Atomic Era Radio Teardown, Explained With Repair

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  • Опубликовано: 18 июн 2024
  • Neat technology from the past explained. Did you know this radio (1956 era) has an early integrated circuit? Follow along as I explain and repair this very cool piece of history. To visit my Patreon page click here: / mrcarlsonslab
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Комментарии • 833

  • @ve1arn
    @ve1arn 7 лет назад +55

    Been a subscriber to your Patreon page for a couple of months now and worth every bit. Awesome video! Just gearing up a radio play room and have about 40 of these AA5 & 6 radios to work on. This was timely for sure. Thanks for the education on these. Wondering if you plan on doing anything that uses Telechron motors in them? Wouldn't mind learning a bit about them as well.

    • @MrCarlsonsLab
      @MrCarlsonsLab  7 лет назад +14

      Thanks Bob! When I do another radio with a clock, I will focus on the Telechron motor a little more. This motor ran so quiet, there was really nothing to do.

    • @MrBrymstond
      @MrBrymstond 7 лет назад +8

      This may sound insane, but I always wondered what went through the persons head that created these devices to begin with? I'm sure it wasn't hey I'm going to invent a radio not to mention having to invent certain parts on the fly and what went through their head when they had to do that? Having to repair or modify a device as such is one thing, but to create a finished working product is another. I always wondered if we had a advanced civilization that was wiped out to near extinction and they were the advanced elites that chose to retain these ideas and we fed off of that. Either way you're a extremely intelligent man and I thank you for sharing this incredible knowledge with random people that don't have the money, but want to know and apply so I wish you the best. Mr Carlson

    • @Korey47
      @Korey47 7 лет назад

      ve1arn BobC mr carlson. Were you ex Navy?

    • @ve1arn
      @ve1arn 7 лет назад

      If it's me you're asking, sorry, I'm not ex service.

    • @inerlogic
      @inerlogic 5 лет назад

      looking forward to that, i have an "Esquire 550u" clock radio with a noisy motor, no idea what type of motor it has in it though.... i've been afraid to try and pull the knobs off to remove the clock from the case since they wouldn't come easily.... the clock knobs are brass... so i wonder how they're isolated...

  • @mike4330
    @mike4330 7 лет назад +35

    Rebuilding IF transformers?. You're a madman! Great stuff

  • @minkorrh
    @minkorrh 4 года назад +1

    This s channel really is the go-to and the epitome of 'how to fix your antique electronics'. (Not to pidgeon-hole you, but the older stuff is prevalent).

  • @johnsimms3957
    @johnsimms3957 7 лет назад +14

    My grandmother had one of these radios. It used to wake us up with music in the morning so I could go to school in the 1960s.

    • @MrCarlsonsLab
      @MrCarlsonsLab  7 лет назад +6

      How many times did you hit that blue button?

    • @johnsimms3957
      @johnsimms3957 7 лет назад +6

      We didn't hit the top button because we kept the radio in the kitchen. Our bedroom doors were open so we could hear it.

  • @JohnBerthoty
    @JohnBerthoty 7 лет назад +1

    What fun for us geeks! I haven't delved this deep into an all American 5 since high school! Thanks for the video. Took me back to radio-tv lab at Queens Vocational High School, Queens NY, 1965!

  • @MrShobar
    @MrShobar 7 лет назад +4

    This old radio shows up to 1600 kHz on the dial. Medium wave was extended in ITU Region 2 (including the U.S, Canada and Mexico) up to 1705 kHz in the mid 1990's. A great job, Mr. Carlson, as always.

    • @tjoelfoster
      @tjoelfoster 7 лет назад

      That's why the digital tuner in my '93 F150 only went to 1630. Around 2002 the new talk radio station in Augusta GA was at 1650. I could only listen to it on the analog tuner in the shop, but when I jumped in the truck I had to listen to the other station at 580.

  • @wagsman9999
    @wagsman9999 2 года назад +1

    I'm getting addicted to these. Wish I understood electronics better. Very nice content.

  • @BillyLapTop
    @BillyLapTop 7 лет назад +79

    Fabulous presentation! Especially the segment dealing with silver mica disease. You make it look so easy for resolving that issue and you instinctively answer a viewer's questions in your commentary making it a fluid and coherent learning experience.
    You are a fabulous educator. Thank you for your good work here on RUclips.

