaster’s Board of Governors denied proper pay and benefits to VOA employees intentionally misclassified as independent contractors by agency officials, Law360 website reported.

As reported by Law360, plaintiffs in the latest class action lawsuit allege that the Broadcasting Board of Governors has implemented a system of using “Purchase Order Vendors” (POVs) “for services indistinguishable from those of direct employees, to avoid a 30 percent budget increase from providing the lawful wages, paid leave, workers compensation, and tax contributions the workers are owed.”

“The BBG put the plaintiffs and class members on purchase orders so it could extract their faithful service to the United States while avoiding payment of the more substantial compensation that is owed to federal employees,” the complaint states.[…]

Continue reading on the BBG Watch website…

Dan spots a Squires Sanders SS-IBS on eBay

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SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, notes the following eBay link via the Extreme Shortwave Listening Facebook group:

“One of the rarest receivers, first one seen in years….famously pictured in the shack of the late Richard E. Wood from the 1970s… the Squires Sanders SS-IBS.”

Click here to view the Squires Sanders SS-1BS on eBay.