Just Bagged Me a PCR.

[Yorkie]

The AR88 is a superb receiver. If you could only own one communications receiver, I think the AR88 would be it, albeit some might argue for Collins or Racal. The price of AR88s was astronomical and only the very wealthy could afford to buy them. Indeed, you could just about buy a car in America fnr the price of an AR88, so it's no wonder they didn't sell all that well in the early stages, but WW2 came along, and with money no object, they went into full scale production, and post war, hit the surplus market, but even then, were out of the reach to all but those with deep pockets.

Heaps of info about the AR88 here:

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

I think one of the most remarkable receivers was the HRO - quite ahead of its time, given that it was conceived in the early 1930s when the superhet principle (the theory of which was known about in the early 1900s) was just beginning to be widely adopted. By then, improvements in valve technology began to erode cost advantages of TRFs, and the explosion of broadcast stations called for greater selectivity. The designers figured that by using plug-in coil packs bandswitching losses and complexity could be obviated.

History of HROs:

http://www.radioblvd.com/National%20HRO.htm

Post WW2 HRO and other communications radios here:

http://www.radioblvd.com/Post-WWII%20Ham%20Gear.htm