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| Reviews Summary for Hammarlund SP-600 |
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Reviews: 15
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Average rating: 4.3/5
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MSRP: $1,000 in 1952
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Description: HF receiver covering 55 Khz to 54 Mhz.
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Product is not in production.
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More info: http://
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KG8LB
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 3, 2011 03:57
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Super !
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Fine performance , easily maintained but GET THE BLACK BEAUTIES OUT ! I have owned quite a few of these gems and always impressed by them. Yes, the tuning layout is a bit different but familarizing yourself with the logging scale will help if you operate in specific areas . A digital display is easily fitted but I kind of like using the analog dial.
I used to tempt fate regarding the Black Beauty plastic caps ..not any more. We had just resurected a real nice SP-600. While sitting back enjoying some armchair copy , the signals suddenly began to fade and almost instantly there was a sizzle and pop. Before I could shut the radio down the RF went away. Turns out a shorted Black Beauty took out an IF can . It took very little time for this to happen. The bad Black Beauty was real easy to spot , it had split open like an over cooked hot dog.
Another heads up, the SP-600 needs an extra depth cabinet. Hammond make a real nice cabinet the works well and looks great filled with SP-600 !
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K1VVT
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 21, 2010 14:02
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Used SP600 54yrs ago
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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1956 & 1957 used the SP-600 for Morse Intercept replaced by R390's in '57, In the highlands of Ethiopia, after discharge and many years later, found two from Army Mars and rebuilt one, replacing all the caps, still using it for listening and copying Morse in 2010.
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IW5CI
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 3, 2010 03:50
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Wonderful receiver
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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This is a real receiver. My sp-600 is the CIA version. It is completely original and still with the black beauties onboard but it works flawlessy.
The audio quality is incredible. Hooked to a Pioneer HI-FI speaker the BC stations sounds really good.
Even on SSB the reception is clear.
I hooked a digital frequency meter and now i know exactly the frequency where i AM.
The only problem of this radio is the weight... in it's box is like a battleship.
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F6BGV
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 2, 2010 05:49
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BETTER AUDIO
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I own a SP-600 since a very long time.
I replaced all caps, except electrolytic and mica.
I thought it was better to install an audio section more in accordance with the quality of this famous former receiver, which will permit to get a very good sound !
I removed audio output transformer (T 7)and I replaced by another 6V6, with a new push-pull transformer (8000 CT/8) under the frame.
Then, I connected again V16A in preamplifier (Rk = 1k and Rp = 47k), straight connected to V16B as "phase-splitter" (Rk = Rp = 47k), and the two 6V6 in push-pull (Rk = 220/2W + 47 µF/63V), and a negative feed-back (Rfb = 3,3k from 8 ohms).
- HT on plate 6V6's = from C161B
- HT on screen 6V6's = from C161C
- HT on V16B = from C161C
- HT on V16A = from V18
Like this, I got a very good listening quality of the broadcasts...
Best 73's
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KB8QEN
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 25, 2009 05:29
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WORLD Class Quality
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Actually this is a very well made receiver. The only real component shotcoming is the Black Beauty caps that were, at the time thought to be excellent parts. Then again that was nearly SIXTY YEARS AGO ! Of course that IS a LONG time and by the hindsight of the inexperienced it may give cause for mis-judgement of this fine receiver. The same caps were thought at that time to be a huge improvement over paper caps and were used in many high quality radios. Even the highly regarded R-390A employed them. By now re-capping is pretty much normal maintenance and this receiver will reward it's owner with brilliant performance if they are endowed with the proper disciplines to bring it out.
Of course over a period of nearly SIXTY YEARS some of these fine old receivers may have been stored for extended periods in less than optimum environments . High heats in attics and dank damp basements in the Great White Northern reaches can take a toll on even the very best gear, causing corrsion on metallic bits and insulation breakdown. Not a problem for the real technician but it may magnify the shortcomings of the less capable.If you are a bit anal about such things, consider one of the "tropicized" versions. They were specially treated and coated to minmize the ravages of enviromental extremes . They are the ones with the yellowish coating on the chassis components.
