[Hallicrafters] New SX-42 posting

[Craig Roberts]

My SX-42 restoration is coming along nicely. Patience has been the 
component in success thus far. I'm very anxious to enjoy my "new" radio, 
but must keep reminding myself that slow, steady, meticulous workmanship 
will yield the best results. A miswired part, dmaged component or 
forgotten connection might take an awful lot of time and trouble to 
track down later.

Of course, it's easy for me to pontificate. My radio's working already 
with strong signals on every band, so I'm not wringing my hands in angst 
as I rebuild the radio. I did have intermittent audio output for a 
little while last night, though, going from ear splitting to barely 
audible and back.  Summoning my many years of theoretical study and 
decades of practical experience, I effected a temporary cure by striking 
my right fist sharply on the chassis. Finding the prospect of repeating 
this procedure ad nauseum in order to enjoy my radio, I went in search 
of a cause for the decibel dropout and have subsequently gained enough 
knowledge to publish the following service hint:

HINT: Check the soundness of tube sockets.  As part of my servicing, I 
clean all socket pins by scrubbing them out with an interdental brush 
(see your local drugstore's toothpaste section) saturated with De-Oxit.  
I had done this to the sockets in the newly recapped power and audio 
sections of the SX-42, so I knew corrosion or dirt wasn't the problem 
BUT, one of the socket pins on one of the 6V6 audio output tubes had 
loosened slightly in its base. When I plugged in the tube, the pin was 
pushed downward so that intermittent contact was made. Pushing the pin 
up from the bottom and solidly onto the tube pin re-established contact 
and solved the problem. A drop of epoxy could be applied to hold the pin 
in place permanently, if desired.

As many have noted, the SX-42 went through at least three iterations.  I 
have (thankfully and luckily) a later model. The radio, however, does 
not agree with the schematic I was furnished with it.  This has led to 
some confusion and mystery. 

My vision is now clear, though, with the acquisition of a Sams Photofact 
file for the set -- with a schematic that matches my radio. One of our 
generous list members sent me a copy of his and I purchased an online 
version from Sams itself.  Even the Sams version is difficult to 
decipher, however. It's a PDF generated from a photocopy with 
predictable results. So, I set about enlarging and enhancing it as best 
I could.

The result is posted at: 
www.aerialacts.com/Sams_SX42_parts_schematic.pdf . It's a 12-page, 14 MB 
file consisting only of the parts list and schematic.  It's far from 
perfect, but it's the most readable version I've seen thus far.  
Supposedly, a printed "original" Photofact document is on its way from 
an eBay seller.   If it is, indeed, the genuine article and not a copy 
of a copy of a copy, etc, I'll scan it carefully and post it as soon as 
I can. 

Again, many, many thanks to all who have been so supportive of this 
project and furnished photos, drawings and files. I couldn't be more 
grateful (well, I could -- but it'd be sick, ugly and unmanly). 

Tomorrow, I take my cabinet into the bowels of Baltimore to inquire 
about powder coating.  I'll let you know how that works out.

VY 73, Halli-buddies,

Craig
W3CRR
www.aerialacts.com