05-19-2021, 09:34 PM
The past few nights I have been replacing the electrolytic caps and paper caps in the RCA 36X5 I bought recently. You may have noticed my post in the April 2021 Finds and Losses about it. I posted this picture...
[Image: https://64.media.tumblr.com/fd1eb3926de0...f23dba.jpg]
For a while I had to wait for parts to come in before I could do much. The radio uses a 2 section "firecracker" for its main power supply filtering, 50 MFD and 30 MFD both 150V. I ordered 33 MFD 200V radial condensers, got 10 for a very good price on eBay, USA vendor. In the circuit the negative of both sections goes to chassis ground. I used a 3 section terminal strip, and screwed the grounded lug to the chassis using the original screw from the condenser strap. I also connected it to a hard ground where the original condenser black lead went.I tied two of the 33 MFD condensers in parallel and mounted them on the terminal strip with the negative leads to the grounded terminal. the other leads I connected to a separate lug and wired that to where the 50 MFD section went. I then mounted a single 33 MFD condenser with its negative again to the grounded lug, and its positive to a separate terminal, and wired that to where the 30 MFD section had gone.
Then I tackled replacing all the paper condensers in the radio. Since it is only a six tube circuit, you might think this would be easier than on a larger, more complicated chassis, but that isn't always the case. Here the chassis was rather compact considering what all they fit in it, a six tube circuit with a stage of RF amplification. Being an AC / DC set did help in that there was no power transformer to deal with. Still, the parts were quite packed in there, some in layers, and took some careful surgery to replace the paper condensers without screwing things up. In the end though, I got them all replaced in the wee hours of this morning.
I had an appointment with my retina doctor today and got a shot in my right eyeball for macular degeneration. Things are going very well. I never actually noticed any loss of vision in my right eye, but did in my left. It was diagnosed once they had replaced my left lens which was obscured by a cataract. Then I began treatments, a shot in each eyeball every 28 days, so, for months I went every 2 weeks, and got a shot in one eye, and in the other two weeks later. This went on from August until March. Now I only need to go once a month and the shots are stretched out to two months apart for each eye. I got back my full vision in my left eye, which is quite unusually good, and as I said, I never really lost it in my right eye.
Anyway, when I got home, and settled back in, I tested the tubes. The 35Z5 was bad, and the 12SQ7 is weak but barely tests good. I had both in stock, and have ordered replacements. I also ordered a box of type 53 14.4V pilot bulbs since the one in the radio was blown out. I installed the tubes and tested the radio tonight. IT LIVES ! I next have to repair the loop antenna on the back which is pretty beat up but working. Just need some glue and cardboard for that. I'll tend to that tomorrow. I am also still waiting for my dial glass and decals. Hope they come some time soon. In the meantime I'll have the alignment and then refurbishing the cabinet. Then, once I install the new dial glass, she'll be done. I'll post an after picture once she is finished.
[Image: https://64.media.tumblr.com/fd1eb3926de0...f23dba.jpg]
For a while I had to wait for parts to come in before I could do much. The radio uses a 2 section "firecracker" for its main power supply filtering, 50 MFD and 30 MFD both 150V. I ordered 33 MFD 200V radial condensers, got 10 for a very good price on eBay, USA vendor. In the circuit the negative of both sections goes to chassis ground. I used a 3 section terminal strip, and screwed the grounded lug to the chassis using the original screw from the condenser strap. I also connected it to a hard ground where the original condenser black lead went.I tied two of the 33 MFD condensers in parallel and mounted them on the terminal strip with the negative leads to the grounded terminal. the other leads I connected to a separate lug and wired that to where the 50 MFD section went. I then mounted a single 33 MFD condenser with its negative again to the grounded lug, and its positive to a separate terminal, and wired that to where the 30 MFD section had gone.
Then I tackled replacing all the paper condensers in the radio. Since it is only a six tube circuit, you might think this would be easier than on a larger, more complicated chassis, but that isn't always the case. Here the chassis was rather compact considering what all they fit in it, a six tube circuit with a stage of RF amplification. Being an AC / DC set did help in that there was no power transformer to deal with. Still, the parts were quite packed in there, some in layers, and took some careful surgery to replace the paper condensers without screwing things up. In the end though, I got them all replaced in the wee hours of this morning.
I had an appointment with my retina doctor today and got a shot in my right eyeball for macular degeneration. Things are going very well. I never actually noticed any loss of vision in my right eye, but did in my left. It was diagnosed once they had replaced my left lens which was obscured by a cataract. Then I began treatments, a shot in each eyeball every 28 days, so, for months I went every 2 weeks, and got a shot in one eye, and in the other two weeks later. This went on from August until March. Now I only need to go once a month and the shots are stretched out to two months apart for each eye. I got back my full vision in my left eye, which is quite unusually good, and as I said, I never really lost it in my right eye.
Anyway, when I got home, and settled back in, I tested the tubes. The 35Z5 was bad, and the 12SQ7 is weak but barely tests good. I had both in stock, and have ordered replacements. I also ordered a box of type 53 14.4V pilot bulbs since the one in the radio was blown out. I installed the tubes and tested the radio tonight. IT LIVES ! I next have to repair the loop antenna on the back which is pretty beat up but working. Just need some glue and cardboard for that. I'll tend to that tomorrow. I am also still waiting for my dial glass and decals. Hope they come some time soon. In the meantime I'll have the alignment and then refurbishing the cabinet. Then, once I install the new dial glass, she'll be done. I'll post an after picture once she is finished.
