HQ-129-X


Home Up HQ-129-X HX-50

 

 

This is a beautiful Hammarlund HQ-129-X receiver.  It covers frequencies 540 kHz to 31 MHz in six overlapping bands.  It is a pleasure to operate this receiver with a random long wire antenna shot up 80 - 90 feet in the tree tops.  

This chassis received the typical restoration, replacement of all wax/paper capacitors and all resistors.  Carbon Composition resistors and not carbon films were used in the front end before the first IF.  The carbon film resistors have a spiral laser carbon film cut.  This sets the resistance quite accurately.  Carbon film resistors are more stable than carbon film resistors.  That all sounds great until RF above say 18 Mhz is passed through.  Then the carbon film resistor becomes inductive.

It was a pleasure to align this radio.  Nice, stable and predictable dial scale adjustments.  I did have to purchase a sweep function generator to properly set the IFs.  Oh well just another piece of test equipment for the bench.  You can never have too much test equipment or Ham gear :~)  

 

IMG_1093.JPG (127889 bytes) Knobs removed for complete front panel cleaning.  The chipped paint around the screws was color matched and filled in.  You can see the results on the finished set below.  IMG_1092.JPG (176183 bytes) These knobs have some unsightly nasty scratches.  IMG_1094.JPG (138352 bytes)I would estimate that Soft Scrub to be about Novus #5, 6 or 8 grit.  Novus #3 didnto touch these deep scratches.    IMG_1095.JPG (150712 bytes) Part way done with the soft scrub.
IMG_1096.JPG (196259 bytes) Soft Scrub rendered the finish quit nice.  Novus made it stunning.  IMG_1097.JPG (1067547 bytes) Restored underside.  Carbon Composition resistors used in the high frequency front end before the first IF.  IMG_1102.JPG (783034 bytes) Inside shot, operating.  IMG_1098.JPG (592461 bytes) Exterior finished shots. 
IMG_1099.JPG (717717 bytes) NICE! IMG_1100.JPG (783084 bytes)  The antenna knob really helps bring in the stations with a single random wire antenna.  IMG_1101.JPG (751502 bytes) I will be putting some  of these shots on www.radiomuseum.org.   

 

 

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