[Hallicrafters] S-38 Info

[Oliver J. Dragon]

Hello all,

This is my first entry into the Hallicrafters net so hope I don't mess 
things up...

I am trying to learn a little bit about the Hallicrafters S-38 receiver 
series (particularly the S-38 thru S-38C) before I take the plunge and buy 
one for my son to use as an SWL receiver. I have a couple of beginning 
questions which may turn into more questions as my knowledge about this 
receiver grows.

1. The S-38 appears to have a built-in bfo and control whereas the B and C 
models do not. Does anyone know why Hallicrafters decided to delete this 
capability?

2. The dials (main and bandspread) appear to be dark (white lettering on 
black background?) in the S-38C but earlier models appear to have dials of 
dark lettering on light (yellow or white?) background. Am I correct in this 
observation?

3. I suspect there is probably not much change in circuitry between the 3 
models of interest (except for bfo deletion). Is this the case and/or is 
one model "better" than another in the area of sensitivity, selectivity 
(knowing that these lower-end models probably had not much selectivity to 
begin with) or other capabilities?

4. Any other hints/tips would be greatly appreciated as I try to learn more 
about this receiver.

Thanks!
Steve.