Need help with Hammarlund HQ110A

[lkdubb]

I recently purchased a Hammarlund HQ110A and I cannot get it to operate.
It powers up, the lights and meters seem to function properly, but I
cannot get any reception - just white noise. I do not have external
speakers, so I use headphones....I do not have a proper antenna, so I'm
just using a length of wire....since this is all new to me, I'm not sure
of how to set the various controls on the unit (pitch, sensitivity, AVC.
LIM, audio gain, freq, selectivity, multiplier).
Can anyone offer me some advice?
Also, how hard is it to find parts and to get repairs on these units?
Thanks.

--
lkdubb

[Kevin Alfred Strom]

Sensitivity all the way up, AM mode, limiter off, peak up the
"antenna" control, audio gain for a comfortable level, tune around
the 7-7.3 MHz band daytime or 3.5-4 MHz band at night -- there
should be lots of signals. If not, try replacing the tubes one at a
time. Jiggle the bandswitch -- its contacts (and some of the
potentiometers) may be dirty with age and need to be spritzed with
WD-40 or a cleaner. Beyond that, the set may have developed some bad
capacitors or other components. The manual for the receiver is here:

http://hamradiomanualsonline.com/2009/10/13/hammarlund-hq-110-hf-receiver-instructions-and-service-manual/

The best place to find a real expert to help you will probably be:

http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php

I'd highly recommend joining and participating there.

All the best,

Kevin, WB4AIO.
--
http://nationalvanguard.org/
http://kevinalfredstrom.com/

[David Barts]

It is actually easier to repair old vacuum tube electronics than it is
to repair a modern IC based radio that is out of production by a few
years. There's plenty of new old stock (NOS, "new" in the box yet 50
or 60 years old) tubes still out there. But tubes don't go bad just
sitting there, so the tubes in your radio are probably OK. More than
likely, the problem is in dirty switch contacts, or resistors or
capacitors that have gone bad. One can find new stock replacements
that might not look much like the old ones, but electrically are far
better and more reliable.

You will need a voltmeter (preferably a vacuum tube voltmeter, but a
modern digital multimeter will work, especially if it has a bar-
display mode which will be useful for aligning the IF coils an
transformers). A signal generator that can go up to at least 30 MHz is
also a big plus, since it will help a great deal in aligning the set
(more than likely, it has drifted out of alignment, re-aligning it
will restore it to like-new selectivity and sensitivity).

It's best to get a service manual for the set, particularly if you
haven't done this sort of thing before. Then you can just follow the
troubleshooting and aligning instructions therein.

More tips on fixing old radios can be found at: http://www.antiqueradio.org/howfix.htm

--
David Barts
Portland, OR

[David Barts]

PS - Be aware that vacuum tubes require and use significantly higher
voltages than semiconductors. You will have to take precautions to
avoid getting zapped. You can't be casual around powered-on vacuum
tube electronics like you can around low-voltage semiconductor
circuits.

[D Peter Maus]

Hammarlund's typically have more sensitivity than may actually be
used. Turning RF Gain all the way up, and turning off the limiter will
drive the front end into blocking.

Turn the limiter off, yes, but increase sensitivity until you
encounter artifacts, or distortion or quiet resulting from severe clipping.

WD-40 is not really recommended for pots and switches. Caig products
for cleaning pots and switches are a better choice.

Replacing caps on a Hammar is quite easy. Alignment can, depending on
model, be done using nothing more than non conductive tools and WWV.

Congratulations. A nice rig.

[bet...@comcast.net]

Though this request and info is quite old I thought this hint might be helpful to other. I recently purchased the same receiver, used, and found this gentleman's symptom description exactly like I had been experiencing. I had checked all tubes and am pretty familiar with bringing these things back to life as well as their typical operating status at the age these are now.It seemed like it should work, but it didn't!

I decided to check out the manual before proceeding with the assessing, changing etc. any other component parts. I found in the operating manual for the HQ-110A, an unusual feature with communications receivers, at least like this one. There is an AC 'style' jack in the back of this receiver which in default mode (Manufacturer's Status) accommodates an "AC Style" plug. A rather unusual application for these items! The receiver had been used in Transmit/Receive configuration by the former owner, and the 'AC plug' had been removed to accommodate a T/R Relay operation. With no 'dummy plug' inserted, the signal processing tubes are unable to function, and one hears static etc. but no signals. Once I realized this and created a shorted 'AC plug' plugged it in, voila! Signals galore.

