Early Hammarlund Receivers:

The pre-war HQ-120 was a modern bandswitching general coverage receiver.
They are not bad. 455 kc (pre kHz) if and rf amplifier. They were fairly
good. The problem with Hammarlund was that they continued on with design
for the next 20 years and while others went to dual conversion, more
selectivity and product detectors, Hammarlund continued onward with the same
design.

These designs were the HQ-129X, the HQ-140 and even the HQ-150. They all
work well for a 1938 design. Later, the HQ-100 continued on with pretty
much the same design, in a more modern package. They are not bad
receivers - but they are simply in a different league compared to the Drake
R-4 series. The HQ=100 replaced the semi-useful crystal filter with a next
to worthless Q multiplier.

None of the Hammarlunds mentioned are in the same league as the HQ-180 or
the SP-600.

You may want to get a copy of "Shortwave Receivers Past and Present" by Fred
Osterman. It is excellent.

Some inexpensive sleepers might be some of the National receivers. The
NC-2-40 C and D are quite good. They, along with other National receivers,
have push-pull audio and are good on broadcast stations. Some of the later
National receivers have not impressed me. National also made some WW II
receivers which are under appreciated - the RAO series. Many of the older
receivers require replacement of the paper caps, but are mechanically
stable. They were used shipboard 24 hours a day. Dependable workhorses.

73, Colin K7FM