DXing With The Remco Caravelle

[Schroedingers Cat]

My first radio that wasn't a Crystal Radio was a Remco Caravelle. Some of you may remember that it was a Part 15 Transmitter also. It came out in 1962, and I got mine in 1963.

The radio would receive signals that I later measured at around 1 mV/m. It had very mediocre selectivity. If you had two signals 50 kHz apart, and both were fairly equal in strength, you could separate them. This meant if one was a local PSRA with 500 watts and the other local still on night power of 1000 watts, it was the most likely situation to get closely spaced stations.

I got groundwaves around 1 mV/m if they were not close to local station frequencies. I got WLS late at night when the locals signed off, along with WCFL and WOWO (remember that that used to be 50 kW night, kids). Seems like I might have even heard WBZ and WABC a few times.

I remember hearing WWV come in at times as the frequency would come in way off resonance, but I think it was when it was still in Beltsville, MD. It seems that the 2500 KHz would have been most likely to be heard, though it was just 2.5 kW. It was not a superherterodyne, so it wasn't an image.

Speaking of WWV, is anyone close enough to hear the image from 2500 kHz on 1590 kHz on superheterodyne receivers?

 

[radioman148]

My first radio that wasn't a Crystal Radio was a Remco Caravelle. Some of you may remember that it was a Part 15 Transmitter also. It came out in 1962, and I got mine in 1963.

The radio would receive signals that I later measured at around 1 mV/m. It had very mediocre selectivity. If you had two signals 50 kHz apart, and both were fairly equal in strength, you could separate them. This meant if one was a local PSRA with 500 watts and the other local still on night power of 1000 watts, it was the most likely situation to get closely spaced stations.

I got groundwaves around 1 mV/m if they were not close to local station frequencies. I got WLS late at night when the locals signed off, along with WCFL and WOWO (remember that that used to be 50 kW night, kids). Seems like I might have even heard WBZ and WABC a few times.

I remember hearing WWV come in at times as the frequency would come in way off resonance, but I think it was when it was still in Beltsville, MD. It seems that the 2500 KHz would have been most likely to be heard, though it was just 2.5 kW. It was not a superherterodyne, so it wasn't an image.

Speaking of WWV, is anyone close enough to hear the image from 2500 kHz on 1590 kHz on superheterodyne receivers?

I never had that radio, but I did have a knight kit part 15. Wrapped about 200ft of bell wire around my folks house and broadcast to the neighborhood each night (about 3 block radius).
My first DX experience was on a clock radio in the late 50s. Living near Chicago I noticed I could hear WLW very well every night.
Around 1960 I noticed WABC, WCBS would come in occasionally (no small task with strong Chicago adjacents).
Then in 1961 I got a Zenith Trans Oceanic and besides WWV and CHU I heard the BBC & Quito Ecuador. However, my main love was always DXing the AM band. Once I had the Zenith I found that the AM selectivity allowed me to hear the NYC stations every night, plus WBZ KDKA & eventually KFI.
Regarding WWV, I never heard the image on 1590 at any of my locations.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

How was the FM selectivity, sensitivity, and AGC, on the Zenith Transoceanic?

Before I had the Caravelle, I used to listen on a Zenith AM/SW 78 RPM and Turntable with Record Changer Console Model. I mainly listened in the summer and in the daytime, but I remember hearing the amateurs on 20 meters. Zenith always seemed to be a radio of choice for DXing, though. My first serious DX radios were the Delco radio in the 1960 Oldsmobile, and the Maganavox Stereo Theater, the first radio I ever used with a signal strength meter. The FM AGC wasn't that good on that. You had to turn the thing all the way up to hear the weaker signals. I first heard WGN on that and the Delco, which I soon noticed would receive WGN in the daytime.

 

[radioman148]

How was the FM selectivity, sensitivity, and AGC, on the Zenith Transoceanic?

Before I had the Caravelle, I used to listen on a Zenith AM/SW 78 RPM and Turntable with Record Changer Console Model. I mainly listened in the summer and in the daytime, but I remember hearing the amateurs on 20 meters. Zenith always seemed to be a radio of choice for DXing, though. My first serious DX radios were the Delco radio in the 1960 Oldsmobile, and the Maganavox Stereo Theater, the first radio I ever used with a signal strength meter. The FM AGC wasn't that good on that. You had to turn the thing all the way up to hear the weaker signals. I first heard WGN on that and the Delco, which I soon noticed would receive WGN in the daytime.

The Trans Oceanic I had didn't have FM. It was a few years later that they came out with it.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

I remember that when the FM model of the Transoceanic came out, they had a book with the radio with all the FM stations in the US, with all the powers listed as I recall.

