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Don's Old Radio Shed
Австралия
Добавлен 1 дек 2010
Repairing and restoring vintage valve / tube radios without much equipment or a big fancy workshop.
I haven't been doing this for too long and I still have a lot to learn but this is a great hobby with a very supportive worldwide community.
I haven't been doing this for too long and I still have a lot to learn but this is a great hobby with a very supportive worldwide community.
COLUMBUS Model 90 Made in New Zealand in 1945. Part 5 - FINAL
Yes, it's finally all back together and working as it should.
The Columbus model 90 was first released in 1942 but production was put on hold while New Zealand required the factory to reserve component stocks for the war effort.
This particular radio was built in 1945 when production was allowed to continue. It was released into a world that was celebrating the end of World War II, a time of hope and optimism. It was a world we would barely recognise today: A radio such as this would have been a prized possession. It was certainly expensive at £49/10/-.
It is possibly the best short wave receiver I have worked on and this would have been important in those days. With newspapers censored dur...
The Columbus model 90 was first released in 1942 but production was put on hold while New Zealand required the factory to reserve component stocks for the war effort.
This particular radio was built in 1945 when production was allowed to continue. It was released into a world that was celebrating the end of World War II, a time of hope and optimism. It was a world we would barely recognise today: A radio such as this would have been a prized possession. It was certainly expensive at £49/10/-.
It is possibly the best short wave receiver I have worked on and this would have been important in those days. With newspapers censored dur...
Просмотров: 2 624
Видео
COLUMBUS Model 90 Made in New Zealand in 1945. Part 4
Просмотров 3,4 тыс.Месяц назад
In this video I set out to track down the elusive Short Wave. It's hiding in there somewhere. Watch and laugh as I follow it up blind alleys and down rabbit holes and maybe you'll shout "I told you so!" at the end. Here's the links to parts 1, 2 & 3: ruclips.net/video/MU-bozaoDX4/видео.htmlsi=FVUZ7gGH4gVOPu6A ruclips.net/video/YkUnkVnTpyk/видео.htmlsi=VOwaFqjK6a-OSnB6 ruclips.net/video/KmjLPIwa...
COLUMBUS Model 90 Made in New Zealand in 1945. Part 3
Просмотров 3,5 тыс.2 месяца назад
Made in New Zealand in 1945 by Radio Corporation of New Zealand, this is a monster of a radio with a number of unique features. This has been a difficult restoration from the start, beginning with a burnt out transformer then an open circuit speaker field coil. Part 3 is mainly concerned with bringing the speaker back to life. I originally intended to finish with the speaker and chassis in this...
COLUMBUS MODEL 90 Made in New Zealand in 1945. Part 2
Просмотров 4,2 тыс.2 месяца назад
Made in 1945 by the Radio Corporation of New Zealand, this is a monster of a radio and unique in a number of ways. I thought it would be an easy restoration but it has turned out to be the opposite. If it was a more common radio I probably would have scrapped it for parts but with a lot of help from other radio restorers, supplying parts and, in the case of David Tipton, winding coils, I've bee...
COLUMBUS model 90 Made in New Zealand in 1945. Part 1
Просмотров 3,7 тыс.3 месяца назад
In my last video I asked viewers which radio they would like me to work on next. This Columbus model 90 was by far the most requested. Made in 1945 by the Radio Corporation of New Zealand this is a monster of a radio and unique in a number of ways. So here it is. I thought it would be a pretty straightforward restoration but the radio had other ideas. Fortunately the amazing radio restoration c...
The Long Way Home 3
Просмотров 7463 месяца назад
Leaving Quobba we decided to head to Kalbarri & check out the gorges. We found it busy with lots of tourists and even more flies! Rather than head straight home we decided to take a roundabout route following the back roads through the wheatbelt region and many country towns ranging from ghost towns to thriving country centres. Again, the editing is a bit rough in places as most of his video wa...
