[Hallicrafters] Request for Advice/Suggestions

[Barry Hauser]

Hi Mike

Congrats on your win.  Looks like a nice one.

An assortment of manuals are available on the bama site
http://bama.sbc.edu  tThen click on Hallicrafters and go from there.

Essential you visit http://www.antiqueradio.org/halli07.htm

This one details the restoration of an SX-42, which shares much of the
same components and circuitry -- and challenges.  Has a fairly detailed
account, with photos, of a restoration done by A. B. Bonds, who BTW, I
haven't heard from recently.  (Has anyone?)  It's particularly important
to tend to the elaborate bandswitch which can become carbonized due to
component failure.

Incidentally, the escutcheon on the receiver you won just says "SX-62" --
no "A", however the tube lineup appears to be that of an A-model, or a
later run of the pre-A model, perhaps.  The original had more loktal
tubes, which became octals in the A version.  It may well be that
Hallicrafters made use of existing inventories of escutcheons and only
switched over when it was time to re-supply.  They did that with the
SX-28 panels -- many of the "A's" had "SX-28" front panels.

Some things to know off the bat, which I hope won't burst any bubbles. 
The -62 is basically the "living room, martini and smoking jacket"
version of the SX-42.  That big empty space on the chassis is where the
bandspread cap goes on the -42.  There's no bandspread on the -62, and
the BFO is fixed, not tunable.  However, it has a crystal calibrator and
an interesting dial calibration adjuster on the front panel.  There is
also no S-meter.  Finally, both the -62 and -42 are _single conversion_
receivers.  The Osterman book calls them dual conversion.  Not so, only
one is in play at a time -- 455 kHz or 10.7 mHz IF.

One of the main attractions to the SX-62(a) is that big glass sliderule
dial -- probably one of the biggest ever..  Each band lights up in synch
with the bandswitch setting.  There are all those country and city names
- -a bit hokey.  There's a running joke that some of the country/city
names have changed back so the dial is accurate again in terms of
nomenclature if not frequency.  (Like the broken clock that's correct
twice a day.)

The bad news is that many of these dials have started to (or have
advanced cases of) peeling.  The good news is that nice repro's are
available.  Yours looks good from the photos.

Good luck with it -- they're quite enjoyable -- and sport push-pull 6V6
twins.  Not too shabby.

Barry



On Mon, 9 Dec 2002 17:44:50 -0500 "Mike" <mwolfson at bright.net> writes:
> I was the successful bidder on e-Bay this afternoon for an SX-62.  
> I've
> never done any radio restoration before and need some suggestions on 
> where
> to start.  The description of the radio says that its in original 
> condition
> and works.  The description specifically says that it still has the 
> paper
> caps.  I guess replacing them will be my first project.
> 
> I'm planning on getting an owner's manual for it.  Should I invest 
> in a
> service manual as well ?  What other reference sources, books, etc 
> should I
> also pick up.  I already have an analog multimeter as well.  Anyone 
> have any
> other suggestions for other "must have" gear ?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Mike
> 
> _______________________________________________
> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF **for assistance**
> dfischer at usol.com
> ----
> Hallicrafters Collectors International: http://www.w9wze.org
> ----
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/hallicrafters
> 
> 

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