What's New Search Site  
Front panel of a Hallicrafter SX27

 FAQ

Here are list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) that I receive:
 
Do you sell original Hallicrafters parts to others so they can restore their Hallicrafters radios?
Although I do have a number of "parts radios" I DO NOT sell parts to others. There are so many radios in this collection that I need all the parts I have to maintain my own units and to restore new arrivals.
Where can I find a nice Hallicrafters?
For the past 25 years my best source for finding the Hallicrafters radios and related items for my collection has been my written want ads in national trade magazines. These Ads have provided me with about 80% of the items in the collection. The publications that have worked best for me are Antique Radio Classified, QST, and Electric Radio. Check the Links page of this site for links to these organizations. I have found the remaining 20%of my treasures by attending some of the larger antique radio and Ham radio swap meets. My favorites are Radiofest in Elgin IL sponsored by the Antique Radio Club of IL; Radio Daze in Minneapolis sponsored by the Northland Antique Radio Club, and the Dayton Hamvention in Dayton Ohio. I also attended the local Hamfests and do find items I need. At present I am letting most of my written ads expire in favor of this web site and other Internet sources like eBay.
What should I look for when thinking about buying a Hallicrafters?
What you should look for when buying a Hallicrafters (or other brand) radio will depend on your expertise in "cleaning up" and restoring these radios both electronically and cosmetically. If you like doing restoration work then I would not be too concerned about the electronic condition, although the unit should be complete. The cosmetic condition should be as nice as possible. I find the cosmetic problems like lettering and paint matching to be more troublesome then the electronic problems. In any event, the radio should be as original as possible. I am always leery of units that have been restored by someone else unless I know their work.
I don't know anything about repairing radios.  Do you repair Hallicrafters for other people?
At this point I am not doing any repair or restoration work for other people. There are people who specialize in doing this type of work. Many of them have web sites, and also advertise in the publications mentioned above.
Where can I find the value of my Hallicrafters?
The "value" of any collectable or antique item including Hallicrafters products is subject to individual judgement, opinion, "market conditions", and of course condition of the item. I do not think that auction prices are a good indication of value On Hallicrafters products.  I have tried to provide what I feel is a fair value in my book "Radios By Hallicrafters". You may find out more about this book by visiting to the Book page of this site.
Will you sign my copy of "Radios by Hallicrafters?"
I would honored to autograph your copy of Radios By Hallicrafters, All that this would require is first class mail shipping cost both ways which would be about $10.00.
What was your first Hallicrafters?
My very first Hallicrafters radio was an EC-113 that my Dad bought new in 1949. I still have that radio, and it is the one pictured in Radios by Hallicrafters. My second was an S-38C, and the third and most important was the SX-28 that I acquired in 1960.
Can I visit your museum?
Many people have visited me over the years and have seen this marvelous collection including a number of former Hallicrafters employees. I am willing to take you on a tour by appointment.
What is your most cherished Hallicrafters?
On the "most cherished", that is really a difficult question to answer, I love them all. I suppose the one that has the most sentimental value to me is the SX-28. From the point of most rare and valuable I would have to say the SX-112 acceptance prototype. I think the most exotic unit is the DD-1, and it is also among the most valuable. As far as the "best receiver" is concerned, In the general coverage dual and triple conversion class I would have to say the SX-73 and SX-88, SX-100 and SX-122. In the single conversion general coverage units it would be the SX-28(A), and SX-42.
What technical books do you recommend for repair?
There are a number of books I consider to be good on the subject of radio repair. My favorite is "Modern Radio Servicing" By Alfred A. Ghirardi. It was published by Radio & Technical Publishing Co., New York, in 1935.
Are you a ham?
I am a Ham Radio operator. First licensed in 1957 with the call KN3VGJ when I lived in Maryland. My current call is WD5EOG which I have had for about 22 years. I do not have as much time to get on the air as I would like these days.
Where can I get original Hallicrafters parts like knobs, dials, transformers and other items that cannot easily be substituted?
The only way I know of to get this type of part is to locate and buy a parts radio that has the parts you need. You may use the same resources mentioned above to locate parts, or a parts radio. Sometimes someone will advertise some "new old stock" parts, but there are no commercially available sources for original Hallicrafters parts.
Can you sell me a copy of the manual for my radio?
Yes, I can, and I would like you to use me as a LAST RESORT. There are a number of businesses that specialize in manual sales. See the Links page of this site for some of them. There are also a number of Internet sites where you can download copies of some manuals free.
What's New ]  [ Wanted ]  [ Book ]  [ FAQ ]  [ Hallicrafters Museum ]  [ Unusual Hallicrafters ]  [ Events ]  [ Canadian Hallicrafters ]  [ Other Treasures ]  [ Links ]  [ Archives ]  [ Guest Book ]  [ Search ]  [ Contact Chuck! ]