Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hi Everyone,

Over on the Hacker Radio group I'm trying to document the history of the Hacker Hunter, and I thought I'd cast the net a little wider.

The Hunter was probably the longest-lived Hacker set, stretching from 1969 to 1975, and with only one major revision in 1970. But there were a number of cosmetic changes, and it would be nice to document these. Ultimately, I'd like to produce a "time line" diagram that shows the full history.

If you own a Hacker Hunter (or 2 ;)), please could you supply the following information.

- Model designation (RP38 or RP38A, "VHF Hunter" or "Hunter fm/am")
- Serial number
- Handle type (single piece or the later 3-piece type)
- Grille type (sheet aluminium or extruded aluminium)
- Scale print (all white, or with some green)
- DC input socket (or not!)
- Loudspeaker type and finish (most were "gold" Elac, earlier ones had a grey painted frame, earliest examples used a Goodmans loudspeaker)
- Tone control knob style (most were silver, the very later ones were black+chrome)

All information will be added to the Yahoo group database, and hopefully the patterns will begin to emerge. BTW, you might have already supplied us with serial numbers, but the extra detail is still really useful.

Of all the Hacker sets, the Hunter is the most interesting in this regard because it had the longest run and saw the most detail changes. It is also one of the most endearingly popular sets today.

Many thanks in advance,

Mark

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hi Mark,

Here are my Hunter details:

Model RP38A - "Hunter VHF".
S/N - 44620.
Handle type - one piece I think (the little metal covers over the screws don't count as pieces, do they?)
Grille type - extruded aluminium? - horizontal black/silver bar effect.
Scale print - white and green.
DC input socket - yes.
Loudspeaker type and finish - unpainted metal, Elac sticker on side.
Tone control knob - my set has small silver-coloured treble and bass controls, with thin black bases.

Hope this helps.

Gus.

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hi Gus,

Many thanks for this. Yours is an interesting one because it's late enough to have the extruded grille, but early enough to have the scale with green print. The earlier models had this, but the change to all-white was made shortly after the change to the better grill that you have. So, yours is relatively rare - I've only seen one or two like that.

Thanks again, and keep them coming ;)

Mark

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hi Mark

I have 2 Hunters – details as follows:

Set A

Designation - RP38A Hunter VHF
Serial Number – 17402
Handle Type – Single Piece
Grille type – Stamped aluminium sheet
Scale print – White with some green lettering on MW
DC Input socket – No
Speaker – Elac with grey finish
Tone control – silver

Set B

Designation - RP38A Hunter VHF
Serial Number – 54366
Handle Type – Single Piece
Grille type – extruded aluminium bars
Scale print – All white
DC Input socket – yes
Speaker – Elac with plain metal (gold shade) finish
Tone control - silver


Hope this helps and good luck with your survey!

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hello Mark.

- Model designation (RP38 or RP38A, "VHF Hunter" or "Hunter fm/am")

RP38A Hunter VHF

- Serial number

52647

- Handle type (single piece or the later 3-piece type)

Single piece

- Grille type (sheet aluminium or extruded aluminium)

Extruded aluminium

- Scale print (all white, or with some green)

All white

- DC input socket (or not!)

DC Input socket

- Loudspeaker type and finish (most were "gold" Elac, earlier ones had a grey painted frame, earliest examples used a Goodmans loudspeaker)

Elac, silvery finish

- Tone control knob style (most were silver, the very later ones were black+chrome)

Silver with black base.

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Thanks Both ;)

Howard, I see this is your first post - welcome to the forum! Thanks for the details, which have been added to the database. No surprises with either of yours, which is great.

Brian, we had yours on the database, but good to be able to fill in the details. Again, no surprises, happily.

The more data we gather, the more certain we can be about when the changes happened, and the more easily we'll be able to spot the "odd" sets. Like I did with the loudspeaker survey previously, I'll post some conclusions once I've had a bit more data.

Thanks again,

Mark

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Three Hunters in residence here,

Set 1,

- Model designation, RP38. VHF.
- Serial number, 12116.
- Handle type, Single piece with woodgrain plastic insert.
-Grille type, Sheet aluminium with pressed-in Hacker badge.
-Scale print, All White.
- DC input socket, No.
- Loudspeaker type and finish, Grey painted Elac.
- Tone control knob, style Silver.

Set 2,

-Model designation, RP38A. VHF.
- Serial number, 15366.
- Handle type, Single piece.
-Grille type, Sheet Aluminium with pressed-in Hacker badge.
-Scale print, White/Green.
- DC input socket, No.
- Loudspeaker type and finish, Grey painted Elac.
- Tone control knob style, Silver.
This set has no wood showing, the base and ends are in Black vinyl.

Set 3,

-Model designation, RP38A. VHF.
- Serial number, 21398.
- Handle type, Single piece.
-Grille type, Sheet aluminium, no pressed badge, Hacker badge top left.
-Scale print, White/Green
- DC input socket, No.
- Loudspeaker type and finish, Grey painted Elac.
- Tone control knob style, Silver.


Regards, Mick.

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Mark

Here are my Hunter details:-

Model RP38A - "Hunter VHF".
S/N - 56674.
Handle type - one piece.
Grille type - extruded aluminium - horizontal black/silver bar effect.
Scale print - white and green.
DC input socket - yes.
Loudspeaker type and finish - unpainted metal, Elac sticker on side.
Tone control knobs - my set has small silver-coloured treble and bass controls, with thin black bases.

