[Hammarlund] Drift of Newer Hammarlunds? was Re: Old Hammarlunds

[Gary Pewitt]

Darrell,  when I bought my first SWL receiver in 1964 I longed for a 
Hammarlund but could not even begin to afford one.  I ended up buying a 
National NC-190 from which I derived a great deal of pleasure.  But I 
always wanted a 180.  Many years later I traded an SX-38 and $200.00 for 
a 180A brand new in the box from AES.   Man I was in heaven.  I had my 
dream receiver and it was all I had hoped it would be.  And it looked 
like a receiver should look.  Beautiful, big, lots of controls, great 
front panel.  Very impressive.  I had it for about six years and loved 
it all that time until lost it in a fire.  Wanting a replacement for it 
was what got me back into radio.  In short I got a ham license and moved 
up to extra class.  I now have rooms full of boatanchors and many of 
them are probably better quality than the 180A but it's still my 
favorite for band cruising and SWL.  Now if I just had my first dream 
car, and Austin-Healy 3000 with a 289 Ford V-8. :-)
73  Gary  N9ZSV




On 5/7/2011 11:48 PM, Darrell Bellerive wrote:
> Interesting thread. I would never have expected any receiver to have 75
> KHz of drift during warm-up. Perhaps I have led a sheltered life. :-)
>
> How about the newer Hammarlunds? I can't imagine an HQ-215 drifting much
> at all.
>
> I've never owned a Hammarlund, but I am here because some day I would
> very much like to.
>
> I am curious though as I have seen posts about the more modern receivers
> such as the HQ-170 and HQ-180 having drift problems. Compared to what? A
> current radio on a rubidium frequency standard? Perhaps some are just
> picking at nits? Or did they really have drift problems?
>
> What were the Hammarlunds really like when they were new? I can
> understand that a classic today could have some problems today due to
> component aging, and might need some capacitors replaced. But once it is
> properly restored?
>
> What were the most stable Hammarlunds and how much did they really drift?
>
> My first receiver was an Hallicrafters SX-140, and I don't remember
> drift being that much of a problem. Selectivity yes, drift not so much.
> My Drake 2B seems quite stable to me. By todays standards and
> measurements I suspect both would be lacking, but in a practical way,
> just making contacts on the air, I guess I just don't notice.
>
> So please chime in with your stories of Hammarlunds and drift. I, for
> one, would love to hear the real experiences.
>

>
> Big snip
>


-- 
Gary Pewitt N9ZSV 1500 French Prairie Rd Booneville, AR 72927