    • @tinicum54
      @tinicum54 7 лет назад +2

      Nice to see the kids dealing with these issues. I regularly used solvents for 15 years that were eventually banned Look up CRC Electro-Clean. 1 16 oz clan would de-grease a car engine. 63, I do not have cancer, yet!. As a joke, give it a squirt on a styrofoam coffee cup. Watch the cup melt.

    • @tommybewick
      @tommybewick 7 лет назад +1

      gas will melt a styrofoam cup too, i did that as a kid and thought i had invented the next "flubber" LOL

    • @anthonyshiels9273
      @anthonyshiels9273 Год назад +1

      I never heard of Silver Mica Disease until I saw this video.
      I found Mr Carlson's Lab by accident 3 weeks ago and I have a lot of catch up to do.

  • @robsmith1835
    @robsmith1835 6 лет назад +63

    I don't know why you have 40 thumbs down? You are a brilliant teacher of electronics and have Excellent videos. Keep up the good work.

    • @inerlogic
      @inerlogic 5 лет назад +11

      haters gonna hate

    • @QoraxAudio
      @QoraxAudio 5 лет назад +12

      They probably thought 'atomic era' meant it's powered by an onboard nuclear power source and decided to count it as clickbait.

    • @pumpkin6429
      @pumpkin6429 5 лет назад +5

      @@QoraxAudio Wouldn't surprise me. 😑

    • @Shnick
      @Shnick 5 лет назад +8

      Thumbs down is pointless. Not sure why RUclips even has it.

    • @CharlesM-dp4xe
      @CharlesM-dp4xe 4 года назад +2

      Could be a local competitor maybe trying to boost his own rating by demeaning others in his path of self-gratified glory ... Im not sure why people do these things, we are all here to learn and Mr Carlson is well liked even loved perhaps, You can't knock what he does, even if you don't agree with everything he says. He's got to have a huge heart to give his time to us freely like he does.

  • @edwardroberts2997
    @edwardroberts2997 2 года назад +1

    Mr. Carlson,
    For many years I have been watching you do your thing I am a male 80 years old how use have a small shop In the town of Manchester Ct.when I was in my twenties some sixty years ago worked on Radio,s, and TV,s tubes so when you bring back some of the old Radio, lots of members, THANKS.

  • @retrotubethegamingbroadcas7589
    @retrotubethegamingbroadcas7589 7 лет назад +1

    I can't get enough of this video; the clock's distinct design just captivates me. Truly an amazing piece of vintage technology.

  • @bobcosgrove3235
    @bobcosgrove3235 3 года назад

    We had one of these radios in our kitchen when I was growing up. The square cutout next to the power input jack was for an outlet. The outlet was controlled by the alarm on the clock. My mother plugged in an electric coffee pot she would set up the night before. My father had to get up very early in the morning to go to work and the coffee would be ready when he got up. As soon as I saw this it brought back a lot of childhood memories.

  • @xofcenter5576
    @xofcenter5576 3 года назад +2

    My grandma had a pink model. She used to sit her coffee mug on the top to keep it warm.

  • @aramboodakian9554
    @aramboodakian9554 10 месяцев назад +1

    Wow what a beauty! It’s in fine condition.

  • @richardvg7670
    @richardvg7670 3 года назад

    This is one of my favorite models of clock radios and in fact is what got me started am I collecting and working on old radios like these

  • @TruthPoliceLegend
    @TruthPoliceLegend 5 лет назад +5

    I always learn from and enjoy your videos. I think we can always tell when a radio is from the "atomic era" by the conelrad signs on the 640 and 1240 radio dial indicator which this one bears. Started by civil defense in 1953 until maybe ten years later mainly as a warning channel for atomic radiation fallout if we were attacked. They are especially prominent on car radios of the era. Thanks always for your videos.

  • @MichiganPeatMoss
    @MichiganPeatMoss 4 года назад

    Jan 2020: I just picked up an "All American 6" today for only a few bucks and it pulled in an AM station 350 miles as the crow flies from my basement (when correctly oriented on the bench)! :) This radio stuff is growing on me! Thanks for so much great info!

  • @bills48321
    @bills48321 7 лет назад +1

    I'm impressed with Mr. Carlson's depth of knowledge. His soft spoken, upward inflected speaking style is also soothing and pleasant to hear, like Bob Ross, the TV painter.

