[Boatanchors] got the HT-20

[Rob Atkinson]

yeah, yours looks just as bad as mine.  Your bezel looks almost
identical to mine.  I think mine is cracked in exactly the same place.
 I guess they used pot metal because they were not making ten thousand
of them.   I have considered simply removing it if that is possible
without damaging anything, and running the rig with the restored front
panel minus the bezel, until I can come up with a replacement.   It
looks like they all suffered from the same material construction and
stresses on the bezel from the way they fit in the cutout that took
time to become apparent.  Congratulations on the purchase!   Todd, I
thought I was the only one with too much stuff and not enough time.

73

Rob
K5UJ



On Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 12:53 PM, Brian Harris <cosmophone at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Well, I bought the HT-20 this morning.  The front panel paint is a real mess but I'll have Bob W0VYA redo it for me when I get it off.  I was disappointed to see that the bezel is a mess.  I don't know what it's made of but it's cracked on the inside edge of the RHS of the bezel and some other edges are a little wavy.  I wonder if the much touted SX-88 has the same cheesy bezel.  Shame on Hallicrafters if the answer is yes.  I wish they had used a better material, like cast aluminum.  I think a friend of mine can cast a new bezel using resin but it will be a lot of work and he may or may not be able to achieve the textured look, which, IMHO, I think doesn't look good in the first place.
>
> The good news is that all the shielding is in place and the rear apron
>  looks original and in good shape plus all the front panel controls move smoothly.  I don't much like the
>  screen over the meter/dial so I think that will be removed during restoration.  I have put a couple of pictures on the website below for your perusal.
>
> So, now I am looking for a cabinet (HT-20, HT-31, SX-73) and a bezel.  Let's hope there are some parts rigs out there.
>
> Happy Father's Day and 73,
>
> Brian Harris, WA5UEK
>
>