Hallicrafters 5X-117 Training manual

OPERATING AND
SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS
FOR •••
COMMUNICATION
RECEIVER
MODEL 5X-117

"The Hallicrafter's Company warrants each new radio product manu-
factured by it to be free. from defective material and workmanship
and agrees to remedy any such defect or to furnish a new part in ex-
change for any part of any unit of its manufacture which under nor-
mal installation, use and service discloses such defect, provided the
unit
is delivered by the owner to our allthorized radio dealer, whole-
saler, from whom purchased, or, authorized service center, illtact, for
examination, with all transportation charges prepaid within ninety
days from tile date
of sale to original purchaser Imd provided that
such examillation discloses in our judgment that it is thus defective.
This warranty 'does not
extend to allY of Ollr radio products which
have been subjected to misuse, neglect, accident, illcorrect wiring
IIOt
our own, improper installation, or to use in violation of instrllctions
furnished by us, nor
extended to units which have been repaired or
altered alitside of Ollr factory or authorized service center, nor to cases
where the serial number thereof has bel'li removed, defacedorchanged,
nor to accessories used therewith
IIOt of our own manufacture.
Any part of a unit al'llroved for remedy or exchange hereunder will
be remedied or exchanged
by the authorized radio dealer or whole-
saler without charge to the owner.
This warranty
is in lieu of all other u:arranties expressed or iml,lied
and no representative or I,erson is allthorized to assllme for liS allY
other liability in connection witl. tl.e sale of our radio products:'

092-016679
Figure 1. Hal/icrafters' Model SX - 117.
SECTION I
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Model SX-117 is a triple--conversion, super-
heterodyne-type comm uni cations receiver having
the following features:
• Op eration on most fr eq u encies from 85 KC to
30 MC (see paragraph 5-7).
• A VFO which can be used as a crystal- l ocked
oscillator for fixed-channel operation (see
paragraph 5-8).
• A high order of mechanical and elect ri cal
stability.
• An easy -t o- r ead dial.
• A constant tuning rate on a ll bands.
• A transmitter-type VFO.
• B acklash -fr ee combi nati on pinch and g ear
drive.
• Crystal-controlled first and third conversion
oscillators .
• Less than 1/ 2 microvolt sensitivity on SSB/ CWo
-/ -
• Excellent spurious and image rejection.
• Selectable sidebands.
• Selectivity variable in thr ee steps, 500 CPS,
2.5 KC, and 5 KC.
• Amplified fast -att ack, slow-release AVC for
SSB/CW; fast-attack, fast-release for AM.
• Pr oduct detector for SSB/CW; enve l ope detec-
tor for AM.
• IF-type noise limiter.
• 100-KC Crystal Calibrator.
• Audio inv erse feedback.
• Approximate 1-KC marks on tuning knob skirt.
• Variable T-Notch rejection filter.
• Gr ea tly r ed u ced weight through us e of a lumi-
num for c hassis, panel, cab in et, brackets, etc .
• New smaller size.

SECTION II
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
Basic Frequency Coverage
*WWV ..................................... 9.5 MC to 10.0 MC
80-Meter Band. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3.5 MC to 4.0 MC
40-Meter Band
20-Meter Band
15-Meter Band
*10-Meter Band
10-Meter Band
*10-Meter Band
*10-Meter Band
*Crystals not supplied.
7.0 MC to 7.5 MC
14.0 MC to 14.5 MC
21.0 MC to 21.5 MC
28.0 MC to 28.5 MC
28.5
MC to 29.0 MC
29.0 MC to 29.5 MC
29.5 MC to 30.0 MC
Note - See paragraph 5-7 for additional information.
IF Frequencies: .......... .
Reception: ..•............
Sensitivity -AM: .......•...
3 MC to 30 MC
Sensitivity -SSB/CW: ...•...
3 MC to 30 MC
Sensitivity (with HA-10):
85
KC to 3 MC
Selectivity:
Stability: ......•.........
Calibration Accuracy: ...... .
IF Rejection: ............ .
In-Band Tweets: .......... .
Audio
Power Output: ....... .
AVC Figure of Merit:
Power Source: ........... .
Power Consumption: ..•.....
Number of Tubes: .....•....
Audio Output Impedance:
Headphone Output: ..•.......
Antenna Input Impedance:
(High Frequency)
6.5 MC to 6.0 MC (Variable), 1650 KC, and 50.75 KC.
AM, CW,
and Single Sideband (SSB).