  • @geckoproductions4128
    @geckoproductions4128 7 лет назад +13

    Mr. Carlson: This was an OUTSTANDING video. You are a patient and thorough teacher. Between you and McWhorter, I think I know enough to start troubleshooting some old tube radios successfully and SAFELY! Thanks a bunch, VERY well done.

  • @stevelacy316
    @stevelacy316 7 лет назад +6

    These old radios are so cool and there are surprisingly a lot of them awround yet to be had.

  • @jamesdenney9653
    @jamesdenney9653 7 лет назад

    Tube receivers of this era and through early 60's are a BLAST to repair. I had an early model of the Lloyd's TM-939 my grandfather gave me. Replaced a broken tube, all of the interstage capacitors, restrung the dial and patched up the speaker cones, but never could get rid of all the static. Now I suspect why. Anyhow, it was good enough to sit above my bench and I enjoyed it for years.

  • @davidchristensen6908
    @davidchristensen6908 5 лет назад +3

    Mr. Carlson I don’t have a testing meter just the little twigs with a light. I don’t work on electronics at all. I just enjoy watching your videos and learning. Love 50, 60 or 70 electronics. Have owned a radio like this even had a short wave radio when I grew up. Don’t even want to learn to work on this stuff. You explain everything in your videos so I understand enough about what’s going on. Another hour and 10 mins of your lab that is so much more entertaining then anything any network tv puts on. My wife enjoyed this too. Thank you.

  • @thomasrice2888
    @thomasrice2888 3 года назад

    An elderly lady that I went to church with ask me to do some repair work on her barn. When I went to her farm where she had lived most of her life, when I went inside the barn the walls were lined with antique radios of every type from ground to attic. I was so amazed at the number of radios she had that I had to ask her where she got them. She said her husband collected them until he died and she just never could bring herself to get rid of them. She passed away about five years later and I never found out what happened to the radios. I’ve always wanted to go back to that farm and see if those radios are still there!

  • @stephenrock4541
    @stephenrock4541 2 года назад +1

    I'm 60 years old and it's so nice to see somebody that appreciates all technology

    • @MrCarlsonsLab
      @MrCarlsonsLab  2 года назад

      Thanks for your kind comment Stephen!

  • @jeannekedb
    @jeannekedb 4 года назад +2

    I know nothing about electronics but I watch your videos from start to finish because your knowledge of the subject is mesmerizing and captivating to my fascination of the electronic world. Thank you.....

  • @MichaelJSalzbrenner
    @MichaelJSalzbrenner 7 лет назад +5

    Your videos continue to fascinate me. I've been an electronics engineer for a long time and am always impresses by how easy and intuitive you present it all. The fact that you are not scared off by classic technology is a HUGE bonus that I sorely miss from the modern area. Not nearly enough information is available concerning "analog" technologies, and you making it available as if it was just another modern practice is refreshing. Thank you for your contributions. They are religiously awaited, and greatly appreciated.

  • @Hopeless_and_Forlorn
    @Hopeless_and_Forlorn 2 года назад

    Your designation of "Atomic Era" for this radio got me to thinking. I was born on the morning of November 16, 1942. On that same morning, in Chicago, Fermi and crew laid down the first layer of graphite blocks that would serve as the base of the first, continuously operating, man-made nuclear reactor. But I suppose that if anyone wanted to call themselves an Atomic Kid, it would be those people born on December 2, 1942, when the reactor went critical. I guess I am pre-atomic.

  • @mikesradiorepair
    @mikesradiorepair 7 лет назад +10

    I love the look of classic radios. I have a lot of "cool" radios like this that had real style. Don't have this model but maybe someday. Another cool looking radio is the old GE refrigerator radio. Looked exactly like the refrigerators of the era. Thanks for sharing.

