Hammarlund HQ-150
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| Frequency | RX: 0.54–31 MHz (6 ranges) |
| Power | Receiver only |
| Modes | AM, CW |
| Weight | 11 kg (24.3 lb) |
| Connector | antenna terminals (SO-239 provision) |
| Year | 1956 |
| antenna | antenna terminals (SO-239 provision) |
Hammarlund's mid-1950s general-coverage receiver. A crystal filter and a true Q-multiplier (peak and reject) give flexible selectivity, with an S-meter and calibrated bandspread on the ham bands. A step up from the HQ-100, with solid Hammarlund construction.
AM and CW only; no SSB. Single conversion. Superseded by the SSB-capable HQ-145 and HQ-180. General coverage limits ham-band optimization.
The mid-1950s Hammarlund. A capable receiver for AM and CW that was overtaken by the SSB revolution. The HQ-150 was good for its time but became obsolete faster than Hammarlund expected.
The Hammarlund HQ-150 is a well-equipped general-coverage communications receiver from the mid-1950s that gave the operator broad coverage plus a useful set of interference-fighting tools. It tunes 540 kHz to 31 MHz in six ranges, with calibrated bandspread for the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter amateur bands, and receives AM and CW (its BFO can crudely resolve SSB and CW).
Its standout feature was a Q-Multiplier (a regenerative IF circuit that could sharpen selectivity to notch out an interfering carrier or peak a desired signal) along with an antenna trimmer, noise limiter, S-meter, and standby and AVC controls, a comprehensive kit for the serious listener of its day. Combining six-band general coverage with proper amateur bandspread and these refinements made the HQ-150 a flexible, capable receiver, and it remains a desirable and rewarding vintage Hammarlund.
It is a discontinued classic. Compare it with the HQ-145 and the classic HQ-129X.