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Reviews For: Hallicrafters SX-88

Category: Receivers: Amateur Radio

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Review Summary For : Hallicrafters SX-88
Reviews: 3MSRP: 595.00 (July 1954)
Description:
General coverage HF receiver.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0034.7
HFCRUSR Rating: 2011-11-08
still rocking HF Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I decided to come in here and add one more to the SX-88 reviews. I give it a "5" because it deserves nothing less. This communications receiver is almost 58 years old and being completely restored in August 2011, lives and breathes along side two more modern HF comm receivers here in my shack. This 58 year old technology still stacks up. Everyone knows of the stellar pushpull audio of the SX-88. Couple that audio quality with the ability to refine weaker signals via the sensitivity, audio response, bandwidth, and a very effective ANL-not to mention the ability to max the signal via antenna trimmer-what you wind up with is a signal void of annoyances..a clean copy on the lousiest signals on AM SW broadcasts. SSB is just gorgeous and professional quality too. That awesome audio often times pushes the SX-88's receive abilities beyond my Icom r71a and r75's abilities, because of their more boxy phonelike audio, which can still be annoying after utilizing filters and such. Add the facts that the SX-88 is so good looking, is such a substantial radio, has that wonderful warm glow of the 20 tubes-the operator of this beauty is left with a feeling of satisfaction, upon every fireup, beyond compare. I have owned mine for almost 24 years and this is my lifelong buddy.
KA9P Rating: 2007-04-06
Tres Cool Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
OK, I'm an easy grader, but its a really well built vintage radio, and sounds very good. What more can you want?

A good friend had recapped and restored the one I'm using, and aside from having to dial the gain back a wee bit on SSB sometimes, it gets the job done and sounds great.

Does it work any better than an SX100? Sometimes. Is it worth the difference? Probably not. If I could have one vintage receiver it would be an SX100 for GC and a 2B for ham bands, clearly the two value receivers out there IMHO, both of which work better. But the build quality and mechanical design is stunning, and its fun to use.
JAMES_BENEDICT_EX_N8FVJ Rating: 2002-11-03
Stunning Looker. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I know, not a '5'? Well, I wish the rating system would allow a 4.5 (see the 75A4 review also). I really like this radio cosmetics- very pretty. The analog dials are very nice, actually stunning. Tuning is solid & all controls work well. I would suspect a SX-28A would be simular in performance with the SX-88 more sensitive and refined. Audio is outstanding, filtering ok and not drifty after warmup. Of course, very expensive now. How did I afford this radio? Swap it for a new 2 meter FM from a ham in Cadillac, Michigan. I advised him, but he still thought he was 'skinning me'.