[Hallicrafters] got the HT-20

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 1:53 PM, Brian Harris <cosmophone at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Well, I bought the HT-20 this morning.  The front panel paint is a real mess but I'll have Bob W0VYA redo it for me when I get it off.  I was disappointed to see that the bezel is a mess.  I don't know what it's made of but it's cracked on the inside edge of the RHS of the bezel and some other edges are a little wavy.  I wonder if the much touted SX-88 has the same cheesy bezel.  Shame on Hallicrafters if the answer is yes.  I wish they had used a better material, like cast aluminum.  I think a friend of mine can cast a new bezel using resin but it will be a lot of work and he may or may not be able to achieve the textured look, which, IMHO, I think doesn't look good in the first place.

Congrats, Brian! Regardless of the crappy pot metal bezel issue, you
still have a very nice transmitter that should give you plenty of
hours of enjoyment. You can always worry about creating a bezel
sometime later, when all else is done. I'd find someone with a good
example and have one milled out of a block of aluminum. Yes, it would
help to know a machinist.

The crank knob on yours looks like it came off a T-368, probably added
after the original lost its spinner. The original is a common knob
made by Johnson, used on the KW-1 as well as several Halli and other
rigs. Should be able to find one for $5 or less. Changing that and
getting the panel repainted will tidy up the looks a lot.

Cabinet is gonna be a tough one, but I'm sure you'll be able to mat
least find something that fits. Toss and ad out on some of the usual
sites for a HT-20 cabinet, you might find someone with a parts rig in
their basement.

Good to see another one come to the surface instead of disappearing
into the abyss of time.

~ Todd.  KA1KAQ/4