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Reviews For: Hallicrafters HT-37

Category: Transmitters: Amateur radio

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Review Summary For : Hallicrafters HT-37
Reviews: 13MSRP: 399.99
Description:
80 - 10 Meter SSB/AM/CW Transmitter
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00134.9
K7NG Rating: 2003-12-23
Bulletproof - but limited Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had an HT-37 for about two years, 1969 - 1971. Used it for both SSB and CW, never tried it on AM.
Here's what I think of this classic:
Good:
- VFO was REAL stable as long as the window wasn't open and the wind blowing.
- Don't listen to the 'experts' who say that phasing-type SSB generation doesn't provide as good unwanted sideband suppression. A ham across town couldn't hear me once when I accidentally called him with the USB/LSB switch in the wrong position. Phasing-type SSB is fine as long as alignments are carefully performed.
- 6146 tubes in the final!
- Always good audio reports. Phasing SSB is good for nice audio...
- CW keying envelope was EXCELLENT. Also no perceptible 'chirp', which was often a problem with VFO-controlled all-tube transmitters of the era.
Not as good:
(remember the period that these rigs were made:)
- Used a lot of AC watts just sitting there.
- No break-in or even semi break-in CW.
- No PTT. You had VOX or MOX. (I fixed the no-ptt/no semi break-in CW problems by making a simple relay circuit to key the MOX line via A mic PTT button or foot switch for CW)
- Only covered a single 500 KHz segment of 10M - you pick which one by installation of a crystal.
- No 160M.
- Couldn't operate into as high a VSWR as many transmitters of the time because of its' single plate-tune control rather than a PI-network w/ tune and load capacitors.

I don't consider any of the not-as-good items a big deal except for the no-PTT one.

My real problem was that I was using this excellent transmitter with a truly horrible receiver - a Lafayette HA-50.

I think this transmitter was a good example of a fine piece of engineering by a fine old American company. Collectors and boatanchor operators alike should include this item in their inventories.
W4MJR Rating: 2003-06-01
Great classic Time Owned: more than 12 months.
If you like to operate old classic gear then the Hallicrafters HT-37 is the way to go. I have been using one for the last 3 years almost daily.It took awhile to find its matching gear but taking my time I now have the HT-37 transmitter and SX-111 receiver and with the help of a good friend I now have the matching HT-41 amp with it also. The HT-37 works good on CW but its best used for SSB and AM. The old timers says its great for SSB with the D-104 or 10DA mic. ( I use a 10DA )
AA1ZO Rating: 2003-05-08
A great transmitter! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I love Hallicrafters stuff. I guess it was because when I was a teen back in the 60's I owned a Hallicrafters CB-3A CB. It didn't work very well so I had to learn how to fix it(I was poor). It gave me my start in electronics. Anyway when my forty year old HT-37 arrived I was a little bit of a skeptic. I had to replace the power cord. That was it. I have this transmitter mated to a Hallicrafters SX-117 receiver. This station works perfectly. The HT-37 always gives me good signal reports. If you use it on SSB, be sure to let it warm up for about 30 minutes. This way it will be good and stable. My HT-37 came with 6146W's finals. That gave me about 150 watts of PEP on sideband. That is too much and could wipe out the power transformer. I recommend finding a good pair of 6146's and using those instead. When using AM don't expect to get more than 17-25 watts of dead carrier power out of this baby. Peek envelope power on AM is 4 times the carrier power for 100% modulation. So 4 times 25 is 100. Get it? If you try to get more and you can, you most definetly can say good-bye to the power transformer after a fashion of this abuse.
I use a good old fashion D-104 microphone. It seems to perform very well with good clean audio. Don't try to de-yellowfi the audio as this will make your footprint too wide on AM and SSB. Keep it stock and everyone will hear you. This is a great transmitter. If you don't want to be just an appliance operator on the Ham bands ie: modern HF transceivers and the like, this is the rig for you. If you combine this transmitter with a vintage receiver and a good antenna tuner and possibly a linear (mine is a SB-200),the knobs per square inch is enormous. Have fun and get yourself a great transmitter. The HT-37 will fit the bill.
Have Fun!
73's
Clint
AA1ZO