Hi David. Great job. Only a genuine restorer disassembles a pot meter and rivets it back together. I like that commitment. Nothing compares to the glorious sixties, when my late mother was young and beautiful.
It was indeed a time of love, a time of magic and before health took over. We smoked those cigarettes till they were so short we needed tooth picks to hold them, we drank so much beer that, well a lot of beer, and some folks smoked those funny smelling cigarettes that they rolled themselves. The music was transforming and sex was wonderful and free. Wow if I could only go back for a day...
Now these are very rare birds - i'm sure i did not see this "Grundig Aktiv Boxen" in the last 40 years -- you did a very good job -- now they are ready for daily use again - As always all the best from Germany -H.
@@DavidTipton101 Again : Great Job! There more mysterious ways then we can think of -- somebody must have loved the Grundig speakers for a very long time -- build in the early 60s of the last century - over here in Germany - and there is a long way to go for two harmless speaker boxes -- to end up on your workbench so far away -- now good to play for the years to come!
Hi David, Just a tip, I found that I can grab a round shaft very well with an old drill chuck tightened against the rod with very little damage. good luck Rich
Hi Dave, thanks for another interesting restoration video. I actually remember seeing those speakers being sold growing up in the early 1960's in Florida in the US. The German HiFi systems didn't sell very well here, although the mantle radios did. I think the Philps valve set was one of the reasons, as RCA (Radio Corporation of America) dominated all the valves here, and were what people were used to seeing. In this particular instance though, the ECC83 is the same as a 12AX7, and the EL84, the 6BQ5. Concerning the resistor in series with the power transformer primary, I do that with every antique radio I restore for the following reasons: (1) The power companies have been increasing their mains voltage over the years. In the 1960's, the mains voltage used to be 110 volts but now, it is 118 to 127 voltage (depending upon the time of day). (2) The resistor acts as a fuse, surge protection, and improves the power factor. (3) A resistor is of course mandatory if you are replacing a selenium or valve rectifier with silicon diodes.
Thanks Bill. There was a setting for 120Volts I think I remember so nit surprising they showed up in the US. I agree with your thought with the resistor 👍😀
I just saw ya over here 👈 on Don’s Old Radio 📻 Shed. It was so interesting 🤔, seeing your comment there. He was resurrecting a very beautiful 😍 floor model radio 📻. They are actually furniture 🪑. From glass dial faces to dial lights. Built out of wood 🪵, and fine quality speakers 🔊, they are truly a GREAT 😊 radio 📻. Even he (Don), deals with the good 😊 stuff. Your friend, Jeff.
To convert a 220V item to 240V, you can also use a 240V - 20V transformer to reduce the voltage. That would get you most of the way there with no extra heat in the chassis.
You can use a small wall 240V-12V wall wart and wire it like an autotransformer, but out of phase, so the voltage will be subtracted instead of added. So you will be getting 228V output, but if you can find a 240V-20V, then you will get a perfect 220V at the output.
@@michvod Just to be clear, it needs to be an AC output plug pack (wall wart), not a DC type. Keep in mind that the rating of the secondary winding needs to be rated for the worst case current draw of the 220V output.
Great job David sir nice. Sir you use a grease on pot meter log apply surface area on log no problem volume control no irritating sound. Thanks for sharing this video I really enjoyed the show.❤❤
When you started on the tone pots, I thought sure you were dealing with expanding pot metal. That is what it looked like on my screen. It was a great relief to know that the housings were cast aluminum. I really liked your slotted chopstick as a hone. I'll have to remember that. Great job, as always!
Hi Rick, if they were pot metal they were well made but I think they were aluminum, they took a bit of stress while I got them working again. It was slotted dowel but a chopstick would work also. Thanks Rick 🙂
I didn't know that these old, smoking hot capacitors can develop so much thrust - flying speakers in spaaaace! Courtesy of the Tiptonian cap drive™! Thanks for another enjoyable restoration episode. Great work!
I've had the exact same experience with old sewing machines. Lubricant turns into glue, you heat it up and it loosens up beautifully, but as it cools it just hardens straight back up. Just by keeping it hot and moving and adding thin oil you can eventually wash out and replace the old stuff. I do like the originality of the old pots, weird design as they are. Greetings from the Netherlands!
Hi Mark, it's the same with turntables too but you can usually dismantle them to remove the old grease. I heated and soaked the other three for ages before they would free up. The design was unusual but a pretty good solution rally 👍🙂
I had the same trouble with a '50 microscope. It is just the fact that they are not used. If they were used the stiffness would be noticed on time and a little oil would help out for the next 40 years.
@@DavidTipton101 Hi Dave. I was 10 then. Our rich Italian neighbors had something similar . Can't remember the make, but I do remember the controls were on the speakers. which I suppose by deduction they were powered. What do you think?.
Nice to see those working again! The electrolytic caps usually have a metal closing cap on them right in the middle where the holes are, when they are gone it's usually a sign the electrolytic are in a terrible state and have vented
That basic ECC83/EL84 amplifier was my first school project back in the 60'es. The year after I upgraded to a stereo push/pull amplifier using some salvaged parts from around. I remember the power transformer was a bit too high on the plate voltage winding making the 4 EL84's glowing red hot on the plates. Solved using series resistors. Then suddenly the (salvaged) rectifier electrolytic tried taking off like a rocket. It could not withstand the too high plate winding voltage. I got the power transformer and one speaker transformer from an old rusty push/pull EL36 amplifier chassis stored in an old radio shop. By sheer luck my father found a second speaker transformer exactly the same type from a radio amateur. Sadly these projects got lost over the years during many times family moves ...
Dave you always take us on a great radio adventure. I couldn't hear what the speakers were like only you could, but for such a big cabinet you'd think a manufacturer could come up with something really outstanding. I'm sure the owner is happy to have them working again.
