[Hallicrafters] What's in a name?

[Rich Oliver]

Bill Halligan's first offering was the H-13 in late 1933.  It was an 
"all-wave BC type receiver" with 13 tubes, and we might guess that the 
"H" was for Halligan.  Never mind that he then changed the "H" to a "Z".

Halligan acquired the Silver-Marshall name after they went bankrupt in 
1932 and he advertised his first sets under that name.  One might 
speculate that the "S" was intended to tie in to the established 
Silver-Marshall name.  By 1935 Hallicrafters was selling the S-4 
superhet and they offered it with an optional crystal filter as the 
SX-4.  The earliest use of "X" was to indicate a crystal filter.  By the 
time other filtering techniques became available the "X" was 
well-established and perhaps it was just easier to stay with that 
convention for all enhanced filtering systems.

Later exceptions to the "S/SX" prefix include the 5-T, a 5 Tube entry 
level receiver of 1936.  In 1938 came the cutting edge DD-1 dual 
diversity receiver (pretty obvious) and in 1953 the TW-1000.  I think 
that must have been for "Trans-World" to contrast it with Zenith's 
"Trans-Oceanic".  Of course there were the "EC" series Echophone 
Commercial sets and many military sets with military designations.

My guess is that the naming scheme started with "S" for Silver-Marshall 
and "X" for crystal, then it was extended to fit later sets even when 
the fit was not perfect.

I wonder how many of the very early sets survive.  I have never seen any 
myself, and can't think of anyone who might have seen them other than 
perhaps Chuck Dachis and Max Dehenseler.  Does anybody on the list have 
any Hallicrafters gear from 1933 or 1934?

Cheers, Rich