Still On The Road (part 2)
Просмотров 6413 месяца назад
Starting where we left off in "On The Road Again (1)" we pick up the journey from Gascoyne Junction. This will be the second of 3 videos of my short road trip holiday through the mid North West of Western Australia. Please note: This and subsequent holiday videos are recorded and edited on my phone and will probably not even be up to my usual low standards. They are just my holiday pics.
On The Road Again - Part 1
Просмотров 8894 месяца назад
Yes we’re back on the road, re- visiting some old favourites and exploring some new ones. I will be publishing a second part before too long. I’ll be back home and publishing some new content in 3 - 4weeks . Hope you enjoy our holiday pics in the meantime. Please note: This and subsequent holiday videos are recorded and edited on my phone and will probably not be up to my usual standards. They ...
GRUNDIG TRANSISTOR BOY PART 3 with Desert Testing
Просмотров 2,5 тыс.4 месяца назад
In this final part of the repair and restoration of this Grundig Transistor Boy LE I investigate the battery charging circuit further and get it working on rechargeable batteries I did this video in a bit of a hurry as I am leaving for a 3 week holiday, again travelling to remote areas of Western Australia. I thought it would be a good idea to take the radio with me to see how it performs in a ...
Philips BEETHOVEN 228 Part 2
Просмотров 2,3 тыс.4 месяца назад
Finally finished! But this one fought all the way. This part mostly deals with the turntable, although there were a few other issues. Philips equipment has a reputation for being difficult to work on and this one certainly had its moments but no worse than some others. The result was worth it though. Thanks to David Tipton for his excellent video about servicing this rather confusing turntable ...
PHILIPS BEETHOVEN 228 part 1
Просмотров 3,9 тыс.5 месяцев назад
My friend Dom picked this radiogram up off the verge (Kerbside) rubbish collection. It looks pretty good for free. Let's see how good it is and what I can do with it. Carl's Capacitors: www.ebay.com.au/str/vintagecomponentsandbooks
Grundig Transistor Boy from 1956 Part 2 - A very unusual radio.
Просмотров 5 тыс.6 месяцев назад
I dive further into the mysterious workings of this weird little valve / transistor hybrid radio. It's like nothing I've seen before but potentially a very nice little portable. It has a quality feel about it. It's heavy and well built but working on it is, shall we say, a challenge. Watch & see how I go. Carl's Capacitors: www.ebay.com.au/str/vintagecomponentsandbooks
Grundig Transistor Boy from 1956. A surprise package - Part 1
Просмотров 6 тыс.6 месяцев назад
What an interesting and unique little radio this turned out to be! It took me a while to work out what I had and how it works. There are three identical - looking models but all very different. There was very little information available about them but with a bit of help from my radio restorer friends I was able to find out enough about it to make a start. In this first video I mainly explore t...
STC model 530 Part 3 - Final
Просмотров 3,4 тыс.7 месяцев назад
In this final part I do battle with the speaker, install a bluetooth board and finally put it all back together. STC (Standard Telephones and Cables Australasia) was a subsidiary of the UK company of the same name. They were well known for producing equipment for the Postmaster General (PMG) which, at the time, ran the Australian telephone network. This radio was probably built in STC's factory...
STC model 530 Part 2
Просмотров 3,4 тыс.8 месяцев назад
Look over my shoulder as I struggle with this vintage 1936 STC valve / tube radio. Not just electrical issues but mechanical ones too. It certainly is putting up a fight. STC (Standard Telephones and Cables Australasia) was a subsidiary of the UK company of the same name. They were well known for producing equipment for the Postmaster General (PMG) which, at the time, ran the Australian telepho...
Austin "Harry" Brown's home made radio
Просмотров 6 тыс.9 месяцев назад
Austin "Harry" Brown's home made radio
BUSH VHF64 Part 5 - IF alignment, dial string and a few issues ...
Просмотров 2,9 тыс.10 месяцев назад
BUSH VHF64 Part 5 - IF alignment, dial string and a few issues ...
BUSH VHF64 Part 4 - Major Surgery - Will it work?
Просмотров 3,3 тыс.11 месяцев назад
BUSH VHF64 Part 4 - Major Surgery - Will it work?
