[Hallicrafters] HT-18/S-53A Station - good point from Roni

[Bill Marx]

Hello Ed,
Well I have been watching this thread and you got my juices flowing. You are so correct about what we ran back then. In 1958 I was
running a Heath DX-35/VF-1 and my receiver was a Hallicrafters SX-99. I hated those twin dials but at 14 thats all I could afford. I
caddied on weekends to be able to buy those beauties at the time.

When I upgraded to General, my Elmer said I need a better rig and as luck would have it his Hallicrafters HT-9 just happened to be
available. He had just purchased a SX-115 and HT-32. I said sure! And the two of us somehow covered the three blocks to my house
with the 100 pound plus transmitter.

Well I was no longer crystal controlled because I was now a General! So a little searching and from somewhere I acquired an HT-18
that served as my VFO. I was able to sell my DX-35 and newly acquired VF-1 for a pittance of what I paid for them and I went off to
search for DX.

Bill Marx W2CQ (ex-K2PEQ)


----- Original Message -----
From: <W5HTW at att.net>
To: <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 9:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] HT-18/S-53A Station - good point from Roni


> The postings about the SW53, etc. remind me that ALL the ham stations of my
> Novice and early General era were of that ilk.  I knew no-one with dream rigs
> of the day, and especially the teens in my high school class, back in 1956 when
> I got started with the Novice.  One of my closest friends ran, in fact, an SW53
> and an AT-1.  Another ran a homebrew AM transmitter, with a Heath VFO,  of 25
> watts input, and an S38C.  The most luxurious station among my classmates was
> one fellow with a brand new DX35, I believe, and an RME45 receiver, which I
> adored.
>
> My own start was not so fancy, a Sears Silverton portable, and a homebrew
> 6AG7-6L6 40 meter rig.  And I dreamed of having an S38!  It would be another 18
> months or so before I finally bought a NEW S-85 to use with my newly acquired
> T90 ARC5 (??) 7 MHZ command transmitter. Prior to that I would have gladly
> given my left girlfriend for an SW53.
>
> We've come a long ways, baby.  Oddly, I am still able to hear things on my
> Drake R4B that I can barely find on other radios, and my SX71 is a
> frequently-used radio for AM reception.
>
> But I  would point out that that quote below is no longer entirely accurate,
> except, of course, with us boat-anchor types.  Just one of many examples I have
> heard recently that proves exactly the opposite is listening to a couple of
> guys talking about the internet linking.  One of them was bragging about "he
> sounded like he was in the same room with me," in reference to a station 1800
> miles away, via the internet.  It seems the goal today may actually be to cut
> out the QRM, QSB, QRN, and the challenge.  While that, on the surface, appears
> to be a political statement, it is a comment about the redefined ham radio, in
> which ease of contact,  with minimal disruptions, IS the goal.  In that light,
> an SW53, or S38C, or S85, SX71 or even an SX88,  would be like driving a
> Conostoga Wagon on the Interstate (well, in the case of the SX88, a deluxe
> Conostoga!) - it just isn't the same ball game at all.  We seem to prefer the
> obstacles to be overcome for us, rather than doing them ourselves.
>
> If that is the goal, the HT18 (I had one and enjoyed it, teamed with a Mosley
> CM-1 receiver) and SW53 would cause some serious teeth-grinding!  The hard-core
> hobbyists will always enjoy the SW53, S38 series, SX96, etc.  It's the
> difference between an Austin-Healy 100-6 from 1957, and a Buick Riviera of
> 2002.
>
> That SW53 is a "hands on" technology!  (Of course, it will never light a candle
> to my SX71!)
>
> 73
> Ed
>
>
> > >
> > > The point is that ham radio isn't about perfect 100% QSO's with no QRM,
> > > QRN, QSB etc. They are just as much a part of ham radio as the equipment
> > > we use.  TRUE ham radio, if there is such a thing, is  about learning to
> > > OVERCOME obstacles, not make disparaging remarks about the equipment.
> >
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