Hallicrafters SX-117 / HT-44
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| Frequency | RX: 3–30 MHz (nine 500 kHz bands; 80–10 m + WWV) |
| Modes | AM, CW, SSB |
| Weight | 7.7 kg (17 lb) |
| Connector | SO-239 (50–75 Ω unbalanced) |
| Year | 1962 |
| antenna | SO-239 (50–75 Ω unbalanced) |
Hallicrafters' last premium receiver design. Triple conversion provides excellent image rejection and selectivity. The 9x 500 kHz segment approach covers 3-30 MHz in fine-grained steps. The optional HA-10 tuner extends coverage down to 85 kHz for longwave and broadcast band reception. Paired with the HT-44 transmitter, it made Hallicrafters' final competitive amateur station.
3-30 MHz only without the HA-10 option, no broadcast band. The 500 kHz segments mean constant band-switching. Hallicrafters was under Northrop ownership by the end of production and quality/support declined. External speaker required. Less collectible than the SX-100/101/115.
Hallicrafters' last act. The SX-117 was a capable triple-conversion receiver that competed with the Drake 2-B and R-4 series. But by 1962, Japanese competition was intensifying and Hallicrafters' days were numbered. The SX-117/HT-44 combination represents the end of an American radio manufacturing tradition that began in 1932.
The Hallicrafters SX-117 is a general-coverage, triple-conversion communications receiver introduced in 1962 as the receiver of Hallicrafters' top station line (paired with the HT-44 transmitter and SR-series gear). Its 13-tube design covers 3 to 30 MHz in nine 500-kHz bands (taking in the 80 through 10 meter amateur bands plus a WWV setting at 10 MHz) using a clever triple-conversion scheme with intermediate frequencies of 6000–6500 kHz, 1650 kHz, and a low 50.75 kHz.
It was thoroughly modern for its day, with a product detector for clean single-sideband reception, a notch filter, and selectable bandwidths of 0.5, 2.5, and 5 kHz to match the mode and conditions. Introduced at $379.95, it offered serious performance and flexibility for the SSB era. Stable, selective, and well regarded, the SX-117 remains a desirable vintage receiver and the natural companion to a matching Hallicrafters station.
It is a discontinued classic. See the flagship SX-115 and the SX-101.