  • @mlbumller
    @mlbumller 5 лет назад +5

    We had one if these on top of refrigerator while growing up. My dad listened to the local radio for road conditions before commuting to work. Ours was off white

    • @JerryEricsson
      @JerryEricsson 4 года назад

      When I was growing up, I used to see this type of radio in the bedrooms of most of the homes I visited, they were quite popular, at the time I wished we had electric power in our house so we could listen to the radio any time we wished. As it was, we had to economize and only use the radio when OUR SHOWS were playing in the evenings and when mom had her soaps on during her morning chores around the house. Oh and when we were preparing for school, there used to be a guy on the radio who would look into his magic mirror and tell we children where our lost socks and such were as we were getting ready. It was kind of cool he would say like "Billy, you left your pencil on the kitchen table, Susie, your socks are under the bed, Bobbie, your notebook is in your bedroom on top of your dresser." Many times, of course he would be right, and we came to believe he was really looking through our radio and seeing all of these things. Of course I was in the 2nd grade at the time I would guess, so I would believe most anything an adult told me.

  • @callmeishmael7452
    @callmeishmael7452 3 года назад +1

    I was 6 years old and standing in the kitchen of our edmonton home listening to Cassius Clay defeat Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight title on this radio. My dad and three friends were there, nobody was even sitting down it was so exciting. A couple of the men had the old long neck beer bottles in their hands. The radio sound was flawless, I heard every word of the announcer. What a time that was.

  • @MrUbiquitousTech
    @MrUbiquitousTech 7 лет назад +7

    Paul's work consists of such care and precision it's like he's an electronic artist!
    Excellent video as always, thanks for taking us along!

  • @MAURICIOFALCAOPY5MZ
    @MAURICIOFALCAOPY5MZ 7 лет назад +11

    FANTASTIC Carlson!!! Congratulations!!!

  • @drubradley8821
    @drubradley8821 7 лет назад +1

    This was not only great to watch, but perfect timing too... Thank you, again, for the all of your effort. Drew

  • @loydisham6492
    @loydisham6492 3 года назад +2

    Isolation transformer you say?! I collected and “tinkered” with these all American 5’s for years as a kid. I didn’t know about those at the time. Lucky I am still alive, took these apart and traced the wiring around trying to determine how things worked. Ask my burned knuckles how I figured out how hot tubes can get and how long they can hold their heat, especially the 50C5 and the 35W4 in these sets. Also didn’t know about the “live chassis” aspect of these units either. Live (luckily!) and learn.

  • @davidportch8837
    @davidportch8837 7 лет назад

    Excellent as always Paul. Many thanks for taking us through from start to finish... David

  • @Fredy5100
    @Fredy5100 6 лет назад

    Same as always, great video Mr. Carlson! An absolute joy to watch.

  • @mxskelly
    @mxskelly 7 лет назад +1

    Seeing this in my subscription feed made my day. There's no better way to spend an hour than watching one of your videos, Mr. Carlson! Thanks for the amazing content!

  • @MarkSeve
    @MarkSeve 7 лет назад

    I enjoyed this video immensely. thank you for your time, wisdom and skills Mr. Carlson.

  • @Zodliness
    @Zodliness 6 лет назад +3

    Cool teardown, I used to love owning an old teas maid that had a tube radio inside, forever faithfully worked like a charm!

  • @hassanhan9124
    @hassanhan9124 5 лет назад +4

    Repair with class, knowledge and elegance. Thank for sharing your skills and knowledge.

  • @alphabeets
    @alphabeets 3 года назад +2

    Gorgeous vintage radio. And another fantastic video from Mr. Carlson.

  • @germas369
    @germas369 4 года назад +1

    this is probably the best channel for anyone who is in the slightest interested in electronics. very informative, educational and entertaining

  • @tommybewick
    @tommybewick 6 лет назад

    Finally bought one these at a great price to restore. Cream version with a black face and gold knobs, a few years newer model. Thanks again for making this video it will be my guide.

  • @knottreel
    @knottreel 5 лет назад +3

    Brilliant presentation. I learn so much from these videos.

  • @SauvikRoy
    @SauvikRoy 5 лет назад +1

    Loved how you opened the IFT. Still could resalvage it. I never saw one of those ever taken apart. Great work!

  • @randallraha9843
    @randallraha9843 7 лет назад +2

    Another great and informative video. Love the way you explain how and why things should be done including safety in your presentations. Awsome!

  • @fichambawelby2632
    @fichambawelby2632 7 лет назад +1

    As ever, excellent job. Nice, clean, and well explained. You are always doing a great contribution to the electronics knowledge. Thank you for your time and dedication.

