[Hallicrafters] Why I'm a Hallicrafters Guy

[David Hollander]

Ah...the "airplane sound"  I remember that sound  well but to this day
have no idea what it was. I remember hearing it on my S-41W that my dad
gave me to use at age 10. He was working at Collins Radio in Newport
Beach and he gave me a lousy S-41W!!!!!! He was not a ham at that time.

My dad also said something about the receiver really being an
Echophone but I had no idea as to what he was talking about.

About 18 months later I got my novice WN6IWX and he than happened to be 
working at Hallicrafters' Pacific division in Santa Ana, California. He 
bought me an HT-40 kit which I built but I still had the S-41W receiver. 
About the sixth week of my novice (I still had not made a single QSO), 
he shows up with an SX-115. "Where did that come from?" I asked. “We 
needed space at work so we dismantled the ham station.  My boss took the 
HT-32 and HT-33 and I took the SX-115"  he said. When they closed up 
Hallicrafters Pacific division to move it back to Chicago in 1965, his 
boss reminded him that we had the receiver. He also informed him that 
the SX-115 would be expensive to ship back to Chicago plus it would have 
to be refurbished before it could be sold so he suggested that my dad 
make him an offer. He offered $50 and his boss said that would be fine.

My dad finally got his ticket 3 years after me. He is now N6UC and has 
had that call since 1977.

I finally got an SX-115 a few weeks ago and already have the HT-40 so I 
can now re-assemble my Novice station.

As far as older Hallicrafters gear, I don’t think they used the highest 
quality components compared to National. Of course National had a 
distinct advantage since they also made components and had Millen as 
their chief engineer in the 1930’s. The 1930’s National receivers run 
circles around Hallicrafters of that era and they are much easier to 
work on. I have recapped an SX-28 - what a nightmare! I do enjoy using 
my Hallicrafters stuff have quite a bit of it. I also have a lot of 
national, some Collins, RME, RCA, Johnson, military and it is all fun to 
use. I also got the original S-41W back a few months ago when my dad was 
cleaning out the garage. It still works.

I would still like to know what  that airplane sound was that we used to 
hear between the ham bands in the early 1960's.. That sound, WWV and 
teletype were magical to me at 10 years old.

Dave N7RK

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Dave  N7RK          Boatanchors Home Page: http://members.cox.net/n7rk
Phoenix, Arizona         *DXCC Honor Roll*    *WAZ#22 - 75 Meter SSB*

ex-XE2/N7RK, N7RK/ZB2, VK2ERK, ZM0AJN, WB6NRK, WN6IWX

Boatanchor and Antique Radio Collector