[Hallicrafters] Matching Speaker for 50's and 60's Black, Sliver and Gray Halli's

[Mike Everette]

The matching speaker you are looking for is the R-46B.
 That is about as close as you're going to get.  It's
dark gray/black with a silver grille and large
lower-case "h."  The R-46B was made to go with the
SX-96, SX-99, SX-100 and SX-101.  The manual for the
SX-111 mentions it, as does the SX-110 manual.  The
46B uses a 10 inch 3.2 ohm speaker.  

The R-46B differs from the all-black R-46 (with 500
ohm to 3.2 ohm transformer) and all-black R-46A
(without a 500 ohm transformer) in that the 46B box is
about two inches less deep; it will easily sit on top
of the SX-96/99/100-size radios.

There is another speaker contemporary with the 46, the
R-48.  This one is a good bit smaller, is silver-gray
in color with a gloss black metal face and the corca
1959-60 "speed letter" lower-case white "h" on a red
circle as the logo.  The R-48 was probably designed
and styled for use with the SX-111 and is shown with
that receiver in QST ads and in the catalog section of
the ARRL Handbooks from 1960-61.  (I'd have to look at
my SX-111 manual again but don't seem to recall any
actual reference to the R-48).

The R-48 uses an oval speaker, about 5x9 inch, that
looks like something which came out of a sixties car
radio.  It doesn't sound near as good as an R-46B (I
speak from experience on this).  It reminds me of the
"cheapie" speakers that Hammarlund sold with the
HQ-170 and 180 that don't sound anywhere near as good
as their prices on "that site" would suggest (I know
about these speakers first hand too -- waaaaay
overrated).

There is also an R-48A which has a tone switch in the
back.  The electrolytic cap in this tone circuit will
always be bad; replace it -- or straight-wire the
switch to bypass it.  The speaker will work much
better that way.

Regarding the R-46B, you will often find the silver
paint on the  grille to be flaking.  This is easy to
fix.  First take the speaker and the black flocked
"grille cloth" out of the box.  Then, sand or scrape
off ALL the silver paint and get the grille down to
bright metal -- no dull, which is oxide, and if you
paint over it, you'll have flaking paint all over
again.  Next, CAREFULLY mask around the grille and
cover up the box with newspaper.  Spray the grille
with Krylon bright silver.  Use light coats; don't
hurry, don't "hose" it or the paint may creep under
the masking tape to mar the gray paint on the box.

It'll look great (and sound great) when you're done,
if you're careful.

73
Mike
WA4DLF



__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com