[Boatanchors] New Addition To The Shack!

[Al Parker]

Hi Mike, Todd, et al,
    The SX-101 is one of the prettiest receivers (and heaviest) ever, IMHO 
at least, but it sounds like you agree.  Todd's covered a lot of the 
different model features.
    I don't know of any mods that have been widely suggested.  They can tend 
to drift a bit, I think the 12BY7 used as an oscillator is one culprit, it 
always seemed to be overkill to me, quite a heat generator.  The bandswitch 
contacts need judicious application of your favorite contact treatment.
    If you want to do a full job on it, get the ER issues that show Ray 
Osterwald's work, about 3 or 4 issues, maybe 2 or 3 yrs ago, if you can't 
find them I'll search up the dates for you.  Even if you don't do it as 
thoroughly as Ray did, it's good reading and gives things to watch for.
    I lusted after them in the late '50's, early '60's, finally got one in 
abt 1998, and have had several since.  The present one, an A, gets used 
fairly frequently.  It was a 'user' as bought, but would benefit from some 
TLC.  Some people swear at the various old caps in there, there's a bunch on 
the selectivity switch.  There were pink Tiny Chiefs on the first one I had, 
I pulled some loose to check, all were OK, so I left them.  I think it 
depends upon the production date as to just what caps were used.
    You got a terrific deal.
73,
Al, W8UT
New Bern, NC
www.boatanchors.org
www.hammarlund.info

"there is nothing -absolutely nothing- half as much worth doing as simply 
messing about in boats."
   Ratty, to Mole


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Todd, KA1KAQ" <ka1kaq at gmail.com>
To: "Michael D. Harmon" <mharmon at att.net>
Cc: <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 1:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] New Addition To The Shack!


> Good find (and price), Mike. I'm certainly no SX-101 or even Halli
> expert, from from memory:
>
> - the 101A dumped the 160m band in favor of using the dial space for
> a converter band, 6m comes to mind
>
> - the latest 101As had the large flat-sided knobs like the SR-150 and
> so on. Also true of the later SX-62As and all 62Bs
>
> - earlier 101As had the same fluted knobs used on the 101s
>
> Hope this is of some help. I'm sure others can give additional
> information. Regardless of the age, you got a great radio for the
> price! I have fond memories of looking at a beautiful SX-101 in an
> OT's shop one night in the early 80s and wishing I had the $100 to
> take it home with me. Had to settle for a WWII VHF Naval receiver, a
> pile of tubes, and some early century wireless magazines instead.
>
> Enjoy -
>
> ~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4
>
> On Sun, Jan 11, 2009 at 11:05 PM, Michael D. Harmon <mharmon at att.net> 
> wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I was browsing yesterday in my neighborhood electronics emporium, and
>> happened to glance down at a large cabinet on the bottom shelf, amid the
>> second and third hand VCR's, stereo speakers and CB radios.  Wow, that
>> thing looks like an old Hallicrafters receiver!  Yep, sure 'nuff, it's
>> an SX-101A!
>>
>> The receiver had no price tag, which was surprising, because it's
>> usually the first thing the store owner does to a new addition to the
>> place.  I was expecting something like the $350 he has on an old HP 608
>> signal generator that's been there a couple of years.  I went up to the
>> teenyboppers who were at the counter comparing their nail polish and
>> asked them where the owner was.  The one with the purple hair managed to
>> tell me he was around somewhere, maybe in the basement, but she didn't
>> know  for sure.  I hung around a few minutes, but he never appeared.  I
>> went back and asked her again if she could try to find him.  She asked
>> me what I wanted him for, and when I told her I needed to ask some
>> questions, she replied that she could answer any question I had.
>>
>> I asked her how much they wanted for the old receiver on the bottom
>> shelf.  She asked me if I was talking about the "big old heavy thing",
>> and I told her yes, the big old heavy thing.  She asked me what the
>> price tag said, and I told her there was no tag.  Finally, with a great
>> deal of effort, she put down her nail polish bottle and headed for the
>> basement stairs.  I told her to tell the guy that I'd give him $50 and
>> haul it away for free.  She came back and said OK!
>>
>> I cleaned it up, checked the tubes, sprayed the pots and switches, and
>> fired it up on a Variac.  By the time I got the line voltage up to
>> normal, I could hear signals on the 75M band.   I need to clean the pots
>> and switches a little better, because they're pretty noisy.  In the AM
>> position, the receiver goes dead, so I have a little troubleshooting to
>> do.  I need one of the small knobs used for the Notch Depth and Pointer
>> Reset controls.  However, for $50 it's a real find!  It'll be a great
>> addition to the AM boatanchor station I'm putting together.  Maybe I'll
>> pair it up with my Viking II!
>>
>> Does anyone out there have a file of mods for the SX-101A?   From my
>> research, I believe it's the latest of the 101 family (after the Mk I,
>> II and III).  Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.  Does anyone know
>> of any common problems with these receivers?
>>
>> I'll probably replace the black beauties one of these days, but the
>> receiver seems to be functional (at least on CW/SSB) as is.  I need to
>> find out why the AM mode is dead as a doornail.  The AM detector tube
>> checks OK, so it's probably a bad coupling cap or a bad connection
>> somewhere.
>>
>> 73,
>> Mike, WB0LDJ
>> mharmon at att dot net
>> _______________________________________________
>>
> _______________________________________________