[Hallicrafters] Re: What was the summit of Hallicrafters, performancewise

[kiyoinc at attglobal.net]

** Reply to note from <clemens at it.dk> Mon, 22 Nov 2004 11:06:15 -0500 (EST)

> My question really is: Among general coverage tube receivers what was the  
> pinnacle of performance reached by Hallicrafters? Collins had the R-390A  
> and the 51J-4. National had HRO-60, Hammarlund had SP-600,  Racal had the  
> RA-17, Siemens the EK-07, Eddystone the 880/2, and so on . If it was the  
> SX-88 why was it not produced in greater numbers? Too expensive, too  
> difficult to maintain? Is the SX-73 in the running? Did Hallicrafters not  
> really go for government contracts? Which receiver would the Hallicrafters  
> list decide to put in the field against the above?

I'd guess it would be a later "Chrome Bandit" radio.  Chrome
Bandit is what I call the SX-117/HT-44 style.  I think the SX-122
was a general coverage radio.

I own an SX-101A.  It has a nice sound, powerful audio, and is
sensitive enough.  It's weakness is the local oscillator.  While
it's stable, the the frequency readout isn't 1 kHz. 

I also have an SX-100 with an external digital readout.  It's
quite nice.  Has the powerful Hallicrafters audio and is a real
band cruiser.  It's not quite as stable as the SX-101A.

As price of boatanchors has been and is low, I've acquired
several examples of the genre. 

Collins 75S-1 - Really nice,  I'm amazed that these cost less
than the original price.  It's like inflation ran in reverse.

Drake 2B and 2BQ - ditto.  More than good enough for general
hamming and listening.  

Heathkit SB-303 and SB-313 - well, these are solid state but they
are really classic boat anchor design with solid state devices in
place of tubes. No synthesizers, no integrated circuits, no
microcomputers, no frequency counter, just amps, mixers, IF
transformers, and crystal filters.  Nicer than my SX-101A because
of the stable, linear master oscillator BUT, the big
Hallicrafters glass window gives you a sense of the band like
nothing else.  

I'm working on a Signal/One CX7A. Everything works except the PA.
Receives fine.  Ditto the SB-104A with the bad counter/display. 

My opinion.  Hallicrafters is "good enough".  Anyway the QTH and
antenna count for much more than the radio.  

de ah6gi/4