I am considering getting a Hallicrafters S 120, and it is going to be my first shortwave receiver. I was wandering if anyone has one or has had one in the past, and if so how good of receivers are they? Are they easy to use? Any known issues with them in general? The one i'm looking at is right around 35.00 if i can get it, is that a reasonable price? Or should i keep looking for something else in that price range? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks
The S-120 was introduced in about 1961. It is about as “entry level” as you could get in the day and was essentially an updated S-38, minus one of the S-38’s 5 tubes (meaning the S-120 has 4 tubes). The S-120A is a solid state version of the same radio.
How good a receiver are they? Well, for their price (~$70 new) I guess they were not bad. Of course they did not compare in any way to their “big brothers” in the Hallicrafters line, such as the SX-115, SX-117, and SX-122, but then those radios all cost $280 to $700 at the same time. The S-120 has relatively poor selectivity, and only a BFO, so SSB does work, but is less than optimal.
Are they easy to use? For the basics, turn it on, spin the dial, receive a signal, yes they are easy. Because of their poor frequency display (typical of lower end radios) it can be difficult to tell what frequency you are listening to. So to turn it on and receive the signal you want, instead of just one you stumble on, can be a challenge.
In my opinion for $35 dollars it better be in pretty good shape. True, you are not going to afford much more radio for $35, but if you have to put work into an S-120 and have already put $35 into it you are getting past its value pretty quick.
Would I recommend an S-120 as a new HF listener’s first radio? Not today I would not, I think the frustration factor might be too high, and drive the new user away. But then again, anything I recommend as a new listeners first radio is going to cost several times $35.
I have an S-120 in my collection. However I seldom even think of it, and pretty much never get it out. While it is no worse than the S-38 it replaced the S-38 has a very much more classic feel to it, as does something like the S-72. Seriously, if you want something that limited and that basic I would say maybe grab an S-85 or an SX-99 (my first radio was an SX-99, and I still have it today, over 40 years later). They may not function all that much better on any one signal, but the freq dials are better and they just have a more “classic” feel to them. After you decide they are too much of a pain for regular use they still make a nice “occasional” rig, or a shelf item.
T!