Thank you Mack. The last bit was recorded directly from the speakers using my mic and they sounded like 60s speakers. They sounded similar in the room as well. The owner was very happy to have them working again 🙂
In the 60s few people were audiophiles due to the limitations of the tech and the cost relative to income. I suspect those speakers were bought for style rather than Hi Fi quality. A friend's father had some of the first electrostatic speakers driven by a Nad amp but he was using a deck from a dansette as he had no money left for anything better.
You might want to consider listening to the presentation using a good set of earbuds or headphones. You’d be amazed at the detail you can hear. I always listen to shows with earphones - unless the production audio quality is so intolerable that losing some fidelity turns out to be a benefit.
HiDave, I certainly remember those Grundig active speakers. Those Grundig amplifiers (EL84 & ECC83) were very much tried and tested. The earliest versions, or variations I encountered (with EZ80 rectifier) was from 1957, though I might have heard 1954 - year thee 'n' me first saw the light of day LOL. Like you said, the rectifier valve was replaced with solid state rectification around 1959/60. I have a feeling variations of that amp was manufactured through to 1965 - Manuel will probably know more about them more than I do. I personally like those active speaker cabinets but I agree with you, they are not true Hi-fi. They deliver a pleasing sound - that which would be typical from a high-end stereo radiogram. Lovely talking to you my friend, Phil.
Another "Started the video just after midnight" with the dulcet sounds of Mr. Tipton. The next thing I know, it's 3:20 a.m. and some dude is working on an old TV. He wasn't being very 'soothing' about it, either. Which, now that I think about it, might account for the tobogganing on gravel dream.... Anyway, I restarted your vid first thing this morning. Didn't even bother waiting for lunch time. It was the correct choice. Great work, sir. My actual life can wait. I've got some Radio/Speaker Adventures to begin the day with. And coffee, too. I'm not completely out of my mind.
What is truly to be remarked is how people are reverting back to old hifi tech. If you had grown up with those old turntables, receivers and the deep rich sounds from those massive speakers. Then you can understand why people are putting aside their algorithmically reproduced sound from their smart devices and discovering how music was supposed to sound like. There’s a certain magic to flip a switch and watch the vacuum tube or valve warm up and the sound come to life. Everybody should at least once in their life, rent a cabin or go camping in the woods far from anything and just bring a transistor radio with you. Years back I was doing some logging on the river and I had an old car radio hooked up to a battery with a speaker attached to it for entertainment. There used to be a program called “lovers strangers and other things”where every evening they would have a story that would last half an hour or an hour. I loved listening to those shows with no diversions or distractions and the flames flickering on the walls from the wood stove.
Hi Neil, it seems to be the way doesn't it. I used to curl up in a big chair as a child and listen to our old console radio with the wood fire next to me. Good times. Thanks Neil 👍🙂
These are very rare in Europe, let alone Australia, I was hoping for a push-pull amp rather that a single ended design, but I guess that was deemed adequate for domestic use back then. Very similar construction to the huge Grundig WE5077 radio I just restored (push-pull EL95 output), the red resistors in my set were all well within tolerance, looks like yours were also good. As always, I love your attention to detail, the added heatsinks were a great idea, my set actually had aluminium heatsinks on the mains transformer from the factory, never seen that before!
Hi Mark. I bet there aren't many of these speakers in Australia, these would have been imported. I don't think I have seen a EL95 in a set here, similar to the 6BM5 I think. The resistors were very accurate. Heatsinks on a mains transformer, I haven't seen that either 🙂
@@DavidTipton101 I have a love/hate attitude to Grundig, although they do sound good, they are a nightmare to service, components that are buried away, complex tuning arrangements, over complicated pushbutton assembly's & electrostatic tweeters that are always dead! The EL95 (aka 6DL5) is not a common valve over here either, thankfully both on my set tested good, although the expensive EM34 is pretty dead :( Still have three Grundig sets awaiting restoration....
@@markpirateuk tell me about it. I just recapped a grundig console a few months back. It was a pain to get to the chassis bolts and even worse to get the chassis back in.
1:08 That's an interesting output stage. Normally, the idle current of the single-tube would partially saturate the output transformer, limiting the bass headroom. But here, they seem to be feeding the current for the rest of the circuit in the opposite direction, perhaps to cancel that DC bias without having to spend the money on a push-pull output stage or a bigger transformer core. I figured someone would have done this at some point.
I notice it uses a lightbulb to show that the power is on. I suppose instead of resistors to "toast" the extra voltage away, you could have rewired the power-on lightbulb in series with the primary or B-plus circuit to give it a built-in over-current protection / short circuit check / voltage dropper. 😄 Great video as always! Thanks for posting.
Hi Jac. You can use a bulb to lower current and lower the voltage and it was done in the past. The bulbs were called Barretters' and I think used in the filament string but I'm not sure. They only glow dimly like my dim bulb current limiter. Thanks Jac 🙂
G’day Dave. I think one of the first times I heard stereo was at friends of my parents house on a system very much like these. It was a record of a train going past with the wonder of the sound going from one speaker to the other. Seemed very fancy in the early 1960s. I guess it was easy to impress me back then.😉
Come to think of it I didn't have anything stereo till the mid 70s. FM didn't come in till then and we bought a stereo record player when we were married. Everyone has heard the train record 😂 Thanks Bob.
Very good, David! I have struggled with tuning capacitors (attacking the dreaded dial cords..) and pots from 60's to 70's exactly as you describe here. They must have used a special kind of grease which turns into glue nowadays. Strangely, I haven't encountered this in older equipment (or newer). In my experience the best thing is to dismantle the shaft from the bushing (as you showed), clean well and re-lube. if only softened with solvent, it will re-stick in a week or two. At it again.. Nice 60's show also!
