H.A.C. Short-Wave Products
109, Hartington Road, London SW8 (1934 – 1947)
29 Old Bond Street, London W1 (1947 -1974)
P.O. Box No. 16, 10 Windmill Lane Lewes Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19. (1974-1984)

Manufacturer and retailer of shortwave kit sets for amateur constructors from 1934 until the mid-1980s. 

H.A.C. (Hear All Continents) first appeared as a club in the Shortwave Section of Popular Wireless in the late 1920s. The club was open to all we could claim they had heard all six continents on telephony. They stated, “There is no membership fee, there are no meetings, and no privileges whatever except that one can claim to be a " hot stuff " short-wave man.” [1]

In the early 1930s a young Arthur L. Bacchus (          - 1974), when still a teenager, was possibly a member of this club. An ardent experimenter he built up a small business manufacturing and selling cheap shortwave kits principally to cater for the short-wave listener from 1934. [2]

His first radio was the HAC Super One possibly developed as early as 1932.

In April 1947 he moved his business to 66 New Bond Street London [3]

He stated in a November 1974 advertisement; “Famous for over 35 years for Shortwave Equipment of quality, "H.A.C." were the original suppliers of Shortwave Receiver Kits for the amateur constructor. Over 10,000 satisfied customers-including Technical Colleges, Hospitals, Public Schools, R.A.F., Army, Hams, etc.” [y]

Sadly, Arthur died in 1974, and his widow struggled to keep the business going.

She advertised for an Engineer and C. M. Lindars became involved in the business. [5]

Around this time their first transistor kit was added to the range of valve sets. It was known as the T- Twin and incorporated a FET followed by a medium gain bipolar transistor and was powered by a PP3 battery. It used the Denco DP range of coils giving coverage from long waves to 30MHz. [6]

They offered their customers a full service of parts and a full backup service to their customers.

One of their last products was a Battery Eliminator for valve radios advertised in April 1984. [7]

However, with the cost of parts and competition from imported kits from the far east they closed in the mid-1980s.

[1] Popular Wireless Apr 1932, Page 702.
[2] Practical Wireless 1970, Page 178.
[3] Practical Wireless 1947, Page 192.
[4] Practical Wireless Nov 1974, Page 674.
[5] Radio Bygones No. 32, Christmas 1994, C. M. Lindars, Wimborne Publishing Ltd.
[6] Practical Wireless Dec 1978, Page 8.
[7] Practical Wireless Apr 1984, Page 86.