Driving North Part 3. Broome & the Kimberley
Просмотров 688Год назад
Driving North Part 3. Broome & the Kimberley
Driving North Part 2 - Onwards towards Broome
Просмотров 639Год назад
Driving North Part 2 - Onwards towards Broome
BUSH VHF64 Part 2 - The deeper I dig, the worse it gets!
Просмотров 4,7 тыс.Год назад
BUSH VHF64 Part 2 - The deeper I dig, the worse it gets!
BUSH VHF64 Part 1- A first look over this very rough British AM - FM Radio
Просмотров 9 тыс.Год назад
BUSH VHF64 Part 1- A first look over this very rough British AM - FM Radio
Rigol DG1022 Signal Generator - HELP!
Просмотров 1,7 тыс.Год назад
Rigol DG1022 Signal Generator - HELP!
1941 STROMBERG CARLSON model 542 restoration and repair PART 2
Просмотров 6 тыс.Год назад
1941 STROMBERG CARLSON model 542 restoration and repair PART 2
Another great restore Don! Enjoying the back catalogue.
Don, on the dent, I use a damp cloth and heat it with a steam iron. This causes the wood to swell filling or at least lessening the dent. Let it dry completely and sand as you normally would.
Nice job.
Well done Don! I think most would have walked away when they saw the extent of the butchering.
I nearly did, but then I realized that whoever did this knew what they were doing. Everything to do with Short Wave had been surgically removed and I could only presume that the radio had been working like this. It was probably done by the military to prevent people (either enlisted men or POWs) from hearing the "wrong" propaganda from overseas.
Don, in my limited experience with tuning eye tubes, I’ve never seen one close completely. Yours looks like it functioning perfectly !!! I’ve seen where the usual 1 meg resistor is bad and the eye won’t respond at all or very limited. Just saying 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
Hi. I was lucky to get that NOS tube. I guess if you start with a new tune you've got a pretty good chance. These things don't have a very long service life so they're usually pretty tired. Cheers
Great job Ron, nice looking radio. And the sound is also great. I'm a litle jeaulous of your skills and patience. Enjoyed the serie very much.
Supersonic Radio in Bulawayo Rhodesia 1955. Mum at evening classes (shorthand and typing). Day-job was at this radio factory. Assembly-line work tuning cans. What? Yup, she frequency-tuned capacitors at final inspection. On return to London she worked at Cossor Radios but, in the office. Our table-top one in Durban (S.A.) was the Philips BD273U "Philetta" Bakelite Radio (1958). BBC World Service and Springbok Radio with commercial jingles (what's that?) were our delights. Pirate radio from L.M.
Hi Don the Columbus 91 has the problem of very weak 6U5 Magic eye. Which are as rare as hens teeth as you know.
Fabulous series of videos - thank you so much
Hi again Don . Just a quick question is the Victor 3165 any good . Cheers again
Hi Chris. In a word, no. It worked ok at first but now I can't get a sensible or steady reading from it. If you can find something better at a reasonable price I would suggest you go for it. Cheers
HI Don great video series. I have just acquired a columbus 91 from 1950 which is very similar . So your videos will be a great help . cheers
Hi Chris. Yes I expect it will be similar and a very nice radio. I hope my video is of use. Please let me know if I can be of any help. I suggest you also contact (Steve Dunford). His website is "The NZ Vintage Radio Project" - www.vintageradio.co.nz or "Vintage Radio Steve" on RUclips. he is an expert on these radios
Excellent work Don. You really got a knack with a complete radio restoration!
Such a nice receiver, sensibly designed, well built and properly restored. Be proud of that one!
Thanks!
What a great result Don, the radio looks amazing. That cloth really suits it.
Cheers. Yes I like it. I'm surprised the factory didn't go for a darker grille cloth.
This is one radio 📻 that I REALLY like 👍 in particular. I like how the dial light glows (unless it's your house lighting shining on the case). It's so sad 😞 that they don't build these kinds of radios anymore. You're doing such a GREAT job 👏 with sanding and refinishing this radio 📻. Your friend, Jeff.
