S-14 SKY CHIEF

Bill Halligan sold radio parts for the Tobe Deutschmann Co. from 1923-1933. He then decided to form his own radio Co., though he was equipped with little more than a small office. A name was needed for the company, and an advertising manager proposed “THE HALLICRAFTERS”. Halligan liked the name as it seemed to suggest the sort of radio equipment he intended to produce, a quality handcrafted product. There were some big hurdles to overcome i.e. the great depression, no factory, and no RCA superhetrodyne license. At this time RCA owned all major radio patents. Those intending to manufacture radio equipment were required to obtain a license from RCA, a costly and difficult process. Bill hit on the idea of designing receivers in batches of 100 or so and having a manufacturer holding a license to produce them. Howard Radio Co. produced most of them. Soon Halligan located another, the Echophone Radio Co., which was near bankruptcy. They had a new factory and the RCA license. He purchased the Echophone Co. from Ray Durst who latter became manager of Hallicrafters. With a new factory and license, he now was able to manufacture radio sets in their own right. This was 1935.

The S14 SKY CHIEF was one of the first superhets produced by Hallicrafters. Designed by Kendall Clough, chief engineer. It is a 7-tube set covering .54 MHz to 18 MHz. One of only three types produced to incorporate a “MAGIC EYE” tuning and signal strength indicator. It had an airplane type dial, tubes used were 80 rectifier, 6B6 audio output, 6G5 tuning indicator, 75 second detector first audio, 6F7 I.F. and BFO, 6A7 oscillator and 6D6 RF amplifier.

This S-14 SKY CHIEF is a 1936 model.