That's such a great thing.. you get it turned on for the first time in ages and the first thing you hear is "HAVE A CIGAR, YA GONNA GO FAR wweeeeeeeeeeeeeee". Classic.
Vintage Radio Restorers use a spring from a ball point pen to keep the string tight over the years to keep them from slipping. Dial string can stretch over time & the spring takes up the slack. Most vintage radios that use dial string, post war comes stock with a spring just for that purpose. Pre-war radios used a belt on the tuning shaft & dial pointer. Dial string can be found on-line.
Another nice video, thanks. One thing I would say is, valves do not like running at low heater voltages - worst case is you can strip the cathode. So it’s generally better to disconnect the heater supply if you want to slowly reform the caps. A short time is probably ok, but something to maybe bear in mind.
Clearly I forgot to show everyone the string I used for the re-string. It is Piscifun 68kg/0.7mm (150lb/0.028") braided fishing line. Please note that it looks like this specific product has been discontinued since I bought it years ago, so any braided line that is similar to the 0.7mm/0.028inch thickness should be ok.
Way to tackle something as old as I am, Aidan. I admire your courage to allow us to join you as you enter the unknown electronic experiments. It was a good first song to hear.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, a nice old radio tuner. The continuity diode check will not show a failing power switch since it will beep with several ohms resistance. You need something that will read very low ohms like a capacitor ESR meter, which will measure the 0.1 ohms a good power switch should have. I use the Capacitor Wizard because it has a low ohms audible beep if the ohms are under half an ohm, which would be marginal for a power switch. Marantz receivers are notorious for failing power switches. I replaced one on a Marantz 4300. Cheers!
Well, how about that... I have the matching amplifier, a 10PG, and I'm considering buying a tuner for it. Sams Photofacts always came out some time after a product was first marketed. Look at the date on the cover. In this case, it is 10-58, so that tuner was probably introduced in the first half of 1958. Grommes is still in business making high-quality sound reinforcement amplifiers. Their site says the name is pronounced like 'grommet' except with an S rather than a T at the end. Dial string is the same stuff as "cloth" fly-fishing line, and it is available in various diameters.
Nice job Aidan👍 1960ish I'd say. Live chassis indeed, tubes are a whole different beast. ("Be very careful" Paul Carlson). No dim bulb was surprising. It came to life and the restring was a success. Nice video, thanks. See you next time.
I’m a semi-retired commercial sound service tech in the Chicago area. Grommes / Precision Electronics used to make good quality commercial amplifiers and tuners back in the day. When their solid state equipment came out the quality began to suffer. The much later years Precision amps were generally Chinese junk.
That looks like it was made in the early 1950's, (before stereo) and was designed to be fit into a cabinet or wall. Stereo records were not available until the late 1950's. I believe that stereo radio was not popular until the late 1960's.
You should have used the dim bulb. instead of the variac. It would tell you what's going on with the capacitor reformation and whether you have a short.
I use a dim bulb with a variac. I also monitor the B+ on the first cap off the rectifier and feel the capacitor for heat. I also have what I call a poor man's variac which is an array of 3 light sockets wired in parallel with the smallest bulb 7.5, 40, 60 watts. Just screw in the bulbs you need for more current.
Thats a BIG AM antenna ! If has an AM RF amp it should be real hot DX machine. We cheated on dial cords. In the olden days you could order them pre made for many things. Just whip it on & check dial cal. LFOD !
Looks like you're using a medical isolation transformer similar to the one shown in this Mr. Carlson's Lab video where he showed it wasn't really isolated without some form of modification. Just wondering if you modified yours? ruclips.net/video/XBsQ3sZ45Fk/видео.htmlsi=-Krqp2tMsaJm7ISE
That's such a great thing.. you get it turned on for the first time in ages and the first thing you hear is "HAVE A CIGAR, YA GONNA GO FAR wweeeeeeeeeeeeeee". Classic.
Vintage Radio Restorers use a spring from a ball point pen to keep the string tight over the years to keep them from slipping. Dial string can stretch over time & the spring takes up the slack. Most vintage radios that use dial string, post war comes stock with a spring just for that purpose. Pre-war radios used a belt on the tuning shaft & dial pointer. Dial string can be found on-line.
