{"id":12383,"date":"2015-02-19T11:47:25","date_gmt":"2015-02-19T15:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=12383"},"modified":"2015-02-19T11:47:25","modified_gmt":"2015-02-19T15:47:25","slug":"the-hallicrafters-sx-88-a-rare-find-and-a-gem-of-engineering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/02\/the-hallicrafters-sx-88-a-rare-find-and-a-gem-of-engineering\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hallicrafters SX-88: a rare find and a gem of engineering"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Hallicrafters-SX-88\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Yesterday while glancing through\u00a0the QTH.com classifieds ads<\/a>, I noticed a rare boat anchor for sale: the Hallicrafters SX-88<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The seller, Jeremy, describes this\u00a0SX-88 as follows<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Hi [t]here,\u00a0I have one SX88 in minty shape and is one of a handful that came in military green on [the] front panel for evaluation by the military. This is an exceptional radio in amazing condition. I can provide pics for someone who is seriously interested. I am open to a fair offer on radio. Please, no low-ballers. We all know what [it’s] worth…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Halli-SX-88-QTH-Ad\"<\/a>“We all know what it’s worth<\/em><\/strong>“–?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, it just so happened that\u00a0my good friend (and Elmer, or ham radio guru) Mike Hansgen (K8RAT) had recently\u00a0provided\u00a0me with a little history lesson on the subject of\u00a0the SX-88, so I did<\/em> know what this rig is worth: a\u00a0great deal of money.<\/p>\n

But curiosity got the best of me, so I contacted Jeremy (a nice fellow, by the way) and asked what he was expecting to receive in exchange for\u00a0his Hallicrafters SX-88? Jeremy’s reply:<\/p>\n

“…$5,500 USD will take it. It is a very rare unit; it was… only one of about 6 [painted green]…for presentation to the military for evaluation.<\/p>\n

That price is firm. [I] will not negotiate downward, and shipping [from Ontario, Canada] is extra.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After receiving this response from\u00a0Jeremy, I happened to think that I have the<\/em> reference guide to rare\/used shortwave receivers: Fred Osterman’s Shortwave Receivers Past and Present 4th edition<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. (Click here for more info.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Osterman’s wonderfully comprehensive\u00a0guide mentions that the SX-88 is a “highly regarded, rare and collectible model.” As for the rarity of the SX-88, he describes it thus: “Extremely Scarce.” The used price range he gives is from $3,500-7,000 US.<\/p>\n

I also have Chuck Dachis’ book, <\/a>Radios By Hallicrafters<\/a>;\u00a0<\/em>in it, he\u00a0states that the SX-88 is, “the most sought-after Hallicrafters model.” Wow.<\/p>\n

After thanking Jeremy for his response, he replied:<\/p>\n

“It’s a lot of money for a receiver for certain, but it is a fantastic shortwave receiver as the audio that comes out of it is amazing.<\/p>\n

It has 10 watts of audio and into a big speaker–it is second to none. The fidelity is amazing and it is the king of its kind. [For those who like] tube rigs, it is the best of its kind.<\/p>\n

For ham purposes on AM it is amazing, and on CW I find it incredible to use.<\/p>\n

[W]hen they built this thing they intended to pull all [the] stops out and build the best radio they could for the day with the military in mind. It was an engineering marvel for the day.<\/p>\n

Anyway, I have played with it for years now and need to thin out the herd.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Impressive. And while I just don’t have that kind of money to fork out for a receiver, I did ask myself the question: “If I had<\/em> $5,500 to blow, would I get that Hallicrafters SX-88?”<\/p>\n

And my answer? Yes.<\/em>\u00a0 In fact, I would personally drive to Jeremy’s home in Ontario and bring it back; no way I’d trust it to a parcel carrier or the post office…<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Click<\/a>

Click to enlarge (Source: AntiqueRadio.org)<\/p><\/div>\n

Come on,<\/em> you may say. For a guy who rarely pays over $50 for a vintage receiver, how could you possibly justify that kind of financial and time commitment–?<\/em><\/p>\n

Well, let’s think of it this way. \u00a0I remember when when I paid well over two thousand for my first laptop in college. How much is it worth now? Maybe twenty dollars–?<\/p>\n

Many people have retirement funds in investments, some of which are in a variety of innovative companies that they actually patronize–for example, Apple or Microsoft. \u00a0But how often can you find an investment that you can actually play<\/em> with? One which you can turn on, tune in, work\u00a0the controls, and enjoy<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Yes, I’m sure this is just the sort of justification voiced by\u00a0many a vintage car collector…So, why not for\u00a0a museum-worthy radio? After all, they’re not making these anymore.<\/p>\n

I expect this Halli will not only<\/em> hold its value, but will probably increase in value over time.<\/p>\n

Ah, well; fun to ponder. \u00a0My question to you: Would you<\/em>\u00a0buy a $5,500 vintage receiver if you had it to spare?<\/p>\n

If your answer is yes, and you do<\/em> have the money, then you might want to contact Jeremy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I’m very curious if there are any SX-88 owners among our readership? If so, please comment with your thoughts about the ’88!<\/p>\n

And for the rest of us, just so we can revel in the vicarious pleasure of ownership, I’ve included some additional information about the\u00a0Hallicrafters SX-88 below, including two videos.<\/p>\n

Resources (courtesy of Jeremy):<\/p>\n