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| Reviews Summary for Hammarlund HQ-180(A) |
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Reviews: 13
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Average rating: 4.6/5
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MSRP: $443.00 (1963)
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Description: High Performance Tube Receiver
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More info: http://
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write your own review of the Hammarlund HQ-180(A).
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W1BKZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 2, 2004 21:21
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51j-4, look to your laurels!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Other than the difficulty obtaining a 6BV8 triple triode, this receiver has given me no problems. If you come across one, I recommend going over it with a fine-tooth comb before judging its quality.
I have an "A" model and the clock DOES work!!! Some, I have heard, don't.
Technically, you can't ask for a better performer (for the money) for the period in which it was created. There are a lot of receivers out ,with state of the art circuitry (Icom R-75 for onr) that should outperform it and might, if only for some of the bells and whistles, such as passband tuning, etc. However, if you are an appreciator of equipment that glows in the dark, you will be hard pressed to find a better radio.
TNX de W1BKZ
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WB6MYL
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 8, 2002 23:54
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A Hidden Treasure
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Five to seven years ago, you would see a Hammarlund receiver at a swap meet and pass it up; you could pick up an SP-600 (with a truss) for $50 to $100 and an HQ-170 or 180 for $150 to $200 (with little takers). How times have changed; A lot of hams wanted Collins equipment that just priced themselves out of the budget of average hams and many started looking at these hidden treasures. I am restoring one now that needs vey little work. A great receiver! It is big but no bigger than a 75A4; what a nice experience to be able to use big knobs and look at the dial w/o "squinting". This is a general coverage receiver which has a bandspread covering the ham freqs; very sensitive; Fred Osterman describes the differences in the original and "A" model but they appear to be slight (the solid state rectifier in the "A" may explain lesser drift than the original). Probably not quite as sensitive as an R-390 but a pleasure and fun to use; well built and a pride of any shack; prices are around $500 to $1000; should of bought these instead of tech stocks for my 401K. Regards.
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DAROBIN
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 8, 2002 20:12
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The HQ-180 is one of the best of the old-time tube boatanchors
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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One of the premier general coverage receivers ever produced, the HQ-180A (and its various versions) combines legendary Hammarlund construction quality and fine tube audio with unusual flexibility in selectivity and interference reduction. Often mentioned in the top-10 lists of DX listeners, the 180 is a triple conversion radio with coverage up to 30 mHz. Its five crystal selectivity positions can be used in AM, LSB, or USB. Alone this provides a tremendous degree of flexibility in rejecting adjacent channel interference. But the 180 also includes a fine tune control, which Hammarlund called the "vernier tuning" control. With it, one can tune plus or minus 3 kHz with gradations between each kHz. In addition, the HQ-180 was equipped with a notch or slot depth control, which is particularly handy in getting rid of adjacent interference. Tuning weak signals so-called "exalted carrier" techniques (simply using LSB or USB rather than AM) made shortwave listening a pleasure. Although HQ-180's are tube receivers, ECSS tuning was a particularly handy way of digging out weak signals. Once zeroed in a frequency, most 180's required only occasional tweaking of the vernier control to bring the signal back to zero beat. Used with the previously-mentioned selectivity positions and notch, the 180 could frequently guarantee inteligible results. One other feature the 180 series provided, although optional, was an excellent IF noise silencer. This control placed a second knob on the existing noise silencer knob at the far right and was especially effective in reducing band noise and pulse interference. Other notable front panel controls included the antenna trimmer, to maximize signal levels from the antenna, and a three positon automatic gain (AGC) -- something that many solid state receivers in later years short changed on. The HQ-180, which was the final tube boat anchor Hammarlund produced, has only gained in reputation over the years. Hammarlund made some design changes from the original 180, replacing the heat-producing rectifier tube with a solid state plug in for the HQ-180A. On the used market, HQ-180AX receivers (which replaced the clock unit in the upper left with selectable crystals) are highly prized, especially if in good to excellent condition. Some users believe the audio from the plain HQ-180 was, in fact, better than the 180A. For those looking for 180s, pay particular attention to the condition of the electrolytic capacitors and transformers, as these often produce excessive "buzz" if they are in poor condition or failing. HQ-180s with original telechron clocks in good, working condition are also likely to fetch a premium, as are those with clean, unscratched cabinets and metal front bezels. The clock, among other things, enabled one to have the receiver turn itself on in advance. Many of us who used the HQ-180 as a primary receiver used the clock to warm up the radio in advance of a search for DX signals. Finally, the HQ-180 series had what was perhaps the best S-meter ever placed in a tube receiver. Unlike many of the well-known and respected tube receivers of its time, including the Hammarlund SP-600 series, the HQ-180 received relatively little attention in the radio press. Those who used the 180 over the years remember it as one of the most sensitive receivers ever made, and one that was a joy to operate. It was particularly adept at reception of the lower shortwave bands, which in the 1960's and into the 1970's were used extensively by tropical band broadcasters. Today, the HQ-180 still holds its own going head to head with some of the most high-tech and expensive solid state equipment, and occupies the ranks of classic radio design along with such greats as the SP-600, and the Collins 51J3/4 series.
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