I'm using a Hallicrafters S-108 receiver, and having a terrible time
figuring out which (even approximate) frequency I'm listening to.
If anyone here is familiar with tuning old Hallicrafters, I would
appreciate a note of contact.
Thanks.

--
Allen McBroom
www.NPSTKD.com
Remove WOOF when replying by email

On my old Lafayette radios I used to locate WWV at 5, 10, and 15, and from
there set the bandspread so that the main slide-rule dial read correctly.

Still, you're always never exactly sure without a crystal calibrator or a
digital frequency readout, but that was half the fun in those days.

I have an S-38A under the christmas tree that my wife bought on e-bay. The fun
is about to begin once again!

jt

I'm using a Hallicrafters S-108 receiver, and having a terrible time
figuring out which (even approximate) frequency I'm listening to.
If anyone here is familiar with tuning old Hallicrafters, I would
appreciate a note of contact.
Thanks.

--
Allen McBroom
www.NPSTKD.com
Remove WOOF when replying by email

"Allen McBroom" wrote in message
. 97.132...
I'm using a Hallicrafters S-108 receiver, and having a terrible
time
figuring out which (even approximate) frequency I'm listening to.
If anyone here is familiar with tuning old Hallicrafters, I would
appreciate a note of contact.
Thanks.


The SW bands are most easily tuned using the bandspread. Unfortunately
for the SWL, most radios back then only had the bandspread calibrated
for the ham bands. SWLs got a 0 to 100 logging scale. The logging
scale should usually be set to 0 for normal tuning. Or maybe 100.
Which ever gives correct tuning on the main dial. The ham bands were
usually marked off at something like 20 to 50kc intervals. There should
be a dot on the main tuning dial to indicate the approximate correct
position for the correct bandspread use on the ham bands.

Probably the most common way to use the bandspread was to tune in a
strong SW signal at a known frequency and tune down from there using the
bandspread. Say the bandspread was set to zero at at a known
transmiission at 9760kc. Another known signal at 9580 kc might turn up
when the bandspread indicator gets to 18. That's a 180 kc difference
for every 18 bandspread divisions. Or something like 10 kc for every
division. The breakdown probably isn't linear, so smaller differences
in frequency will give better results. And the breakdown won't often
come in with round numbers. I'm sure it kept the sliderules and scratch
pads busy back in the olden days.

A crystal calibrator could be used to give regular dependable signals
across the bands. 100 kc was a common crystal calibrator frequency.
That makes the math easier. The more expensive radios of that era had
internal crystal calibrators.

A SWL could keep all this info in a notebook and do the hard work only
once.

The analog radio's local oscillator can be heard with with a digital
radio. The local oscillator will usually be 455 kc above the received
signal. Sometimes the LO is 455 kc below the signal, usually on the top
band. Using a digital radio in this way might sound silly, but even a
very cheap digital can give a very precise readout to a better quality
analog readout radio.

There's now a digital readout which can be added to an old radio:

http://www.aade.com/#dfd

Do you have the Hallicrafters manual for your radio? There's probably
one at the BoatAnchor Manual Archive.

Frank Dresser

Allen McBroom wrote:

I'm using a Hallicrafters S-108 receiver, and having a terrible time
figuring out which (even approximate) frequency I'm listening to.
If anyone here is familiar with tuning old Hallicrafters, I would
appreciate a note of contact.
Thanks.

First, in case you don't know, the smaller round dial on the left is the
MAIN tuning scale. The large straight scale across the front with five
levels is the BANDSPREAD (fine tuning) dial. However in the case of the
S-108 the bandspread dial is calibrated only for the five amateur radio
bands so it won't help you much with finding stations on the
international broadcast bands. Those are shown on the main tuning dial
only. Start with the large *bandspread* dial set to the far left (using
the large knob on right) so the pointer is on the zero-'0' of the lower
logging scale. This will make the *main* tuning dial accurate. Turn the
'band selector' knob to the number '1' position. This is the regular AM
(MW) band, which is the smallest circle on the main tuning dial. Turn
the main (left) tuning knob to see if you can find AM stations you know.
When you find one, note it's position on the main tuning dial. Try to
find at least one station at each end of the AM dial (band). If the main
dial is fairly accurate for these stations, you'll know the dial cord
hasn't slipped.
Depending on the time of day, you can start looking for shortwave
stations on the other band selector ranges 2-4 of the main tuning dial.
If it's night, try to find the time station CHU- 3.330 on position '2'
and also on 7.335, selector position '3'. In the day or early evening
look for time station WWV on 10.000, range '3' or 15.000 on selector
position '4' and possibly 20.000, also on range '4'. These time stations
will give you some idea of the main dial accuracy for the shortwave
bands. When you find a station on the main tuning dial, you can turn the
bandspread (right) knob a little to fine tune it, but don't go too far
from the zero '0' position or the main dial will be off calibration.
Finally you can look for the international stations located throughout
the mail dial, mostly ranges '3' and '4' on the selector knob. The times
I've given for the above frequencies are for listeners in the US. Good
luck.