  • @anandarochisha
    @anandarochisha 7 лет назад +12

    Awesome..The Robin's Egg Blue of the 50's is courtesy of Brooke Stevens, one of the original founders of the Industrial Designers Society of America in 1944. He formed Brooke Stevens Inc out of Wisconsin, and the company became a powerhouse of American Industrial Design. Designs to his credit include the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, Studebaker GT Hawk, Jeep Wagoneer, Post War Harley Davidson design (Willie G Davidson grandson of the founder worked at Brooke Stevens before taking over Harley Design in 1963) as well as such items as the Miller Beer logo as part of the 595 accounts he serviced.

  • @derkeksinator17
    @derkeksinator17 7 лет назад +16

    I always love how you go in so much detail with things like restoration. Really informative and helpful, thanks a lot!

  • @ardenmccartney5406
    @ardenmccartney5406 7 лет назад +2

    Great video! it is nice to know that these radios can be brought back to life, they sound clean when you are done with them. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

  • @BeckyTx1
    @BeckyTx1 7 лет назад +5

    Excellent Video! I enjoyed your clear description of how the radio components worked and your technique for fixing the transformers. Thanks.

  • @MrArfisher
    @MrArfisher 7 лет назад

    Thanks, Paul, for giving us some tips and tricks to aligning radios.A good confidence builder!

  • @melvinturner2284
    @melvinturner2284 3 года назад

    Beautiful Radio and Good Job. Explained everything really well. Thanks

  • @ao2528
    @ao2528 5 лет назад +1

    Your detailed work to restore the old electronic jewels like that radio always amazes me, I can say that now I'm a new person with some totally new information about old things I did not knew about despite fixing them for years and years when I was younger, I really appreciate your hard and extremely precise work.

  • @trek0024able
    @trek0024able 5 лет назад +3

    I've watched many many RUclips videos, and I have to say that this was the most professional and detailed presentations I've seen yet. Thank you so much, I've learned a whole lot from this one. Looking foreward to watching more of yours.

  • @tallperson9422
    @tallperson9422 4 года назад

    Loved this teardown as it helps me understand more about electronics. Great job!

  • @shyleshsrinivasan5092
    @shyleshsrinivasan5092 4 года назад

    A whole Mr. Carlson's Lab season to finish in this month of quarantine ! Very enlightening and entertaining electronics videos ! Why the dislikes I wonder

  • @BoboLaTuque
    @BoboLaTuque 6 лет назад

    Great video. I really enjoy that type of radio; the look, the sound, etc. Thanks for this.

  • @explorer1251
    @explorer1251 7 лет назад

    I used to tinker with that kind of stuff while growing up during the '60s, but didn't know much about what I was doing. Your presentation, including the video work, was very impressive and informative...plus you're nice to listen to. Surprised I watched the whole thing, but I enjoyed it!

  • @GregoryMcLean
    @GregoryMcLean 3 года назад +1

    Your restores look so nice and clean.

  • @cbranalli
    @cbranalli 5 лет назад +2

    two degrees in ee didn't teach me
    as much practical knowledge about radio
    as this wonderful video.
    thanks very much !

  • @marcusdudley7235
    @marcusdudley7235 7 лет назад

    Mr Carlson. I'd like to thank you for all your work in making these videos, I've learned so much from them.

  • @mikesmuseum
    @mikesmuseum 6 лет назад +1

    Thank you so much for going over this Alignment procedure on this beautiful GE radio! Your videos are fantastic. Your camera and your audio are impeccable and easy to listen to. Keep up the great work!

  • @Pwaak
    @Pwaak 7 лет назад

    Thank you for this informative video! The shape of the response curve, via sweep, before and after repair of the IF cans is interesting to see.

  • @jjl6519
    @jjl6519 7 лет назад +1

    Thanks for another great video, I learn something every time I watch one of your videos..

  • @michaelcarey
    @michaelcarey 7 лет назад

    There is just something I love about an AC motor driven sweep second hand in a clock.
    Great video Mr. Carlson!

  • @MichaelLloyd
    @MichaelLloyd 7 лет назад +4

    That's a gorgeous radio Paul. Nice restoration. The circuit board really cleaned up nice!

    • @1pcfred
      @1pcfred 7 лет назад +2

      Yeah like the day it was made. Maybe nicer even?

