Hallicrafters SX-62A...

[Jeffhs]

I had an SX62A back in the '80s, but left it behind when I moved eight years ago. It was an excellent receiver (as are all Hallicrafters sets), picking up every major FM station in Cleveland, not to mention shortwave and standard AM stations by the dozens, using only a 6' length of wire on the antenna terminal. Good sound as well with just an old car-stereo speaker. I never was able to find out what this beast is made of, as I never connected it to an outdoor antenna (could have tried my all-band amateur radio antenna, I suppose...oh well) or a really good speaker; then I'd probably be getting more SW and FM stations than I could shake a stick at. Unfortunately, the apartment I moved to eight years ago and live in today is too small for a big set such as my SX-62, so I left it at my former residence. Don't know what happened to it after that; maybe the new owners of the house trashed it--I really have no idea, as I wasn't even at the house when it was being cleared out and prepared for sale. The explanation of why I wasn't there is a long one and really off-topic for this thread, so I won't go into it here.

I will say, however, that I hated to have to leave that SX-62 and the rest of my radio gear and tools behind (except my Icom IC-725 ham rig, which is at this moment set up on an old computer desk in my bedroom), but that's how it is when you move from a three-bedroom house with a basement to a one-bedroom apartment. One poster here mentioned that the house he moved to has a basement that "is not conducive" to use as a listening post; I wonder why. After all, all you need is a space for the radio and a desk or table on which to set it, a hole in the ceiling for the antenna leadin, perhaps an outlet strip for power (I have those all over my place), an antenna, of course, and that's it.

Another poster mentioned that there are few or no electronic repair shops near where he lives. I know how he feels. I live in a village that isn't even considered a Cleveland suburb, 35 miles east of town. The nearest Radio Shack store is in the next town, some five miles away and accessible by bus (I don't drive), but there are no repair shops in this village that I'm aware of. The Radio Shack store I mentioned wouldn't touch my set with a ten-foot test probe.

For Sandy: You did very well winning that SX62 on eBay. As I said above, those were excellent receivers in their day and still are poles better than many of today's smaller all-band sets, except perhaps for the Radio Shack DX-300-400 series or possibly Sangean, not to mention those great old Panasonic/National Pana all-band portables from the '60s, such as the one you have. The SX62 is equipped with a selectable crystal filter that goes from broad-as-a-barn selectivity to 500 Hz (very good if you want to listen to ham radio CW [Morse code] transmissions). Hook this thing up to a good antenna and you will get stations galore, especially at night. You won't be disappointed with the sound quality, either. With two 6V6 output tubes in push-pull, IIRC, this receiver would sound fantastic if it were driving a really good speaker. With FM and a phono input, I think the SX-62 was made more for home use than for amateur radio or dedicated SW listening. Hey, that's an idea. Get a Hallicrafters 7-inch TV (model T-54, IIRC) to match that receiver and you'll have a nice vintage entertainment center.