Marine Receiver – RACAL RA17L

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The Racal RA17 radio receiver provided a revolutionary improvement in performance when it was first introduced. This receiver used by many services has been employed also in the field of merchant marine radio communications on board ships and ashore.

Using a new scheme called the Wadley loop, the Racal RA17 virtually eliminated frequency drift – a problem that had dogged all previous radios.

By the mid 1950s when the RA17 was introduced, single sideband transmission was starting to be adopted and for this much greater levels of stability were required.

Racal RA17 Highlight Features
Parameter RA17 Feature
Frequency coverage 980kc/s – – 30 Mc/s (down to 500kc/s with degraded performance).
Local oscillator technology Wadley Loop
Conversions Triple conversion superhet
Reception modes AM & CW – SSB adaptor became available
Antenna input impedance 75Ω
Output impedance 3Ω and 600Ω
Sensitivity and S/N ratio 1µV for 18dB S/N (AM)
3µV for 18dB S/N (MCW)
Gain controls RF & AF
AGC Long and short
Dimensions Width: 19 in (48.3 cm)
Height: 10 ½ in (26.7 cm)
Overall depth: 20 ⅛ in (51 cm)
Depth behind panel: 18 ¾ in (47.6 cm)
Weight 67lb (30.5kg)
Production availability 1955 until at least 1967

Below a youtube clip of the receiver

73’s

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