Thank you greengrayradio. Dismantling is the better option but they did free up with an large of solvent and a re-oil. I hope they don't bind again as you suggested. Glad you liked the 60s show 😀
Hello, Dave. Good to see another great video. That type of "wood" ruined furniture and antiques in my opinion. My wife had a console from the 60s or 70s made of that stuff. She wanted to ship it to you. My area is very humid, however and it didn't survive. It's now composting our garden.
Hi clasicradiolover, what a shame about you consul radio. Particle board loves... or hates water and moisture. It also tends to dry out where it hasn't been painted and simply chips off at the edges. I backfill the edges with PVA glue to prevent further chipping. Thanks 👍😀
60's tech but they still sounded really good. Mind you, there are speakers made with modern tech that sound awful. Chipboard, the bane of every piece of furniture ever built. Did you get a look at the condition of the cones ?
Hi Ellesmere. Yes, chipboard... it was attractive to the industry but any moisture and it's kaput. I checked the speaker cones, they were good. Thanks Ellesmere 😀
Once again a very enjoyable video. Your attention to detail is always amazing. Getting all the voltages just right after a rectifier replacement. It will now last for many years.
Don't know what happened David but you made a comment and told me Shango had done the same G.E. E50 radio. which you were totally right it was exactly the same radio. For some reason your comment showed up in my notifications but not in the comments of my video. Thanks for checking for me and you are also right the same exact tuning dial cord was used. Thanks LL
Hi LL, I had a link to Shango's channel in my comment so it may have been deleted or moved into 'held for review' in RUclips studio. Anyway, that should help with your restringing. It was a wonder I remembered Shango doing it 😀 Cheers!
@David Tipton you're correct raumklang were normal speakers from Grundig. The one I had was a GRUNDIG Stereo-Verstärker-Box. Similar but with power amplifier
Just saw your video pop up. That Grundig is the ‘57Chevy Bel Air of radios 📻, with the “V”. I’m going to guess that this radio 📻 is also 1957. I think 🤔 the speaker 🔊 is permanent magnet 🧲. Capacitors are always the issue with these older radios 📻. Just DON’T wire the capacitor 🆙 backwards. If ya do, on the “click” to “ON” with the volume knob, “POP”, will go the capacitor. This can blow many 👨 capacitors, it can blow one ☝️. It will be a LOUD “POP”, and it will scare the heck out of ya. I’m wondering about the dial light 💡, and the dial cord. Just don’t burn 🔥 the dial cord in half with your soldering iron. Your friend, Jeff.
A very interesting video. I had a Grundig reel to reel in the 60s. I was surprised to see the inside electronics. They looked kind of hap-hazard in assembly. It was not what I thought Grundig electronics would look like. Great that you got it working. It does sound good.
Point to point assembly often looks messy doesn't it ? In reality it is carefully laid out so components don't cause interference to other components. Some manufactures do it better than others though. Thanks Garfield 👍🙂
@@DavidTipton101 I would take it that it looks messy because of no circuit board of some type. As you said point to point. My UHER Report tape recorder looks a lot neater, but everything is compacted into a smaller area and they have different functions. Still German quality. I come from the time when the big European electronics companies had the market; Grundig, Uher, Phillips, Tanberg, Telefunken, etc. Still like the look of them today. And as for quality. my Dual 1209 from the 60's is still in use.
They sounded Ok... not as tight as modern speakers but suited the period. Aside from woofers I'm struggling to think of any other self powered speakers 🤔🙂
I have something like this in my basement. It isn't Grundig but it is German. The tweeter is missing but the amp and woofer are inside. The cabinet is in pretty good condition. If we were in the same country I'd give it to you because I think you could make it good again.
"Split chopstick with sandpaper...", the autumn recipe from David 👌🏻You want Tipton tea with that ? In our supermarkets there's vega 'chicken' stuff without chicken, and on the package it says: "Happy chicken". But which non-existing chicken will be happy ? Is that what they mean by "You'll own nothing and be happy..." ?
Great video as always David. when it comes to heat in an amplifier overkill on heat sinks is definitely a good thing. Always enjoy seeing you troubleshoot and fix problems. You always have a unique way of getting the job done. So far after a 4th month of Chemotherapy the oncologist says my blood numbers are returning to normal. He said I should be cancer free by June. Thanks for sharing your radio adventures.
Keep up the good fight! My doctor told me that he got all the cancer during the surgery, I go back early next month for a checkup. They took out my kidney and half my adrenal gland on the right side. Several doctors told me that this form of cancer is usually cured by the removal of the kidney. When they tell you that you have stage 3 cancer it is frightening. When you have just in the past 2 years lost both your sisters and your lovely wife of 51 years and 4 days, to the disease it comes becomes pure terror. But we must continue on I guess.
Hi LL. I get a little paranoid about getting the heat away safely. I probably don't need to worry quite as much but that's me. Good to hear your treatment is going in the right direction. i look forward to sharing my radio adventures with you in the future 👍😀
@@JerryEricsson I lost my Dad to lung cancer My wife to pancreatic cancer an aunt to pancreatic cancer two aunts to breast cancer and my cousin who was only 32 to brain cancer. So really I do feel your pain Jerry. Just take it one day at a time and keep fighting.
The potentiometers seizing up is common with Grundig equipment of that time. Flushing them several times with turpentine usually gets them going again after a few rounds
Hi @senorcapitandiogenes2068, I can imagine Grundig caps of of that period will suffer the same problem. The solvent in WD40 is not that far from turps and is a hydrocarbon version in white spirit. Whatever, they did not move without heat to allow the solvent to get in there. I will know next time. Thanks @senorcapitandiogenes2068 👍🙂
@@DavidTipton101 He went from the Grundig to a Teac to a Akai 747 which I still have, The Akai has glass heads which need to be cleaning but not sure how to do it.