Yes, the Remco Caravelle was not the best radio for DX, but it was fun seeing what you could get with it. It could be used like a Select-A-Tenna by placing a radio next to the inductor inside the Caravelle, but it was omni with the whip antenna. I did get a few weak groundwaves that I'd never heard before that way, and possibly my first logging of KNX 1070.

 

[radioman148]

I remember that when the FM model of the Transoceanic came out, they had a book with the radio with all the FM stations in the US, with all the powers listed as I recall.

Yes, the Remco Caravelle was not the best radio for DX, but it was fun seeing what you could get with it. It could be used like a Select-A-Tenna by placing a radio next to the inductor inside the Caravelle, but it was omni with the whip antenna. I did get a few weak groundwaves that I'd never heard before that way, and possibly my first logging of KNX 1070.

The previous model of the Trans Oceanic also had that book that listed shortwave stations. I think I still have it somewhere.

 

[Icangelp]

I remember that when the FM model of the Transoceanic came out, they had a book with the radio with all the FM stations in the US, with all the powers listed as I recall.

Yes, the Remco Caravelle was not the best radio for DX, but it was fun seeing what you could get with it. It could be used like a Select-A-Tenna by placing a radio next to the inductor inside the Caravelle, but it was omni with the whip antenna. I did get a few weak groundwaves that I'd never heard before that way, and possibly my first logging of KNX 1070.

The previous model of the Trans Oceanic also had that book that listed shortwave stations. I think I still have it somewhere.

I can't say I had a Caravelle, but I did indeed buy a Zenith Trans Oceanic Royal 1000-D back in '60 or '61. I loved that radio, and used it for many years. Nothing like a wavemagnet, I say.

BTW, someone just purchased what looked to be a mint condition 1000-D on on Ebay for $102.50. I really wanted to bid, but in a rare moment of restraint, I refrained.

I also had a first generation Regency transistor radio. They were made in my home town of Indianapolis. That radio was lost when I moved away from home to git some higher learnin'.

 

[radioman148]

I remember that when the FM model of the Transoceanic came out, they had a book with the radio with all the FM stations in the US, with all the powers listed as I recall.

Yes, the Remco Caravelle was not the best radio for DX, but it was fun seeing what you could get with it. It could be used like a Select-A-Tenna by placing a radio next to the inductor inside the Caravelle, but it was omni with the whip antenna. I did get a few weak groundwaves that I'd never heard before that way, and possibly my first logging of KNX 1070.

That's a good deal for a Trans Oceanic. Mint ones were selling for over $1000 10 years ago. Of course the economy was better.

The previous model of the Trans Oceanic also had that book that listed shortwave stations. I think I still have it somewhere.

I can't say I had a Caravelle, but I did indeed buy a Zenith Trans Oceanic Royal 1000-D back in '60 or '61. I loved that radio, and used it for many years. Nothing like a wavemagnet, I say.

BTW, someone just purchased what looked to be a mint condition 1000-D on on Ebay for $102.50. I really wanted to bid, but in a rare moment of restraint, I refrained.

I also had a first generation Regency transistor radio. They were made in my home town of Indianapolis. That radio was lost when I moved away from home to git some higher learnin'.

 

[cyberdad]

I had a Caravelle.  I remember it as being rather lousy....but not completely terrible...as an xmtr.  You had to key the cheap plastic mic to "broadcast".  The result being pretty bad audio.  As a DX-ing radio it was so-so.  WBZ and KAAY were certainly do-able where I was northwest of Chicago.

But when it came to DX, there was really no need for the Caravelle, when I had access to this beauty owned by my grandparents....

http://www.oldradiozone.com/Z_12U159.html

 

[Icangelp]

I had a Caravelle. I remember it as being rather lousy....but not completely terrible...as an xmtr. You had to key the cheap plastic mic to "broadcast". The result being pretty bad audio. As a DX-ing radio it was so-so. WBZ and KAAY were certainly do-able where I was northwest of Chicago.

But when it came to DX, there was really no need for the Caravelle, when I had access to this beauty owned by my grandparents....

http://www.oldradiozone.com/Z_12U159.html

$175 new? Way over priced.

What a way to start your DXing. Receiver wise, t is all down hill using one of those classics, plus a person needed training just to operate the dial.

I assume it had a built-in AM antenna.

 

[cyberdad]

I know my grandparents bought it new. Zenith brought out the radio in 1937, but I'm pretty sure my grandparents bought theirs in 1938.

