Hammarlund HQ-100 Solid State Conversion

Hammarlund HQ-100 Solid State Conversion offers a good way to improve and preserve the old boat anchor radios. A ratty radio with a burned out transformer is a good candidate for this conversion. Parts cost may be as low as $50.00.

[@thrillscience]

What a fantastic idea. Make these radios useful again.

[@XRinger]

That's amazing work! Most Hams don't have the skill to do that sort of work.. I might have replaced a couple of tubes with FETs in my life, but that HQ-100 to SS conversion, is a major-major project! Bet that took some tweaking... I remember my first good radio.. It was the HQ-110c and I got it cheap because it previous owner had transmitted into the antenna input.. My buddy had a sig-gen and we quickly found a wire going to a coil on an air-core transformer was burned in half.. 5 minutes later, I had a nice like-new receiver. It was no Collins, but it was still high-end for a Novice in 1968.. Sold it to help buy a new TS430s many years later.. Still have the 430 and it still works like a charm.. 73..

[@jerryw9fs]

Impressive, the HQ-100a was my first real receiver as a novice in 1958.

[@sunilsaranjame1523]

Nice work! I have repaired my AR88 back in the early 80's but somewhere down the years I disposed it off. If I had it today then I would've liked to make it solid state. 73"s de VU2AAB

[@chansetwo]

Then thank goodness you no longer have it. it has been saved.

[@tomboice929]

Wow. Vey nice. You do good work!

[@ItsJGonzo]

I was at a work site and someone left this in their front yard as trash. It came with a speaker. I cleaned it up and it works. I wish I could share pictures on how clean it is. Any advice what to do with it?

[@rubenfuenmayor6408]

Impresing

[@haggy38]

Hi, I got the same radio, but I need help with the antenna, I live in an apartment and what would be your suggestion. Thanks.

[@charlessmith7923]

This radio is very sensitive and will work well on a short antenna but if you want maximum reception on ham bands you should use a resonant antenna for that band. However a long wire of any kind will work for general purposes. An attic antenna should work just fine.

[@haggy38]

Charles Smith Thanks.

[@mikesamra9126]

I will be the first to admit it seems to have great selectivity from what I can hear and it's relatively quiet. I'm not sure what you gain from it and I certainly wouldn't do this to my HQ170 or HQ180 or my SP600 just because of their nostalgic value.This radio I would consider it just because they are relatively inexpensive. I must admit that it performs well.

[@charlessmith833]

I started this project because I believed it could be done successfully. Many people said it could not be done. I have successfully converted Hammarlund HQ-100, 110, 145, 170 and Hallicrafters S-85, SX-99, SX-100 models. They perform equal or better than the tube equivalent. I think it makes a better radio but I would not do it to a museum piece. They look the same, work the same and calibrate the same. The advantage is that there is less weight, heat, hum and power consumption. There is no high voltage to kill you and no hot tubes to burn your fingers. There are no tubes to burn out, weaken or short. The only drawback is that there is a lot of wiring modification and a power supply board and audio board must be added. Only an experienced tech will be able to do a modification. You must have tools, soldering equipment, scope, signal generator, frequency counter etc. in order to complete a project. There are a few drawbacks. Strong signals are more difficult to handle. "IF" images are stronger. Some linearity is lost in the S-Meter. Drift is about the same in both models because it comes mainly from the oscillator capacitors which are extremely sensitive to temperature. I will be glad to provide documentation to anyone who wants it for a printing and postage fee of $15.00. I can be found on the Ham call lookup as KV4JT. E-Mail me at [e-mail]. My old Juno email is being deleted.

[@camaroman9441]

Very good work. But still sacrilege. I would have restored it.