Dave!!! Another wonderful new video from you! Good on you! While it wasn't a Valve Radio, it did indeed have valves and was quite interesting to watch. Especially interesting resolution on those potentiometers by the way! I am always inspired by the wonderful work that you do and the creations you come up with to solve or restore bits and pieces. Keep up the excellent work!
BTW those pots were made by German PREH company and same ones were used in Hofner made guitars in 60s most memorable one that has the same pots inside would be 500/1 bass that Paul McCartney from The Beatles plays since 1963 he still uses his original one till this day. They often get hard to move and they were considered unrepairable if they are way too stuck and not movable with heat or lubricants. Now you kinda pioneered repairing them. Cheers mate.
![[SFM] Risky Recital](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RzNkY1_Nk3o/mqdefault.jpg)
Those are a sweet piece of mid century life! Thanks for saving them.
I agree Bob. Thank you 👍🙂
Hi Dave, I enjoy fixing things but you are at that next level called “fearless”. You’re an inspiration. Cheers from Tasmania.
Hi Kim, thank you. We are in Melbourne for a few days, not 'that' far from you 😄
Simply the best restoration channel on RUclips. Always a joy to watch your work and your creative process to problem solving.
Thank you videolabguy👍😀
Thanks Dave, another riveting video from down under!
Dad joke, good stuff!😝
Haha... I see what you did there 😄 thanks Steve.
Hi David. Great job. Only a genuine restorer disassembles a pot meter and rivets it back together. I like that commitment. Nothing compares to the glorious sixties, when my late mother was young and beautiful.
Thanks 1959Berre. I got a bit excited with dismantling the pot 😂 we were all young and beautiful back then 🙂
It was indeed a time of love, a time of magic and before health took over. We smoked those cigarettes till they were so short we needed tooth picks to hold them, we drank so much beer that, well a lot of beer, and some folks smoked those funny smelling cigarettes that they rolled themselves. The music was transforming and sex was wonderful and free. Wow if I could only go back for a day...
@@DavidTipton101 Well I was younger for sure!
Now these are very rare birds - i'm sure i did not see this "Grundig Aktiv Boxen" in the last 40 years -- you did a very good job -- now they are ready for daily use again - As always all the best from Germany -H.
Thanks Harryset1. They should be good for quite a few years. Cheers 😀
@@DavidTipton101 Again : Great Job! There more mysterious ways then we can think of -- somebody must have loved the Grundig speakers for a very long time -- build in the early 60s of the last century - over here in Germany - and there is a long way to go for two harmless speaker boxes -- to end up on your workbench so far away -- now good to play for the years to come!
Oh yeah. A new Tipton!
Thanks Paul 😀
Absolutely my favorite channel. Your videos always are novel, either technically or from an entertainment standpoint. Please keep doing them!
Thank you Victor 👍😀
Hi David, Just a tip, I found that I can grab a round shaft very well with an old drill chuck tightened against the rod with very little damage.
good luck Rich
Thank you for another very enjoyable video. Folklore has it that Vegemite is very good for freeing up frozen potentiometers. Thanks again David. 😆👍
Hi Terry, Vegemite in potentiometers! Is there anything it can't do? Thanks Terry 😂
Those speakers need to be in a swinging bachelor’s pad!
Groovy David, just groovy.
Perfect! I wish I had thought of that for the video. Thanks Austin... err... I mean dogribmoon 😄
Now there is a product I never knew existed! Your humour is still the same 😂 I am surprised you didn't have a go at the cabinets!
Me neither Bob. The owner didn't ask for the cabinets to be done which was just as well 😄 Thanks Bob.
Thursday night at 1AM. Hello Dave!
Wow, that's late. Hi and thanks John 😀
Thank you David, Very interesting and very nice job! As a child of the 60's (66) I prefer old school vs todays compressed BS...
Thank you Leif. Agreed 👍😀
„Even if it doesn’t work, it looks cool” Another vintage Dave Tipton! That’s why I like your channel so much, Dave!
Haha... that sound's like me 😄 Thanks Horatio Hornblower 🙂
Dave those are some really beautiful speakers and the amplifiers turned out really nice !
I agree Richard. Thank you 🙂
Hi Dave, thanks for another interesting restoration video. I actually remember seeing those speakers being sold growing up in the early 1960's in Florida in the US. The German HiFi systems didn't sell very well here, although the mantle radios did. I think the Philps valve set was one of the reasons, as RCA (Radio Corporation of America) dominated all the valves here, and were what people were used to seeing. In this particular instance though, the ECC83 is the same as a 12AX7, and the EL84, the 6BQ5.
Concerning the resistor in series with the power transformer primary, I do that with every antique radio I restore for the following reasons: (1) The power companies have been increasing their mains voltage over the years. In the 1960's, the mains voltage used to be 110 volts but now, it is 118 to 127 voltage (depending upon the time of day). (2) The resistor acts as a fuse, surge protection, and improves the power factor. (3) A resistor is of course mandatory if you are replacing a selenium or valve rectifier with silicon diodes.
Thanks Bill. There was a setting for 120Volts I think I remember so nit surprising they showed up in the US. I agree with your thought with the resistor 👍😀
I just saw ya over here 👈 on Don’s Old Radio 📻 Shed. It was so interesting 🤔, seeing your comment there. He was resurrecting a very beautiful 😍 floor model radio 📻. They are actually furniture 🪑. From glass dial faces to dial lights. Built out of wood 🪵, and fine quality speakers 🔊, they are truly a GREAT 😊 radio 📻. Even he (Don), deals with the good 😊 stuff. Your friend, Jeff.
Thank you Jeff 👍🙂
Ah, the resistors with actual values printed on them. Soo good to see those.