Ron

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hi Both,

Thanks for your data. Mick, your 3rd set suggests that the move to the separate Hacker badge happened before the addition of the DC socket, which I *think* arrived at around 30000.

Ron - thank you. Did you know that your set has the wrong scale? Yours should be all white - I've got several with lower serial numbers than yours that are white. Having said that, I rather like the white and green version ;)

Incidentally, have any of you got a Royal Warrant? Personally, I have a feeling the warrant was added when they changed the model to "Hunter fm/am" - if you're adding a warrant to your scale, you might as well have a re-brand while you're at it! But that's just a theory at this stage.

Thanks,

Mark

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Here's mine:

- Model designation: RP38A. Hunter VHF.
- Serial number: 49800.
- Handle type: single piece aluminium.
- Grille type: extruded aluminium.
- Scale print: All White.
- DC input socket: Yes.
- Loudspeaker type and finish: Elac, gold.
- Tone control knob: Silver.

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hi Steve,

Yours has helped close the gap for the scale print change - the latest with green print I have is 44620, and before yours, the earliest I had for all-white print was 51555.

You'll be pleased to hear that everything else looks to be in order ;)

Many thanks,

Mark

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Gold 'speaker
Black/white scale
SN 88248
Black tone knobs with silver surround
Extruded front
Steel handle with aluminium 'handle'
DC input socket

And she resides only a mile or two from her birthplace and is working most mornings.

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hi MM,

Thanks for this data - but are you sure about the serial number? So far, the highest recorded serial number is 68923 - are you sure the first digit isn't a 6?

Everything else makes perfect sense for a late model. Nice to hear that of one that hasn't strayed too far ;)

All the best,

Mark

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

That is what is stamped on the chassis, just double checked.

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hello,

I have at least 6 nice Hacker Hunters, I've lost count of the exact number. These are the best of the Hacker AM/FM transistor radios and one of the best transistor radios ever built in the UK IMHO, and I use one all the time.

I have only two to hand here at the moment ....

Model designation: RP38A. Hunter VHF (with box marked Hunter VHF).
- Serial number: 51412.
- Handle type: one piece aluminium, no fablon insert.
- Grille type: extruded aluminium.
- Scale print: All White. No Royal Warrant.
- DC input socket: Yes.
- Loudspeaker type and finish: Elac, gold.
- Tone control knob: Silver.

Model designation: RP38A. Hunter FM-AM
- Serial number: 62441.
- Handle type: 3 piece aluminium/chromed steel square profile
- Grille type: extruded aluminium.
- Scale print: All White. With Royal Warrant.
- DC input socket: Yes.
- Loudspeaker type and finish: Elac, gold.
- Tone control knob: Silver.

I have 2 or 3 scrap Hunters too. I don't have any RP38s or early RP38As in the collection as I haven't found any yet with decent grilles.

Howard :)

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hi Howard,

I knew you'd be able to help ;)

Happily, no surprises - everything fits my data so far. Your later one is the latest example of a 3-piece handle and silver tone control knobs, so that helps. Your earlier set is within 100 or so of my first one.

Yes, those early grills are a real pain - I've yet to tackle one, but I doubt it will be an easy task. But if anyone can do it, you can!

MM, I'll make a note of yours, but will leave a question-mark by it for now. I must admit that I've been caught out in the past with the stampings, and I'm sure that I've managed to confuse a 6 or 9 with an 8 - I double-check with an eye-glass if there's any doubt. Of course, yours could have been a "special" of some description. Either way, it's an interesting conundrum ;)

Thanks to all that have contributed so far. I hope to publish a preliminary "timeline" before much longer.

Cheers,

Mark

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Please see the PDF attachment - it's a first attempt at plotting the timeline of the model, based on responses here, on the Yahoo Hacker Radio group, and my collection. It might take a few seconds to make sense - hopefully I'll come up with a more visually appealing and intuitive way to present the information - but it seems like a reasonable start.

Have a look at the boundaries in serial number - the more we can close these, the better. Looking at the numbers with each change, it's very tempting indeed to draw tentative conclusions like "the DC socket was added at serial numbers 30,000 onwards", and "the Hunter fm/am model started at 56,000". Of course, with some sets, these sorts of things were detailed in the manuals, but to my knowledge, no addendum or similar was added to the RP38A manual...

Thanks for your input so far, and please keep it coming :)

Mark

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hello Mark,

Hacker Hunter VHF

RP38A
SN 16510
Handle - Single
Grille - Sheet, embossed badge
Scale - White/Green
DC in - Yes
Speaker - Grey Elac
Tone controls - Silver on black base rims.

Hope that helps, ;) Regards, John.

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Hi John,

Yours is an usual one because models of that vintage shouldn't have a DC input socket. Are you sure yours is a factory-fit one? I believe that dealers were able to fit the sockets at request. You might be able to tell by looking at the quality of the wood-work. A couple of photographs might be interesting...

Thanks,

Mark

Re: Calling Hacker Hunter owners!
 

Sorry Mark I thought the set had a DC-in but didn't actually look :-)

I have now double checked what I've written and all the rest of the info' is correct.;)