The Hallicrafters S‑27 is an early 1940s UHF superheterodyne communications receiver covering 27–143 MHz,
one of the first commercially produced receivers capable of stable operation in the new ultra‑high‑frequency range.
Built from 1940 -1943, it used a 14 tube lineup and required an external speaker.
Originally designed for technical monitoring and experimental UHF work,
it saw both civilian and military use during WWII.

This was found at a Vintage Voltage show many years ago.
It was the end of the day, and the owner did not want to take it home, as it weighs 44 lbs., a real 'boat anchor'!
I bought it, in rough condition, but very inexpensive, and it has been a 'shelf queen' since.

I decided to pull the chassis and go through the receiver to see what it needed.
It was amazingly complete with all the original knobs, with a set of original RCA tubes.
Some are marked USN with the boat anchor logo, as are a couple of transformers,
 indicating this was made for US Navy use during WW2.
Maybe submarine use?

Here are a few photos of what it looked like when I bought it...
very dirty and dusty...


This unit has a huge number of capacitors and components, and while they all looked good visually,
I knew that if I were to attempt to get this up and running, I would have a huge job replacing them.

I made the decision to do a full cleanup, inside and out,
and make this wonderful Hallicrafters look as good as I could make it.

The receiver has been cosmetically and mechanically restored...
chassis cleaned, tubes removed and detailed, switches and linkages lubricated,
celluloid windows flattened and polished, knobs cleaned,
and the cabinet touched up while retaining its original finish.
No electrical modernization was performed.

Many hours of bench time later, and the finished product looks very good.



This example represents a clean, authentic Navy S‑27 from the final wartime production run,
notable for its intact military markings and original tube lineup.

Here are a couple of advertisements...

PAUL'S PAGES
2026
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