Less than 1 microvolt for 10-DB signal-to-noise ratio
(30% modulation).
Less than 1/2 microvolt.
5 to 10 microvolts.
Variable in three steps providing 0.5 KC, 2.5 KC, and 5 KC
at 6 DB down.
Better than 300 CPS after warmup.
Better than 2 KC between adjacent 100-KC calibration
points after indexing.
More than 50 DB.
Less than 1/2 microvolt equivalent (within amateur bands).
3/4 watt with less than 10% distortion.
More than 80 DB.
105 volts to 125 volts, 50/60 cycles~
70 watts.
14 (one not supplied), plus four silicon diodes.
3.2 ohms and 500 ohms; rear-mounted screw terminals.
50 ohms to 2000 ohms; panel-mounted jack accepts
standard 1/4-inch plug.
50 ohms to 70 ohms unbalanced; rear-mounted RCA-type
phono jack accepts RCA-type phono plug.
NOTE: Chassis punched to accept Amphenol Type SO-239 coaxial receptacle; for use
from 3.0 MC to 30 MC.
-2-

Low Frequency Input:
Remote Standby Control:
Demensions:
Net Weight:
Shipping Weight:
CATHODE
FOLLOWER
CRYSTAL
OSCILLATOR
(OPTIONAL)
High impedance to first mixer grid; for use with external-
tuned circuit from 85 KC to 3.0 MC. RCA-type phono
jack accepts RCA-type phono plug.
Rear-mounted screw terminals.
7-3/4 inches high, 15 inches wide, and 14-3/4 inches deep.
18-1/2 pounds.
21 pounds (approximately).
CATHODE
FOLLOWER
VARIABLE
FREQUENCY
OSCILLATOR
tVfO)
I
PRODUCT
DETECTOR
BEAT
FREQUENcY
OSCILLATOR
{BFO!
L ________ -1
6DC6
RF Amplifier
Figure 2. Block Diagram of the Receiver.
TUBES AND FUNCTIONS
FIRST
AUDIO
AMPLIFIER
AUDIO
OUTPUT
092-015642
6EA8
Third Mixer, SSB-Switching Crystal
Oscillator
6EA8
12AT7
*6EA8
First Mixer, Cathode Follower
Amateur-Band Crystal Oscillator
Auxiliary Crystal Oscillator
6BA6
6BE6
6BN8
50.75-KC IF Amplifier
Product Detector, BFO
AM Detector, AVe Amplifier, AVC
Rectifier
6BA6
6BE6
6EA8
6DC6
6-MC to 6.5-MC IF Amplifier
Second Mixer
VFO, Cathode Follower
1650-KC IF Amplifier
6GW8
6AU6
First Audio Amplifier, Audio Output
100-KC Crystal-Calibrator
Oscillator
Two each Silicon Noise- Limiter Diodes.
Two each Silicon Power-Supply Diodes.
*Not Supplied
-3-

SECTION III
INSTALLATION
3-1. UNPACKING .
After unpacking the receiver, examine it
for damage which may have occurred in transit.
Should any sign of damage be apparent, file a cla im
immediately with the carrier stating the extent of
damage. Carefully check all shipping labels and
tags for instructions before removing or destroy-
ing them.
IMPORTANT
To remove top cover, turn screws
approximately one quarter turn
counterclockw is e.
Do
not attempt to remove screws .
3-2. LOCATION.
The receiver may be placed in any location
that will permit free air circulation through the
ventilation holes and openings in the cabinet.
Avoid excessively warm locations such as those
near radiators and heating vents. Also avoid direct
blasts of air from circulating fans, etc. Do not
place speakers or any other objects on the cabinet
cover in a manner that will impair natural venti-
lation.
•••• wr.·
3-3. ANTENNAS .
The Model SX-117 uses an input circuit de-
signed for an unbalanced 50-ohm to 70-ohm input.
Any of the popular dipole or beam antennas using
50-ohm to 70-ohm coaxial transmission line will
suffice. It should be remembered, however, that
these antennas will give optimum results over a
limited frequency range only. Generally speaking,
the same rules that apply to transmitting antennas
will hold true for receiving antennas. For further
information on this subject, refer to the "Radio
Amateur's Handbook" or the " A. R. R. L. Antenna
B ook," both published by the American Radio Re-
lay L eague, West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.
IMPORTANT
Some form of lightning protection
should be provided which will comply
with local-code requirements.
3-4. GROUNDS .
