RadioBanter - Thoughts on the Hallicrafters S-120

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"Honus" wrote in message

Just what I was looking for. Thanks, Frank...and everyone else as well.

Good! Now lets get back to arguing about politics and other crap. :) LOL

Just kiddin!

B.H.

Seeeee,at the big old Goodwill store that used to be on Palmyra Street
in beautifull downtown Jacksom (www.wapt.com Downtown Skycam,if
that downtown Skycam is working?.I haven checked it in a month of
Sundays) they used to bring out big cardboard boxes all day long (the
thick cardboard boxes measure about four feet square and about five feet
tall and us customers used to run like heck getting to those boxes of
junk,it was lots of fun digging around in those big junk boxes,I miss
them good old days,I used to get there when the store opened and stay
there untill about three or four o'clock in the afternoon) of junk on
pallets all day long and I have found many old radios in those junk
boxes before.I found my Hallicrafters radio one day in one of those big
junk boxes and many other old radios too.What was I suppose to do,just
leave it sitting there? I paid four dollars for the radio.Maybe the
radio can't compare to a new super duper Drake or Ten-Tec or whatever
radio nowdays,but the price was right.
cuhulin

"Greg" wrote in message
...

From: "Brian Hill"
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 08:00:33 -0500
Subject: Thoughts on the Hallicrafters S-120

"Honus" wrote in message

Just what I was looking for. Thanks, Frank...and everyone else as well.

Good! Now lets get back to arguing about politics and other crap. :) LOL

Just kiddin!

B.H.

Your Momma!

Hey, I'm just trying to keep the thread going.

Greg

Thank you.

"-=jd=-" wrote in message
8...

Twenty bucks for a functional tube set, how can you go wrong? As long as
your
expectations are realistic on what it should be able to do, it could be
something fun to experiment with. Or, just use it for local BCB. If it
blows
up or quits, you're only out $20.

That's what I was getting at. I don't have any expectations, since I don't
know anything about them. ;)

It would make a nice paperweight.
cuhulin

wrote in message
...
It would make a nice paperweight.

Not as nice as your bleached skull.

On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 05:32:14 UTC, "Frank Dresser"
wrote:

"Honus" wrote in message
news:e0zLe.4788$1b5.2694@trnddc05...
Actually, I don't have any...but I'm looking for some.

[snip]

I have a SW-500, which is the same radio as the S-120, in different colors.
I'm not particularly fond of that radio. These radios are reputed to
perform similiarly to the S-38s, but I like my S-38s better. My SW-500 is a
bit more noisy and a bit less sensitive than my S-38s. The SW-500 has a
little more tuning drag and backlash than the S-38s, although either tunes
quite a bit better than nearly any of the inexpensive solid state radios.

Like any radio, it's a good radio as long as you don't try to force it into
doing something it doesn't do well. The selectivity is wide, and it can't
split a powerhouse broadcaster from a DX catch 20 kHz away. However, it
works just fine if you want to hear that powerhouse broadcaster. Listening
to SSB is an excercise in frustration on these radios. It's possible to
demodulate bits of SSB once in a while, but it's not worth the trouble.
There's plenty of images, especially on the top two bands, which is typical
of single conversion radios in which the antenna stage is connected right to
the converter. Needless to say, single conversion radios with a tuned RF
amp, such as the S-40, have far fewer images.

On the plus side, the S-120 is a general coverage receiver, 540 kHz to 30
MHz, which tunes nicely, especially once you get used to the bandspread.
The audio is OK. It's good for listening to local broadcasts, SW
broadcasters beamed to your area, or some of the clear channel stations at
night.

But this radio is a lousy DX radio. It's no good for listening to hams. It
doesn't have much sensitivity, selectivity or image rejection. The tuning
is smooth enough, but the dial indications are imprecise.
That was my first radio that I received when I was in elementary
school in the early '60's. The dial spread was WAY off and everything
you said is correct. However, I would like to have one just for old
time's sake!

--
"What do you mean there's no movie?"

I have one that I found left out for the trash. I got it for free. $20
is too much. As the others have said, it's a boatanchor.