[Hallicrafters] SX-117 (again)

[bonddaleena at aol.com]

Please allow me to make another comment about this wonderful 
radio.......

I always wanted a SX-115 since seeing one in my late Uncle's (and 
Elmer) shack. W1BNO, he was a wonderful man and mentor. He didn't keep 
the 115 long, but the other receivers he had in his shack were an 
RME-6900 (got a nice one, and have had several) and the SX-117. The 
115s were (and are) out of my financial reach, but reading the series 
of articles in Electric Radio, by Ray, N0DMS, redirected my interest in 
the 117.
I have had Hallicrafter radios before with the same styling and was not 
ascetically pleased. However, it's the performance that counts!

I found a nice 117 on ePay, er, eBay. As you know, the chassis on these 
radios are similar to my 75A-4, being aluminum, they clean up 
perfectly. I resprayed the covers and made a couple of those strange 
locking fasteners for the top cover.
After it was recapped and 'gone over', I was pleased with the 
performance. I then decided to do the mods suggested in the ER magazine.

WOW!!!

I still find that the performance is just flat phenomenal!! Just today, 
I was listening to my Icom 761 (which has been aligned and those crummy 
caps were replaced). The 761 is kind of my standard. I have 50+ 
receivers here. Anyway, The 117 is 'downstream' via 4 coax switches. 
The 117 is as good as or better sensitivity wise, as the Icom (quad 
conversion). BUT, the audio is just FANTASTIC!!! I have it hooked to an 
old Hallicrafter R-48 speaker found on eBay for cheap 'cause it was 
rusty.

All this verbiage is just to tell you if you have an SX-117, get the ER 
issues, and do the mods. You will just NOT believe the performance of 
this old girl!!!

thx
ron
N4UE