The SX-117 is Hallicrafters' smaller, lighter ham receiver of the early 1960s, a triple-conversion set built with an aluminum chassis, panel and cabinet to cut weight. It covers 80 through 10 m and WWV in 500 kHz segments, with crystals for some 10 m segments sold separately, and the HA-10 tuner adds 85 kHz to 3 MHz. Its VFO is a transmitter-type design that can also be crystal-locked for fixed channels. Selectivity steps through 0.5, 2.5 and 5 kHz, and it has a T-notch filter, product detector, IF noise limiter and 100 kHz calibrator. Rigpix dates it from 1962, and 73 Magazine dealer ads were offering it by July 1963. A Hallicrafters promotion that year paired it with the HT-44 transmitter, which slaves to it for transceive. At 18.5 pounds it weighs about a quarter of an SX-101A.
Bench check
Should come with it
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing piece should come off the price.
Several 10 m segment crystals and one auxiliary oscillator tube weren't supplied from the factory, so a missing segment or an empty socket may be original rather than a fault. Like any set this age, Phil's Old Radios says its electrolytic capacitors are the first thing to replace before a long run.
New to used rigs? How to check a used ham radio covers receive, the tubes and the dial, and buying vintage tube gear covers old capacitors, tubes and first power-up.
We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask whether it hears signals on every band, for a photo of the dial lit up, and whether the old capacitors have been replaced. Pass on any seller who won’t answer.
Search “Hallicrafters SX-117” on eBay ↗eBay searchHallicrafters
Receiver$420–$550 typical ask
Hallicrafters
Transmitter$240–$350 typical ask
Drake
ReceiverSpecs and what to check →