38-116 code 125 volume issues
Posts: 86
Threads: 15
Joined: Sep 2012
City: Paducah, KY
I am looking at a 38-116 for someone and it has been fully recapped and out of tolerance resistors replaced ( not by me but well done, nothing sloppy).
Complaint is ,the volume is low and sounds like a crappy transistor radio. This thing should boom.
I checked the bias voltage at the 6l6 tubes ( pin 5) and they have -25v on them so that is not the issue.
Plate voltages seem a bit high, I attribute that to DMM. ( about 44 volts high on 6l6 plates and screen) .
It also seems like there is lack of tone. every thing is tinny sounding. output xformer check, field coil checked.
speaker subbed to rule out speaker , still sounds like crap.
Supposedly new tubes were put in.
I don't know if an alignment was done.
point my in a direction of what to check next.
Posts: 16,477
Threads: 573
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson
State, Province, Country: NJ
Short of injecting an audio signal....check your audio path.
If bad, start either scoping or tracing, or subbing tubes.
Check your volume/tone.
Check the audio kill switch in the dial assembly for non-dead short.
Align radio to make sure your IF is not totally screwed up (they use it coupled with the tone control).
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
Posts: 86
Threads: 15
Joined: Sep 2012
City: Paducah, KY
Injected audio at volume control, Sounds like crap. took volume control out of the test and it still sounds like crap.
it is def in the audio section. I have to trace this all down.
Volume control is good.
As a test I pulled one of the 6l6 to run it with one and got distorted sound. swapped tubes between sockets and got same issue.
tracing on.....
Posts: 16,477
Threads: 573
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson
State, Province, Country: NJ
Both 6L6 get plate voltages?
Have you checked the interstage and output transformers?
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
Posts: 7,296
Threads: 268
Joined: Dec 2009
City: Roslyn Pa
Would check to see if the have plate voltage on the 6J5 driver tube. May have a bad driver transformer, hope not. If you have plate voltage on both 6L6's plates that rules out the primary of the opt. And if you have bias on the control grids of both 6L6's that rules out the secondary of the driver transformer.
Mike is a faster typist than I.
When my pals were reading comic books
I was down in the basement in my dad's
workshop. Perusing his Sam's Photofoacts
Vol 1-50 admiring the old set and trying to
figure out what all those squiggly meant.
Circa 1966
Now I think I've got!
Terry
(This post was last modified: 05-30-2020, 08:39 PM by Radioroslyn.)
Posts: 16,477
Threads: 573
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson
State, Province, Country: NJ
...and considering it is with one finger on touch keyboard with a minimum of one correction per word...
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
Posts: 86
Threads: 15
Joined: Sep 2012
City: Paducah, KY
yep, yep and yep, All check out fine.
That is why this is kind of frustrating.
Posts: 16,477
Threads: 573
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson
State, Province, Country: NJ
Have you changed the other tubes yet?
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
Posts: 86
Threads: 15
Joined: Sep 2012
City: Paducah, KY
I have not changed any tubes yet, They were supposedly "new" ones put in by others.
Posts: 16,477
Threads: 573
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson
State, Province, Country: NJ
I don't trust "others".
If you have subs, it's a dandy time to break them out.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
Posts: 86
Threads: 15
Joined: Sep 2012
City: Paducah, KY
I have subbed the driver and then the 6l6 s and it made no diff, however plate voltage is 361v on the driver and should be 260v
plates on 6l6 344v should be 300v screens 344v should be 290
Posts: 7,296
Threads: 268
Joined: Dec 2009
City: Roslyn Pa
Check #117 pin 1 to 2 for 4K of resistance. Add clip leads from pin 8 of each of the 6L6's to the chassis. What value caps are #121 and 122?
When my pals were reading comic books
I was down in the basement in my dad's
workshop. Perusing his Sam's Photofoacts
Vol 1-50 admiring the old set and trying to
figure out what all those squiggly meant.
Circa 1966
Now I think I've got!
Terry
Posts: 86
Threads: 15
Joined: Sep 2012
City: Paducah, KY
117 checked out correct. (I will check again)cap 122 is a .33 cap 121 I have will have to see as it was a restuff of the original. I will do the clip lead test when I get home.
Posts: 7,296
Threads: 268
Joined: Dec 2009
City: Roslyn Pa
Sorry meant #120 and 121 the two eletrolytics. And you are using a tube rectifier and not silicon diodes?
https://philcoradio.com/library/download...l.%202.pdf
When my pals were reading comic books
I was down in the basement in my dad's
workshop. Perusing his Sam's Photofoacts
Vol 1-50 admiring the old set and trying to
figure out what all those squiggly meant.
Circa 1966
Now I think I've got!
Terry
(This post was last modified: 06-01-2020, 09:07 AM by Radioroslyn.)
Posts: 86
Threads: 15
Joined: Sep 2012
City: Paducah, KY
.33 not 33 cap listed in schematic is a .3
Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)
|
Recent Posts
|
Need to purchase some accessories for restoration of my Old Philco Radio
|
Hi Paulo,
Welcome to the Philco Phorum.
I can see why you want to find good reproduction parts. That is a bea...MrFixr55 — 11:10 PM |
HiFi (Chifi) tube amp build - but my own design.
|
Tim,
I have some bakelite sockets in my work shop that I can dig up. I believe quite a few are NOS. I will take photo...RodB — 10:03 PM |
Philco 610B oscillator wiring
|
> The cathode as noted is wired directly to the ground side of the heater filament for that tube, not to the #17 and ...Radioroslyn — 08:12 PM |
HiFi (Chifi) tube amp build - but my own design.
|
Tim;
I noticed your post a little late, but I would take one of the junk sockets and try to break a chunk out of it wi...Arran — 08:07 PM |
Need to purchase some accessories for restoration of my Old Philco Radio
|
Here is a list of resources found in our online library that you might find useful. Mike's Gobs of Knobs email addres...klondike98 — 01:46 PM |
First Radio restoration
|
Hi Tubeman,
Welcome to the Philco Phorum. Phamily Phriendly Pfun with Phine Pholks Phull of Philco Phacts. (See a p...MrFixr55 — 12:33 PM |
First Radio restoration
|
You could post in the WANTED ADs section here on the Phorum and see if anyone has an RF generator that they want to sell...klondike98 — 11:55 AM |
Zenith H725
|
Good ideas, thank you Arrange and Rich. I have the adhesive aluminum foil already and can try that immediately.
More ...EdHolland — 10:18 AM |
Graphics for majestic 1050 dial glass.
|
Murf;
I found this thread on the ARF, the first photo has a pretty good view of the dial glass.
Regards
ArranArran — 01:12 AM |
Zenith H725
|
hello Ed,
how about that speacial tape used for ducting it's like foil or how about thin piece of
aluminum roof flash...radiorich — 12:19 AM |
Who's Online
|
There are currently 1950 online users. [Complete List] » 4 Member(s) | 1946 Guest(s)
|
|
|

|