Well, after months and months of on-off work on it, my test bench rebuild is almost complete. Waiting for a couple more escutcheons, a replacement gauge and maybe some metal trim along the edges of the back. What do you think?

Good Evening!  I’m restoring this radio, and the dial lamp needed is a Wards #62-5517.  It looks like a tail light from a ‘60’s automobile, bayonet base with one contact on the base bottom.  The lamp that’s in there is a GE #1633, rated at 6.8v and 1.3a. It gets its power from the 6.3v heater windings. I always thought that the lamps current draw should match the tubes current ratings. Is that correct? I can’t find the specs for the OEM Wards lamp, nor can I find a bayonet based 6-7 volt lamp in the 300ma range.  Can anyone help?

Thanks,

I always knew that if I kept playing with radios I would run into an oscillator issue.I’m working on a Zenith 7S-363 that has an oscillator that is deader than three o’clock in the morning.

Schematic can be found here
http://www.nostalgiaair.org/Resources/355/M0025355.htm

I brought this up on another forum and I have tried all the suggestions except substituting a 6J8 tube. That discussion can be found here
https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vie...p?t=434443

DC voltages in the radio are mostly on the high side. Voltages on the 6A8 are now as follows; Pin 3 is 323 volts, Pin 4 is 44 volts, pin5 is -0.2 volts, pin 6 is 11 volts,. The voltages shown on the schematic are 235, 30, -1.6 and 190. The voltages shown on the schematic are 235, 30, -1.6 and 190. Measurements were not taken with the specified 1000 ohms per volt meter resistance.

All out of tolerance resistors and all paper caps were replaced. Three different 6A8 tubes were tried and voltages remained approximately the same. Oscillator coil measured 3.1ohms thru the entire lineup of windings and the tickler was about an ohm. Band switch has been cleaned, 6A8 tube socket was replaced due to loose pins,

While I had the tuning condenser out, I pulled the oscillator coil out for inspection and measurements. There were a few dark spots on the coil but it did not look like burn marks, but I could be mistaken, and there was continuity in all coils. I stuck in a generic 455kHz oscillator coil,  still no luck and tube voltages had not changed much.

I used a signal generator to inject a signal that was 455kHz above the stations that I can tune during the day and only the station at 920 lHz could be tuned. Measured the oscillator resonance and found that the oscillator peaked out at 1435 kHz which means the radio cannot tune above 980.

Does anybody have any other ideas I can try before using a substitute tube or possibly rewinding the oscillator coil?

   
This is diagram for a philco 60 antenna coil is it the same for the osc coil.

Thank you.

I’ve located a 42-321T.  Another project but I saved it from a junkyard. Basically sound aside from a missing tube socket. My next winter’s project I expect. 

This has a cracked white tenite bezel which hasn’t worn well. I’ve seen numerous examples of the model with this bezel missing and just wood which is the same model essentially. 

Is this an acceptable thing to dump the bezel or should I be trying to find a replacement reproduction? So far no luck in finding one.

I’m working on this SX-62. It appears as I read this that it has a 100 mf electrolytic and a .25 cap in parallel connecting to the pot and a common ground for the tone control.

For a 1948 radio this is in decent repairable shape. I’ve had to splice a wire or two that was mouse chewed with new 23 AWG solid wire covered with heat shrink, checking all the resistors, replacing the electrolytics, cleaning, new power cord with a fuse. 
And removing the dead mouse that came with it.

I debated totally pulling apart the wiring harness to put in new wires but decided against that for now.
This came with Sprague caps so I’m leaving them until I see if there’s an issue rather than shotgun replace them.

Does anyone know what type of finish (such as lacquer or shellac) was used on a 36-650X?

Mine has a lot of flaking/cracked varnish and I am looking for the best method to remove this, without using something like Citristrip, in an effort to minimize hurting the underlying stain.

I have used Formby's Furniture Refinisher in the past on some other radios with great results.  However, they no longer make that, so I am looking for an alternative.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks, Bill

I have just begun restoring a Model 38-620. The power transformer has obviously over heated in the past: wax leaking out of the transformer and splattered around the local area. All windings ohm out correctly.

Is this transformer safe for future use? In any case I intend to add an in-line 3/4 Amp fuse.

Thank you

Don

Hello, 
I have recapped the radio. 
1st time powering it up the speaker does thump-thump-thump when I place my finger on the grid cap of 6K7G the thump goes away and the radio is silent.

The other problem is there is no power going to the pilot lamp which is connected to the 6A8G. I have checked all the resistances for the transformer and they are all within spec. 

Not sure what to look for on these 2 problems.

Ralph

Hi everyone,

First of all I'm completely new into this world, but I feel really excited about it.

My grandmother gave me this Phonorama before passing away. I have been researching and it's a Philco Phonorama B1756 from 1954. I'm from Chile and, according to her and my mom, there were only two imported when my grandfather bought it.

The wood is absolutely beautiful, and according to what I have researched, it was top of the line back then. When I was I kid I remember we turned it on once and it worked, but now the chord is in bad condition, so I must to replace it. I want to take the challenge and make this beauty sing again, but have zero knowledge of electronics. Where should I start? Does anyone have a pdf version of the service manual?

Any further information about it would be much appreciated.