Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Jayce - 10-31-2011
Well, I have been dropping hints about this radio the past week here, now time to show what I got! I really am wanting to get this set going fully and possibly plunk it in my bedroom down at the house to listen to at night.
[Image:
http://i326.photobucket.com/albums/k420/mrphilco/Phorum%20Stuff/100_0620.jpg]
[Image:
http://i326.photobucket.com/albums/k420/mrphilco/Phorum%20Stuff/100_0621.jpg]
[Image:
http://i326.photobucket.com/albums/k420/mrphilco/Phorum%20Stuff/100_0623.jpg]
Re: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Radioroslyn - 10-31-2011
Nice looking set! Too bad it's not a superhet. It's a trf with avc,a lot like a Philco 95. Even has a S meter. Took a look at the diagram doesn't look like it's much fun to work on.
Terry
Re: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Jayce - 11-01-2011
Yeah, RCA was still hogging the superhet circuit at that time yet and it would be another year or so before everyone else would get to use it. Still, a good TRF with AVC can perform quite well. As far as working on the set, some work has been done already. I am hoping the noise issue is more a case of needing aligned and neutralized than any major work.
Re: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Eliot Ness - 11-01-2011
Cool set Jayce, I like the old sets with an S meter. I have a Gulbransen console that also has one, but your S.C. is more interesting and probably a better performer..
Re: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
PhilcoMike - 11-02-2011
Very ornate looking set. Sure has that mid-1930's Philco six-legged cabinet look going on.
Keep us posted on restoration with lots of photos.
Mike
Re: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
TA Forbes - 11-02-2011
Mighty fine set, Jay! I have seen only a few of the early Strombergs like yours. The one I heard play was a super sounding set, from South Carolina where the radio was located it clearly recieved WSB in Atlanta, GA.
Re: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Ron Ramirez - 11-03-2011
A very ornate, attractive console. Congratulations!
Re: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Jayce - 11-03-2011
I have this radio's earlier 6 tube relative, the 642A and it has a fair amount of ornateness to it as well. Seems Stromberg loved that pressed wood decoration during those few years. I love it too. This is only the second complete Stromberg-Carlson I have seen from that era. Sadly, I have run across several gutted and converted 642A cabinets over the years and a guy I know has a few battered chassis from other models. Seems these radios didn't get to survive around my area like they seem to further out west.
Re: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Texasrocker - 11-03-2011
Very nice looking S-C Jayce! I noticed the ornate cabinet looks kinda similar to my old 1929 Fada model KW I have here. I have restored the KW chassis, but unfortunately my cabinet has a bad top on it. I will have to find someone that can take my top and duplicate it using a good router someday. The Fada KW has two sliding doors on the front. It also used a "flash-o-graph" early neon tuning indicator, I can't find one anywhere.
Best of luck with your new find!!
Re: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Jayce - 11-03-2011
I have good news and bad news about the Stromberg tonight. Took it to be worked on and we got rid of the rude noise issue, but now that I have it home it won't pick up stations on the high end of the dial unless I string out alot of antenna or hook it to something like a fan shield. Our local station is only five miles away at 1450 and it barely comes in now. I'm wondering if these radios were adjusted for the local area as my luck with TRFs is VERY hit and miss. My Victor RE-45 uses the earlier tubes, yet it sucks in the stations like a magnet! Looks like I am going to have to learn how to adjust these TRFs myself as I'm getting tired of them being adjust at a place 24 miles away and then coming home and the radios acting like they are in alien territory!
RE: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Jayce - 08-12-2012
Well, worked on this radio a third time and it still refuses to receive stations on the high end of the dial at my place. Is there any alignment data for this unit?
RE: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Ron Ramirez - 08-12-2012
Jayce
Would you mind reposting the photos to the first post in this thread? They disappeared with the Great Phorum Crash of earlier this year. We would like to see your S-C 12A again.
Now as to your TRF alignment difficulties. Normally, a TRF set is aligned at the high end of the band, typically 1300 kc. The radio is tuned to 130 on the dial, or, the signal is tuned in on your radio first if it has one of those 0-100 dials. Using a very weak signal from your signal generator, adjust each trimmer on the tuning condenser for the highest peak at 1300, starting with the last one (closest to the detector tube on your schematic) and working your way backwards towards the first (closest to the antenna on the schematic). Keep lowering the output from your signal generator as the signal gets louder. By doing this, you are doing your best to avoid the broad tuning often encountered with misaligned TRF sets.
If the person who has been aligning your set for you is aligning at the low end of the band, he isn't performing the alignment correctly. Admittedly, most of my experience is with Philco sets, but I don't think any manufacturer recommended alignment of a TRF at the low end of the band.
RE: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Radioroslyn - 08-12-2012
Well I think the first thing is to check all of the sections of the tuning cap for shorts (plates rubbing). The general rule for alignment is adj trimmers for the high end of the band the coils w/slugs for the low end. If your set uses triodes for the rf amps it probably will have neutralizing caps too to adj.
GL my friend
Terry
RE: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Jayce - 08-12-2012
The big issue we are having with this set is the fact there are no adjustment instructions on the schematics and the only adjustments seem to be the four trimmers on the tuner. I can't find any other adjustments on the chassis anywhere. I also lack a signal generator, which doesn't help.
RE: Presenting the Stromberg-Carlson 12A! -
Jayce - 08-12-2012
Reposting the pictures!