All station equipment should be bonded to-
gether with heavy copper wire or braid and con-
nected to a cold -w ater pipe or earth ground. An
external chassis ground terminal is provided on
the rear of the Model SX-117 for this purpose.
o
~e·
• •
CRYSTAL LF ANTENNA ANTENNA
VFO
OUTPUT
FUSE
FI OSCILL ATOR
CHASSIS
GROUND
I AMP
OUTPUT
092-016680
Figure 3. View Showing Rear Chassis Connections .
-4-

3-5. POWER SOURCE.
The SX-117 is designed to operate from a
105-volt to 125-volt, 50/60-cycle, AC power
source. Power consumption is 70 watts.
NOTE
If in doubt about your power source,
contact your local power company
prior to inserting the power cord into
any
power outlet. Plugging the power
cord into the wrong source can cause
extensive damage to the unit.
3-6. SPEAKER.
A terminal strip, marked G, 3.2, and 500, is
provided at the rear of the receiver for connecting
an external speaker or line (see figure 3). Any per-
manent-magnet type speaker with a 3. 2-ohm voice
coil can be used by connecting the two leads from
the speaker voice coil to the terminals marked
3.2 and G. If it is desired to use a speaker with
a voice-coil impedance other than 3.2 ohms, a
matching transformer should be employed to in-
sure optimum performance. The transformer
should be mounted on or near the speaker, should
have a 500-ohm primary impedance, and should
have a secondary impedance to match that of the
speaker voice coil. Connect the primary of the
matching transformer to the terminals marked
500 and G and the secondary to the speaker voice
coil terminals.
SPEAKER
The Hallicrafters Model R47 Speaker is
particularly suited for voice and CW use. Model
R48A
Speaker, with its two-position VOICE- FI-
DELITY switch will give excellent results for all
modes of operation. The leads of either speaker
are to be connected to the terminals marked 3.2
and G.
3-7. HEADPHONES.
The headphone jack marked PHONES is lo-
cated on the front panel and is wired so that the
3.2-ohm speaker output is automatically disabled
when the headphones are inserted. The headphone
impedance is not critical, and any headphones
ranging in impedance from 50 ohms to 2000 ohms
will provide satisfactory performance.
It should be noted that, although insertion of
the headphone plug into the front panel jack will
silence the 3.2-ohm speaker output, the 500-ohm
output will remain in operation at all times.
3-8. REMOTE RECEIVE-STAN DB Y
SWITCHING.
The receiver may be disabled from a re-
mote location by removing the jumper between the
terminals marked STANDBY and G on the rear of
the chassis and then connecting a SPST switch or
relay between these terminals. The switch or re-
lay contacts should be so wired as to close in Re-
ceive and open in Transmit.
The receiver may also be disabled in Trans-
mit by turning the RF GAIN control to 0 (fully
counterclockwise).
~
V.cy
3.2fi
r-
NOTE: DOTTED LINES INSIDE BOXES
DENOTES INTERNAL WIRING
SXIOI- SXIII -SXI15
CONTROL
OUTLET RECEIVER
HT 32B - HT37
HT33B,HT4I, OR
TYPICAL LINEAR AMPL.
FINAL
BIAS -........"
T""'-'- T---'---
SUPPLY '*' '*'
NC~_~----, ' T T
NO --0- _~ ____ I: RF "" RG58IL "" R~ .r---'
I I OUT ~ ~ I, ~
TO GRID
RETURN
OPERATING
BIAS
RESISTOR
STANDBY ANTENNA
~
ANT. OUTPUT
03 50so INPUT 500 0
02Q 70 3.2
':Jl.- - GND-,
~tND'POST l BIAS \,7
RESISTOR
~
NC4---~ ~FOUTPUT
NO---o-:-:' ~r:;~~~-.r:4 NC GND @
GND POST-*- W' ~NO .....,...;.PO..;,.S;;...T-t- ______ .......
ADJUST FOR RG8/U
* LEVEL
~~~~ I
~,-::-i==~it:OK~~=L=-==~====-=J~I===========+~====~--------~--------~R~G5~8~/~U ____ ~J ~~~
l :----,: : ~,:, ANTENNA
rb I I I CHANGE OVER
STAND-BY] iANTENNA I RELAY
TERMINAL 1 'INPUT :
,
TO
CHASSIS
GND
@ I
3.2!l I
SPEAKER4 J
TERMINAL
p~~~- ----------- -------- -NOTE: ALL CHASSIS SHOULD
L- ________ ... *NOTE: USE OF 10K POT FOR BE BONDED TOGETHER
SX-117 MONITERING LEVEL OPTIONAL AND TO EARTH OR
(NOT SUPPLIED l.
