[Hallicrafters] Advice, please.

[roy.morgan at nist.gov]

Quoting Zengmeiste at aol.com:

> So maybe that sx-43 isn't going to show up anytime soon, perhaps.
> I'd like your opinion on an SX-77A on eeeeekBay, item # 5822192179.
> It mmm "powers up", which perhaps means most of it works OK.

Terry,

To my mind,what "powers up" means is: 

"I turned it on and only a small amaount of smoke got out after I started
hearing the crackling and frying noises."
Or:
"Some lights came on but nothing else happened."

> Good idea? Or should I keep on looking?

It looks very cleanable..dust only, no grime. The case and knobs look in very
good shape.  

NOTE: there is no power transformer to be burned up: It's an AC/DC radio. This
means that the only difficult part (other than caps and resistors) you may have
to replace due to shorted/leaky caps is the output transformer.  If it is
blown, notice that it is under the chassis and a new replacement won't show.
That sort of transformer is fairly easy to find from the same time frame,
though, because about one million radios had them in the 40's and 50's.

You should run it on an isolation transformer to be safe.  You don't need a very
big one, though.

I suggest you go for it, if you can buy it at a fair price.  (Get the seller to
remove the tubes and pack them inside the radio for shipping, or you'll be
looking for at least some replacements.)

Roy

 


Roy Morgan
7130 Panorama Dr.
Derwood MD 20855