HOLIDAY MEMORIES

It's that time of the year when many of us "wax nostalgic."  We enjoy reflecting upon pleasant memories of the holiday seasons of years gone by.  From a time when life was much less complicated. Our (Southern Hemisphere readers excepted) recollections include long, cold, clear, starry nights, and tuning across the bands listening for faint signals on our Ocean Hopper regenerative receiver, or Heathkit AR-3 with its gray fabric covered wood cabinet, or a gray metal cased Hallicrafters S-38D, and sitting in our shack while enjoying a cup of coffee or hot chocolate with a marshmallow slowly dissolving.

I first got seriously interested in shortwave radio in 1955.  (I was 13.)  Information was hard to find.  Popular Mechanics occasionally ran articles on radio construction, and Popular Electronics was new on the scene.  In December of 1955 after finishing my newspaper route for the day, I stopped in at Pringle's Drug Store on the corner of Fourth and Broadway.  I was becoming a young man, and comic books were beginning to become passé.  On the back of the rack of magazines I spotted RADIO & TELEVISION NEWS.  The "World's Leading Electronics Magazine."  On the cover, was a picture of a ham radio operator, seated comfortably between a Christmas tree and a spectacular looking console radio station.  A wintery scene was visible through a floor-to-ceiling window, and a 24 hour GMT clock was on the wall along with a display of QSL cards.

The cover proclaimed SINGLE-SIDEBAND SYSTEMS with an arrow pointing at the scene.  That "sold" me!  I took the magazine to the counter and dug deep in my jeans pocket for the 35 cents, made my purchase, went outside and tucked my new-found treasure in my The Register canvas newspaper carry bags on my Schwinn bicycle leaning against a parking meter on the sidewalk.

Later that night, in the warm sanctuary of my room, I read about that station, and what it would be like to own one.  When I read the two page article deep in the magazine, it said the complete factory-built unit was "The New Hallicrafters SR-500 station - comprised of an SX-100 receiver, an HT-30 exciter, and an HT-31 linear amplifier."   It was all neatly contained in a desk-console, and boasted of a "key-lock to prevent unauthorized operation."  Wow!   No unauthorized person would ever be able to mess around with "my" radio!  (That is...if I ever had one.)

A few days later, I took the magazine to school and shared it with a few of my radio buddies.  We all drooled over the picture on the cover, and commented about how nice it would be to be able to have a station like that.  Handling message traffic...or maybe even a weak-signal distress call from some far-away location!

The 1956 Radio Amateurs Handbook listed the SR-500 at $1,495.00. with a shipping weight of 525 lbs.  Adjusted for inflation this "anything but portable super-station" today would be around $12,000.00...plus shipping!   I never did see one of those factory console units in person, or even hear of someone who owned one, except for the guy on the cover of the magazine.  It would be interesting to know just how many of these dream stations The Hallicrafters Company sold.

Years have gone by, most of us use much smaller (and lighter), and considerable better and less expensive radios.  Few of them actually "glow-in-the-dark" except for back-lit LCD or LED displays.  But the thrill and excitement of tuning across the bands on some long, cold, starry winter night...and "pulling-in" a weak signal from some far away place...has not lost it's magical appeal.  At least not for me.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year and...Season's Greetings!  -  Editor