[R-390] History of SP-600

[Llgpt@aol.com]

-------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Barry Hauser <barry_hauser@juno.com>
To: jam@sonic.com
Cc: Lipgt@aol.com
Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2001 18:14:01 -0500
Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] History of SP-600

Hi James (Andy):

If by #1 you mean the geneology of J-#'s and JX-##'s, the official
historian/compiler is Les Locklear.  
Llgpt@aol.com  (tho' some pretenders have tried to claim credit.)

(I took the liberty of copying Les on this.)

This information is on several websites and is in the back of the
Ostermann book (Shortwave Receivers, Past & Present), with credit to Les.

>>Also in Hollow State Newsletter and Electric Radio Magazine.


The history is not all that sequential by model number.  A number of them
were produced at the same time and it seems that some number differences
just correlate to contract - which gov't. buyer, etc.  A lot of them just
came out with "JX-blank" on the tags.

>>That is very true, for example a JX-4 may have a higher serial number than 
say, a JX-17. The very early ones had a "plain" JX suffix, usually found with 
a 26XX or lower serial number.

I would suggest that you coordinate with Les on this endeavor.  Les was
expecting to update his work, but I'm not sure where he's at with it.  

>>No updates at all, what has been published is it, nothing new has surfaced.

If you do get something going, please consider first writing it as a
feature article for The Hollow State Newsletter.  (I'm the editor --
desperate for material and loaded for bear, tho' mostly "bare" right
now.)

(Hey, Les, why don't you get together with Jim, here?)

>>Doin' it now.......<grin>

This reply may cover question #1 and #3 -- dunno about #2 -- where the
original engineers are.  I'd guess the main body of development for the
SP-600 was done over 50 years ago, as they started coming out in about
'52, I think.  Might be somebody still around.

best of luck
Barry


>>I'm sure theyre are a number of them still around. I spoke at length with 
Stuart Meyer W2GHK (now a silent key) several years ago and gained a great de
qal of info regarding the SP-600 series and Hammarlund in general.


On Sat, 29 Dec 2001 10:02:28 -0800 "James A. (Andy) Moorer"
<jam@sonic.com> writes:
> Folks, I am contemplating doing a book (or pamphlet or website or 
> something)
> about the history and care of the SP-600. To do that, I have to get 
> a lot
> more history than I have right now. Can anyone help?
> 
> (1) There is this list of dates and designations floating around 
> that
> purports to be from "the original manufacturing records." Who has 
> these
> records? How can I take a look at them?


>>Hi James, I have them filed away somewhere, I'll have to see if I can round 
them up. There wasn't a great deal of information on those "Engineering 
Change Orders", just what has been published.

I originally started out to find out why other publications stated that the 
production of the SP-600's ended with the JX-26. I knew that was wrong as I 
had in my posession at that time a SP-600JX-35. So my quest to set the record 
straight was started and ended a few years ago. The only suffix number that 
was not produced in sequence was the rare JX-21A which was the last of the 
Sp-600 series to be produced. The information from Stuart was that they were 
produced in 1972 or 1973. That would have been just before they closed the 
doors at Mars Hill.

The differences in the standard SP-600JX's is miniscule, wiring, capacitors, 
resistors. 

Approximately 25,000 were built.

Serial numbers after approximately 175XX had ceramic discs instead of the 
infamous black tubulars.

I've had 18 of these legendary receivers pass through my hands over the 
years, and have enjoyed every one of them.

At present I have another John R. Leary re-manufactured black faced SP-600 in 
my posession, it is an extremely fine example of the SP-600 series.


> 
> (2) It seems to me that some of the original engineers should still 
> be
> around. Anyone know who they are or how to contact them?
> 
> (3) Anyone know any other ways to get at SP-600 history?
> 
> Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> James A. (Andy) Moorer
> Sr. Director of Advanced Audio Development
> Sonic Solutions
> 101 Rowland Way, Suite 110
> Novato, California 94945
> USA
> phone: (415) 893-8000
> fax:   (415) 893-8008
> 
> 
>>I have pretty much stopped research and writing articles on the R-390A's 
and SP-600's. I have passed the "torch" on the R-390A receivers to Tom 
Marcotte N5OFF. Until something new comes up on the SP-600's to change what 
has already been published, I won't be writing anymore on them.












Les Locklear
Gulfport, MS.