  • @edgarkuylen276
    @edgarkuylen276 4 года назад

    Love your office MR. Carlson. A great video. Very detailed.

  • @telstarvision1509
    @telstarvision1509 6 лет назад

    You sir, are a pure out & out genius,I have & am still learning a lot from your many videos in spite of being a fellow ham/enthusiast for a number of years.

  • @outthereassociates7155
    @outthereassociates7155 7 лет назад +1

    Thanks Paul, Most enjoyable. Happy to see a new one.

  • @fuzileiro1974
    @fuzileiro1974 7 лет назад +2

    Always a pleasure to ear you, thanks !

  • @bobviggiano945
    @bobviggiano945 7 лет назад +4

    I am very impressed with your ability to replace the 100 pf capacitors in the IF cans. Whew! As a fellow Engineer I am learning and enjoying your classes. Keep up the good work, you have the awesome ability to teach and tell a story. Bob N2MDA

  • @QuaaludeCharlie
    @QuaaludeCharlie 3 года назад +1

    My old house has no ground , I wonder if my fuse would blow first ? These Radios are some of my first memories as an infant , I Learned some things watching this . So Thank You very Much :) QC

  • @trainliker100
    @trainliker100 4 года назад

    While a Navy Electronics technician at the transmitter site at Midway Island 1966-1968, I also had a part time job at the "Navy Exchange Repair Shop" where we repaired TV's, radios, etc. Fixed a LOT of "5 tube" radios. Our workbench had the usual spray cans like tuner cleaner and freeze spray. But also Raid - the bug killer. Some of the radios that came in had spent their lives in a kitchen and had a yucky coating of grease. But some of those from kitchens spewed forth scurrying cockroaches when opened. Therefore, a quick grab for the Raid. Also, perhaps the most common failure was the big electrolytic capacitor. They came in way too many sizes and shapes to stock. So we took one of a type we had in bulk and taped it to the existing capacitor in the radio which held it fine. Then wired it in. Perhaps not elegant, but fast, cheap, and a happy customer.

  • @CharlieTechie
    @CharlieTechie 7 лет назад +1

    Lots of good information on the IF transformer refurbishing. Thanks Paul.

  • @slam854
    @slam854 5 лет назад

    Paul, I had this very radio as a kid. Mine was Ivory.
    This video is helpful in that I am doing cap replacement and IF alignment on a Hallicrafters S-120 radio. Toward the end of this video you showed how to adjust sensitivity on the tuning cap. That is information I did not have. Also your section on "silver mica death" for the IF transformers is of particular interest.
    Keep Radiating!

  • @denniscarlson1262
    @denniscarlson1262 6 лет назад +1

    Thanks for another excellent video!
    It took me back to a simple performance modification and a safety modification I made to my 50's era AA5 radio in the 1960's.
    Sound fidelity improved noticeably after I wrapped some negative feedback around the audio chain from the speaker to the cathode of the 50C5 to deal with nonlinearity in the tube and the transformer. First I connected one speaker lead to signal ground to provide a reference point. I connected the other speaker lead to the cathode of the audio output tube through an RC network, the values governing how much audio level I sacrificed for improvement in the audio quality. And of course the selection of speaker wire connections governed whether I got negative feedback and stable higher fidelity or positive feedback and an audio oscillator. Primitive, but it worked.
    My radio had a wire loop antenna attached to the inside of the fiberboard back of the radio. The loop connected to the electronics by means of a pair of metal eyelets. I soldered one leg of a neon circuit tester to one of the eyelets (essentially a chassis ground connection), and left the other tester lead unconnected. I Duco-cemented the tester to the back of the radio. Our house wiring in those days had only two-pronged non-polarized receptacles, but I was always able to tell whether the chassis was "hot" or "neutral" depending on whether the neon bulb glowed dimly or not at all when I touched the free lead of the tester, my body acting as a capacitor to ground, which was not far away from our first floor dwelling. I was a kid without an isolation transformer to his name, but with plenty of respect for 117VAC.

  • @parsifal40002
    @parsifal40002 3 года назад

    Mr. Carlson, your depth of knowledge of electronics is mind-boggling impressive!! I know absolutely NOTHING about electronics but I enjoy listening to your explanations! This video is amazing! I was about 5 years old when this radio was made in 1956.

