Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Printable Version
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Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Radioroslyn - 11-07-2011
I've been wanting to get one of these for a long time. As i think back a set like this one was the first cathedral set I had gotten. That was when I was about 11 or 12 yrs old. I got it from a classmate in like 5th grade. Don't really remember the terms of the arrangement but that would have been about 1968.
This is a real beauty!!! The cabinet has it's original finish and shows very little wear just a little dusty. Chassis is pretty dusty too and has some repair work done to it over the years. Still has just about all of the paper caps and rubber wire. Wire is still in pretty good shape but will replace it for safety sake. It will be a great winter project!!! Not sure which winter but it will be a great joy to do. Pics here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53710524@N06/6324112729/in/photostream
Terry
ps Tnx Tom for the encouragement to pick this one up! But I'm still waiting for my hand to heal after writing the check for this beaut.
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - TA Forbes - 11-08-2011
Wow, Terry, it'sa very nice example. You often find them with arch veneer issues, your's is nice!
Be careful of the rubber wiring in them, it can be a real bugger! Also look at the wires going to the tube grid caps, they tend to have bad insulation.
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Ron Ramirez - 11-08-2011
Very cool, congrats!
A long time ago, I had a battery-operated AK that used the same cabinet (465Q).
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Radioroslyn - 11-08-2011
Tnx Guys
It really is a nice one! For those who are unfamiliar with this set set it was made in 1934 (unfortunately in just years AK would be done from radio) a using the state of the art six pin 2.5v tubes. 58 tuned rf amp, 2A7 mixer, 58 IF amp, 2A6 det,avc, and audio preamp, 2A5 audio output, and last but not least 80 rectifier. It covers broadcast to 16mc in three bands. One of the kwel features is on the bc band the whole dial lites up on the lower SW band just the lower half of the dial lites and on the high SW band just the top half lites very kewl. As I remember it from the '60's it was a great sounding set with good sensitivity. It's what got me started on SW listening and Ham radio. I took a length of wire and hooked it to the grid cap og the IF amp tube (58) and wrapped around the tube a few times. What this did was make a BFO so then I could listen the code and ssb. Anyway I had a ball with this little set years ago.
The first one I had had a bad 2A6 tube (open heater) so I made an adapter to use a 12SQ7 in it's place. My dad said it should work OK with that tube substitution. But the heater voltage was a little low so I wired up an old door bell transformer to run the heater. It worker fine. Screwed the transformer right into the arch of the cabinet. If any of yous guys run into a set with 2 little hole in the arch it's my old set!. Later my dad and I found a 2A6 to replace the 12SQ7
Terry
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Texasrocker - 11-09-2011
Thats a beautiful Radio Terry! Congrats! I have a early 30's American Bosch here with a similar circuit and tube lineup. Not nearly as attractive as your AK!! Great find!!
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Jayce - 11-09-2011
Very nice set! AK made some nice looking radios before they went poof in the mid 30's. Sort of a shame they left the business so early after being in it from nearly the beginning.
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Radioroslyn - 11-10-2011
I think Philco had a bit to do with it as It was tough for to compete with AK such a quality set with Philco beating them on price. Parts are much better on the AK.
Terry
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Arran - 11-10-2011
I think that RCA may have licenced out the circuit used in the model 128 to a number of companies during 1934-35, I have a CGE M62 a Canadian Sparton, and a Serenader made by Dominion Electrohome that all used similar circuitr. In fact the Sparton and the G.E are almost identical except for the chassis layout and that the Sparton only has two bands, tha parts values are almost the same. What I find strange is Atwater Kent still using 2.5 volt tubes in 1934, unless they introduced the model in 1933, even RCA was moving away from 2.5 volt tubes at that time. In terms of AK verses Philco in terms of quality, although the AKs appear to be more neatly assembled I would take a Philco power transformer over an Atwater Kent unit any day of the week from 1930-32 period at least.
Regards
Arran
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Eliot Ness - 11-11-2011
That's a nice set you picked up
I've always liked the A.K. styling on both their cabinets and chassis of that era. An interesting thing I've noticed over the years is the A.K. grille cloth has held up remarkably well versus many other manufacturers. I don't know, it just seems to have been a sturdier cloth. I've seen a lot of beater sets in the 206 style of cabinet and the cloth always looked pretty decent. Of the A.K.'s I currently own I can't think of any that I needed to replace the cloth in. A 627 I recently sold had a small wear spot on the cloth, but it wasn't bad enough to yank the original.
I also think the 206 style cabinet design is a cool bridge between the earlier A.K. cathedrals and their tombstones. A very nice original survivor, glad it found an appreciative home!
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - TA Forbes - 11-13-2011
AK stuck with 2V tubes until 1935. Many of their 6V tube sets had metal tubes from the factory, as evidenced by the total lack of tube sheilds.
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Chicago Jimmy - 11-13-2011
Terry, Very nice.
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - thirtiesradio - 12-20-2011
Atwater Kent sure made beautiful sets! Nice 206!
Re: Newest and Best yet! AK 206 - Phlogiston - 12-20-2011
I would like to find one of those. Even one with 2 little holes in the arch.