Rick (W-A-one-R-K-T) wrote:
I have a line on an old Hammarlund HX-50 transmitter in unknown condition
(been sitting on the shelf for years).

It would be a nice match to my HQ-180A.

General consensus with old radios like that, particularly transmitters, is
that the first thing one should do is replace the old electrolytic and
paper capacitors.

My question is, what's the worst that's likely to happen if one doesn't do
that? Bring it up on a variac, a capacitor blows, makes magic smoke
happen, XYL gets really upset :-), and the fuse blows.

Some have said you can blow the power transformer but wouldn't the fuse
blow first (unless the power transformer was ready to go anyway)?

General question... which is the best website for information on restoring
old radios? (I know I can google on "restoring old radios" but I'm
looking for opinions on the best from among the few hundred thousand hits
that are likely to come up.)

Thanks...


Rick, Looks like you've already stated the standard routine of
restoration, or at least the commencement, thereof. The HX-50 is not
super old so you may not have too much in the way of out-of-tolerance
resistors, for example. It doesn't take a lot to check an electrolytic
before actually bringing it up, assuming you've accumulated a
(e.g.Heath cap checker. Normally, bringing something up on the Variac
does give a bit of safety for the equipment, but not guaranteed. You
can still be in some degree of overload and damage may still occur. You
might consider putting a smaller than called for fuse in the rig and
bring it up, initially, that way. With no appreciable p.s. load, and
the additional protection, you may be able to safely test and/or reform
the electrolytics. Just a thought........
de K3HVG