Hello,
Sometimes one acquires something which is really special, that was inexpensive to buy but after some work on it, becomes a lot more valuable, that is old yet absolutely perfect in all respects, cos a previous owner has bought it and then simply put it in a cupboard and forgotten about it so it has remained essentially as new. This is such a rewarding item.
I bought this Hacker Hunter from eBay some time ago for around £15 including postage. It had never been used so was totally unmarked but had been neglected cos the chrome handle ends were rusty so I put an ad on the forum for a replacement handle but sadly noone had one
So I went hunting for a new handle for it. I considered buying another Hunter but theyre quite expensive (and much too nice) radios to break for spares and then I spotted one, not on a Hunter but on a cheap scruffy old Hacker Autocrat which has the very same handle. The handle was mint so I acquired the Autocrat for a couple of quid and then did a quick exchange of handles and at long last I had completed my Hunter.
Apart from a clean and a polish I didnt have to do anything else to this radio.
It looks brand new and as for its sound quality, well I have no other radio apart from maybe my Hacker Sovereign which sounds as good and this is a much nicer looking radio. Even my R900 which is the best sounding Roberts I have doesnt sound as good. I can play the Hunter really loud and it sounds more like a good sized mains radio than a portable, with clear treble and midrange and decent extended bass with just a hint of bloom.... an amazing performance for a compact set. And it is beautifully built as well, very robust and makes Roberts sets look flimsy in comparison.
So heres a pic of my mint Hacker Hunter RP38A, not a lot of restoration work to report but one absolutely fabulous radio to write about. Its the best radio I have and it deserves to be a classic. If you havent got a Hunter yourself, get one now while theyre still sensibly priced !
Howard