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  1. 03-12-2021, 07:19 #11
    pmclaine
    pmclaine is offline Senior Member
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    After seeing this image....



    I decided I needed a Hallicrafter Sky Buddy.

    Just bought this tonight....

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  2. 03-12-2021, 08:15 #12
    Merc
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    Quote Originally Posted by pmclaine View Post
    After seeing this image....



    I decided I needed a Hallicrafter Sky Buddy.

    Just bought this tonight....

    The Hallicrafters Sky Buddy is a vacuum tube short wave receiver from the 30s and 40s. Nice find. Does it still work?

    Edit: The soldier in the photo on the left is wearing a pre WW2 Brody helmet and could the rifle be an M1917? The only distinguishing features that I can see on the rifle are the front sight protector ears and possibly the stock’s whale belly near the floor plate.
    Last edited by Merc; 03-12-2021 at 08:27.
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  3. 03-13-2021, 02:33 #13
    pmclaine
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    Quote Originally Posted by Merc View Post
    The Hallicrafters Sky Buddy is a vacuum tube short wave receiver from the 30s and 40s. Nice find. Does it still work?

    Edit: The soldier in the photo on the left is wearing a pre WW2 Brody helmet and could the rifle be an M1917? The only distinguishing features that I can see on the rifle are the front sight protector ears and possibly the stock’s whale belly near the floor plate.
    Its a picture of soldiers on the Bataan Peninsula and the rifle is a Garand. They must of been desperate for news from the Sky Buddy. Guessing someone was cranking a generator.

    This one is great shape looks like someone updated the resistors and the seller is going to replace the paper caps. He says it works now but it will be a bit cleaner when I get it.

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  4. 03-13-2021, 03:12 #14
    Merc
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    Yes, it’s a Garand. Fresh caps should eliminate humming.
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  5. 03-13-2021, 06:00 #15
    pmclaine
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    Quote Originally Posted by Merc View Post
    Yes, it’s a Garand. Fresh caps should eliminate humming.
    Thank you for sharing your knowledge...Im going to ask for more.

    The back of the chassis has screw terminals for an antenna connection. My goal is to pick up one "weak" AM station that plays music period with the radio. Any suggestions on a suitable antenna?

    I have a second one of these I may move once I determine my new radio is complete. If anyone else is a nostalgic person....





    Strong station....

    https://youtu.be/fRBa1UMB_bs

    The weak station...

    https://youtu.be/4AM8UJDtbtI
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  6. 03-13-2021, 11:08 #16
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    dryheat
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    My contribution: he's smoking a cigarette. I had a radio similar to that. After our town was flooded folks threw out loads of stuff. There was an electric organ sitting up by the hiway. I asked for it and took it home. Every time you plugged it in it blew the fuze. I'm no musician so I couldn't have played it anyway. It was sitting outside of the garage when this soldier cutting through our place asked me if I would trade the organ for an old time radio. I made the deal and got "something" like what's pictured. I put it out in the Shed and strung a wire over to the house for an antenna. I listened to very scratchy talk in foreign languages. Something that might have been Morse code. Some channel just produced some kind of oscillation. I played with it for a while and then joined the navy and sold the radio to someone for maybe $25. One of the better deals I ever made.
    If I should die before I wake...great,a little more sleep.
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  7. 03-13-2021, 01:02 #17
    Merc
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    Quote Originally Posted by pmclaine View Post
    Thank you for sharing your knowledge...Im going to ask for more.

    The back of the chassis has screw terminals for an antenna connection. My goal is to pick up one "weak" AM station that plays music period with the radio. Any suggestions on a suitable antenna?

    I have a second one of these I may move once I determine my new radio is complete. If anyone else is a nostalgic person....





    Strong station....

    https://youtu.be/fRBa1UMB_bs

    The weak station...

    https://youtu.be/4AM8UJDtbtI
    Here’s some information on antenna length.

    https://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=390841
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  8. 03-13-2021, 08:46 #18
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    dryheat
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    Forty feet ought to do it. That is one heck of a radio. Sky buddy, with the H on the other side. I most certainly didn't have that radio.
    What I did do was try to make a crystal radio previous to. Grafite pencil lead and what ever. I actually think I got a little sound out of it for one thousandth of a second. I was wearing head phones.
    Last edited by dryheat; 03-13-2021 at 10:48.
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  9. 03-14-2021, 04:45 #19
    Merc
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    https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSH...Buddy-Saga.pdf

    More on the Sky Buddy Model S19 R:

    https://www.manualslib.com/brand/hallicrafters/

    How to build the inverted “L” antenna:

    https://www.wise-geek.com/what-is-an...-l-antenna.htm

    The original Sky Buddy sold for $29.50 in 1936. Inflation calculator says that $29.50 is worth $556.81 in today’s dollars.

    https://www.dollartimes.com/inflation/
    Last edited by Merc; 03-14-2021 at 07:49.
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  10. 03-14-2021, 06:05 #20
    fjruple
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    Quote Originally Posted by Merc View Post
    The SS Patrick Henry was a Liberty ship built at the Fairfield Ship yard in Baltimore in 1941.
    Merc-- the SS Patrick Henry was the first Liberty ship built.
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