[Hallicrafters] Hallicrafters SX-110 alignment questions

[Michael Rogers]

I originally sent this to Gary Brown (WZ1M), but this is probably where I
need to send this.

I have a SX-110 (GREAT condition) and wish to align it (I assume it needs an
alignment). I had some
questions I could not find answers to.


These are my thus unanswered questions:

[1] In my manual, a RETMA dummy antenna is used for alignment: what side of
it is the 'high' side and 'low' side?

[2] I have a Heathkit IGB-102 signal generator: is this one sufficient to
align the crystal filter IF winding?
    the manual I have  (from the BAMA site) says that a signal generator
accurate within .25 Kc is required.
    Is this the case in reality or is the manual correct?

[3] The manual says that the signal generator has to be connected to the
stator of gang (center section) thru
    a 0.02 uF cap. Which gang might they mean? There are two multi section
variable air capacitors in this set.

[4] The VTVM must be connected "from 500 ohm speaker terminal to ground".
What does that mean? Does it mean
    that the 'red' connector is to be connected to 500 Ohm screw and the
other lead (black) is to be connected
    to chassis (ground)?

[5] I assume that my digital VOM will suffice for a VTVM: is that true?

[6] The manual says that the VTVM is to be set at the AC scale. This is
different from what the Heathkit GR-64
    required: I had to set the VOM to read negative DC volts while reading
the AVC pin (the grid line of the
    mixer tube). Why AC on the stator of the gang center section? Should
this be DC?

[7] I dont hear excessive noise (filters and other caps not too bad). At
what point should I just re-cap the set?

[8] How do I know if the alignment is bad? The set seems 100x as accurate as
the GR-64, but I cant seem to dial
    in a frequency as easy as I think it should.

[9] What is the short story on the main dial and the bandspread dial? Does
the short one dial in the main
    freq setting and the bandspread is the offset? Do I read the logging
scale (at the bottom) or the cryptic
    ranges for the 10M, 15M, 20M, 40M, and 80M ranges (why do these only
contain a limited number of numbers
    for each band setting)?

[10] I am using about 55 feet of antenna on the trim of my house with 75 Ohm
coax as a feed line. The GR-64 really
     liked this setup, but I notice I have NO reception on certain parts of
my 42M band and upper 20M band: how much
     of this could be the set out of alignment and my antenna?

[11] This set has a built in antenna tuner. I built a simple tuner from this
site:
      http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx/antenna/index.html . It does not
seem to work a dramaticly on the SX-110
      as it did for the GR-64, so I took it off. Any suggestions?



Anything Im missing, please let me know. The radio appears to work great,
but there might be room for improvement
by a fresh alignment. The only other radio alignment experience I have is
with my HeathKit GR-64.

Thanx all!

-Mike