SR wrote:
Hello guys: Because the radio get hot. I was wondering after turning
it on, how long does the radio needs to take to warm up before I could
use it? And how many hours per night can I use it without blowing a tube
or fuse? I am trying to understand my limmits without abusing it.



Barring a component failure, you can use it as soon as you turn it
on. It comes up pretty quickly.

It will become stable within about a half hour.



Also, I have limmited space, do not want to stack other plasic case
radios on top of a tube radio because it gets hot. However, could I
stack a tube radio on top of another tube radio? The idea is that since
both radios are mostly made out of metal and they get hot anyway, I
would think the radio on top should be able to take the heat from the
bottom radio.


Probably not a problem. What you'll be doing, is, in effect, creating
a thermal buffer for either radio, increasing stability. The Hammar will
vent away much of it's heat through the louvres in the cabinet. But the
chassis will remain warm. That's actually a benefit to stability.

As long as nothing gets too hot to touch, don't worry about it.



Of course if I were to stack tube radios like that I would have a little
space in between them so heat could escape. I wonder if wooden shelves
can absorb heat?


They will. And it's not a problem. The shelves have the chassis
between the heat source and the wooden surface. That's a heat shield.
Wooden cased tube radios have a piece of silvered cardboard, or foil
between the wood and the warmest tubes, as a heat shield. Same principle.


Weight on the shelves will be a bigger issue than heat.



Also, could I have a tube radio near my computer monitor or CPU? I
don't have it near because I am trying to advoid interference by near by
electronics.

I would have to find a way to add a fan to the Hammarlund 170.


Don't bother. Unless the transformer gets too hot to touch, you're
fine. Heat in a tube radio is normal, and retained heat, within reason,
enhances stability.

In a tube radio, short of some resistors, heat dissipation is
accomplished by convection and component size, ie, a large surface to
volume ration. Solid state devices don't have that benefit, and will fry
as a junction, often smaller than a pencil point, generates more heat
that it's small surface can radiate. Tubes are big, generate less heat
per unit area, and have a larger surface to volume ratio. They'll get
hot, but they'll stabilize.

As long as your transformer isn't too hot to touch because of a
perforated cap, or a resistor out of tolerance, enjoy the warmth.




73, SR!

SR wrote:

I got a Hammarlund HQ-170. Not the Hammarlund HQ-170A. I am not sure
what the (A) stands for or what is the differences in these models.

The radio is big and it works. I do not have any instructions for it
yet. But I was able to buy a manual, which should come to me sometime
soon.

The radio is very sensitive. And it has no speaker. I am using a
small speaker and sometimes headphones. Sometimes it can over power
the speaker and headphones

When I pick up a signal, say a voice, it does not sound as clear. The
sound need to be better clarified. Although I play around with the
buttons, and try to figure out how to better tune in a signal.

The radio has no volume button, so I use the NOISE LIMITER button and
RF botton to adjust the volume acordingly.

There is a AF button but I am not sure what it does. When I bring it
up the signal get stronger.

There is a ANTENNA button, I guess that works like a antenna turner.
Which I also use the MFJ 956. I wonder if I could use them both?

I am not sure what the SLOT/FREG and the SLOT DEPTH buttons are for.

The radio has a few terminal screws in the rear. (A, A, G, 6m and SPKR)
I have two alagator clips on A and A and to a PL 259 coax connector
then too my MFJ 956 tuner then to my antenna switcher then to my
homebrew 90 feet coil dipole or to my 8 foot fiberglass whip.

I have the G (I guess this is for gound), on a clamp and to my
radiator pipe.

6m must be for the 50 MHZ! VHF

SPKR is this for 2 speakers or 1?

I plan to find a way to add a rear female coax connector to the back
of the radio so I could better connect it to a PL259 coax.

I wonder if their is a way to add a frequency counter to this radio?

Their is one button missing. Their is a small piece of metal sticking
out under the clock. Is their a way I could set the clock?

Behind the clock their is a rod in the inside and it reaches the back
with a hole. Maybe that is the way to set the clock. Their is
another hole like that on the other side on the SLOT FREQ side. But I
do not see a rod behind it. It their suppose to be one?

Also I notice a few holes in the back and inside a plasic you can turn
with a scew driver. Not sure what that is for.

I hope I could find extra tubes and fused should I ever need them.

And I wonder how others who have this radio feel about it?

73, SR!