[Hammarlund] HX-50

[D C *Mac* Macdonald]

My first commercial SSB rig was the HX-50, SN 169
(IIRC), bought at Crabtree Electronics, Dallas, TX.
This was probably in late 1963 or early 1964.
 
I enjoyed using it.  I bought another on eBay about
three years ago.  Some owner had put "rack handles"
on it.  Looks pretty neat, but I have never had any
extra time to try to put it on the air.
 
I used it with a Hammarlund HQ-145X into which I put
the AGC and product detector circuitry from National's
NCX-3 transceiver.  It all worked great.
 
I would guess that some incompetent butchered the rig
in a misguided attempt to "improve" it.  I would say
that improvement in the relay switching arrangement
are definitely in order.  I ended up getting my original
HX-50 back when Ed Juge Electronics in Ft Worth was
liquidated.  I never did get it to work properly due
to the screwy relays for which I could not find any
replacements.  I ended up selling it to a Hammarlund
restorer at Dayton in 1976 or 1977.
 
 
73 - Mac, K2GKK/5
Oklahoma City, OK



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> Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 11:25:59 -0500
> From: ranickel at comcast.net
> To: hammarlund at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Hammarlund] HX-50
>
> I've been working to get an HX-50 going with it's matching HXL-1
> amplifier and thus far, my opinion of the amp is much higher than that
> of the transmitter ;-)
>
> I know the HX-50 may be the Rodney Dangerfield of sideband transmitters,
> but this one looks like brand-new, and seems to work more or less, so
> I'm kinda motivated to get it going as well as possible.
>
> Does anyone know anything about how many were made, and what changes
> were made over the production run? (original '61-'64 model, not
> including the later HX-50A).
>
> I ask because the audio section (at least) of this one is wired
> completely different from the schematic W8UT uploaded to BAMA (thanks
> Al!). The mic gain is in a different stage, vox circuit is different
> (and doesn't work well), and I've found differences in the balanced
> modulator (which doesn't balance as well as most rigs). Hammarlund did
> some odd things, like using two relays with high resistance coils wired
> in series, and operated from the low B+ supply. This puts B+ on the PTT
> line which I don't like, but worse yet, my transmitter is wired such
> that neither of the PTT terminals goes to ground as the schematic
> shows. I also found half the drive level pot element, which seems odd
> considering the circuit (assuming it's wired per the schematic). The
> best audio report I've had thus far is "folks will sure know you're
> using a boatanchor" - but that's not something I'm shy about ;-)
>
> Anyhow, mine is stamped "518" on the rear panel which I take to be the
> serial number, and I'm just curious if anyone knows whether this would
> be early, late, or what, and whether others have found discrepancies
> from the BAMA schematic.
>
> Thanks and 73,
> Bob W9RAN