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I have an S-38A under the christmas tree that my wife bought on e-bay. The
fun
is about to begin once again!

You have a fine wife there. G

Among other receivers, I owned three of those over the years. My first receiver
was one. Later, one of them was the inhaler part of my first ham station. I
inherited the third one. For fun, I put in it a 400 Hertz low pass filter
module I happened to have. Yep, fun!

73,
Bill, K5BY

Here's where the Orange Card from Popular Communications comes in
handy.

Set Bandspread to 100, tune Main Tuning to known station at top of
SWBC band of interest. (Start at night on 10 Megacycles-WWV is the
known station).

Get a piece of paper and put it lengthwise on the desk. Start at
the right side of the sheet and log the 0-100 bandspread reading and
the frequency of each station you can confirm from reference material.

Repeat process for each SWBC band. Save the sheets and you'll have
an extremely accurate calibration for your receiver.

(NOTE: Almost all SWBC stations are 5 megacycles apart.)

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 18:17:45 -0600, Allen McBroom
wrote:

I'm using a Hallicrafters S-108 receiver, and having a terrible time
figuring out which (even approximate) frequency I'm listening to.
If anyone here is familiar with tuning old Hallicrafters, I would
appreciate a note of contact.
Thanks.

Let the newsgroup scroll proclaim that "Frank Dresser"
scribed upon its pages in news:gTsFb.225436
:

These comments are addressed to Frank, Starman, and David. I've
owned this radio since 1971, and have never really understood how all
these frequency notation devices (band width, logging scale, tuning,
etc.) related to one another. Finding out that some of this relates only
to ham radio has been a TREMENDOUS help. Years of curiosity have been
answered with one message.
All three answer are seriously helpful. I've printed these out for
reference.

Say the bandspread was set to zero at at a known
transmiission at 9760kc. Another known signal at 9580 kc might turn up
when the bandspread indicator gets to 18. That's a 180 kc difference
for every 18 bandspread divisions. Or something like 10 kc for every
division. The breakdown probably isn't linear, so smaller differences
in frequency will give better results.

A crystal calibrator could be used to give regular dependable signals
across the bands. 100 kc was a common crystal calibrator frequency.
That makes the math easier. The more expensive radios of that era had
internal crystal calibrators.

A SWL could keep all this info in a notebook and do the hard work only
once.

Good info!

The analog radio's local oscillator can be heard with with a digital
radio. The local oscillator will usually be 455 kc above the received
signal. Sometimes the LO is 455 kc below the signal, usually on the
top
band. Using a digital radio in this way might sound silly, but even a
very cheap digital can give a very precise readout to a better quality
analog readout radio.

There's now a digital readout which can be added to an old radio:

http://www.aade.com/#dfd

Do you have the Hallicrafters manual for your radio? There's probably
one at the BoatAnchor Manual Archive.

Yes, I found that and downloaded it some time ago, but the manual
assumed the reader already had some working knowledge, and basically
outlines details specific to the S-108 operation, I think.




--
Allen McBroom
www.NPSTKD.com
Remove WOOF when replying by email

Let the newsgroup scroll proclaim that starman
scribed upon its pages in :


First, in case you don't know, the smaller round dial on the left is
the MAIN tuning scale.

That was about the limit of my understanding G. A thousand thanks
for the help!

--
Allen McBroom
www.NPSTKD.com
Remove WOOF when replying by email

"Allen McBroom" wrote in message
. 97.132...

[snip]

Yes, I found that and downloaded it some time ago, but the manual
assumed the reader already had some working knowledge, and basically
outlines details specific to the S-108 operation, I think.



Great! I'm glad I could be a bit of help.

Hallicrafters manuals aren't always clear on every point. And the
control locations and operation can differ from model to model. Some
set the bandspread to 0 for normal tuning, some set to 100. Some models
even have the setpoint spelled out on the front panel, but don't count
on it. The bandswitch might turn clockwise or counterclockwise to go to
a higher band. Any of the smaller knobs could be a volume control,
depending on the model.

After I got a few Hallicrafters radios, I started taking the whimsical
controls as a given. As they said in "The Untouchables" movie:

"THAT'S THE CHICAGO WAY!"

And not even a giggle from Kevin C., who may have been very aware of the
inconsistancy from the factory located at Fifth and Kostner.

Frank Dresser