@@jeffreyhickman3871 Cheers Jeff. I’m very happy with the way the cabinet turned out. The chassis has been an uphill battle and I’m still not 100% happy with the way the tone control works. On investigation it doesn’t follow the schematic and I’m not sure if it has was a production update or if it’s been modified. So I’m still fiddling with it lol
Lovely job Don. My wife Donna was impressed by the look of the grill cloth. Still the unsolved mystery of the fireworks show from your IF transformer? Thanks for your video.
Awesome work Don, well done! I think we'll make you an honorary Kiwi for that one! 😂 Interestingly, those IF cans are stamped with the Inductance Specialists logo ('Q') - so they're not original. The factory ones are visually almost identical... I wonder why they were replaced? It's interesting to see one was arcing out - Q gear is normally pretty high quality. And you figured out the AC Jensen cabinetmakers part, which is good - I was going to reply about that, but luckily watched to the end first. To echo the thoughts of several other commenters - you should be proud of this one. It fought you a bit, but you dragged it, kicking and screaming, back to life 🙂
Cheers Steve. While I'm fairly happy with the way it turned out, I still have an issue with the tone. The bass is nice but the treble has a sharp metallic edge to it that I really don't like. It sounds like harmonic distortion on one of the higher harmonics. On investigation the wiring on this radio differs significantly from the schematic, particularly around the biasing of the 6K7 preamp and the connections to the tone control switch. It's doing my head in. I might email you about it if that's ok
@@Donno308 Hi Don, absolutely fine. You hit the nail on the head when you said it was probably wartime shortages. Manufacturers here were struggling to get the parts they needed, and as the war went on it only got worse. By 1945, although the war had ended, parts were very difficult to come by - many of them, which had been taken from companies and individuals by governments for military use during the war, would not be released back for civilian use for some time yet... and it would be years before it all got resolved. So production changes were commonplace. Those changes were normally documented as a suffix to the model code (the 90 was also released as the 90X, for example) although often a new schematic was not released externally (and internal documentation has basically all been lost, likely when Pye took over in 1959 and had a big clean out of the offices). I think I have some more information on the tone control component values somewhere in my files - I'll try to dig that out for you. I don't recall hearing the distortion you're describing in any 90 I've worked on, so I expect it's a solvable issue... Cheers, Steve
Great restoration, love the detail and the way the wood colours came out.
That was superb work! Congrats and thanks for sharing it.
Hi Don, that is a really nice looking set now. I am also a retired telecom engineer here in the UK and we also used to lace the rack loom wiring back in the day. We block stitched the cables beween the racks. Cable ties saw the end of that practice. Quicker but not as neat. I think i would need a refresher course now as well. They are not simple loops but each is a retaining knot, if the twine gets cut. Dave
Great restore Don, I admire your patience. Love to watch you videos, keep them coming
That was some damn fine knob polishing.
Awesome restoration Don, thoroughly enjoyed the whole series on that radio, enjoy your holiday, Cheers.
Thanks. I enjoyed doing this one (except for the odd moment!) Looking forward to a holiday.
Excellent job and a great series! That sparking can and dial string snapping were both rather unwelcome surprises to get right at the end of the project! But, very nice end result!!!
Thanks! Yes both the dial string and that IF can were things I didn't need when I was trying to get the radio finished and the video out. The IF can was especially a time waster. I'm still not sure what caused it. I cut a lot out of the video but I actually spent hours on it. Glad you enjoyed the video anyway. Cheers
This channel is so neat ❤ What do you do with all your new, old radios? And how many have you brought back to life so far?
Hi! Glad your like my channel. I sell most of the radios I restore, mostly to local collectors. I keep a few favorites and they are scattered around the house. I don't know how many so far - I was working on radios for a few years before I started the youtube channel. Probably close to 100 so far.