WATER PIPE GROUND.
Figure 4. Typical Station Setup.
-5-
TO
117VAC
092-014605

R.f. GAIN
4 5 ,
:,0:'
10
XTAL SELECTOR
1
ha//;craliers
TUNING
.
MODEL SX-117
HGAIN
,',0:'
10
NOTCH fREO.
·"~·o·'
• •
"ot'
BANOSELECTOR
20 21 14
':':u: "::0:"
(j19:9·~L~WWO
PHONES CAL RESET
53 54
fUNCTION SELECTIVITY
AM USB 5.0 1.5 0.5
· ""6·:'0"'(:) 0
BfO
092-015915
Figure 5. Front Panel View of Receiver.
SECTION IV
FUNCTIONS OF OPERATING CONTROLS
4-1. RF GAIN CONTROL.
The RF GAIN control varies the gain of the
RF amplifier and the 50. 75-KC IF amplifier. Max-
imum sensitivity is obtained with the control set
at 10 (fully clockwise). In this position, the tubes
being controlled are operating at maximum gain
with minimum cathode bias. As the control is ro-
tated counterclockwise, the cathode bias is in-
creased with a resultant decrease in gain.
The normal setting of the RF GAIN control
will vary with conditions. When searching for weak
signals, the control should be well advanced. When
copying strong signals under crowded or noisy
conditions, it may be found desirable to reduce
the RF GAIN control setting.
It should be remembered that the S-Meter
calibration will be correct only with the RF GAIN
control fully advanced to 10.
AVC is automatically controlled by the RF
GAIN control so that it is not necessary to dis-
able the AVC circuitry for any mode of reception.
4-2. BAND SElECTOR CONTROL.
The BAND SELECTOR control operates the
bandswitch to place the proper crystal and coils
into the circuit to cover the desired frequency
range.
-6-
It should be noted that several bandswitch
positions are identified by a red dot. When the
switch is rotated to one ofthese positions, the red
dial scale should be used.
In the LF position, the bandswitch discon-
nects the internal-tuned circuits and connects
the first mixer grid to the LF INPUT jack on the
rear panel.
4-3. PRESElECTOR.
The PRESELECTOR control provides pre-
cise tuning of the antenna and mixer coils to give
maximum gain and optimum signal-to-noise ratio.
It also allows coverage of the entire 3.0-MC to
30-MC range (see paragraph 5-7).
NOTE
Care should be exercised when setting
the PRESELECTOR control on the 40-
meter (7.0 MC) or WWV bands. It is
possible to tune the PRESELECTOR
control to the 6.5-MC to 6.0-MC first
IF frequency. The correct setting for
the 40-meter band is indicated by the
block marked 40. The correct setting
for WWV (9.5 MC to 10 Me) will be be-
tween 8 and 9 on the PRESELECTOR
logging scale.

· Under certain conditions where excessive
noise or interference is encountered, it may be
found desirable to slightly detune the PRESEL-
ECTOR control for optimum reception.
4-4. AF (AUDIO) GAIN CONTROL.
The AF GAIN control adjusts the audio out-
put level at the speaker terminals and PHONES
jack. Clockwise rotation increases the signal
voltage applied to the grid of the audio am-
plifier, thus increasing the audio output.
4-5. SELECTIVITY SWITCH.
The SELECTIVITY switch is used to vary
the IF bandwidth to suit receiving conditions.
Three degrees of selectivity are available, rang-
ing from 500 CPS for CW reception under
crowded-band conditions to 5 kilocycles for maxi-
mum fidelity on voice or music-modulated signals
where conditions permit. The three positions are
marked on the front panel and indicate the 50.75-
KC IF bandwidth at the 6-DB points. See figure
6 for typical IF selectivity curves.
The recommended positions for the various
modes of operation are as follows:
CW
0.5 KC or 2.5 KC
SSB 2.5 KC
AM 2.5 KC or 5.0 KC
4-6. FUNCTION SWITCH.
The FUNCTION switch is afour-positionro-
tary switch performing the following functions:
Position
Function
OFF. . •. disconnects the 117-volt, 60-
cycle, AC power.
AM ..... a. Connects the 117-volt, 60-
cycle, AC power.
b. Disables the BFa.
c. Connects audio to the enve-
lope detector.
d. Selects fast-attack, fast-re-
lease AVC.
e.
Connects the 1700- KC side-
band-switching crystal.