It makes it easier 😄
they sound better than anything we had in 1961! we had an admiral 19" b&w tv with built-in am radio and turntable.
The Admiral TV/gram sounds nice. It would have been exciting back then. Thanks Nathan 🙂
To convert a 220V item to 240V, you can also use a 240V - 20V transformer to reduce the voltage. That would get you most of the way there with no extra heat in the chassis.
You can use a small wall 240V-12V wall wart and wire it like an autotransformer, but out of phase, so the voltage will be subtracted instead of added. So you will be getting 228V output, but if you can find a 240V-20V, then you will get a perfect 220V at the output.
@@michvod Just to be clear, it needs to be an AC output plug pack (wall wart), not a DC type. Keep in mind that the rating of the secondary winding needs to be rated for the worst case current draw of the 220V output.
@@daShare has to be an old school type with 50hz transformer. If it is sealed and has a DC output, then it can be opened and the DC rectifier removed
The transformer idea has merit, it would depend on cost and room to mount it in some cases but a neat idea. Thanks da-Share 👍🙂
Great job David sir nice.
Sir you use a grease on pot meter log apply surface area on log no problem volume control no irritating sound. Thanks for sharing this video I really enjoyed the show.❤❤
Ok, thanks Nath, I'll keep it in mind 👍🙂
Great project. This are really nice little amps. Thanks for the video.
Thank you Manuel 👍😀
Excellent work, Dave! Psycho, Fonzie and Vegemite - an unbeatable combination!
Haha... thanks Super Het 😄
Hi David, your work is first class and a pleasure to watch cheers.
Thank you Dom 🙂
When you started on the tone pots, I thought sure you were dealing with expanding pot metal. That is what it looked like on my screen. It was a great relief to know that the housings were cast aluminum. I really liked your slotted chopstick as a hone. I'll have to remember that. Great job, as always!
Hi Rick, if they were pot metal they were well made but I think they were aluminum, they took a bit of stress while I got them working again. It was slotted dowel but a chopstick would work also. Thanks Rick 🙂
Kebab skewers work for small holes.
I didn't know that these old, smoking hot capacitors can develop so much thrust - flying speakers in spaaaace! Courtesy of the Tiptonian cap drive™!
Thanks for another enjoyable restoration episode. Great work!
Yes, surprising isn't it. NASA or Space X may be interested in the technology 😄
Another excellent repair. Love the heat syncs and the resistor brackets.
Thanks Phillip 😀
I've had the exact same experience with old sewing machines. Lubricant turns into glue, you heat it up and it loosens up beautifully, but as it cools it just hardens straight back up. Just by keeping it hot and moving and adding thin oil you can eventually wash out and replace the old stuff. I do like the originality of the old pots, weird design as they are. Greetings from the Netherlands!
Hi Mark, it's the same with turntables too but you can usually dismantle them to remove the old grease. I heated and soaked the other three for ages before they would free up. The design was unusual but a pretty good solution rally 👍🙂
I had the same trouble with a '50 microscope. It is just the fact that they are not used. If they were used the stiffness would be noticed on time and a little oil would help out for the next 40 years.
Another great repair as usual, thanks David. 🙂
Thanks Mike 🙂
HI Dave. I remember speakers like that !!!!!. That was 62 years ago. Oh I feel old LOL. Take care , good job . Hi to Karen
Really, I don't recall seeing anything like it. I was 7 when these came out. Take care, I'll pass on to Karen 👍🙂
@@DavidTipton101 Hi Dave. I was 10 then. Our rich Italian neighbors had something similar . Can't remember the make, but I do remember the controls were on the speakers. which I suppose by deduction they were powered. What do you think?.
It would be safe to assume they would be powered Phil 👍🙂
@@DavidTipton101 Thanks Dave
Bit late to this party but those powered speakers a awesome, good work Dave!
Thank you @alast3897 👍🙂
Nice to see those working again! The electrolytic caps usually have a metal closing cap on them right in the middle where the holes are, when they are gone it's usually a sign the electrolytic are in a terrible state and have vented
Thanks Jurriaan 👍🙂
Thanks!
Thank you very much Victor 👍🙂
That basic ECC83/EL84 amplifier was my first school project back in the 60'es.
The year after I upgraded to a stereo push/pull amplifier using some salvaged parts from around.
I remember the power transformer was a bit too high on the plate voltage winding making the 4 EL84's glowing red hot on the plates.
Solved using series resistors.
Then suddenly the (salvaged) rectifier electrolytic tried taking off like a rocket.
It could not withstand the too high plate winding voltage.
I got the power transformer and one speaker transformer from an old rusty push/pull EL36 amplifier chassis stored in an old radio shop.
By sheer luck my father found a second speaker transformer exactly the same type from a radio amateur.
Sadly these projects got lost over the years during many times family moves ...
Hi CXensation. That's what we did back then, scavenge around to find bits and pieces to make something. Good story CXensation, thanks 🙂
Your patience doing this is impressive ,,
Thank you Kenneth 🙂
Dave you always take us on a great radio adventure. I couldn't hear what the speakers were like only you could, but for such a big cabinet you'd think a manufacturer could come up with something really outstanding. I'm sure the owner is happy to have them working again.
Thank you Mack. The last bit was recorded directly from the speakers using my mic and they sounded like 60s speakers. They sounded similar in the room as well. The owner was very happy to have them working again 🙂
In the 60s few people were audiophiles due to the limitations of the tech and the cost relative to income. I suspect those speakers were bought for style rather than Hi Fi quality.
A friend's father had some of the first electrostatic speakers driven by a Nad amp but he was using a deck from a dansette as he had no money left for anything better.
You might want to consider listening to the presentation using a good set of earbuds or headphones. You’d be amazed at the detail you can hear. I always listen to shows with earphones - unless the production audio quality is so intolerable that losing some fidelity turns out to be a benefit.
