Today I picked up 3 Hallicrafters receivers at a local meet.

The S-20R which does work. The S-40 which doesn't work. The S-77 which works.

They all will require some restoring and cleaning up.

S-20 is definitely above average. How's the inside look?

Kewl ! I'm kinda jealous...(grin) Another thing, when people dropped paint on radios 20-30-40 or so years ago, didn't anybody ever hear of WIPING IT OFF ?!? I've seen more really neat sets w/drops of paint on 'em...

when people dropped paint on radios 20-30-40 or so years ago, didn't anybody ever hear of WIPING IT OFF ?!? I've seen more really neat sets w/drops of paint on 'em...

I think it's indicative of those sets being considered "out of date" in favor of newer toys. Soooo.... when it came time to paint a room, and they needed something to listen to, they used the old set that they didn't really care about so much anymore. Paint drips on it.... who cares??:no:

About 1/3 of the old radios I've come up with have paint drips or specks on them.....

I have an S-20R AND the original box it came in. It was my Dad's, he bought it new, sat on top of our refrigerator when I wa a kid. I would stand on a chair to get to it and tune around on the bands. Had it hooked up to a long wire run through the attic for an antenna. A friend who is into old radios and replaced a few caps and tubes for me to get it working, commented that the box is probably worth more than the radio!

Nice! They look like they all have original knobs (except possibly the band switch on the 77), which is a plus.

I had an Antique & Vintage Radio show in my store last weekend, and I had a table backed by some shelves that had about a dozen Hallicrafters on display, about half of which worked. About every other old-timer that walked up to look said "That one brings back memories...", although of course different models were nostalgic to different people. My oldest was an S-27, there were four S-38's with different suffixes, and an S-40 that played all day. If I can get the pictures resized tomorrow, I will have to post some...

--Bob

S-20 is definitely above average. How's the inside look?

Here are pictures of under the cover.

In order: S20R, S40, and S77.

I'll post under the chassis photos as I get to work on each one. I have the get a Zenith Trans Oceanic (Y600) off the bench first.

I purchased the S20R and S77 for $60.00 and the S40 for $15.00.

Very nice score. I'm a little jealous, too - although I honestly wouldn't have any place to set them all up so maybe its best I stay with my two beasts.

Don't know specifically about the '77, but that bandswitch knob is definitely one of the knobs used by Hallicrafters in that era. My SX-71 has one.

Harry
Maryville, Tennessee

I should have done this first.

You are correct. While that is a Hallicrafters bandswitch knob, according to "Radios by Hallicrafters" by Chuck Dachis, the S-77 had a black bandswitch knob. I can't really tell from the picture since it's black on black, but it looks like the original was just another black bakelite knob.

Shooting from the hip. My lifelong curse.

Harry

Now you need to shoot for an SX-28, SX-62 or an SX-73...Aww, hell-Go for it- Go for an SX-88 ! (grin)...

I should have done this first.

You are correct. While that is a Hallicrafters bandswitch knob, according to "Radios by Hallicrafters" by Chuck Dachis, the S-77 had a black bandswitch knob. I can't really tell from the picture since it's black on black, but it looks like the original was just another black bakelite knob.

Shooting from the hip. My lifelong curse.

Harry

I also checked with Rider Vol. 22. The band switch knob on the S-77 is a black knob.

Hey, at least it's a Hallicrafters knob...I've got a couple that are much worse (one I had long ago I think was sporting a knob from a waffle-iron). I've got at least one S-38 with spun-aluminum-center knobs, and an S-39 that has a couple chicken-head knobs instead of the proper ones...people (at least hams...) were pretty casual about these things back in those days after the "new" wore off...

I will put up pictures of my radio show from Feb 21 in a separate thread shortly, see if you can spot the chicken-head knobs in the Hallicrafters group!!!

--Bob