Second thoughts on the S38-E Lipstick project

[N2CQR]

I'm having doubts about this:

http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2016/04/always-listen-to-pete-second-thoughts.html

[Opcom]

The S-38 is one of those engaging, relatively inexpensive short wave radios, its large dial emblazoned with the names of places that fired the imagination and connected every explorer of the aether to mysterious sounds, music, and voices from far away lands, and immersed them in visions made manifest not through the eye but through the lurid imagination of youth.

My testament to the real and true magic of the past.

[W3RSW]

"Sentimental Journey"
  Nice thoughts of our youth.  Tnx.

Of course those emblazoned SWID's were on the later model.
Countless All American Fives tuned to broad AM signals entertained more countless, happy at times, concerned at times listeners with the same tube lineup in the BC band.

As to the S-38, CW was ok on the lower frequencies if you were real careful, SSB not so much, but possible.

Once in the land of vfo's, no one was super worried if they did't get a SSB signal nailed to exact fraction of a cps.  Quacking was part of the fun, especially on demonstration day.

Few budding SWL's, potentially aware hams, presented with their very own shortwave receiver worried to much about stability at least for awhile.  The lure of listening to exotic languages, getting those QSL's from RM, BBC and other ports o'call were paramount.

I couldn't navigate the solder smoke blog well on this iPad. It was choked and stuttering with so many ads and very long script that it was a pain.  Otherwise it looked like it had some neat stuff.

[WD8BIL]

As to the S-38, CW was ok on the lower frequencies if you were real careful, SSB not so much, but possible.

Right on Rick. As my novice receiver CW on 80 and 40 was all I really did and it worked fine. Even better when I cobbled a homebrew Q multiplier into it.

[w1vtp]

Different strokes, I suppose.

 I didn't really start copying CW well on the air and making more solid QSOs as a 15 year old novice until I traded my S-38b in for a Super Pro 100.  Then the whole thing opened up for me.  All I had to contend with then was improving my CW skills. QSOs came much easier and more frequent.  Here it is decades later in the 1970's still working.  The S meter had been temporarily been removed in this shot. 

Best I can say for the S-38 would be to put up a doublet and do some DX AM broadcast listening at the bedside.

[Opcom]

Few budding SWL's, potentially aware hams, presented with their very own shortwave receiver worried to much about stability at least for awhile.  The lure of listening to exotic languages, getting those QSO's from RM, BBC and other ports o'call were paramount.

I couldn't navigate the solder smoke blog well on this iPad. It was choked and stuttering with so many ads and very long script that it was a pain.  Otherwise it looked like it had some neat stuff.

Dad being in the Air Force and it being the cold war era, I got in a little trouble once for repeating some news at the dinner table that I'd heard listening to Radio Moscow. Once the WTH? moment passed, Dad explained that the only parts of the broadcasts worth taking seriously were the music or sports segments.

If your iPad uses a HOSTS file and you can get at it, there's a free one maintained at http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/ that will stop it from making requests for those ads and for secondary scripts. It should speed you up a lot on blogs where ads come from diverse sources. Maybe there is an app for that.

[N5RLR]

It is extremely important for a radioman to know where to locate Java.

Mine is in the carafe on the counter in the kitchen. 

My first exposure to shortwave was a Reader's Digest R30 [IIRC] AM/FM/SW/Cassette radio. 4 to 12 MHz, no BFO, but it was enough to whet the appetite.

[KC4VWU]

I wouldn't worry too much about the S-38E, or any others of that series, as well as as quite a few other models from Hallicrafters and the majority of the other manufacturers. There are quite a few that were "budget" models, and at the end of the day, we all realize that there's not too much out there in boat anchor receivers that will go toe to toe with a good R-390 or Super Pro.   

The main thing is just have fun with fixing the little receiver up. There's hardly anything to it and I personally enjoy working on such types when I need a break from the more complicated stuff. Believe me, an S-38 is a lot easier to move around on the bench than a SX-101!

When your finished, you'll have a neat little SW band cruiser. If you happen to be using it during ops., just tell the other station that you can't clearly see the model number, but you think it says Hallicrafters SX-88... you'll have their full respect!     

[Steve - K4HX]

That radio was my first intro to shortwave too. Also my into to amateur radio by tuning into AMers on 75 meters. It was the RD-30. I still have one. Works FB. See a clean one at the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aLou2EMZTA

My first exposure to shortwave was a Reader's Digest R30 [IIRC] AM/FM/SW/Cassette radio. 4 to 12 MHz, no BFO, but it was enough to whet the appetite.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

It was a big old Philco floor console my dad bought at an auction for $3 that got me hooked. Not as good as the S-38 from a Features standpoint, but yep - I still managed to wring plenty of enjoyment out of it. I remember my mom coming downstairs at 2-3AM to tell me to go to bed.