That was an awesome repair Dave! Such commitment to pot repairing is inspiring.
Haha... thanks Steve, I'm glad you were inspired 😀👍
Nice job Dave, have a great weekend. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Brian. Have a good weekend yourself 🙂
nice episode. good to see repairs other than radios.
I agree, thanks Ibrahim 👍🙂
HiDave,
I certainly remember those Grundig active speakers. Those Grundig amplifiers (EL84 & ECC83) were very much tried and tested. The earliest versions, or variations I encountered (with EZ80 rectifier) was from 1957, though I might have heard 1954 - year thee 'n' me first saw the light of day LOL. Like you said, the rectifier valve was replaced with solid state rectification around 1959/60.
I have a feeling variations of that amp was manufactured through to 1965 - Manuel will probably know more about them more than I do.
I personally like those active speaker cabinets but I agree with you, they are not true Hi-fi. They deliver a pleasing sound - that which would be typical from a high-end stereo radiogram.
Lovely talking to you my friend, Phil.
Hi Phil, thank you for the info on Grundig speakers. Yes, they sounded like a radiogram from the 60s, nice to listen to all the same. Thanks Phil 🙂
Another "Started the video just after midnight" with the dulcet sounds of Mr. Tipton. The next thing I know, it's 3:20 a.m. and some dude is working on an old TV. He wasn't being very 'soothing' about it, either. Which, now that I think about it, might account for the tobogganing on gravel dream.... Anyway, I restarted your vid first thing this morning. Didn't even bother waiting for lunch time. It was the correct choice. Great work, sir. My actual life can wait. I've got some Radio/Speaker Adventures to begin the day with.
And coffee, too. I'm not completely out of my mind.
Haha... been there Steven 😂 Thank you Steven, you have to get your priorities right 😀
What is truly to be remarked is how people are reverting back to old hifi tech.
If you had grown up with those old turntables, receivers and the deep rich sounds from those massive speakers.
Then you can understand why people are putting aside their algorithmically reproduced sound from their smart devices and discovering how music was supposed to sound like.
There’s a certain magic to flip a switch and watch the vacuum tube or valve warm up and the sound come to life.
Everybody should at least once in their life, rent a cabin or go camping in the woods far from anything and just bring a transistor radio with you.
Years back I was doing some logging on the river and I had an old car radio hooked up to a battery with a speaker attached to it for entertainment.
There used to be a program called “lovers strangers and other things”where every evening they would have a story that would last half an hour or an hour.
I loved listening to those shows with no diversions or distractions and the flames flickering on the walls from the wood stove.
Hi Neil, it seems to be the way doesn't it. I used to curl up in a big chair as a child and listen to our old console radio with the wood fire next to me. Good times. Thanks Neil 👍🙂
Very nice restoration. I especially liked the video montage at the end.
Thank you Rocco 😀
Hmm, a new sideline 'Daves Pot Shop' 😋 Nice work, as usual, BR Mark
Thanks Mark, I assume you are referring to potentiometers when you say 'pot' shop 😄
These are very rare in Europe, let alone Australia, I was hoping for a push-pull amp rather that a single ended design, but I guess that was deemed adequate for domestic use back then.
Very similar construction to the huge Grundig WE5077 radio I just restored (push-pull EL95 output), the red resistors in my set were all well within tolerance, looks like yours were also good.
As always, I love your attention to detail, the added heatsinks were a great idea, my set actually had aluminium heatsinks on the mains transformer from the factory, never seen that before!
Hi Mark. I bet there aren't many of these speakers in Australia, these would have been imported. I don't think I have seen a EL95 in a set here, similar to the 6BM5 I think. The resistors were very accurate. Heatsinks on a mains transformer, I haven't seen that either 🙂
@@DavidTipton101 I have a love/hate attitude to Grundig, although they do sound good, they are a nightmare to service, components that are buried away, complex tuning arrangements, over complicated pushbutton assembly's & electrostatic tweeters that are always dead!
The EL95 (aka 6DL5) is not a common valve over here either, thankfully both on my set tested good, although the expensive EM34 is pretty dead :(
Still have three Grundig sets awaiting restoration....
@@markpirateuk tell me about it. I just recapped a grundig console a few months back. It was a pain to get to the chassis bolts and even worse to get the chassis back in.
Thanks DT for an interesting adventure. I always enjoy your fabrication work. Also some nice animations.
Thanks birdie399 👍🙂
1:08 That's an interesting output stage. Normally, the idle current of the single-tube would partially saturate the output transformer, limiting the bass headroom. But here, they seem to be feeding the current for the rest of the circuit in the opposite direction, perhaps to cancel that DC bias without having to spend the money on a push-pull output stage or a bigger transformer core. I figured someone would have done this at some point.
Could be @pcno2832. I thought it was being used as a choke for additional filtering. It does make a Pi filter capacitor - choke - capacitor 🤔🙂
another great video Dave - your attention to detail is inspiring!
Thank you Gordon 🙂
Cool indeed, wish we could find such items here in South Dakota. Enjoyed the tear down of the sticky restate.
Thanks you Jerry 🙂
Nice one Dave! Mega interesting as usual. I like it when you make incremental improvements until it's near perfect.
Thank you Paul 👍🙂
Welcome back with something different. Interesting as usual, great to follow your logical problem solving. Cheers and best wishes
Thank you Ken 🙂
Those speakers looked and sounded groovy! Enjoyed your video, as always! Cheers from Oregon
Thank you Mark from Oregon 🙂
I notice it uses a lightbulb to show that the power is on. I suppose instead of resistors to "toast" the extra voltage away, you could have rewired the power-on lightbulb in series with the primary or B-plus circuit to give it a built-in over-current protection / short circuit check / voltage dropper. 😄
Great video as always! Thanks for posting.
