I have just obtained a HQ-100A. I have the operating manual. I can't find info regarding the markings on the radio and dial. (I am a relative newbee).
What are the designations of the "tuning range MCS" What is MCS? What bands/freq's do the .54-1.6, 1.64-4, etc refer to?
On the dials same question for the main tuning dial. ie: where do I set the main tuning dial & range dial to find 147.210
or 28.350.....
Thanks a lot for the help.
Mike

MCS is megacycles

The term used today generally is mHz megaHertz

The first range that you had on the dial was .54 1.6 this is mHz this is the same as kiloHertz kHz of 540 to 1600 so 540 to 1600 kHz = .54 to 1.6 mHz = .54 to 1.6 mcs
This by the way is the AM Broadcast band.

The second band is 1.64-4 which is 1.64 to 4 mHz. Once you go higher than the AM Broadcast band then kHz really is not used anymore but if it was then it would be 1640 to 4000 kHz. Here on this band are two radio Amateur bands and some international broadcasting

The frequency ranges of this radio are .54-1.6, 1.6-4, 4-10, 10-30 MHz

""""where do I set the main tuning dial & range dial to find 147.210 or 28.350....."""

Well 28.350 would be on the last band, whether you would hear anything or not , others will have to chime in
147.210 is 147 mHz and radio stops at 30 mHz

Another way of denoting frequency is by using the length of a radio wave in free space in meters
Formula = Wavelength in meters = 299.792458 / frequency in megahertz
Roughly 1.88 mHz = 159 Meters

Hammarlund did sell a VHF version of the HQ-110 and HQ-170 with a built in converter for 2 meters that also acted as a preamp for six meters but unless your receiver is that version it doesn't cover 2 meters. This version can be identified by a VHF emblem (which often has fallen off the panel) and it will also have a marking near the AF gain control "pull 2M" in addition to 2 meter calibration.

Even if you have the VHF version it isn't a great 2 meter receiver AND if you are interested in 147.21 it sounds like you are interested in FM. The HQ-110A will slope detect FM in the AM mode but again it is really a practical receiver for 2 meters.

Rodger WQ9E

Thats what you have to do with all these old AM receivers with VHF capability, the audio quality isn't all that bad either. Most really aren't up to the task, by today's standards, to be of much practical use though.

An outboard SS preamp works wonders on 2M but the basic radio drifting will always be there.

Carl

Mike, you brought up a point about the Hq-110A VHF version that made me look the US ham band allocations. Can the VHF version not pull in anything between 6 meters (50.1 MHz to 55 MHz) leaping to 2 meters (144 MHz to 148 MHz)? Of course, that is where US FM broadcast is hiding. I could not find any comment on this issue relating to the 110A VHF elsewhere. Thx in advance.

The HQ-110 is strictly a ham band only receiver and that also is true of the VHF version.

Even if it did have coverage of the FM broadcast band trying to slope detect wide deviation FM broadcast through its fairly narrow IF bandpass would not be successful. Slope detection works fine for receiving narrow band FM with these communications type receivers but for slope detecting FM broadcast stations, which have broadcast bandwidth of around 150 Khz., requires a much broader IF bandwidth.

Hallicrafters used an IF in the 5 Mhz. range for their early VHF receivers (S-36 etc.) which provided sufficient bandwidth and some image rejection but 10.7 Mhz. later became the de facto standard for FM broadcast receivers.

Rodger WQ9E

The OP is asking about a HQ-100A and has likely faded away by now with all the off topic chatter

Carl