
( Brand: Collins ), ( Manufacturer Part Number: 651S-1B ), ( Type: Base Station ), ( Supported Modes: Am, Cw, Ssb ), ( Band: Hf )
The Collins 651S-1B HF Communication Receiver is a testament to the unparalleled craftsmanship and technological innovation that Collins has been renowned for since its inception. This high-frequency (HF) receiver is a versatile and powerful tool designed for amateur and professional radio enthusiasts alike, offering a seamless and enjoyable communication experience.
The 651S-1B is a superheterodyne receiver, engineered with a frequency range of 0.535 to 30 MHz. This wide range ensures that users can communicate across various HF bands, making it an ideal choice for shortwave listening, amateur radio operations, and emergency communication services. The receiver features a 10.7 MHz crystal-controlled local oscillator, providing exceptional stability and accuracy.
The Collins 651S-1B boasts a high-performance RF amplifier that offers an impressive 12 dB gain, ensuring that even the weakest signals are amplified for clear and audible reception. The receiver also features a highly sensitive double-conversion superheterodyne design, ensuring minimal noise and interference, even in challenging environments.
The user interface of the 651S-1B is intuitive and easy to navigate, with a high-contrast vacuum fluorescent display providing clear and legible readouts, even in low light conditions. The receiver features a comprehensive set of controls, allowing users to fine-tune the receiver's settings to suit their specific needs and preferences.
The 651S-1B is housed in a rugged, anodized aluminum chassis, designed to withstand the rigors of everyday use and the occasional accidental drop. The receiver also features a high-quality speaker and a set of earphone jacks, allowing users to choose their preferred method of listening.
In conclusion, the Collins 651S-1B HF Communication Receiver is a high-performance, versatile, and reliable tool that offers a wealth of features and unparalleled performance. Whether you're a seasoned radio enthusiast or a beginner just starting your journey into the world of amateur radio, the Collins 651S-1B is an excellent choice that will serve you well for years to come.
The Collins R390D-S1B HF Communications Receiver (651-1B) is a highly regarded piece of equipment in the amateur radio community, known for its high performance and robustness. Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros:1. Superior reception: The Collins 651-1B is renowned for its exceptional reception capabilities, which make it an ideal choice for DXing (long-distance communication) and weak-signal work.
2. Build quality: Collins receivers are built to last. The 651-1B features a robust design with high-quality components, ensuring reliable operation for many years.
3. Excellent tuning sensitivity: The receiver offers excellent tuning sensitivity, allowing it to pick up even the weakest signals with ease.
4. Well-designed user interface: The Collins 651-1B has a user-friendly interface, making it easy for both experienced operators and beginners to navigate.
Cons:1. High price: The Collins 651-1B is a premium product, and its price reflects that. This may be a significant hurdle for budget-conscious hobbyists.
2. Limited band coverage: Compared to modern receivers, the 651-1B has a more limited band coverage, only receiving frequencies from 1.8 to 30 MHz.
3. Power consumption: The receiver consumes more power than some modern models, which may be a concern for those operating from battery power.
4. Weight and size: The Collins 651-1B is a larger, heavier receiver, which may make it less portable compared to newer, more compact models.
In conclusion, the Collins 651-1B is an excellent choice for those seeking a high-performance HF communications receiver for DXing or weak-signal work. Its build quality, exceptional reception capabilities, and user-friendly interface make it a popular choice among amateur radio enthusiasts. However, its high price, limited band coverage, power consumption, and size may make it less suitable for budget-conscious hobbyists or those seeking a more portable receiver. If you can afford it and are looking for a high-performance HF receiver, the Collins 651-1B is a solid choice. If budget or portability is a concern, there are other options available that may better suit your needs.
Its design was extremely advanced, while still economical. It can also be provided with a continuous 10-Hz tuning capability by combining the functions of digital VBFO and main receiver. There are no significant spurious signals in the synthesizer output. This flexible characteristic gives the 651S-1 capability of being molded to meet specific customer requirements with minimum effort, design changes, and cost.
The receiver is very sensitive and does not have strong-signal overload problems. Selectivity is provided either by crystal filters at the second IF or mechanical third. The squelch circuit is unusual in that it does not simply operate on the signal level. The ALC has hang characteristic with delectable time, making listening to SSB signals extremely pleasant.
The RF front-end board is completely screened by itself. Some of the boards use multiplayer technology which is very remarkable for time. The receiver front end uses an active FET mixer preceded by either a low pass / high pass filter or sub-octave filters various RF modules were offered. The mechanical filters have the legendary Collins quality.
And flexibility of configuration for various functional applications. It was designed using modular, solid-state construction for ruggedness, reliability, maintainability, cost effectiveness. That blanking pulse can be disabled by a simple circuit modification. The IF filters provide extreme selectivity.
The receiver is built on a lightweight aluminum chassis. The latest in the 651S-1 Receiver family is 651S-1B configuration which incorporates a highly stable plug-in digital VBFO function, RS-232C/MIL-STD-188C computer interface, and completely modular power supply. Mechanical tuning elements were eliminated, and a compact, lightweight, fully synthesized desktop HF receiver with superior performance became reality. A power supply assembly with cooling fan and the front panel are bolted to rear of chassis.
This receiver was conceived in the early 70s, when rapid advances field of semiconductors, mixers and synthesizers led to a radical change shortwave design. Optional functions, such as ISB, vlf, special if filter band width s, and various remote control interfaces were designed to be added by the simple insertion or substitution of plug-in modules.