Actually, the unit was fairly simple to operate.The large tuning knob and massive dial were easy to use/read. On-off switch, tone control, sensitivity switch, and a crude...but effective...signal strength indicator. As for the antenna, there was an external terminal in the back. My grandfather (or somebody) had it hooked up via a thin insulated wire to a copper screen (like a window screen) which was buried under a rug. It worked reasonably well. AM and two of the three shortwave bands performed well. The third SW band (above 16 meters) was another story, however. For example, the 10-meter ham band was pretty useless.

Bottom line was many hours of pleasure during my junior high school and high school years.

 

[radioman148]

I know my grandparents bought it new. Zenith brought out the radio in 1937, but I'm pretty sure my grandparents bought theirs in 1938.

Actually, the unit was fairly simple to operate.The large tuning knob and massive dial were easy to use/read. On-off switch, tone control, sensitivity switch, and a crude...but effective...signal strength indicator. As for the antenna, there was an external terminal in the back. My grandfather (or somebody) had it hooked up via a thin insulated wire to a copper screen (like a window screen) which was buried under a rug. It worked reasonably well. AM and two of the three shortwave bands performed well. The third SW band (above 16 meters) was another story, however. For example, the 10-meter ham band was pretty useless.

Bottom line was many hours of pleasure during my junior high school and high school years.

And you didn't have anywhere near the noise level that we have now so a wire antenna probably worked pretty well.

 

[cyberdad]

And you didn't have anywhere near the noise level that we have now so a wire antenna probably worked pretty well.

Mostly true. There was lots of noise on AM below 650. WSM was fine, but WIND, WILL, WTMJ, etc. were downright painful to listen to.

 

[radioman148]

And you didn't have anywhere near the noise level that we have now so a wire antenna probably worked pretty well.

Mostly true. There was lots of noise on AM below 650. WSM was fine, but WIND, WILL, WTMJ, etc. were downright painful to listen to.

Almost like listening to longwave.

 

[Darth_vader]

"Speaking of WWV, is anyone close enough to hear the image from 2500 kHz on 1590 kHz on superheterodyne receivers?"

Yes! I heard that on my old '97-model GMC car radio (just a spare I was using in the Bronco before I put in my current Kenwood rig) when I was driving through CO a few years ago and stopped for lunch in Boulder. I thought it was a regular mediumwave station, given where I was located and all.

It's actually kind of surreal picking up a shortwave station on a radio that isn't designed to use shortwave. Out here WWV barely even comes in on 2500 and 20000, even when I am listening in a relatively noise-free area!

 

[cyberdad]

I just yesterday discovered the old Zenith tucked away in a seldom-accessed storage area in my garage. I didn't know I still had it! (Mrs. Cyberdad had a lot of junk hauled away during a major cleaning project about ten years ago).

I haven't listened to the radio since 1976, so I doubt that it still works. But the 74-year old grand dame still looks great. Probably wouldn't take much to restore if replacements for the old tubes could be found.

Whooopee!!!

 

[radioman148]

I just yesterday discovered the old Zenith tucked away in a seldom-accessed storage area in my garage. I didn't know I still had it! (Mrs. Cyberdad had a lot of junk hauled away during a major cleaning project about ten years ago).

I haven't listened to the radio since 1976, so I doubt that it still works. But the 74-year old grand dame still looks great. Probably wouldn't take much to restore if replacements for the old tubes could be found.

Whooopee!!!

That is very cool!

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

I shared hearing WWV on the Remco Caravelle with a neighborhood ham and school friend back in 1965. He was very skeptical that I had heard it. In fact, he sarcastically said to another friend of his, "Hey Ken, they invented a new kind of circuit." I don't think I mentioned it again until this thread. But I know what I heard, and I'm sure it was some kind of off resonance situation. In fact, I could hear it all over the dial. Come to think of it, it could have been some kind of intermodulation or local oscillation effect, but I also remember hearing the Voice Of America from the Greenville site on a AM BC crystal radio.

 

[radioman148]

I shared hearing WWV on the Remco Caravelle with a neighborhood ham and school friend back in 1965. He was very skeptical that I had heard it. In fact, he sarcastically said to another friend of his, "Hey Ken, they invented a new kind of circuit." I don't think I mentioned it again until this thread. But I know what I heard, and I'm sure it was some kind of off resonance situation. In fact, I could hear it all over the dial. Come to think of it, it could have been some kind of intermodulation or local oscillation effect, but I also remember hearing the Voice Of America from the Greenville site on a AM BC crystal radio.

That VOA Greenville had a large signal. I think there was also one in Delano, Ca.

 

[cyberdad]

Now that I've found the old Zenith, I should probably look around for the Caravelle. ;D

Yeah, Right!

I don't ever remember hearing WWV on the Caravelle, but I do seem to recall a lot of SW coming through. Not uncommon for cheap transistor circuits of that era.