[Hammarlund] SP-600-JX14

Fri Aug 21 22:53:46 EDT 2020

    This is the switch I mentioned. If someone was careless in 
removing or replacing the bottom cover to the turret its possible 
it got cracked. The wafer can be repaired with super glue or 
epoxy (I prefer expoxy).
    If this receiver has not been rebuilt, as many were by the 
military, it will be filled with "Black Beauty" caps. Sprague had 
some sort of production problem with these and they began to fail 
not long after being made. If your receiver has them the all need 
to be replaced. In the 1950s when the receivers were rebuilt and 
in later Hammarlund production, they were replaced with disc 
ceramic caps but now its better to use plastic film type caps 
which are more stable than ceramic. Not expensive. There are some 
forty caps. Most are easy to get to but a couple, the ones in the 
IF can on the side of the turret box, and the ones in the crystal 
oscillator box take some work. The bathtub caps are electrolytics 
and should also be replaced. I would not restuff them just used 
modern electrolytics mounted on terminal strips.
    The BB caps, sometimes called Bumble Bees because of the 
color coded stripes on them, are paper and would be questionable 
by now even if there had not been a problem. One trouble is that 
the 600V versions are oil filled and the oil leaked out of the 
end seal which is also the outer foil terminal. This is actually 
the filling tube and if soldered at too high a temperature the 
seal is broken. A lot of these caps are cracked or even have 
pieces broken off. In any case they should all be replaced.
     Most of the silver-mica caps are OK and should not be 
shotgunned but some can go bad and cause some odd problems.
    The are BB caps on the turret modules. Hammarlund had a 
special wrench for getting them out. Its a PITA to do without the 
tool but can be done.
    There were also some special tools for the turret but it 
hardly ever needs service.
    Also, take the top off the turret compartment and inspect the 
tuning cap for bent plates on the oscillator section. They should 
be straight. Some people thought that the plates should be bent 
to adjust the calibration, NEVER do this.
    It is possible, however, for the stators to get out of 
alignment with the rotors. This is not difficult to fix but 
requires removing the tuning cap from the housing. Probably does 
not need to be touched but have a look at it.
    IMO these are exceptionally good receivers but have a bad 
reputation because many of them are badly misaligned or plain 
broken. They are not difficult to work on despite being heavy. 
The quality will repay the effort. There is lots of information 
available via the web and many who are very knowledgeable about 
them and will give you help.
    I also think they are among the sexiest looking receivers.

On 8/21/2020 7:27 PM, Joe Connor via Hammarlund wrote:
>   What Les said. If that cap shorts, it can take out the filter chokes.
>                                  Joe Connor
>      On Friday, August 21, 2020, 08:21:59 PM EDT, Les Locklear <leslocklear at hotmail.com> wrote:
>   
>   Al is right, That switch is exposed and can accumulate lots of crud. Also a cap next to it is either a bumblebee or grey lady of death cap.
>
> That's the first thing I'd do.
>
> Les
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Al Parker <anchor at ec.rr.com>
> Reply-To: <anchor at ec.rr.com>
> To: Brian Harris <cosmophone at yahoo.com>, Hammarlund <hammarlund at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: 8/21/2020 4:16:45 PM
> Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] SP-600-JX14
> ________________________________________________________________________________
>
> (I have tried to send this at 3:20 PM, but the TWC/Spectrum email server
> is off line apparently.  I'll try later)
>
> Hi Brian,
> You do not need to remove the turret to do any 'normal' service work on
> the SP-600.
> Take a look at <http://www.hammarlund.info/SP600svc.html> for an
> article be Ray Vasek, W2EC, several yrs ago and has given me permission
> to have it on the Hammarlund Historian website.  You may find j;ust what
> you want in there.
> The electrical power switching from single to double conversion is done
> by the small single pole wafer switch that is located on the back of the
> turret box, under the chassis.  Maybe there's a simple solution right there.
> If you have any questions once you get into it, I'll be glad to try to
> help.
> 73,
>
>
> Al, W8UT
> www.boatanchors.org
> www.hammarlund.info
>
> "There is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much
> worth doing as simply messing about in boats"
> Ratty, to Mole
> On 8/21/2020 2:42 PM, Brian Harris via Hammarlund wrote:
>> I have the aforementioned receiver.  It works on the single conversion bands (<7.4 MHZ) and but on the double conversion bands it doesn't.  I know there are problems with the 3.5 MHz oscillator and second mixer.  Is there an easy way to get to the components under the associated RF chassis?  It looks like removal of the bandswitch turrent at minimum is required and that appears to be a formidable task.  Any comments appreciated..  Thank you.
>>
>> Brian Harris, WA5UEK cell 214-763-5977 email cosmophone at yahoo.com
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-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL