Thanks to all who helped with good information on restoring this
almost pristine condition radio to its former glory. I had it
recapped, fused the chassis, aligned and it needed three new tubes.
Now it is hooked up to a 30 ft. wire and pulling in stations like
crazy! I really enjoy twirling the knobs on this old girl and just
makes me wish that I could have had this radio way back in Jr.
High/Sr. High instead of the lousy S-120! Now I know the quality and
build of the Hammalund line.
--

Congrats. I love a story with a happy ending!

Glad you were able to get it aligned properly. That is the most common
problem with the 145. The 145 has a lot of the HC-10 circuitry
incorporated. Once done correctly it is a great receiver.

Agree with you completely about the S-120 type receiver.

73 Dave K4JRB

I just recapped an HQ-145 that I've had for about 10 years. It was a
'throw-in' with a Heath SB-200 I bought from an estate. It seemed to
work pretty well with just an improvised antenna. I would like to get
it on the air, perhaps with something like the Viking Adventurer that
I had when I was a kid. I sort of wish I still had the Johnson Ranger
I that I built when I was a late teen. I of course have modern
equipment as well now...Icom gear...but I think it would be fun to see
what I could do with something like the rig I had as a young teen. My
receiver in that era (mid 1950's) was an HQ-100, one of the first ones
they made. I ordered it when it was first advertised, got it as a
Christmas present when I was 14, but didn't actually get until a month
or two later from the firm in my home town owned by the father of the
fellow who founded AES.

The HQ-145, which didn't come out until later would have been my dream
receiver at the time, short of Collins gear which was an impossible
dream on a kid's afterschool wages. It was introduced just as I was
going to college. I was licensed in Jan 1956 when I was 13. I used
the Ranger/HQ-100 for about 4-5 years in the late 60's after college
once I got into my first purchased house. By then it was pretty much
obsolete for phone and the Ranger didn't do SSB, but I worked about 60
countries with a vertical from a town house on CW.

Jon W3JT


On Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:32:06 -0400, "David Thompson"
wrote:

Glad you were able to get it aligned properly. That is the most common
problem with the 145. The 145 has a lot of the HC-10 circuitry
incorporated. Once done correctly it is a great receiver.

Agree with you completely about the S-120 type receiver.

73 Dave K4JRB

My HQ145 performs beautifully also, repaired by Paul at Antique radio
Consignment center in St Paul MN. Just one question: On broadcast band
sensitivity is fine until you go below 1000KHz. Then, very insensitive. Any
ideas?
Thanks, Tom


"Dan, W2IQD" wrote in message
...
"Count Floyd" wrote:
Thanks to all who helped with good information on restoring this
almost pristine condition radio to its former glory. I had it
recapped, fused the chassis, aligned and it needed three new tubes.
Now it is hooked up to a 30 ft. wire and pulling in stations like
crazy! I really enjoy twirling the knobs on this old girl and just
makes me wish that I could have had this radio way back in Jr.
High/Sr. High instead of the lousy S-120! Now I know the quality and
build of the Hammalund line.

Ffloyd - at the risk of seeming crass, would you like to sell it? I had an
S38C at that time and almost got an HQ-145 - my dad wouldn't let me buy
it.
Reply by email, please.

Dan
(still resentful)

"PlunmeisterTom" wrote in message
. com...
My HQ145 performs beautifully also, repaired by Paul at Antique radio
Consignment center in St Paul MN. Just one question: On broadcast band
sensitivity is fine until you go below 1000KHz. Then, very insensitive.
Any ideas?
Thanks, Tom


If you are really losing sensitivity on one band here's a few
things to look for:

1: Open antenna coil winding on the first RF coil for the BCB.
Even open, there is enough stray capacitive coupling to provide
somewhat of a match at the high end of the band; but
not enough at the low end.

2: Bad alignment on that band; the LO and RF stages are not
tracking each other across the full tuning range.

I'd be asking Paul why his repairs aren't up to snuff myself.