Hi Jac. You can use a bulb to lower current and lower the voltage and it was done in the past. The bulbs were called Barretters' and I think used in the filament string but I'm not sure. They only glow dimly like my dim bulb current limiter. Thanks Jac 🙂
G’day Dave. I think one of the first times I heard stereo was at friends of my parents house on a system very much like these. It was a record of a train going past with the wonder of the sound going from one speaker to the other. Seemed very fancy in the early 1960s. I guess it was easy to impress me back then.😉
Come to think of it I didn't have anything stereo till the mid 70s. FM didn't come in till then and we bought a stereo record player when we were married. Everyone has heard the train record 😂 Thanks Bob.
Another overengineering project, but all for a great cause.
Well done Dave and great to see you again!
Yep, overengineered to the MAX! 😄 Thanks Daniel.
Very good, David! I have struggled with tuning capacitors (attacking the dreaded dial cords..) and pots from 60's to 70's exactly as you describe here. They must have used a special kind of grease which turns into glue nowadays. Strangely, I haven't encountered this in older equipment (or newer). In my experience the best thing is to dismantle the shaft from the bushing (as you showed), clean well and re-lube. if only softened with solvent, it will re-stick in a week or two. At it again.. Nice 60's show also!
Found in pots and variable caps from Western Germany in that period
Thank you greengrayradio. Dismantling is the better option but they did free up with an large of solvent and a re-oil. I hope they don't bind again as you suggested. Glad you liked the 60s show 😀
crazy impressive - another home run - - thanks David
Thank you Skip 😀
Solid!
Top KEK!
Peace be with you.
Thank you Grug Bug 👍🙂
Hi David, I have never seen speakers like that in England, nice repair.Regards Mike
Thanks Mike. This was a first for me too 🙂
Always enjoy your “Adventures” Dave… Jim from Pensacola, Florida…
Thank you Jim from Pensacola 👍😀
Dave - the method you used on those Pots was nothing short of brilliant !!!!! Excellent job overall as usual !!
Thank you Ron 👍🙂
Hello, Dave. Good to see another great video. That type of "wood" ruined furniture and antiques in my opinion. My wife had a console from the 60s or 70s made of that stuff. She wanted to ship it to you. My area is very humid, however and it didn't survive. It's now composting our garden.
Hi clasicradiolover, what a shame about you consul radio. Particle board loves... or hates water and moisture. It also tends to dry out where it hasn't been painted and simply chips off at the edges. I backfill the edges with PVA glue to prevent further chipping. Thanks 👍😀
Hi David, It was nice to see a brand new video from you. Greetings from Sweden.
Thanks you Claes. Greetings 🙂
60's tech but they still sounded really good. Mind you, there are speakers made with modern tech that sound awful.
Chipboard, the bane of every piece of furniture ever built. Did you get a look at the condition of the cones ?
Hi Ellesmere. Yes, chipboard... it was attractive to the industry but any moisture and it's kaput. I checked the speaker cones, they were good. Thanks Ellesmere 😀
Once again a very enjoyable video. Your attention to detail is always amazing. Getting all the voltages just right after a rectifier replacement. It will now last for many years.
Thank you Ian. Fingers crossed for reliability 🙂
oh David you jut love the different!!! great job as always!
That's me... 😄 Thanks Chris.
Don't know what happened David but you made a comment and told me Shango had done the same G.E. E50 radio. which you were totally right it was exactly the same radio. For some reason your comment showed up in my notifications but not in the comments of my video. Thanks for checking for me and you are also right the same exact tuning dial cord was used. Thanks LL
Hi LL, I had a link to Shango's channel in my comment so it may have been deleted or moved into 'held for review' in RUclips studio.
Anyway, that should help with your restringing. It was a wonder I remembered Shango doing it 😀 Cheers!
@@DavidTipton101 Yes I saw it david and found that indeed he did do the same model E50 radio thanks.
Love your work. Have had a raumklank speaker once. Added bluetooth and it sounded amazing.
Thanks Maarten. I haven't heard of Raumklank, interesting 🙂
@David Tipton you're correct raumklang were normal speakers from Grundig. The one I had was a GRUNDIG Stereo-Verstärker-Box. Similar but with power amplifier
Nice work, Dave. I was hoping you'd tackle the cabinets.
Thanks Wayne. The owner didn't ask for the cabinet to be done 🙂
Just saw your video pop up. That Grundig is the ‘57Chevy Bel Air of radios 📻, with the “V”. I’m going to guess that this radio 📻 is also 1957. I think 🤔 the speaker 🔊 is permanent magnet 🧲. Capacitors are always the issue with these older radios 📻. Just DON’T wire the capacitor 🆙 backwards. If ya do, on the “click” to “ON” with the volume knob, “POP”, will go the capacitor. This can blow many 👨 capacitors, it can blow one ☝️. It will be a LOUD “POP”, and it will scare the heck out of ya. I’m wondering about the dial light 💡, and the dial cord. Just don’t burn 🔥 the dial cord in half with your soldering iron. Your friend, Jeff.
Hi Jeff. Thanks for the tips. I don't think there will be an issue with the dial cord on this one but I'll keep it in mind. Cheers 🙂
🤨 They weren’t radios ~ powered speakers from the 60s
Hi Dave good stuff as usual , many thanks from UK.
Thank you Chris in the UK 👍😀
Very nice eh? We learn by doing!! Nice touches on this one David.
Thank you Craig 🙂
always enjoy watching
Thank you Wally 🙂
A very interesting video. I had a Grundig reel to reel in the 60s. I was surprised to see the inside electronics. They looked kind of hap-hazard in assembly. It was not what I thought Grundig electronics would look like. Great that you got it working. It does sound good.
