[Hallicrafters] How to Destroy a Nice Hallicrafters Receiver

Wed Jul 19 20:38:55 EDT 2006

Hey man! What you'll boys talkin bout, a radio or, the Dusenberg???

Roger K8RI wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julian Bunn" <Julian.Bunn at caltech.edu>
> To: "Roger K8RI" <hallicraftersgroup at rogerhalstead.com>
> Cc: <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 1:56 PM
> Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] How to Destroy a Nice Hallicrafters Receiver
> 
> 
>> I don't know about anybody else, but I would *love* to
>> see a photo of Roger's modded '59 airplane (from the
>> year I was born!).
> 
> http://www.rogerhalstead.com/833R/833R_frame.htm
> These are some old scans which need to be replaced with much better ones.
> 
> Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
> N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
> www.rogerhalstead.com
> 
>>
>> Sometimes a mod is necessary. The SX42 I was working on
>> blew its mains transformer, and there was no replacement
>> I could find. So I was obliged to replace it with a
>> different transformer, remove the 5U4 tube, and use
>> silicon rectifier diodes instead. I didn't like doing
>> it, but it was either that or not have the radio
>> working ... an easy choice. And of course the regulation
>> is *much* better with the silicon :-)
>>
>>
>> Julian
>>
>> Roger K8RI wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> On 7/11/06, Peter May <peter_may at optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>>>> <snip>
>>>>
>>>>> It's hard to believe, but there was a time when an old tube radio 
>>>>> was worth
>>>>> nothing, anything not solid state was valueless.
>>>
>>> I still tend to think of many of them as worth little.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm also going to admit to what on this group amounts to almost 
>>> blasphemy; I converted an HT-33B that looked like new to use a 
>>> different tube.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> At one time I had a *pile* of ARC-5s that were nothing but parts for 
>>> projects.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>> So people modded and experimented these sets with no concern to the
>>>>> cosmetic/aesthetic appearance value, or the interest of future 
>>>>> generations.
>>>
>>>
>>> Most of the old rigs I tried to keep "looking" stock, but back in 
>>> "the days" I modified many a commercial rig including a KWM-2, 75S3, 
>>> 32S3, SR160, HT44, SX117
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>> If they messed up, they stripped it for parts or binned it with no 
>>>>> regrets.
>>>>> If it was missing knobs they pinched them from another radio.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I always had enough duplicates that I could get knobs from some where.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Herein lies the real issue. Unless someone knows it was converted last
>>>> week by some collector who 'knew better', it's not really fair to
>>>> judge the past by today's standards (or at all, for that matter).
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> However so far we are talking peanuts.  I have an airplane that is 
>>> the oldest of it's kind in existence. It was built in 1959 which 
>>> makes it older than many of the radios we talk about. List price when 
>>> new was $19,300. It's worth many times that now.  There is a museum 
>>> that would like it, but of course that would only get me a tax 
>>> deduction.  Being retired, on a pension, and SS, tax deductions are 
>>> not real high on my "needed list"<:-)) There is little left in that 
>>> airplane that is stock. The thin 2-piece windshield has been replaced 
>>> with a one piece that is 1/2" thick.  It extends quite a ways forward 
>>> of where the original ended and that meant a fair amount of metal 
>>> work. The side windows have been replaced with some that are 1/4" 
>>> thick and the rear window on each side is a long 1/4" thick unit and 
>>> it  didn't even have a window there.
>>>
>>>
>>>> There was a time when ARC-5 receivers really were $5 or less NIB, and
>>>
>>>
>>> In the early 60's you could often find them for free and by the dozens.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Ø      people had no issue with improving the performance (by cutting or
>>>
>>> Ø
>>>
>>> Most of us just used the ARC-5s as a convenient source of parts and 
>>> 1625s.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> drilling) of their surplus or current technology rig the same as some
>>>> do today with their recent Yaecomwood riceboxes, for whatever reason.
>>>> Once upon a time this old gear was actually seen for its utility and
>>>> not as a financial investment, R at RE collectible, or means of upstaging
>>>> your collector friends. There probably were a few who were even
>>>> envious that the former owner had a monitor 'scope in his receiver,
>>>> like the Central Electronics 100V/200V transmitters.
>>>>
>>>> If your radio broke down, you fixed it. The object was to be on the
>>>> air or at least listening, not admiring it on a shelf. Fixing it might
>>>
>>>
>>> I tended to want the radio, even if modified, to look good.
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>> ______________________________________________________________
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>>> ----
>>> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF **for assistance**
>>> dfischer at usol.com
>>> ----
>>> Hallicrafters Collectors International: http://www.w9wze.org
>>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Julian Bunn
>> Caltech
>>
>> Tel: +1 626 395 6681
>> Mob: +1 626 375 4628
>> WWW: pcbunn.cacr.caltech.edu/jjb.html
>>
>>
>>
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>> dfischer at usol.com
>> ----
>> Hallicrafters Collectors International: http://www.w9wze.org
>>
> 
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> ----
> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF **for assistance**
> dfischer at usol.com
> ----
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> 