[Hammarlund] HQ meter color

[Mike Taylor]

When I was a kid (5th grade back in 1965) the kid next door got a HQ129X for Christmas. He had been bugging his dad for something better than the transoceanic I had at the time. We topped each other on and off all the way through high school, which was good because it helped advance our radio hobbies. And we we're very good friends. I remember that HQ-129X as being in excellent condition and it had a meter scaled from 1 to 10. No "S" units. The meter had a mild or perhaps semi dark orange color illuminated faceplate and didn't look at all worn. In the 1980's, I offered to buy it from him many times but he wouldn't sell it. He's since passed away and I don't know what ever happened to that nice radio. I've seen radios having a tan or orange piece of plastic shoved over the meter light bulb to give the meter's glow a certain color. Perhaps Hammarlund was doing the same thing at the time. The 129's meter was very pleasing to my eyes and also very fast. Next time money permits, I'm going to get a HQ-129X sitting next to my HQ-180. I think it will stand next to the 180 very nicely. Just some thoughts... 73's, Mike