Collins 32S-3 Transmitter
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| Frequency | TX: 80–10 m (3.4–30 MHz amateur) |
| TX power | 100 W |
| Modes | USB, LSB, CW |
| Weight | 7.7 kg (17 lb) |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Year | 1962 |
| mic | Collins 4-pin (S-Line) or varies by model |
| antenna | SO-239 |
The transmitter component of the Collins S-Line. Mechanical filter SSB generation produced the cleanest amateur SSB signal available. PTO for drift-free tuning. 6146 finals. When paired with the 75S-3 receiver and 516F-2 power supply, the 32S-3 completed the most recognizable amateur station ever built.
Requires the 516F-2 power supply. Part of a three-unit station that costs $1500-4000 complete. The PTO develops backlash. 6146 finals need periodic replacement. Collins parts are expensive.
The S-Line's transmitter. The 32S-3 generated SSB via a 455 kHz mechanical filter, audibly cleaner than the phasing or crystal-lattice methods competitors used. Paired with the 75S receiver and 516F-2 supply, it formed the most recognizable amateur station of its era.
The Collins 32S-3 is the transmitter half of the celebrated Collins S-line, a matched set of slim, gray, exquisitely built units that defined the high-end amateur station of the 1960s. It covers all the amateur bands between roughly 3.4 and 30 MHz in SSB and CW, with a power input of 175 watts PEP on sideband (160 watts on CW) for a nominal 100 watts of output, designed to pair with the matching 75S-series receiver.
Like all Collins gear it was built to professional standards, with permeability-tuned oscillators and mechanical filters giving exceptional stability and signal quality. In a Collins S-line station the 32S-3 transmitter and 75S receiver can be operated together with a shared oscillator for transceive operation, a sophisticated arrangement for its day. Clean S-line pieces remain among the most desirable vintage American amateur equipment.
It is a discontinued classic. See the matched 75S-3 receiver and the complete S-line.