[Boatanchors] Hammarlund HQ-215

[Robert Nickels]

On 5/9/2026 7:44 PM, wa9wfa via Boatanchors wrote:
> Have any of you owned or seen a Hammarlund HQ-215 in person?

Hi Scott,

I have one,  it's on the air paired up with my restored HX-500 
transmitter as the "oddball Hammarlund station".   It's a very nice 
receiver - I added a wider Collins filter for AM.   It's on the cover of 
issue 412 of Electric Radio along with an article about the chief 
designer, Everst McDade W4DYW that was written by his son (one of four 
kids who held ham license) who also was part of the test team for the 
HQ-215.    Everest also designed the Davco DR-30 - another solid state 
receiver for which a matching transmitter never appeared.

Osterman's book shows the HQ-215 was only sold 1968-69, whereas the 
HQ-200 (which was a restyled version of the HQ-100) is listed as 
1968-1972, making it the last Hammarlund receiver.   I do know the 
factory in Mars Hill NC closed then, as the Honeywell Microswitch 
division that I was later to work for bought it in 1973 and operated in 
Mars Hill until 2012.   A number of the former Hammarlund employees were 
rehired and it was always an exemplary workforce in a beautiful setting 
with the Appalachian Trail in the background.

73, Bob W9RAN