Knight Star Roamer shortwave radio
Duane Moberg
I have watching the local want ads for a shortwave radio. A Knight Star
Roamer is for sale but I have never heard of them. Is anyone familar
with this radio?
Duane Moberg
Neutrodyne
><HTML><PRE>Subject: Knight Star Roamer shortwave radio
>From: Duane Moberg <da...@psu.edu>
>Date: Tue, May 12, 1998 08:05 EDT
>Message-id: <35583B...@psu.edu>
Someone more familiar may answer but from what I have seen of them at shows,
they are a 2-3 tube AC/DC set in a pressed board cabinet. Regenerative circuit
with audio amps & bandswitching. Beilieve it was a kit (watch for mods that cut
collector value).
Neutrodyne
Sky King
I have a Star Roamer myself. It's a superhet, vintage 60's-70's from
allied electronics. They are a fun receiver and are ok for casual
listening. I wouldn't spend more than 50-75 for one in working condition,
though, because there is a lot of better stuff out therefor not a lot more
money.
Ken
On Tue, 12 May 1998, Duane Moberg wrote:
> Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 08:05:45 -0400
> From: Duane Moberg <da...@psu.edu>
> Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
> Subject: Knight Star Roamer shortwave radio
>
Neutrodyne
><HTML><PRE>Subject: Re: Knight Star Roamer shortwave radio
>From: Sky King <sky...@ptdprolog.net>
>Date: Tue, May 12, 1998 09:55 EDT
>Message-id: <Pine.GSO.3.95.98051...@home.ptd.net>
Which Knight am I thinking of, then? I know I've seen a regen in pressed board
case - Space Spanner maybe?
KeybdWizrd
>> I have watching the local want ads for a shortwave radio. A Knight Star
>> Roamer is for sale but I have never heard of them. Is anyone familar
>> with this radio?
>>
>> Duane Moberg
I had a Knight Star Roamer as a kid back in the early '70's. It was a kit,
perhaps sold by Radio Shack, although I purchased mine pre-assembled. Although
I had a lot of fun with it at the time, today's receivers are simply much more
capable than radios like the Knight. The tuning on it is very imprecise,
making it very difficult to locate specific stations on specific frequencies.
If you want to get into shortwave, try to pick up something like a used Grundig
YB400 -- I recently got one for $99 from Universal Radio. I would only
recommend the purchase of a Star Roamer if it was less than $25 and that was
all someone had to spend. Otherwise, I'd imagine that only old radio
collectors would be interested.
Just my two cents.
Michael Walthius
THE MUSIC OF CYBERSPACE
http://www.keybdwizrd.com/
Email: michael at keybdwizrd dot com
Don Cunningham
You are thinking of Knightkit Span Master in "pressed wood" case. Actually
mine was vinyl covered, as i remember.
Neutrodyne <neutr...@aol.com> wrote in article
<199805121536...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
> ><HTML><PRE>Subject: Re: Knight Star Roamer shortwave radio
> >From: Sky King <sky...@ptdprolog.net>
> >Date: Tue, May 12, 1998 09:55 EDT
> >Message-id: <Pine.GSO.3.95.98051...@home.ptd.net>
> >
> >
> >I have a Star Roamer myself. It's a superhet, vintage 60's-70's from
> >allied electronics. They are a fun receiver and are ok for casual
> >listening. I wouldn't spend more than 50-75 for one in working
condition,
> >though, because there is a lot of better stuff out therefor not a lot
more
> >money.
> >
> >Ken
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >On Tue, 12 May 1998, Duane Moberg wrote:
> >
> >> Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 08:05:45 -0400
> >> From: Duane Moberg <da...@psu.edu>
> >> Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
> >> Subject: Knight Star Roamer shortwave radio
> >>
> >> I have watching the local want ads for a shortwave radio. A Knight
Star
> >> Roamer is for sale but I have never heard of them. Is anyone familar
> >> with this radio?
> >>
> >> Duane Moberg
> >>
> >>
> >
Jerry Jensen
On Tue, 12 May 1998 08:05:45 -0400, Duane Moberg <da...@psu.edu> wrote:
>I have watching the local want ads for a shortwave radio. A Knight Star
>Roamer is for sale but I have never heard of them. Is anyone familar
>with this radio?
>
>Duane Moberg
I put one together in the early 70s. It was a kit from Allied Radio.
Not a good radio by todays standards or probably the standards back
then, but as a kid I was overwhelmed by its appearance and 5 band
capability. It was a super HET with 4 tubes (I believe) and front
panel controls for band, tuning, fine tunine, volume, sensitivity (I
think) and anntenna tuning. Slide switches for on/off, auto volume
and noise. The back had two terminals that could be used to hook up a
Morse code key. With some combination of sensitivity and slide
switches, the audio could be made to oscillate. The key would let you
control this thus serving as a code oscillator. BAsic shortcomings
were sloppy tuning, poor allignment, no BFO (although I remember
reading articles about how you could add one)and poor audio. It came
in a metal case with maybe a cardboard back. Bands covered were LW,
MW, and 3 shortwave bands from 1.6 Mhz (I remember listening to 160
meters on Sunday mornings (in AM)) to 30 Mhz.
Jerry Jensen
CWSenn
Jerry Jensen Wrote:
>I put one together in the early 70s. It was a kit from Allied Radio.
>Not a good radio by todays standards or probably the standards back
>then, but as a kid I was overwhelmed by its appearance and 5 band
>capability. It was a super HET with 4 tubes (I believe) and front
>panel controls for band, tuning, fine tunine, volume, sensitivity (I
>think) and anntenna tuning. Slide switches for on/off, auto volume
>and noise. The back had two terminals that could be used to hook up a
>Morse code key. With some combination of sensitivity and slide
>switches, the audio could be made to oscillate. The key would let you
>control this thus serving as a code oscillator. BAsic shortcomings
>were sloppy tuning, poor allignment, no BFO (although I remember
>reading articles about how you could add one)and poor audio. It came
>in a metal case with maybe a cardboard back. Bands covered were LW,
>MW, and 3 shortwave bands from 1.6 Mhz (I remember listening to 160
>meters on Sunday mornings (in AM)) to 30 Mhz.
Good description Jerry. I put one together in 1964. It was my first shortwave
receiver and I logged many stations on it while in high school. I have a
lovingly restored one by my bedside which I listen to often. In addition to the
controls you mentioned, it had AVC and ANL switches which did nothing but
render the cheap S-meter useless and cause great audio distortion. I cut grass
to earn the $40.00 I paid for mine. Great memory radio, I wonder how many
Allied sold?
Vern Farmer
think....I was in awe of the bluish slide rule dial...I think I got it
to ocscilate by turning the sensitivity way up and tuned ssb
...poorly...remember listening to old time AM'ers on 40 meters
complaining about "those quacky sidebanders" back then.
I tried to upgrade to the allied A-2515 ? around '68 but the company
went under as my order never came I was heartbroken....I did get a RS
DX-150 in '73 and a Hammarlund Hq-150 in '75. Made it up to a
hallicrafters SX-130 in '83, which I still have. Went digital in '90
with a Sangean ATS-803.
73's from Vern WD5HIH