A modification to an AR88D

[Skywave]

Hi chaps! I've recently seen an AR88D, sold on e-bay for a good price, that had 5-inch wide chrome handles fitted to the top of the case to ease picking up one of these monsters . And that got me thinking: I do have a couple of chrome handles, but ones that would fit on the front panel (in the traditional time-honoured manner) and just about run the full height of that front panel. I reckon that the result would not look out of place and also ease moving this heavy lump around. Dare I do this? Or am I likely to get an ear-bashing from certain quarters? Will doing so substantially decrease any re-sale value?

Just seeking a little advance feedback & opinion to help me make up my mind: please feel free to be frank!

Thanks.
Al.

[Yorkie]

The one you saw on e-bay with handles on the top had of course been 'got at' by a previous owner who'd added the non-standard handles. If it went for a 'good' price (as in 'silly' price), then the fitting of those handles seems not to have detracted from the value of the set, of which countless thousands were made from 1941 onwards, mainly for use by the UK and Russia.

I don't think the handles would look out of place, but really it's a two-person job to lift an AR88, and I doubt that you'd bother to use the handles to do so. Neither, I think, are you likely to be moving it about a lot once you've found a 'home' for it, so I'm not sure the handles would have much practical use.

As to whether you'd get an ear bashing from certain quarters, it's the height of impertinance for self-styled aficianados to lecture you on what you should do with your own property. To restore an AR88 to perform to its original spec calls for extensive work, and whether an owner wishes to undertake such a project or has the time and competence, or simply to keep the radio as a museum piece in its original state, but not to use it, is a personal choice.

The AR88 is a very advanced design for its day, and in an entirely different league from more basic radios such as the R1155, which is little different from a basic domestic superhet radio design, suitably adapted and constructed for its purpose, including DF, but because of its associations with Lancaster bombers etc, has a certain cachet which some romanticise about.

What militates against owning an AR88 (or HRO+coil packs, CR100, B40 etc) is its sheer size, weight, and complexity.

There's an excellent very comprehensive website devoted to AR88s, including lots of useful info about restoration, at this link:

http://www.radioblvd.com/ar88.htm

Just my thoughts on the subject.

Hope that helps a bit Al.

[pwdrive]

Hmm...The HRO is not that big and is certainly not heavy in that context, and is neither complex...in fact for, what it is capable of it is one of the most simply designed comms receivers of that era both in terms of electronics (do a component count) and mechanical layout...Many are not but I am a great admirer of that design it's a suberb performer, if I had to get rid of all my comms sets but keep one then the National HRO would be it unless I had a Collins then I don't know what I would do......OK I'm an HRO nut.
To Als question, I would say it is down to what you want, I would not think that fitting appropriate style handles to the front would lessen its value by much at all, you might be able to use some of the existing holes for the front rack mount/cabinet fixing possibly, or you could fashion a pair of handles from some 6 mm round bar, a hot fire and a hammer so the handles return to fixing lugs if you see what i mean the lugs can be and flattened with a file so that when drilled the fixing holes in the lugs line up with the top and bottom holes for the cabinet fixing on either side of the front panel, that way the panel does not have to be modified in anyway and you can still retain the two rack mount cover strips (if you are lucky to have a pair) If yer feeling flush, plate the new handles or paint them a nice epoxy hard gloss black, they can then be simply removed if you wanted to move the receiver on and the receiver would look like it did pre fitting the handles...I thought a lifting eye and a set of castors for mine, or a rotating see saw with the AR88 on one end and the B40 on the other (fantasy land)

Good luck which ever way Al

Lawrence.

[Joe]

It is your inalienable right to do what you like with your own property. That said, if you start talking about it in public you've got to accept criticism from the more deranged members of the fraternity. This is why I tend to keep quiet elsewhere.

Personally I have no interest in comms gear precisely because it is too big, heavy and complicated.

Cheers

Joe

[pwdrive]

Hello Joe, if you ever did want to take an old comms set on then some of them arn't to bad complexity wise, if you have the grasp of a five valve superhet, then you are more or less there, the only extra in many cases is a BFO and maybe an RF stage or two and possibly a passive Xtal filter. I am not saying you will but if you ever do then try an HRO they are very easy to work on and a pleasure to use, easier than a lot of domestics I have done over the years.

Lawrence.

[Joe]

I certainly wouldn't refuse one as a gift or to offer one sanctuary that was heading for a skip. As well as radios I'm interested in military history so would regard it as Militaria if nothing else. Who knows what will be lurking at Golborne and odd things turn up in auctions.

Joe

[pwdrive]

Hello Joe that's interesting on the military history, not to venture to far off topic but I have been following that new series on the telly with Dan Snow and the ups and downs of the Royal Navy all very interesting from a naval, trade and social history point of view.

Lawrence.

[Skywave]

The one you saw on e-bay with handles on the top had of course been 'got at' by a previous owner who'd added the non-standard handles. If it went for a 'good' price (as in 'silly' price), then the fitting of those handles seems not to have detracted from the value of the set.

Yes, that's the one. It went for in excess of £100 as I recall.

As to whether you'd get an ear bashing from certain quarters, it's the height of impertinence for self-styled aficionados to lecture you on what you should do with your own property.

Agreed.

What militates against owning an AR88 (or HRO+coil packs, CR100, B40 etc) is its sheer size, weight, and complexity.

Agreed again. My AR88D is sitting on my comms. bench along with a cased RA-17, a CR.100, an Eddy. 888A plus sundry other radios and bits of RF gear.

There's an excellent very comprehensive website devoted to AR88s, including lots of useful info about restoration, at this link:
http://www.radioblvd.com/ar88.htm

Which I have visited before - and a useful source of info. it is, too.

Just my thoughts on the subject; hope that helps a bit Al.

It does indeed: thank you.

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It is your inalienable right to do what you like with your own property. That said, if you start talking about it in public you've got to accept criticism from the more deranged members of the fraternity. This is why I tend to keep quiet elsewhere.
Cheers
Joe

Again, point taken and agreed with, although I'm not sure I would have used one particular adjective to describe fraternal members as you have done. Nevertheless, I take your point . . . .
Thanks for your thoughts.

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And thanks to everyone else who have contributed. I do like the idea of using the existing slots for 19" rack mounting (for obvious reasons). Since my particular model is without a case, the thought now arises to manufacture a case and incorporate the 'handles idea' at the same time: there's room here for some creative thinking. Now in my 'to do this year' job list.

Al.

[pwdrive]

Hello Al, you might already be aware of the constuction and weight of the original case, ie: very heavy duty, if not then whatever you use needs to be reasonably strong, you might be able to use thick gauge aluminium for the base and a thinner gauge for sides, top and back, I doubt if the front panel would flex. Another idea would be to go for a rack mount style cover which would be easier still to fabricate.

lawrence

[pwdrive]

P.S. If you need any original cabinet dimensions/measurements let me know and i can measure the cabinet on mine.

Lawrence.