Hallicrafters S-108 Restoration

[Madness]

Greetings,

I'm wondering if there's any vintage radio guys in the Boston area?
Around Lynn or the North Shore would be nice, but I'm open. Anyhow, I
have a Hallicrafters tube-type shortwave receiver that I found on the
side of the road (sitting on some old furniture w/ a "free" sign on it).
It was tested w/ a lightbulb in series, and picked up stuff (for
awhile). Now, all is does is make a crackling (on all bands) that sounds
like silver-mica disease.

Anyhow, I'd love to get it working, but don't have the time or tools to
do so. And shipping it, while it could be done, would be a pain due to
its size & weight.

Thanks!

[Peter Wieck]

Post by Madness
Greetings,
I'm wondering if there's any vintage radio guys in the Boston area?

https://www.nearc.net/

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[t***@myshop.com]

Post by Madness
Greetings,
I'm wondering if there's any vintage radio guys in the Boston area?
Around Lynn or the North Shore would be nice, but I'm open. Anyhow, I
have a Hallicrafters tube-type shortwave receiver that I found on the
side of the road (sitting on some old furniture w/ a "free" sign on it).
It was tested w/ a lightbulb in series, and picked up stuff (for
awhile). Now, all is does is make a crackling (on all bands) that sounds
like silver-mica disease.
Anyhow, I'd love to get it working, but don't have the time or tools to
do so. And shipping it, while it could be done, would be a pain due to
its size & weight.
Thanks!

It could be something as simple as a broken wire, bad tube, bad
capacitor, or dirty volume potentionemeter or a switch. Are all the
tubes lighting up? Did you test them? Did you spray the pots and
switches?

These are things you can do, (if you can find someone with a tube
tester). And Deoxit spray can be bought on ebay to clean controls.

The price sure was right.... Radios like that sell for big money these
days, if they are complete.

I know nothing about the Boston area. If I was nearby, I'd take a look
at it. You might try to locate some Ham Radio clubs around your area. I
bet they would know an old timer who can work on that stuff.

By the way, if you have any knowledge of tube electronics ,and can work
on it safely, All you need, is a small battery operated amplifier, or
use a pair of computer speakers. Connect a test lead to the input with a
.01 600V capacitor in between, and work thru the circuit. Test each tube
at the grid and at the plate. Obviously the output stage is working. But
test the RF and IF stages as well as the preamp stage. Begin by probing
the volume control center terminal on the pot.

There are schematics for almost all Hallicrafter stuff online, for free.

[Peter Wieck]

Sometimes, a little knowledge is a very dangerous thing! The advice above is a formula very nearly guaranteed to let out the Magic Smoke.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[Fox's Mercantile]

First things first. Get the manual.
<https://bama.edebris.com/download/hallicra/s108/094-902074D_Hallicrafters_S-108_Operating_And_Service_Instructions_Sep63.pdf>

Secondly, capacitors are cheap. Replace all the electrolytic
and paper capacitors first.

Spray all the switches with Caig DeOxit. Do NOT use it on
the variable resistors. Use Caig FaderLube for those.

Remove all the tubes except the V8, the 5Y3 rectifier. Mark
each one with a silver Sharpie if the tube number is missing.

NOW you can plug it in and see if the B+ is everywhere it
belongs and nowhere it doesn't.

Plug in the rest of the tubes and come back and tell us what
works and what doesn't. We'll go from there.