[Guest]

Hi - I just picked up a Philco 45F for $25 at an estate sale. I plugged it in, powered it on -I don't have a variac, unfortunately - and the tubes glowed, but all I got was some hum/buzz from the speaker.

However, I did get some crackling when turning the volume knob so I thought I'd ask: is there any place that I can alligator-clip the leads from a CD player or something to see if I can get some sound?

I am a studio engineer, and more recently, a neophyte vintage-audio enthusiast. I've done some tech-work before, but nothing too serious, and I've never worked on a radio. However, I do know enough to be careful around these old tube-amps, so I thought I'd seek some advice before poking around the chassis.

Cheers,

C.Burnett

[rghines1]

A straightforward method would be connect directly across the terminals of the volume control. Richard

[Ron Ramirez]

Hello and welcome!

Unfortunately, you will have hum until you replace the set's electrolytic capacitors. This is their way of screaming "Help! We're dying...and if you don't replace us soon, we will short out, killing the power transformer too!"

http://www.philcoradio.com/tech/plugin.htm
http://www.antiqueradio.org/powerup.htm

You can hook up a CD player as Richard suggested...but it will still hum until you replace the electrolytics.

If you plan to operate the radio, you need to replace not only the electrolytics, but all of the set's paper capacitors as well for reliability and safety.

[Guest]

Thanks very much for the info - accurate on all counts. I clipped across the volume pot and got about halfway through a Sinatra/Dorsey album when one of the electrolytics busted and sent out a jet of...whatever's in an electrolytic capacitor. I really like this radio, though, and I think I'll take it in to my tech for a re-cap.

C.B.