RCA CR-88A's INCREDIBLE SENSITIVITY AND AUDIO

This video shows a segment from a local radio AM broadcast band station to demonstrate its sensivity, gain and audio fidelity. I added a mid-range and subwoofer from an old Yamaha surround-sound system which are 8 ohm impedance speakers. The CR-88 is 2.5 ohm Z, but the Z match is excellent considering. The AR-88 series receivers were known for their ability to reproduce excellent bass and a full range of audio frequencies.

Unfortunately, the camera does not capture the audio anything like what I am hearing during the recording, but you'll get a sense of it regardless.

Notice the positions of the pointers on the RF Gain, AF Gain and IF Gain knobs .

I have fallen in love with this receiver. Thank you and God Bless the RCA Radio Engineeers and General David Sarnoff who made this all possible.

VY 73,

Greg
K6SRO

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• AM
• SHORTWAVE
• RCA
• HAM
• RADIO
• AR-88

[Moskalenkovalerii]

Наверное это останется после взрыва.....

[radiodad2008]

Translated, it means, "Surely this will remain after the explosion". Gosh! I hope so. What explosion? The big EMP perhaps?

[antennebuis]

Greg ,can you try the 88 on MW ,.When you try the sensivity on a radio do it on MW !!

MW are always the weakest place for a receiver .Thanks in advance

[radiodad2008]

@antennebuis

Good point. On this receiver that would be about 535kc-1100kc. My recollection is it performs well across those frequencies, but of course, strong broadcast stations always win. I'll run some weak signal performance tests and post an update. Thanks always. Greg - K6SRO

[radiodad2008]

Yes, the tubes can still be found. There are several sellers on the internet. Just search for vacuum tubes or valves. I get mine from Walt Eby, email is Radiotinkerer@aol.com

EBAY is another resource but shop the prices. Some charge much higher than market and you don't need matched tubes for this receiver.

Hope this helps.

Greg, K6SRO

[gmcjetpilot]

Nice video but RCA's General David Sarnoff was a predatory man who drove Edwin Howard Armstrong to the breaking point and financial ruin by stealing his FM patents, using legal wrangling in courts to screw Armstrong over. I am no fan of Sarnoff.... I do like some early RCA radios, but as a corporation in the day, they were the personification of corporate hubris. Where is RCA today? The only new radios today are made in China.

[radiodad2008]

This video is about a receiver not about a man, please, let's keep company politics out of this. I do this because I love old tube communications receivers. I know what you mean, and I feel bad for what happened to Armstrong. He was truly a much bigger giant of than Sarnoff. Whatever the case, this series of receivers were designed by some truly outstanding radio hardware engineers.

[Destry7]

@gmcjetpilot This is true. I like this beautiful radio too.... I'd like better to see what it can do on the upper-end of it's tuning range, but

I know It's relatives played a big role in winning WW-II. "The Sarnoff" though is only deserving of our contempt; by all accounts, a truly dreadful humanoid!

[Moskalenkovalerii]

Завидую такой личной коллекции 

[Moskalenkovalerii]

Я имел ввиду что эта аппаратура нас переживет

[mnpd007]

The old vacuum radios had sound, sensitivity and selectivity not found much today. Electronics today are made as cheaply as possible, and the AM circuitry isn't given the attention it received when it was the only game in town. I have an electronically restored HQ-129x I'd put against anything made in the solid state age in terms of fidelity of sound, sensitivity and intelligibility of weaker signals, and the ability to separate close stations. I play the old Hammarlund 4-6 hours every day.

[wolfhawg]

Nice radio.You are lucky to have an AM station that plays music.All we have here is Mexicans and rachet jawing. Thanks for the video.