Hallicrafters SX-28 Super Skyrider
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| Frequency | RX: 0.55–43 MHz (6 bands) |
| Power | Receiver only |
| Modes | AM, CW |
| Weight | 30 kg (66.1 lb) |
| Connector | binding-posts |
| Year | 1940 |
| antenna | binding-posts |
Arguably Hallicrafters' finest receiver and one of the best pre-war communications receivers ever made. 15 tubes with two stages of preselection give excellent sensitivity and image rejection. Push-pull 6V6 audio output produces outstanding AM broadcast sound; the SX-28 is genuinely pleasant to listen to. Crystal filter with phasing control for CW work. Lamb noise silencer. Calibrated bandspread. The art deco styling is iconic. WWII provenance, these receivers served in military and intelligence stations worldwide. Tens of thousands built, so parts, documentation, and restoration knowledge are extensive.
About 66 lbs; requires a substantial bench. Draws significant power. The bandswitch is complex and prone to contact oxidation after 80+ years. Dial cord and string replacement is a rite of passage for SX-28 restorers. Full capacitor recap is mandatory. Single conversion with 455 kHz IF means image rejection degrades on the highest bands despite the two RF stages. The cadmium-plated chassis can be fragile if corroded.
Hallicrafters' finest hour. The SX-28 competed head-to-head with National HRO and Hammarlund Super Pro and held its own; some would say surpassed them on audio quality. The WWII military connection, art deco styling, and genuinely excellent performance make the SX-28 the most desirable Hallicrafters receiver. The SX-28A military variant is slightly more rugged. Either version is a centerpiece for any vintage station.
The Hallicrafters SX-28 "Super Skyrider" is one of the most iconic communications receivers ever built, a large, handsome, and capable set produced from 1940 to 1946 that became a defining receiver of the World War II era. Announced in July 1940 as the work of twelve staff engineers and more than 600 field reports, it covers 550 kHz to 43 MHz across six bands, receiving AM and CW, and its striking Art Deco front panel made it as much a style icon as a technical one.
Technically it was advanced for its day, with amplified automatic volume control, a Lamb noise silencer, a crystal filter (denoted by the "X" in the model number), two stages of preselection, calibrated bandspread, and push-pull audio prized for its high-fidelity sound. It saw heavy government and military service: SX-28s were rack-mounted in British "Y" listening stations such as Beaumanor Hall (intercepting German and Italian traffic bound for Bletchley Park) and shipped to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease, while one reportedly sat on President Truman's desk.
Hallicrafters claimed 50,000 SX-28 and SX-28A units were built, though surviving serial numbers suggest closer to 27,500; the ruggedized military SX-28A became the AN/GRR-2. The antenna connects to binding posts, as was standard then, and the receiver weighs a hefty 66 pounds or so. It remains the most sought-after of the classic Hallicrafters receivers and a discontinued classic. See the post-war SX-42 and the SX-71.