[Hammarlund] At the risk of...

[Barry Hauser]

Les wrote:
> I really like the HQ-150 and the excellent audio. But, the SP-600 
> gets my vote for the best that Hammarlund built IMHO.
> Never cared for the HQ-180 series..never had one that wasn't a 
> drifter.
> 
> Of course, I might be biased...........:-)


That reminds me, well actually my memory isn't all that good.  Have to
use my highly modified JX-99 with the beige panel, green knobs and the
leads with the electrodes taped to my scalp.  Just a sec.... give that
flywheeled way-back knob a spin --- oooops, too far .. visions of
pteradactyls!  Go back the other way ... counterclockwise a hair....

OK, well, as far as I can make out, it was in the late 60's when I used
to oogle the Lafayette and Allied catalogs and down in the bottom left
hand corner of one of them were both -- the SP-600 and the HQ-180 --
don't know whether it was an A or not.

But I recall -- wait let me turn the gain up a bit -- ouch! -- OK ...
there were two tiny little pictures, one of each and I seem to see
pricing of about $400 for the HQ-180 and $600 for the SP-600.  Actually,
I used to think it was called the SP-600 due to the price, but then the
180 didn't make much sense.

Anyway, what puzzled me was why the more modern radio with triple
conversion and all those extra knobs was cheaper than the older looking
one that was only dual conversion.  There used to be a big electronics
store around here (went out with the pteradactyls) with lots of ham gear
and they had both of them side by side, but unless you look inside the
two or can at least see around the back, the reason still isn't obvious. 
Much more metal.  Couple of chokes suitable as blunt instruments.  Big
turret.  The only "heavy metal" part of the HQ-180 is that cast bezel
around the front panel.  Probably why it drifts more.  I finally got both
after nearly 40 years' wait.  For some reason I have several SP-600's but
only one HQ-180AC seems to suffice.  Relatively speaking, it's a
nighttable radio.  You can tell.  If you put an HQ-180 on a nightstand,
it will stay there.  If you put an SP-600 on a nighttable, you'll have a
radio with a cracked meter glass and and a pile of aromatic firewood.

My HQ-180 doesn't seem to drift all that much, but when it arrived, it
was highly microphonic.  I was drumming my fingers on the table and could
hear it through the speaker.  Then, I found if I spoke loudly at the
front panel, I could hear my own voice through the speaker!  Replaced a
couple of tubes and that fixed it.  Of course, that was the closest I'll
ever come to being on the radio. (sorry)

Fooling with this specially modified SP-600 (with IF set to the brainwave
range of 8-12 cps) has some side-effects.  I find myself acquiring older
SP's -- like the 200's.  Only single conversion, yet needs a separate 55
lb. power supply.  Must have been a good reason for it, but can't quite
figure .. maybe if I sharpen up the bandwidth here ... 

Now, it ain't me sayin' this, but there are some folks who might say the
best Hammarlund was the '67 EAC, but, then again, some of 'em might be
witches.  ZZZZZZAPPPPP!  Ouch!!! See, what'd I tell ya'!

Barry
Gone pteradactylin'

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