  • @coptertim
    @coptertim 5 лет назад +1

    I remember that radio and I'm surprised there are no cracks in the case. It was a nice little radio but at 5:30 in the morning it made such an obnoxious alarm noise your first thought was to toss it out the nearest window. I started working on old radios when I was about 15. After watching your videos it's safe to say I'm lucky to be alive. I would pay about $5 for an old Zenith or Philco radio at the local Goodwill store and take the tubes to a grocery store tester. (Almost every store had a tube tester back then). A $4 5Y3GT and we would be up and running. After cleaning and polishing the cabinet I was very happy to sell them for $15 dollars. I had no idea of what they would be worth today... Thank you for your videos, great fun and I appreciate your attention to work bench safety and the dangers inside all the innocent looking cabinets.
    BR: Tim

  • @mikedials4606
    @mikedials4606 7 лет назад +1

    Great video and explanation! You're a genius! Thanks for posting this.

  • @billmoran3812
    @billmoran3812 7 лет назад +2

    Great tutorial on the IF can mods and basic alignment procedure.

  • @enceladusfox2247
    @enceladusfox2247 5 лет назад +3

    Nice work and restore on this fine old radio my friend !

  • @acidfuzzpedals9986
    @acidfuzzpedals9986 7 лет назад

    Love your videos. It's nice to see you stewarding the older technology and design for future generations.

  • @oQsR
    @oQsR 7 лет назад

    All of your videos are so well put together and very informative!

  • @sparky5860
    @sparky5860 Год назад

    Awesome project……… I just recently purchased a GE All American 5….. I had to watch again….. Your videos are very interesting……. Thanks for sharing your knowledge……..

  • @lionelguy
    @lionelguy 7 лет назад

    Thank you so much Bob !!! You have augmented my knowledge of IF cap replacements and final alignment. On this presentation, you did not get into tube testing, which is a part of the servicing process. Probably best left to a another video. I personally stuff the can capacitors, making a simpler job of re-install. Again, thank you !!

  • @williamhayden7711
    @williamhayden7711 7 лет назад +10

    Wow, fantastic restoration Mr. Carlson! This one might just be my favorite to date.

    • @MrCarlsonsLab
      @MrCarlsonsLab  7 лет назад +1

      Great William! Thanks for stopping by!

  • @richpatonai5685
    @richpatonai5685 2 года назад

    Wow! Wished I had seen this before my experience with silver mica disease. The 1206 100pf cap is a great fix. Much better than the through hole that I shoehorned into the can. Looking forward to a video on unsticking or removing iron powder core slugs. Thanks Mr. Carlson

  • @itisonlyadream
    @itisonlyadream 7 лет назад +2

    Very well done! I was in high school in the late fifties and I used to make pocket money by repairing tube equipment in my neighborhood. At that time, 98 percent of repairing a radio or TV set consisted of testing and replacing tubes, so it's interesting to see how different it is more than fifty years later after time has taken it's toll. I thought I knew it all, but I picked up some good tips from your video. I grew up in Texas where the "L" in solder is silent and I've never heard the "L" pronounced before.

    • @MrCarlsonsLab
      @MrCarlsonsLab  7 лет назад +1

      Thanks for taking the time to write!

  • @alphabeets
    @alphabeets 7 лет назад +1

    A really excellent video- both in the content and the production quality.

  • @rosshollinger8097
    @rosshollinger8097 3 года назад

    1955. A great year. Nice work!

  • @wildrootsfarm1975
    @wildrootsfarm1975 7 лет назад

    There are alot of features on this radio that mimic the cars built in that era. You mentioned the knobs being made of metal. They are made from PotMetal which was very cost effective in that time. Cars used alot of pot metal for tail light/parking light bezels, trim pieces, hood ornaments and garnish trim. Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It was very informative and I always enjoy watching you work. It's an enjoyable experience.

  • @TheMushtyroo
    @TheMushtyroo 7 лет назад

    Thank you for making these great videos, Mr Carlson you are a superb teacher!

