[Hallicrafters] A $535 recap? Now, you can do it!

[Craig Roberts]

Well, I've begun restoring my newly acquired but reception-challenged 
Hallicrafters SX-42 (so far, I've cleaned the knobs).  The previous 
owner was kind enough to send along the original manual with the radio. 
The little book's complete and -- as they say on eBay -- in terrific 
shape for an article almost 60 years old.  It was, however, apparently 
printed on that funky wartime paper (could Mr. Halligan have been trying 
to save some postwar bucks?) and so is severely yellowed and very fragile. 

In order to preserve the original, I scanned the manual into full size 
PDF format.  I've posted it on my website at 
www.aerialacts.com/SX42_manual.pdf.  I cleaned up the pages a bit -- 
though not obsessively -- and attempted to make that ridiculous, itty 
bitty schematic readable and of a high enough resolution to enlarge and 
print oversize, if you wish. (We've talked about our middle-aged eyes 
before).  It's a large (21 MB) file, so if you don't have a broadband 
connection and don't want to tie up your computer with a massive 
download, I'll furnish a nice hard copy of the manual free of charge. If 
you want a print, please email your name and address and I'll send it 
along. 

Silly me!  A couple of nights ago I ordered 35 bucks worth of little 
yellow plastic capacitors from Antique Electronic Supply, They are, of 
course, destined for the ambitious SX-42 recapping job I have ahead of 
me (watch this space for bouts of venting and pleas for help). This 
morning, however, I learned that -- had I known -- I could have replaced 
all those nasty, filthy gooey wax paper caps in my receiver with brand 
new, shiny, gooey wax paper caps, thus preserving the authentic 1947 
underchassis look and smell -- and for only about $500 more!!  How?  
Well, check this out, fellas: www.percyaudio.com/Catalog.pdf . Go to the 
bottom of page 7  and recoil in shock and awe.  While you're roaming 
around Mr. Percy's offerings, see if you can find the $20-a-pair spade 
lugs (perfect for hooking up your R-42 or SP-600 speaker to your 
boatanchor). And how about that $2.95-a-foot hookup wire?  Imagine how 
slickly the electrons would flow from pin 5 of V7 to lug 3 of terminal 
strip E4 in that stuff!! Wow!!

Seriously, we should be grateful to our fanatical audiophile buds for 
creating and maintaining a market for new, old-timey bits. Remember how 
hard it was to find even a fresh multi-section electrolytic a few years ago?

Have fun browsing.

73,

Craig
W3CRR