Point to point assembly often looks messy doesn't it ? In reality it is carefully laid out so components don't cause interference to other components. Some manufactures do it better than others though. Thanks Garfield 👍🙂
@@DavidTipton101 I would take it that it looks messy because of no circuit board of some type. As you said point to point. My UHER Report tape recorder looks a lot neater, but everything is compacted into a smaller area and they have different functions. Still German quality. I come from the time when the big European electronics companies had the market; Grundig, Uher, Phillips, Tanberg, Telefunken, etc. Still like the look of them today. And as for quality. my Dual 1209 from the 60's is still in use.
Nice work David, interesting set of speakers.
Thank you Brian 🙂
Beautiful work David. Love your videos. Gene from Tennessee.
Thank you Gene from Tennessee 😀
they do sound quite good... got that warm 60s valve sound... interesting to see self-powered speakers have been around much longer than i thought
They sounded Ok... not as tight as modern speakers but suited the period. Aside from woofers I'm struggling to think of any other self powered speakers 🤔🙂
That was interesting and something new. Plus good tips as usual..thanks!
Thank you Joseph 🙂
Brilliant. Thanks very much!
Thank you Patrick 😀
thanks for the Eid gift 🎁
you made my day
My pleasure خالد عطايا 🙂
interesting work, thanks David
Thank you Paul 😀
Great work Dave, as usual!
Thank you Jeff 🙂
Excellent speakers. Very stylish. An exclusive product at the time I'm sure. 😊
I could not agree more Pauline 👍😀
@@DavidTipton101 And I forgot to mention your nice little 60s montage. ✔
haha... thanks Pauline 😀
Always fun, David. Thanks!
Thanks Fibber's Closet 👍🙂
Nice job David. I love the creativity you add to your repairs. Your engineering skills are incredible. 73 de KB7ICI.....Bill
Thank you Bill 🙂
Hi David. Another good video. Enjoyed it. Keep em coming. Derrick.
Thank you Derrick 🙂
Very nice speakers. Great job ❤️
Hi Khaled, thank you 🙂
I have something like this in my basement. It isn't Grundig but it is German. The tweeter is missing but the amp and woofer are inside. The cabinet is in pretty good condition. If we were in the same country I'd give it to you because I think you could make it good again.
Sounds like an interesting project for someone. Thanks Alan 🙂
"Split chopstick with sandpaper...", the autumn recipe from David 👌🏻You want Tipton tea with that ?
In our supermarkets there's vega 'chicken' stuff without chicken, and on the package it says: "Happy chicken". But which non-existing chicken will be happy ? Is that what they mean by "You'll own nothing and be happy..." ?
Haha... I guess every chicken that is not in the packet would be a happy chicken 🐔😀
Great video as always David. when it comes to heat in an amplifier overkill on heat sinks is definitely a good thing. Always enjoy seeing you troubleshoot and fix problems. You always have a unique way of getting the job done. So far after a 4th month of Chemotherapy the oncologist says my blood numbers are returning to normal. He said I should be cancer free by June. Thanks for sharing your radio adventures.
Keep up the good fight! My doctor told me that he got all the cancer during the surgery, I go back early next month for a checkup. They took out my kidney and half my adrenal gland on the right side. Several doctors told me that this form of cancer is usually cured by the removal of the kidney. When they tell you that you have stage 3 cancer it is frightening. When you have just in the past 2 years lost both your sisters and your lovely wife of 51 years and 4 days, to the disease it comes becomes pure terror. But we must continue on I guess.
Hi LL. I get a little paranoid about getting the heat away safely. I probably don't need to worry quite as much but that's me. Good to hear your treatment is going in the right direction. i look forward to sharing my radio adventures with you in the future 👍😀
@@JerryEricsson I lost my Dad to lung cancer My wife to pancreatic cancer an aunt to pancreatic cancer two aunts to breast cancer and my cousin who was only 32 to brain cancer. So really I do feel your pain Jerry. Just take it one day at a time and keep fighting.
Another excellent job!
Thank you Lockdown 🙂
The potentiometers seizing up is common with Grundig equipment of that time. Flushing them several times with turpentine usually gets them going again after a few rounds
Hi @senorcapitandiogenes2068, I can imagine Grundig caps of of that period will suffer the same problem. The solvent in WD40 is not that far from turps and is a hydrocarbon version in white spirit. Whatever, they did not move without heat to allow the solvent to get in there. I will know next time. Thanks @senorcapitandiogenes2068 👍🙂
_David, I enjoy watching you. You are the best of the best._
Thank you Domenico 👍😀
Hi Dave, My dad's first reel to reel was a Grundig, it was a suitcase type.
Hi David, I also have a Grundig reel to reel 🙂
@@DavidTipton101 He went from the Grundig to a Teac to a Akai 747 which I still have, The Akai has glass heads which need to be cleaning but not sure how to do it.
Dave!!!
Another wonderful new video from you! Good on you!
While it wasn't a Valve Radio, it did indeed have valves and was quite interesting to watch. Especially interesting resolution on those potentiometers by the way! I am always inspired by the wonderful work that you do and the creations you come up with to solve or restore bits and pieces.
Keep up the excellent work!
Thank you Wayne. I'll try 😀
BTW those pots were made by German PREH company and same ones were used in Hofner made guitars in 60s most memorable one that has the same pots inside would be 500/1 bass that Paul McCartney from The Beatles plays since 1963 he still uses his original one till this day. They often get hard to move and they were considered unrepairable if they are way too stuck and not movable with heat or lubricants. Now you kinda pioneered repairing them. Cheers mate.
I always wanted to be a pioneer, thanks _-_Michael-__ 👍😀
Hi David as usual great job
Thank you Haytham channel 👍🙂
Nice job as always Dave! Cheers!
Thank you Mr Bond 🙂
way to go David, great work as usual
Thank you George 😀