  • @TheRangerDale
    @TheRangerDale 7 лет назад +2

    Very Good Paul, Brought back few memories working in the Radio/Tv Shop.Yes turn out real nice, You do have a lucky Finds about your area.Thanks for the tib bits of info always nice to refresh ones memories like this Ole Man. 73's Paul

  • @terrystearns9463
    @terrystearns9463 6 лет назад

    Thank you so much for this one... My mother received this same radio as a gift when I was born in 1956. She had it on her headboard for as long as I can remember. I can remember even as a teenager see it glowing when I would come into her room a night bringing her medication. I bought one of these a couple of years back and tried to repair it myself but it was well beyond my skill level. You are so through explaining every part of your restoration I love your channel watching you fix all of the equipment...

  • @gwesco
    @gwesco 7 лет назад +1

    I also noticed the 640 and 1240 Conelrad markings on the dial. I remember them on all radios as well as having to "Duck and Cover" in grade school in the mid-fifties.
    Great job in bringing an all-American five back to life.

  • @billharris6886
    @billharris6886 7 лет назад +4

    Hello Paul, my complements on your nice video, restoration, and detailed information regarding the addressing of problem areas, you sound exceptionally experienced for someone your age. Keep up the good work!
    Since this radio came out the year I was born, thought I would add my 2 cents in the way of history/trivia. I worked on a number of 5 tube radios in the early and mid 1970's and still do an occasional antique (1930's) radio restoration. That particular General Electric clock-radio was one of the higher end models. Slide-rule tuning, clock, dial light, and sleep switch, they didn't get much fancier than that.
    General Electric was very big into cost cutting measures in their TV's and radios then (1950's and 1960's). They were the first ones with a PC board (whereas must companies had point-to-point wiring or were converting over to a PC board), ferrite rod antenna, ceramic disk capacitors (in lieu of tubular paper), and R-C networks/hybrids (you referred to these as a "Cuplet", a term I had never heard used). I was surprised to see that your PC board even had soldermask. In the 1960's, General Electric designed a new tube set series called Compactrons in a 12 pin base for their TV's, with 2 - 4 separate sections (diodes, triode, pentodes) to minimize tube count and lower cost.
    Occasionally I would come across a radio where a capacitor or resistor would open up in one of those Cuplets. This part was not available because it was custom; made for a 1 or 2 year Production run. To accomplish a fix, I would add an external component to replace the open part, if that point in the circuit was accessible. If not accessible, I would have to construct the entire network from discrete parts and jury-rig it into place.
    In the 1970's, the number one problem with these radios was (not surprisingly) a dry (open) cardboard cased electrolytic capacitor. I had never come across a radio where the makeshift mica capacitors in the IF transformer where intermittent. I didn't realize General Electric was doing this, which is really crude. I'm not surprised there are problems with these capacitors with the packaging used. Silver in the presence of air, moisture, heat, and significant DC voltage is guaranteed to migrate.
    I do my receiver alignments a bit different than what you are showing. I connect the signal generator (DC blocked, 0.1uF cap) directly to the RF terminal of the tuning capacitor for the IF alignment. I short out the AGC or maintain the 455 kHz input to where the signal level is below the AGC point so the AGC won't affect the peaking process. I peak from the output to the input, which is the opposite of your method. This is the way we did it when I designed for Collins Radio but, it's not that critical.
    The 5 tube radio (which all used the same tube lineup, due to RCA licensing) was a low-cost refinement of an early 1930's Superhetrodyne radio. A transistorized radio using the same circuit block scheme is not quite equivalent. The 12BE6 (pentagrid converter) combines a local oscillator and mixer with gain (10 - 20 dB). The 12BA6 (remote cutoff pentode), with it's super low plate-to-grid capacitance, enabled super-high, but stable gain (60 - 80 dB). A transistorized equivalent receiver needs an additional IF amp and also results in a noticeably higher noise figure due to the converter stage.
    On all of these radios, I have never come across one where the antenna inductance is set properly. Since you can't really set this without destroying the antenna, the result is reduced sensitivity at the bottom end of the band.

    • @MrCarlsonsLab
      @MrCarlsonsLab  7 лет назад +2

      Hi Bill. Thanks for taking the time to write, that's a great story! Also, thanks for your input as well!

  • @samiam5557
    @samiam5557 7 лет назад +1

    Looking forward to your next video as always! Thanks.

  • @TheDaneH3
    @TheDaneH3 7 лет назад

    Fantastic radio, and a fantastic explanation and restoration!

  • @mountainhawk9802
    @mountainhawk9802 7 лет назад

    As usual ...full of information and amazing ideas...thank you