I just thought this information might be helpful to the next 'fixer upper' that might come by the thread. Hope it helps someone avoid a very complicated experience in rejuvenating this receiver. - K2BET

[George Cornelius]

In article <2370719c-92de-49cd...@googlegroups.com>, bet...@comcast.net writes:
> Though this request and info is quite old I thought this hint might be help=
> ful to other. I recently purchased the same receiver, used, and found this =
> gentleman's symptom description exactly like I had been experiencing. I had=
> checked all tubes and am pretty familiar with bringing these things back t=
> o life as well as their typical operating status at the age these are now.I=
> t seemed like it should work, but it didn't!=20
>
> I decided to check out the manual before proceeding with the assessing, cha=
> nging etc. any other component parts. I found in the operating manual for t=
> he HQ-110A, an unusual feature with communications receivers, at least lik=
> e this one. There is an AC 'style' jack in the back of this receiver which =
> in default mode (Manufacturer's Status) accommodates an "AC Style" plug. A =
> rather unusual application for these items! The receiver had been used in T=
> ransmit/Receive configuration by the former owner, and the 'AC plug' had be=
> en removed to accommodate a T/R Relay operation. With no 'dummy plug' inser=
> ted, the signal processing tubes are unable to function, and one hears stat=
> ic etc. but no signals. Once I realized this and created a shorted 'AC plug=
> ' plugged it in, voila! Signals galore.=20
>
> I just thought this information might be helpful to the next 'fixer upper' =
> that might come by the thread. Hope it helps someone avoid a very complicat=

> ed experience in rejuvenating this receiver. - K2BET

Interesting. Just what I want to have around is a two-prong A/C plug
which will catch fire when inserted into a wall outlet.

Or, for that matter, which when inserted into the back of a receiver which
is actually supplying power via that connector.

George

[allise...@gmail.com]

Best to keep a Fire Extinguisher near that radio. ... Scotland living in a car Youtube They call it Wild Camping, in Scotland. Scotland/Hibernia/Caledonia, old Irish coins had Hibernia stamped on them. ... ///Caledonia, just what makes your hard head so hard? WOO WOO WOOF!/// ...Y'all probally never heard of that one before.

[Frank]

On Thu, 03 May 2018 21:53:36 -0400, George Cornelius wrote:

> Interesting. Just what I want to have around is a two-prong A/C plug
> which will catch fire when inserted into a wall outlet.
>
> Or, for that matter, which when inserted into the back of a receiver
> which is actually supplying power via that connector.
>
> George

Check out the "B Switch" terminal strip mentioned at the bottom of this
page:

https://people.ohio.edu/postr/bapix/NC-183D.htm

Boatanchor B+ on a bare screw terminal strip of the same kind as the
speaker and antenna connections. No fuse and no warning, either, unless
you're hip to the meaning of "B Switch".

Hallicrafters used an octal socket and an octal shorting plug for similar
duty on alot of it's radios. The octal socket was a convenient place to
borrow power for an external accessory such as a Q multiplier. The
shorting plug sometimes went AWOL, which would disable the receiver.
It's very easy to fab up a duplicate or just short a couple of terminals
on the back of the octal socket.

The Hallicrafters octal socket is usually labeled "POWER". The manual
that came with the radio showed a schematic to run the radio on battery
power or, presumably, a dynamotor.

No power fuses on these radios but they're easy to add.

Alot of these ham/SWL radios came with a phono switch. Were turntables
often used with these radios? It seemed pretty useless to me, then it
struck me that the phono switch position would be ideal for use with a
Select-O-Ject or something similar. The phono switch doesn't disable the
radio and audio is still available at the headphone jack. The switch
just switches the audio input of the speaker amplifier to the RCA jack on
the back panel. I don't have a Select-O-Ject to try it but it seems like
it would work well.

[n9kt...@gmail.com]

"BET" :

I just wanted to thank you for your posting this week about the relay socket jumper! :) I acquired an HQ110 at a swapfest this past weekend, and had NO receive at all even with an antenna analyzer as a signal source.

Double checking for the missing jumper and making a "shorting plug" is now getting me headed toward having the radio working. The cosmetics arent too bad, and the radio is electrically unmolested.

I did get a carrier on 20, and 80 so far..... Tomorrow will be hook it to an antenna, and see what I hear. At least I dont have a total parts radio! :)

Next is to find 1 of 2 "parts" either the filler for the clock, or a clock (non working, but cosmetically good is fine)

Again Thank You for the "heads up"..... ACtually had a smilar problem with a Knight T-150...


de Howard, N9KTW

[stat...@gmail.com]

HI, from AE5VM Paul in NM.. I had bought 4 Receivers from a club member and this was one of them.. Same thing here.. I plugged the back plug and presto.