USB ..... a. Connects audio to the product
detector.
b. Energizes the BFa.
-7-
z
o
~
6
30
~ 40
w
I-
!i
III
a
60
80
KC OFF RESONANCE
10 8 6 4 2 + 0 - 2 4 6 8 10
i(
,
I ;
~
j I
\\
J ; \
I 1! ,
I:
I
I;
i
\ I
1\
I
; I
1\ \
I
I \
I I ,
; I ',
!
1\
! I \
I \
1\
5 2.5 \\
KC
KC
! f ;
I ! 1\ \
II
; \
.5
\ 1\
I
KC
1 I
\\
J " \
I I \ \
I I \ \
o
092-016760
Figure 6. IF Selectivity Curves.
c. Selects fast-attack, slow-
release AVC.
d.
Connects the 1700-KC side-
band-switching crystal.
LSB . . .. a. Connects audio to the pro-
duct detector.
b. Energizes the BFa.
c. Se I e c t s fast-attack, slow-
release AVC.
d.
Connects 1600- KC sideband-
switching crystal.

To illustrate how selectable-sideband re-
ception is accomplished, a numerical example is
given. Consider an incoming signal at 7000 KC,
modulated 1 KC. Since modulation of a carrier
causes the generation of sideband frequencies
numerically equal to the carrier frequency plus
or minus the modulation frequency, the incoming
signal consists of ,the carrier at 7000 KC, a
lower sideband at 6999 KC, and an upper side-
band at 7001 KC. See figure 7 A.
The incoming signal is first heterodyned
with the output of the first conversion oscillator
in the first mixer. The first conversion oscillator
operates at a frequency higher than the incoming
signal by an amount equal to the first IF fre-
quency of 6.500 MC (variable IF). As a result of
this, three new lower frequencies are produced
in the output of the first mixer: the carrier at
6.500 MC, the lower sideband at 6.501MC, and
the upper sideband at 6.499 MC. These signals
are amplified by the 6.500-MC to 6.000-MC IF
stage and then heterodyned with the output of
the VFO (4.85 MC to 4.35 MC) in the second
mixer. Three new lower frequencies are again
produced in the output of this mixer stage: a
center frequency of 1650 KC, a lower sideband
of 1651 KC, and an upper sideband of 1649 KC.
These signals are amplified by the 1650-KC IF
amplifier and fed to the third mixer, where they
are heterodyned with the output of either the
1600-KC (lower sideband) or the 1700-KC (upper
sideband)
crystal-controlled third conversion os-
cillator. When the FUNCTION switch is placed
in the LSB position, three new lower frequencies
S,4NC TRAP
INCOMING SIGNAL
NOTE:
LSB-LOWER SIDEBAND
USB-UPPER SIDEBAND
NOT TO SCALE. ILLUSTRATION ONLY
OUTPUT OF I ST MIXER
are produced: the carrier frequency at 50 KC,
the lower sideband at 51 KC, and the upper
sideband at 49 KC. By referring to figure 7D,
it can be seen that the lower sideband falls
within the IF passband and the upper sideband is
rejected. When the FUNCTION switch is placed
in USB position, the carrier frequency remains at
50 KC but the sidebands are reversed in the heter-
odyning process. The upper sideband will now be
51 KC and falls within the IF passband, while the
lower sideband will appear at 49 KC and be
rejected.
4-7. NOTCH FREQ (FREQUENCY) CONTROL.
The NOTCH FREQcontrol varies the notch
frequency within the 50.75-KC IF passband and is
very useful in attenuating an undesirable hetero-
dyne. Since the notch width is quite narrow, it is
essentially a single-frequency device and cannot
attenuate more than one heterodyne if the hetero-
dynes are separated in frequency by more than
500 CPS.
The NOTCH FREQ control is very effective
when using exalted carrier reception (AM with
BFO on). The notch control is adjusted to approxi-
mately 50 KC so that the incoming signal carrier
is removed. This will remove the low-frequency
heterodyne which may be heard if the receiver is
not tuned to exactly zero beat with the incoming
signal. The AM signal under these conditions will
tune similar to double-sideband suppressed car-
rier and may be received in the USB (upper-
sideband) or the LSB (lower-sideband) position.
OUTPUT OF 2ND MIXER 3RD CONV, OSCILLATOR
FREQ,= 1600KC
3RD CONV, OSCILLATOR
FREO,=1700KC
OUTPUT OF 3RD MIXER
092-01581S
Figure 7. Selectable-Sideband Response Curves.
-8-