This is a very stable, sensitive receiver and stood up with the best of it's day. The audio is quite good and for MW DXing it blows away most modern receivers no matter where they were made.Of course technology has made some leaps since then but this radio is still playing today, many of them without ANY real major repairs if at all. It's performance makes it still a viable tool for day to day use on the MW to HF spectrum. Don't get to carried away with all the "JX" jargon . They are all quite gosd regardless the suffix.
A tribute to the designers and skilled assemblers of it's time .
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VE3PRI
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Rating: 2/5
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Jul 26, 2009 11:24
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Poor Construction
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Came into possession of SP-600 J recently and discovered if this rig works its great, but the one I got had many bad caps and resistors, also found 3.5mhz oscillator had been modified and not working, and then when the radio was all together discovered a new fault cables to audio pot disintegrating, another big job here. Like I said its a great radio if it works, but overall it suffers from poor design mechanically for service procedures and poor quality caps and audio cable, not to mention the slug screw setup in the tuning turret. Surprised this radio is as valuable as it is because of these faults. If you have to do a restoration of this radio get ready for a lot of grief, and be careful to check it out thoroughly before buying one.
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W0OGH
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 8, 2008 10:48
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Good looking radio
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I currently own a -17 version of this radio. the audio transformer is shot and replacements are like hen's teeth. I liked the SX-28 for an unparalleled Classic radio in appearance. The Sp-600 here comes in a close 2nd though. Really attractive but the usual complaints exist. Where am i is the big one. However i have certain SWBC stations and ham AM spots that i operate on so i know where they are on the dial. Love the smooth tuning and fast movement across the spectrum. Not tried it on 6 meters yet but everything else works on the radio. Need to get the Audio tranny replaced, will use a 51J/R-388 collins audio transformer for that. Not worried about the AF power requirements as i'm not driving any "line" equipment anyway. And the Collins audio transformer will certainly handle all the audio i can take. Really do like this receiver. Big knobs, classic look.
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KB2NAT
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 9, 2007 08:18
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Wonderful
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I used one of these overseas in the Air Force and then owned one myself for many years. It will always be THE radio of all time for me. Most of us in the military preferred the Hammarlund over the Collins R390 (slight edge). There were very few signals that the SP600 couldn't squeeze out of the murk. 22 tubes helped keep the shack warm, too. It was everything one could want in a receiver. To find any fault with it would be petty on my part, just don't ask me to carry it up or down stairs anymore.
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K9EUI
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Rating: 4/5
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Dec 8, 2007 19:19
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Great band cruiser
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I sadly had to get rid of my SP-600 (I think it was a JX-13). But I needed the room. It was probably the most stable vintage receiver I ever owned (except for perhaps the Drake 2-B). I called it my band cruiser since one could tune a wide range quickly - but this was also a disadvantage. It would have been nice if the number of band were increased to give each one more bandspread. The audio response could have been better but for casual listening it was OK.
AS I have done on other vintage receivers, I replaced one stage in it (I think it was an IF output cathode follower) with a 6BE6 as a product detector. This allowed much improved CW/SSB operation and s-meter use without having to reduce the RF gain. I'd love to find another one of these.
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KB1OKL
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 21, 2007 18:38
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Excellent receiver
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought a JX-26 last year which needed a lot of work, shipped it and got it restored by Philip Atchley KO6BB who did an excellent job (said it was his last boatanchor restoration, something about his back, hi!). I find the band scales to be right on, no need to use logging scales on mine, properly restored these things are very accurate, selective and sensitive. I use it for mainly BCB DXing and it sometimes beats my R-390A which has also been restored by an expert. It's a delight to tune with it's big dial and the crystal filter and phasing controls on mine gets rid of almost all hets. The audio is very clear on mine, am able to "hear" signals I wouldn't normally be able to understand on most other radios. I can for example copy 1521 Saudi Arabia next to WWKB NY on 1520 with it which really booms in here sometimes. I can also listen to SSB with it although the 390A is better at that for a non-SSB radio. If you get a properly running SP-600 there isn't much that will beat it and nothing that will do it with such style.
I heartily recommend them. I would buy another. I own an R-390A, an HRO-60, an HQ-180 and a SX-28A among other anchors, all are nice in their own way and are comparable in their own way.
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