@@Donno308 Nice! Fixing and/or putting stuff together really is one of the most satisfying things as a man
Holy crap, what a result! I have to admit, initially I wasn't convinced by the looks of this radio, but now you have restored it, it really looks amazing. Congratulations! I really like that dial glass with the white dots as indicators. And then having bandspread plus a 10 inch speaker... must have been a high end model indeed. Again: amazing job and great video series on this radio.
Hey Kristof. Yes I didn't have high hopes for the cabinet at first either. In fact I thought it was pretty ugly. It's also very big & heavy. I guess I'll have to sell it as I haven't got anywhere to put it. It is exceptional on short wave though. Amazingly it doesn't drift or fade at all. Once you've tuned a station it stays there rock solid. Apparently Columbus made some very expensive radios and were the quality end of the market in NZ. And a 10 inch speaker in a table top radio really is excessive. I always thought 8 inches was enough for anyone, but I might be prejudiced 😂
Nice Job !
That's a very handsome radio which now works as good as it looks. One to be proud of.
What a top series Don, thoroughly enjoyed every episode. I laughed out loud when the dial string broke . . . isn't it always the way ! Full marks for the cabinet, looks superb. I'm not too good with woodwork but will give it a crack soon. Cheers
Hey Baz, Bloody dial string! I got a cheap set of dental tools off ebay and they're great for fiddly stuff like that. I've gotta say that IF can sparking gave me a bad scare though. It's a pity I didn't have the camera running. I'm still not sure what happened but I think the plates must have moved and shorted against the screw. I had to go and have a cup of tea and a good lie down! Give the woodwork a go. You seem to be able to do everything else!
Great job Don, it looks a treat. I laughed when you said the dial string broke, I know I shouldn't but it's the radio restorers curse 😉 You fixed it quickly. Those Rigol generators are very good, I looked at buying one years ago but they were too expensive. Enjoy your in the near future holiday 🙂
Hi David. I bet you did! I thought I was going to get away with leaving the dial string alone. In the end it wasn't too bad though. That sparking IF can scared the shit out of me though. I still don't know what happened there. I got my Rigol cheap off Ebay - it's a "refurbished" one. I also recently scored a nice power supply for $100 too. Looking forward to the holiday. We're heading inland in the bus again to check out the wildflowers. Cheers
I really enjoyed the whole series on this Columbus radio, Paul and what you did with the cabinet is magnificent! 🤩 All the best from Gene in Tennessee.
G'day Gene. Glad you enjoyed the series. All the best from Australia's West 😊
Very nice job Don! I don't work on vintage radios much - but the care, attention to detail and authentic effort you bring to these videos is inspirational and informative for my own projects. I'm sure that's true for many others as well. Thank you! -JRH
Thank you! I get a lot of pleasure out of it, especially with the older radios. I love the quality of workmanship that went into them.
56:43 - Congratulations, Don. That was precisely the same ARRL handbook that my dad gave to me when I was 11 years old. It is probably the best of that era. No electronics library is complete without it. Your friend has good taste in tech literature. And, yes, there is a copy in my book case to this day. Lastly, my dad's was also named Don. You rock!
Cheers! Yes it's an interesting book and still very useful.
Cracking job and very interesting description of you work. Corrosion, this may be something you may like to look at as a solution. [ Electroplating - Easy DIY Nickel, Copper, Zinc Plating ] if you past this into YT you will find some useful information. You can localise plating using a solution of Nickel electrolyte and a conductive brush, this is the same process they use to plate mobile phones with gold and charge ridiculous prices. Nickel electrolyte is so easy to make up from a strip Nickel and should blend in with the plating on the chassis. Best from UK
You made the right choice with the dial cloth. It looks great! Lacing is an almost lost art. I was taught it my former work by a crusty old Navy electronics tech about 35 years ago. Ten inches is indeed a huge speaker for a tabletop radio. I wonder if the Kiwis were compensating for something?
Hi. Yes I don't think much lacing goes on these days, even in New Zealand. As for the 10 inch speaker, I have to wonder if it sounds any better than an 8 inch. I always thought that 8 inches is enough for anyone. But then I may be biased.
Well done young man. Great series to watch.
