[Hammarlund] Favorite Hammarlund Radio
Carl
km1h at jeremy.mv.com
Sun Dec 11 18:04:26 EST 2011
----- Original Message -----
From: RAY FRIESS
To: km1h at jeremy.mv.com ; gzook at yahoo.com ; kgordon2006 at frontier.com ;
hammarlund at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2011 9:39 AM
Subject: RE: [Hammarlund] Favorite Hammarlund Radio
We have to remember to avoid the temptation to compare yesterday's radios
with today's technology.
In the 50s and 60s, Hammarlund radios were considered to among top of the
line radios, with Collins being
the king of the hill.
** Hammarlund started as strictly a middle line radio for hams/SWL with the
HQ-120 in 1939 and didnt attempt to elevate themselves until 20 years later
with sets folks are still complaining about. The SP series were bought new
by very few hams and is considered a commercial/government series.
When I was a Novice I would have given almost anything to have a
Hammarlund receiver.
** I got my HQ-129X toward the end of my Novice baptism in 1956.
I have a 145 and a 170 in the shack and use them both frequently. I had my
170 rebuilt by an expert in Hammarlunds
and when he sent it back, he reported that the receiver was back to factory
specs. In fact, he said in some areas is was
better than factory specs with some very very minor changes or fixes he
made. Even up on six and ten meters it hears
anything that my newer solid state rig manufactured within the last ten
years hears.
** I do my own work and have the necessary lab grade equipment to verify
performance. And as well as having worked on hundreds (maybe thousands) of
all brands since 1963. That includes almost 7 years at National and two of
the larger Boston area retailers moonlighting in the refurb departments.
Since 1970 Ive worked on sets for others and consider myself somewhat
knowledgable on the pluses and minuses of them all. Since retiring from the
RF industry Im busier than ever.
For years I have wanted to get my hands on a 180, which is the received
used by my mentor back then, and is still used
in his shack, but they still go for a pretty penny. There must be a reason
a 180 still goes for several hundred dollars and more.
** I have a 180 with the factory noise silencer and matching speaker. Paid
$225 several years ago before prices on most BA equipment dropped in the
current economy. It is an adequate performer that finally succumed to silver
mica disease in the IF cans. A filament xfmr was added similar to the 170A
and 180A to somewhat mitigate the factory drift option. That should also be
mandatory in all Super Pros. Its on a shelf until I get enough interest to
tackle it and rebuild the audio stages. A SX-73 took its place in the LR for
general listening.
It cant be just for intrinsic or sentimental reasons.
** I cant think of any other. It was highly touted when new but that was on
Hammarlunds downside slope.It has excellent looks which attract many. I
remember in the early 80's when there was a nostalgia revival that many were
bought and highly condemned as way overated.
Heck, many pay more for a mediocre Hallicrafters that was a POJ when new.
Some must just want to relive their stupid years (-;
I think we tend to forget, as well, that these receivers were designed and
manufactured primarily when AM mode still pretty much
reigned as king. With that modes broad signals, things werent as "critical"
as they are now.
** When the 170/180 came out AM was already on a deep downward spiral at
least on HF. VHF held on a bit longer since the majority up there didnt know
which end of a soldering iron to grab and had to wait for something to buy
that didnt require more than 2 cables. Hammarlund failed at producing a good
SSB rig and Hallicrafters found an all new life for almost 20 years.
National made lots of money with their transceivers and amp. And Collins
kept building radios with poor ham requirements AGC until the 75S3B/C.
Personally, I think comparing them with current receivers or even those made
during the decades after they were manufactured is
like comparing a car of the 50s and 60s with a car of today.
** To some maybe. However taking a high end 50-60's radio and employing some
later technology improvements without butchering results in something that
can compete with the best. I modified a 75A4 in 1965 in Nationals R&D lab
and still use it alongside my TS-940 and TS-950SD as it is the best weak
signal CW DX digger on 160/80 in particular Ive ever owned or used.
Ill compare it to a 57 Chevy with a 572 crate engine and an all upgraded
drive line and suspension. Or Jay Leno's 55 Buick.
Things like gas mileage and even audio quality of the sound systems in
todays cars leave the cars of our youth in the dust of the roads.
** It was hard to beat the 49-55 Buick radios or any of the others using PP
6V6, 12V6, 6AQ5, 12AQ5 audio.
That brings back memories of Duane Eddy, Ventures, Crests, Drifters or any
other song that had some good highs.
I love the radios of yesteryear. I have a shack full of them and manage to
make almost as many qsos today as I did back then.
And ... as many of us like to tell newbies ... "REAL radios glow in the
dark."
** Between ham/general coverage and mostly wood cabinet consumer radios I
have a bit over 300. That doesnt include transmitters or the roughly 150
auto radios. Luckily I have a big house plus walk up attic.
Carl
KM1H
Ray wa7itz
> From: km1h at jeremy.mv.com
> To: gzook at yahoo.com; kgordon2006 at frontier.com; hammarlund at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2011 08:21:39 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] Favorite Hammarlund Radio
>
> I had one also in the 80's and was unimpressed with its performance even
> after a full overhaul. Drift was present but the front end noise was the
> killer. Considering the tube lineup a NC-183D was better.
> After rebuilding a few others I started using the 6GM6 first RF and 6BY6
> mixers and the improvement was very noticable. Some customers still want
> them left completely original.
>
> Carl
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Glen Zook" <gzook at yahoo.com>
> To: <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>; "Hammarlund Radios"
> <hammarlund at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2011 9:49 PM
> Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] Favorite Hammarlund Radio
>
>
> I had a pair of SP-600-JX17 receivers for a short time a number of years
> ago. I got them in a trade for a Swan-240 that I had acquired in another
> trade a couple of weeks before. Talk about going from the frying pan into
> the fire where drift was concerned! On the higher bands the SP-600s
> drifted
> even worse than the Swan!
>
> Then, a couple of other operators thought that they couldn't live without
> the SP-600s so I unloaded them in a hurry!
>
> Glen, K9STH
>
>
> Website: http://k9sth.com
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Kenneth G. Gordon <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
> To: Hammarlund Radios <hammarlund at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2011 8:16 PM
> Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] Favorite Hammarlund Radio
>
> On 10 Dec 2011 at 20:14, Carl wrote:
>
> > > BC-779 for me. ;-)
> > >
> > > Ken W7EKB
> >
> > I have its brother, a BC-1004 I picked up at Nearfest for $40. Already
> > have a SP-400 but still need meter glass or a complete meter. Dont
> > want to strip the 1004.
>
> Those older Hammarlunds look so "military truck-ish". I really like
> that look. R-390(*) has the same kind of look.
>
> At the time they first came out, the Hammarlund SP-200s were the most
> expensive receivers available, as I remember it.
>
> Ken W7EKB
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