[ARC5] Hallicrafters S-38 is dangerous

[Robert Nickels]

On 11/17/2015 9:11 AM, mstangelo at comcast.net wrote:
> Collins was acquired by Rockwell. It would be interesting to find out the fates of the other companies.
Collins Radio, as you say, became part of Rockwell International in 
1973, and was spun off as a separate public company in 2001.   While 
it's undeniable that military electronics "made" Collins, there is also 
no doubt that the ham equipment is what enabled the company to position 
itself for that growth.

Hallicrafters was sold to Northrup Corp. in 1966, which continued making 
Hallicrafters products until 1975 when the Hallicrafters name was sold 
and the  plant in Rolling Meadows IL  became Northrop Corporation's 
Defense Systems Division.   Ownership of the Hallicrafters name has 
bounced around since and has fallen into obscurity.

By 1965, Hammarlund had consolidated all of its operations into the 
expanded plant in Mars Hill NC that was originally built in 1951, and 
went through a series of ownership changes, first to Telechrome, then to 
Giannini Scientific, and finally to Electronic Assistance Corporation 
(EAC),  one of the manufacturers of the famous R-390A.    While it was 
boosted by the first CB era and by the Outercom brand of two-way FM 
gear, as the ham market continued to decline and shift offshore, the 
capacitor manufacturing business was sold to Cardwell Condensor in 1971 
and the plant was closed.

My personal connection came a dozen or so years later when I came to 
work for Honeywell which had purchased the Mars Hill factory in 1973 and 
continued to operate it as a manufacturing plant it until it was finally 
closed again in 2012.    After numerous trips and conversations with 
long-time employees who also worked for Hammarlund, I found that no more 
than good memories remained of the Hammarlund era.

The common thread?   Each of these one-time leading ham and shortwave 
receiver manufacturers was acquired by a military electronics company, 
and at least part of their legacy can be traced to successor companies 
that are still active today.

73, Bob W9RAN

PS:   If you've got a million-two burning a hole in your pocket and want 
a huge hamshack and 30 acre antenna farm on a beautiful location with a 
view of the Appalachian Trail, take a look at the Mars Hill facility: 
http://www.whitneycre.com/properties/hickory-dr-400-mars-hill-483942