Tuner string springs, made for the purpose, are still available from several sources.
Another nice video, thanks.
One thing I would say is, valves do not like running at low heater voltages - worst case is you can strip the cathode. So it’s generally better to disconnect the heater supply if you want to slowly reform the caps. A short time is probably ok, but something to maybe bear in mind.
Clearly I forgot to show everyone the string I used for the re-string. It is Piscifun 68kg/0.7mm (150lb/0.028") braided fishing line. Please note that it looks like this specific product has been discontinued since I bought it years ago, so any braided line that is similar to the 0.7mm/0.028inch thickness should be ok.
Way to tackle something as old as I am, Aidan. I admire your courage to allow us to join you as you enter the unknown electronic experiments. It was a good first song to hear.
That cloth covered wire is exactly what fender was using in their amps and guitars back in the day.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, a nice old radio tuner.
The continuity diode check will not show a failing power switch since it will beep with several ohms resistance. You need something that will read very low ohms like a capacitor ESR meter, which will measure the 0.1 ohms a good power switch should have. I use the Capacitor Wizard because it has a low ohms audible beep if the ohms are under half an ohm, which would be marginal for a power switch.
Marantz receivers are notorious for failing power switches. I replaced one on a Marantz 4300. Cheers!
Well, how about that... I have the matching amplifier, a 10PG, and I'm considering buying a tuner for it.
Sams Photofacts always came out some time after a product was first marketed.
Look at the date on the cover. In this case, it is 10-58,
so that tuner was probably introduced in the first half of 1958.
Grommes is still in business making high-quality sound reinforcement amplifiers.
Their site says the name is pronounced like 'grommet' except with an S rather than a T at the end.
Dial string is the same stuff as "cloth" fly-fishing line, and it is available in various diameters.
Nice job Aidan👍 1960ish I'd say. Live chassis indeed, tubes are a whole different beast. ("Be very careful" Paul Carlson). No dim bulb was surprising. It came to life and the restring was a success. Nice video, thanks. See you next time.
It’s not a live chassis, it has a power transformer.
FM multiplex stereo hit the airwaves in 1961.
I’m a semi-retired commercial sound service tech in the Chicago area. Grommes / Precision Electronics used to make good quality commercial amplifiers and tuners back in the day. When their solid state equipment came out the quality began to suffer. The much later years Precision amps were generally Chinese junk.
That looks like it was made in the early 1950's, (before stereo) and was designed to be fit into a cabinet or wall. Stereo records were not available until the late 1950's. I believe that stereo radio was not popular until the late 1960's.
You should have used the dim bulb. instead of the variac. It would tell you what's going on with the capacitor reformation and whether you have a short.
I use a dim bulb with a variac. I also monitor the B+ on the first cap off the rectifier and feel the capacitor for heat. I also have what I call a poor man's variac which is an array of 3 light sockets wired in parallel with the smallest bulb 7.5, 40, 60 watts. Just screw in the bulbs you need for more current.
Variac limits current but it does not protect against a short, dim bulb protects against a direct short
Maybe you can pair that with the bogen
Thats a BIG AM antenna ! If has an AM RF amp it should be real hot DX machine.
We cheated on dial cords. In the olden days you could order them pre made for
many things. Just whip it on & check dial cal.
LFOD !
Pink Floyd, Daddy!
Pre stereo, which showed up in 1961. Looks like a 1958 model. Are you going to clean it up?
By the faceplate styling and tubes used (6Bxx) I'm **guessing** earlier 1960's, maybe '62 or '63.
What line do you use for stringing?
Did you use proper dial cord? I heard you mention string a few times.
what kind of string?/ Where do you buy it?
Excellent video as always !
Cloth fly-fishing line is the same stuff as dial cord,
and it is available in various diameters.
Cloth fly-fishing line is the same stuff as dial cord,
and it is available in various diameters.
Whats a toooner ?
Power wash! Lol
What year (approx.) was this puppy made???? 1956?
like your dad
1958.
TGIF
Looks like you're using a medical isolation transformer similar to the one shown in this Mr. Carlson's Lab video where he showed it wasn't really isolated without some form of modification. Just wondering if you modified yours? ruclips.net/video/XBsQ3sZ45Fk/видео.htmlsi=-Krqp2tMsaJm7ISE