Hammarlund HQ-120

Hammarlund HQ-120X

Single conversion general coverage receiver, covers 540KHz to 31 MHz in 6 ranges. Twelve tubes include a voltage regulator for the oscillator. One stage of RF and three IF stages. A series of advertisements and an article by a Hammarlund engineer on the crystal filter can be found in QST magazine starting in December 1938. Radio News of February 1939 also has a nice article on this radio. The lighting on this photo incorrectly shows the cabinet color as a lighter tone. The actual finish is black wrinkle although a gray wrinkle (with gray panel) was also made available. The "X" in the model number indicated the crystal filter. The front panel does not include the "X" in the model number but it is included as part of the model number on the chassis.

This relatively rare black-wrinkle speaker matches the HQ-120 receiver. See the nice color cover of the April 1946 Radio News showing W9UIG, said to be one of the first hams back on the air after WW II. The speaker is very prominent in the cover photo as is the HQ-120. Another picture of the HQ-120 and the speaker appears on page 80 of the May 1946 issue. The HQ-120 is advertised with the speaker in the Allied Radio catalog of 1942. According to the Allied catalog, the HQ-120 was sold with the 10 inch speaker, but the speaker cabinet (SC-10) was an optional extra for $3.90. I've been told that the speaker is also the match for the SP-200 series, the HQ-129 with a slight color variation to match its cabinet, and the SP-400, again with a color variation to match its cabinet. I have not confirmed the SP- series matches. There are two or three slight variations in the grille pattern of these speakers. If you have more information, let me know. When I acquired the speaker, I did not know that it matched any radio at all.

HQ-120 speaker


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