[Hallicrafters] Speaker values

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On 2/7/07, Mike Everette <radiocompass at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Refinishing the silver is easy.  First, take the

> Spray on silver paint.  RustOleum makes a silver,
> actually more of a pewter, that is real close.  There
> is NO "standard" or "correct" silver color; I'd be
> willing to bet the stuff varied by time of day, day of
> week and phase of moon.  It was probably mixed with a
> canoe paddle in a 55 gallon drum in a dark corner of
> the plant.

More likely they did like most manufacturers, including Collins, and
bought the stuff from outside contractors. And you're right, Mike - it
varies somewhat regardless of how strict the QC is. This is likely why
companies buy it in bulk; to keep the color consistent across many
examples. Double-edged sword, though, since the longer you wait for
another batch, the more likely to have discrepancies between them.
Collins ran a pretty tight ship, but looking at their old ads you can
see contrast differences between cabinets and front panels, beyond
what can be explained away by lighting and shadows.

Then you factor in things like temperature, humidity, drying
time/method, and even in a controlled environment, you'll see
differences. They may appear subtle between nearby examples, but
compared to something shipped months or years earlier or later, there
can be substantial variations. We won't go into the years of exposure
to UV light and so on...

Best approach in my opinion would be to shoot the radio and speaker
cabinet at the same time, with the same paint, if you're really
concerned with a match. Otherwise, just go for what looks close enough
and enjoy the gear. There are no absolutes beyond what we ourselves
place on the outcome.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