She's a beaut, mate. Seeing that page on lacing and tying reminds me of my USAF days, and the same page in T.O. 1-1A-14. That's where I learned how to do it. It seems kind of odd that a NZ radio would be called a Columbus and not a Cook. Ha Ha Cheers, Don.
Cheers Chuck. I was wondering about that too. Perhaps they were hoping to export it to the US. Nobody there knows who Cook was 😂. In fact I don't think Columbus went anywhere near New Zealand. At least the cabinet is called the "Endeavour".
What a gorgeous set! Really wished I this one in my collection - could sit in a darkened room through the night and just cruise and listen to those stations far beyond 😀 jolly well done 👍 and thank you so very much for sharing this
It has turned out nicely! I actually thought it was pretty ugly at first.
Don, nice job - again! This one is really nice. How many coats of lacquer did you apply, and did you sand between any coats? I recently restored an old electric guitar, and the final clear coat was a nightmare to get right.
Hi Jim I have only put 3 coats on it so far, with a minimal de nib before the last one. I wanted to put it back in the cabinet for the video but I will let it harden off for a couple of weeks then put on another 2 or 3, let them harden off for a while longer then block them down with 1200 grit (wet) and polish it up. That gives a nice "piano finish" shine and is quite durable.
What a great video to watch you are a credit to the channel.
Thanks Anthony. Glad you enjoyed it
Beautiful restoration Don, well done indeed. The grill cloth is perfect, couldn't match the radio's style any better. I'll admit i was on the edge of my seat when you were deciding on the grill cloth's orientation, hoping you wouldn't go horizontal, you made the right decision in my opinion. Thank's for sharing, have a great day mate.
Cheers, Yes I was happy with the way it turned out. The video doesn't do it justice - I think the led lights in the shed alter the colour on the video.
Thoroughly enjoyed all the episodes of restoration of Columbus. Learnt a lot Don as always. God bless…
Thanks David. The same to you
Thanks Don, enjoyed the series!
Glad to hear it!
What a beautiful job Don. Chapeau. ✨✨✨
Fantastic restauration & video, thank you Don for showing, the effort and passion put in to this!
The cable tieing at the end was a thing of great beauty.
Another radio overhall well done. Will be looking forward to your next challenge excellent work. Cheers from nz
Thanks 👍
Very fine restoration, Don! Looks and sounds brand new, and the choice of grille cloth looks great as well. It's interesting that this radio was made in New Zealand and is named "Columbus" I assume after Christopher Columbus, and even has sailing ship motifs on the knobs, and yet Columbus himself never sailed in the Pacific. Was it an American radio originally, perhaps?
I was thinking the same, maybe the brand should have been called ‘Tasman’ with a picture of the ‘heemskerck’ on the knobs!
Thank you. I was wondering about the "Columbus" name myself. I guess Columbus was well known worldwide. Cook or Tasman would probably not have been so well known. I note that the cabinet is called the "Endeavour", the name of Captain James Cook's ship and many of the Radio Corporation of New Zealand's model names have a nautical theme. I don't believe it was ever an American radio. Some of the circuitry reminds me of European radio design, for example the tone control circuit which feeds filtered positive feedback to the cathode of the preamp triode. The way the bandspread bands are designed is also very European. Cheers
Hi Don, good video, your radio looks very nice! did you try placing the lamps in series instead of using the resistor like the print shows? Rich from across the pond 😁
Hi Rich. No I didn't try that - it would have been difficult to arrange as the lamp holders attach to the chassis so would have to be isolated. I checked with Vintage Radio Steve as he's restored several similar radios and he said the lights were never wired in series so I stuck with the parallel arrangement. This radio didn't follow the schematic very closely at all. Apart from different component values, the biasing of the preamp / detector is completely different. Production changes and post-war component shortages I suppose. Cheers
@@Donno308 Hi Don, yea those lamp holders rely on being grounded to the chassis. I didn't think about that. Rich
Great restoration Don! That was an expensive Radio at the time, 10 weeks wages for me in 1972