From the Philco I moved waaaay up to the S-38's bigger brother, the Halli S-40B. Thought I'd really hit the bigtime. The green dials were great, too. I remember using it with a set of rabbit ears for the first week or two. Even left a high school party early to come home and listen.

Al, you were fortunate to get the SP-100 early on. Didn't get my first SP for many more years, or R-390. Then again, it didn't matter - I didn't know what I was missing, so it didn't bother me. Moved from the S-40B to a National RAO-7 and continued on.

Still have the Philco, though the finish took a hit from being stored in an unheated barn over one winter. Then it fell over in transit and cracked the face plate. I think they're referred to as 'do overs' that we wish we had. It still earns its keep - Caitlin used it to steady herself when she was learning to walk a couple years back and loves to turn the knobs now.

[wb1ead]

Todd I was astounded to see that pic of your daughter Caitlin and the Philco..a few months ago some fellas I car-pooled with over at Unca Pratts (Pratt & Whitney..retired now) brought me that exact model Philco minus the phono turntable..neato radio as you know covers SW as well!..with a pair of 6V6s!....on the S-38..it is what it is..an entry radio to do what others have said..get ur interest up..or casual SW listening..restored one last year ..was not fond of the AC "hot" chassis..but that can be dealt with..it is a simplistic circuit..easy to fix IMHO...see ya tomorrow Todd..you too Al    73 de DAVE

[N5RLR]

My first exposure to shortwave was a Reader's Digest R30 [IIRC] AM/FM/SW/Cassette radio. 4 to 12 MHz, no BFO, but it was enough to whet the appetite.

That radio was my first intro to shortwave too. Also my into to amateur radio by tuning into AMers on 75 meters. It was the RD-30. I still have one. Works FB. See a clean one at the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aLou2EMZTA

Oh, my.  There's something in my eye.  Yeah, that's it.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Todd I was astounded to see that pic of your daughter Caitlin and the Philco..a few months ago some fellas I car-pooled with over at Unca Pratts (Pratt & Whitney..retired now) brought me that exact model Philco minus the phono turntable..neato radio as you know covers SW as well!..with a pair of 6V6s!...

Wasn't able to make it this time, Dave - hopefully in the fall. Will at least be a bit closer.

The Philco here doesn't have a turntable, strictly radio. Model 41-280 I think, uses a pair of 41s. 10 or 12 inch speaker, sounded nice. Been a few decades since it made sound, needs AC cord, caps, and the dial re-strung.

Definitely not a S-38, but served well in its second life. I'm thinking its third life will be in Caitlin's room when she gets a little older. It'll be interesting to see how well the push button tuning has kept its calibration.

Wonder if you knew Dave Couture or Tom Forbes at P&W? Something to discuss next time we meet, no thread hi-jack intended.

[N2CQR]

I got it going!  I take back all the bad things I said about it.  You guys were right -- not a great communications receiver but nice for casual shortwave listening.   I did a short video and threw in a link to Radio Moscow clips from back in the S38-E day:
http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2016/05/hallicrafters-s38-e-saved-it-is-not-pig.html

[W3RSW]

Knew you could do it!  Cute little piggie ?now.

 Yeah between Chinese simulcasting on every band and all the pre-owned transmitter religious broadcasting, modern SW is kind of overloaded.

But hey, What fun!

Thanks mucho for the link to RM recordings. Listened to "Mailbag" for starters.
Takes you right back.  The Vietnam era diatribes reminded me of the cloud many of us  lived under back then. A war and era that was kind to women's' rights emerging but terrible for men. Draft status ruled your whole life, literally changed the direction of life and death for many. Well I digress. --Back to the much more benign present.

I distinctly remember unfiltered DC hum in the RM background that was missing on at least the one recording on the link. No time to check them all. Wonder if they were scrubbed ?

[Steve - K4HX]

The 50 cycle hum goes away when they are no longer Communist.

That's right.

(That's right.)

[W3RSW]

"That's right..."
Reminds me of a departed soul.

50 cps in the day, heard round the whirl.
And if you have enough phases you don't even have to rectify it much.
"Addaphase Gone Wild," RM's magic show for the masses.

[N2CQR]

I think those clips were from the WNYC broadcast of Radio Moscow. So they may not have gone through the hum-laden Peoples' Revolutionary Transmitter. 

As for the S38, check out this 1966 73 mag article on a guy who had to hastily Un-Modify his S38 so that he could trade it in for an HQ-110: 

http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2016/05/un-modifying-s-38-in-1966-and-urge-to.html

[Tim WA1HnyLR]

Thats right this is the 49nth edition of the voice of communism ,,,I'm gilbert spentovitch
 Tim,HnyLR