Heathkit SW-717 Quick Start Manual

HOM rev. new
Heathkit of the Month #92:
by Bob Eckweiler, AF6C
AMATEUR RADIO - SWL
Heathkit SW-717
General Coverage Communications Receiver.
Introduction:
Over its lifetime Heathkit Company manu-
factured 17 general coverage (GC) communi-
cations receivers. To be considered in this
arbitrary category the receiver must cover
the AM broadcast (BC) band and a signifi-
cant portion of the frequencies above it in the
HF range that ends at 30 MHz. The coverage
should be mostly continuous, though gaps for
technical reasons are acceptable
coverage, such as the LW band below the BC
band or frequencies above 30 MHz, is al-
lowed. Some of the included Heathkit GC re-
ceivers only cover to 10 MHz and others only
to 20 MHz. Superheterodyne receivers make
up 14 of the 17, the other three being super-
regenerative receivers. Ham-band only and
even band-oriented SWL receivers are not
considered general coverage, so you won't see
the SB receivers on the list.
Evidently, general coverage kit receivers
were a profitable product; they seemed to be
a popular beginner's kit as well as a moder-
ate kit for the more experienced kit builder.
Heath focused on having one or two receivers
on the market for the beginner, usually at
very reasonable prices for modest perfor-
mance. They also manufactured some higher
Here is a link to the index of Heathkit of the
Month (HotM) articles:
http://www.w6ze.org/Heathkit/Heathkit_Index.html
Copyright 2008 - 2017, R. Eckweiler & OCARC, Inc.
Heath of the Month #92 - SW-717 Communications Receiver
Figure 1: SW-717 General Coverage Receiver
Note substitute knob to left.
performance receivers as well as portable re-
ceivers that could run off batteries. Features
varied with cost; crystal filters, dual conver-
sion, S-meter, an RF amplifier stage and a
tracking bandspread control are often miss-
ing on the low-end radios.
The first receivers were the super-regenera-
tive K-1 and K-2 (HotM #s 80 & 81). They were
. Additional
1
followed by the superheterodyne AR-1
through AR-3. In 1960 Heath released their
first transistorized GC receiver, the Mohican
GC-1, later updated to the GC-1A (HotM #34).
As part of Heathkit's early educational series
they produced the EK-2A and EK-2B "Basic
Radio Educational Series" in two parts. In
part one the student builds various circuits
including a crystal receiver and later a re-
generative receiver. However, in part two the
receiver is modified and expanded into a six-
tube general coverage superheterodyne re-
ceiver that covers the broadcast band and 3
to 10 MHz; passing the GC requirements.
Around 1961 Heath started the GR receiver
line which includes general coverage short-
wave radios along with many other general
radios including clock radios and AM/FM
portables. Qualifying GC receivers from this
group are (in chronological order) the GR-81,
GR-91, GR-64, GR-54, GR-43[A] and GR-78
(HotM #62). The solid-state GR-43 and its 'A'
update are clones of the Zenith Transoceanic
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