Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Hallicrafters SX-111 MK1

Category: Receivers: Amateur Radio

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Hallicrafters SX-111 MK1
Reviews: 10MSRP: 249.00 new in 1961
Description:
Ham band only receiver covering the 10m, 15m, 20m, 40, and 80m bands plus 10 MHz WWV.
IF frequencies of 50.75 kHz and 1.65 MHz.
Variable selectivity from 500 Hz to 5 kHz, notch filter, ANL, BFO with product detector, 100 kHz calibrator and S-meter.
Tubes used: 5Y3 rectifier, OA2 voltage regulator, 6AQ5 audio output, 12AX7 audio amp. & BFO, 6BJ7 AGC, detector & ANL, 6BY6 product detector, 6BA6 2nd. mixer, 12AT7 2nd. conversion oscillator, two 6DC6 as 2nd. & 1st. IF, 6BY6 mixer, 6C4 1st. conversion oscillator, 6DC6 RF amplifier and 6AU6 crystal calibrator.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00104.1
KE7KK Rating: 2021-10-20
My first decent receiver Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My first real receiver, Christmas present from my folks (used)1965, replaced my sad Star Roamer, I was in ham heaven , Still have it, found memories every time it glows and good performer,
W9ACG Rating: 2019-10-03
very good Time Owned: more than 12 months.
if you were lucky to be at your ham dealer when the ht-37 and sx-111 were demo'd ….you fell in love.... pure class, like a 57 chevy
KK6IYM Rating: 2016-08-15
Typical Hallicrafters design Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just finished restoring my SX 111 as the matching receiver for the HT 37 transmitter. It has excellent sensitivity and good selectivity. The product detector works well and the slide-rule dial makes tuning a breeze. What I don't like about most Hallicrafters radios and it goes for this as well is that they have inadequate shielding around the tuning capacitor and antenna, RF, and oscillator coils and trimmers. Hammarlund radios are much quieter and I think that is the reason. These radios can be found for reasonable prices and are easy to work on and restore. I ordinarily would not buy this model, but it is the companion piece for the venerable HT 37.

Norm
K9SUL Rating: 2016-03-14
Lighter version of SX-101 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The SX-101 was advertised as "built like a battleship". It weighed 70 lbs. The SX-111 is the light-weight version of the SX-101, weighing ONLY 36 lbs. For some time, the two appeared on the catalog at the same time, with SX-101 being promoted as the higher end model(i.e. expensive!). The two are electrically almost identical. Both are dual conversion with the same mixing/conversion scheme.

A fellow ham told me that its eham review score is low and someone said it's a poor ham band receiver. I see a review by Anonymous from 2002 that states that it is a shortwave kind of receiver and was ok for general shortwave listening. He scored it 2/5. He was likely confused the SX-111 with the SX-110, which fits his description. The two can look similar at a glance, so it is easy to confuse the two. The SX-111 is not a shortwave type, but a ham-band only receiver that was created mainly for sideband work. It does not receive shortwave broadcasts.

The SX-110 is a repackaged SX-99, which is a repackaged S-40B with a xtal filter. The S-40 has its root in the S-20R. They are all single conversion with 1 RF and 2 IF sections. The SX-111 is far superior than these.

I enjoy using SX-111 along with other ham band receivers by Hallicrafters like SX-101 and SX-115. In my opinion, its sensitive and stable enough for today's sideband communications. Its selectivity might be inadequate at times when the band is very crowded. In my opinion, Drake's 50kc LC filtering is superior to Hallicrafter's. That is the reason I am rating it 4/5.
N8AUC Rating: 2009-04-07
Pleasant Memories Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This was my first station receiver as a Novice over 30 yrs ago. (Photo was in June 1978 CQ magazine.) I paid $80 for it at a the Mansfield (OH) Hamfest in 1977, and used it for about 18 months. It worked quite well. As I recall it never drifted after warm up. Selectivity was quite good, and I worked a ton of stations using it on the old 40 meter novice band. No one would steal it, because I think it weighed about 80 lbs. A real glow in the dark rock-crusher. I have very pleasant memories of that receiver.
KA8DLL Rating: 2006-10-24
Very nice radio .Poor mans sx101 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Vey nice radio. About the same performance as an sx101 with alot less weight. Stable as a rock after a thirty minute warm up. Very attractive front. Hallicrafters cut a hundred dollars off the price of sx101 and still came up with pretty much the same radio. Good job Hallicrafters.
WB9GKZ Rating: 2003-01-13
Nice Old Set Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought an SX-111 in late 2001 at a Hamfest for the sum of $80. I thought I paid way too much for it...after all, it's a drifty old Hallicrafters that the SSB community rejected decades ago...right? Brought it home, wiped the chassis clean, gave it an IF and RF alignment. Gotta say that it works very well and it really surprised me how stable it is. I find no explaination for the stability on SSB, it rivals any rice-rig after a one-hour warm-up. Guess I was lucky? Sensitivity is great. The antenna trimmer really peaks up the radio nicely. Mine is the older version with no product detector, but it copies SSB just fine with the RF gain turned down a bit. AM signals sound great and the selectable-sideband mode switch can be rocked between LSB/USB to quiet an offending adjacent channel signal. The IF selectivity in 5KHz is acceptable for AM. SSB sounds great with the IF in the 5KHz position.

Bottom line: If you are lucky enough to find one complete and drift-resistant as mine...hang on to it! It's a great, affordable boatanchor!

WA0VED Rating: 2002-11-03
Good Receiver For CW Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This was ans still is a good receiver. It is a Ham bands only with international shortwave intruders on 40 meters.
This was my prime receiver in 1965 up to 1070. CW was excellent, SSB was vewry good, Stability, well it had the Hallicrafters bug. You know the little that could walk across your operating desk and you could hear it's little footsteps shift the VFO.

I now have 2 my original and one I picked up at a hamfest in Festus, Mo. with original box and paperwork. Have it tied to an HT-37 and love the combo. On the air with it weekly and yes, IT GLOWS IN THE DARK, like a real radio.
&#- Jim
WA0VED
KG5FTK Rating: 2002-11-03
Why buy? Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I used an SX-111 for 5 or 6 years in my younger days and I remember it being a shortwave kind of receiver. It was ok for general shortwave listening but was a poor ham band receiver. It had prehistoric filtering, stability was poor, and trying to listen to SSB took some work. Other than these shortcomings, it was a nice and fun to play with piece of equipment for a novice or AM'er in the 50's or 60's. But, I wouldn't even consider using it today if someone gave it to me.
W4MJR Rating: 2002-11-03
Old classic gear fun Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is one my favorite receiver's. I enjoy the looks and operating of my old classic SX-111. I have this on just about every day in my Ham Shack. It sure plays well with my matching HT-37 also. What I enjoy the most about it is the size. Very easy tuning, easy to read and it sure glows in the dark.