02-13-2014, 08:48 PM
OK, it is singing now.
Today I installed the tuning cap. This was a bit of an adventure as someone not only replaced the grommets with some pieces of felt but also removed the metal spacers.
The spacers were a challenge - Home depot had babkas for everything, Lowes had grommets and washers (I have to install some extra rubber washers as the grommets though fit fine are a little short height-wise), but no spacers. Eventually I bought what they call a tension pin, which is pretty much a tube cut legthwise (I do not need the cut but this is the closest thing they got). It is also 2" long. So I had to use Dremel and cutting stone and cut three pieces out of it, and then grind off the excess and imperfections.
Also while the external diameter of the tube is a bit larger (still fits inside the grommet), internal proved to be a bit tight for the screw to go through (I thought I measured it against the screw I had with me but I did not insert it fully). So I first took the screw, put the metal washer on, and then forced the screw by, well, screwing it into the newly made spacers. I counted on the fact that once inserted it would become whole and act as a screw so I will be able to secure the cap, which I did just fine.
Anyways, measured the AC volts, then checked for shorts, then applied the voltage via a Variac, heard the buzz when touching grids on detector and some RF tubes.
Rotated the tuning gang ang got my local station.
The very first song - "The whiter shade of pale".
BTW the speaker seems to be in original condition and very clean, and the transformer is original also.
It sounds OK. I guess I will be experimenting with the detector same way I did with he 90.
OK, will keep listening to it tonight, tomorrow or during the weekend - alignment.
Today I installed the tuning cap. This was a bit of an adventure as someone not only replaced the grommets with some pieces of felt but also removed the metal spacers.
The spacers were a challenge - Home depot had babkas for everything, Lowes had grommets and washers (I have to install some extra rubber washers as the grommets though fit fine are a little short height-wise), but no spacers. Eventually I bought what they call a tension pin, which is pretty much a tube cut legthwise (I do not need the cut but this is the closest thing they got). It is also 2" long. So I had to use Dremel and cutting stone and cut three pieces out of it, and then grind off the excess and imperfections.
Also while the external diameter of the tube is a bit larger (still fits inside the grommet), internal proved to be a bit tight for the screw to go through (I thought I measured it against the screw I had with me but I did not insert it fully). So I first took the screw, put the metal washer on, and then forced the screw by, well, screwing it into the newly made spacers. I counted on the fact that once inserted it would become whole and act as a screw so I will be able to secure the cap, which I did just fine.
Anyways, measured the AC volts, then checked for shorts, then applied the voltage via a Variac, heard the buzz when touching grids on detector and some RF tubes.
Rotated the tuning gang ang got my local station.
The very first song - "The whiter shade of pale".
BTW the speaker seems to be in original condition and very clean, and the transformer is original also.
It sounds OK. I guess I will be experimenting with the detector same way I did with he 90.
OK, will keep listening to it tonight, tomorrow or during the weekend - alignment.
