[NostalgiaRadioTime]

Happiness is: hearing sweet music playing from the speaker of my great-grandparents' 1940 Coronado console radio from which no sound has been heard since the late 1980's! This was the first antique radio I ever owned; I've had it since 1981. I can remember as a small boy in the early 70's visiting my great-grandparents and going up to this radio when I wasn't even tall enough to reach the knobs! Now I have my iPod hooked up to the phono jack on it, so I can listen to whatever music I want through its amplifier & speaker! Will post some pics when the restoration is complete. My heartfelt gratitude to Art Hoch for his kindness in scanning and e-mailing the schematic for this radio from the Rider's Manual. This unit doesn't use the standard variable capacitor for tuning, but rather those troublesome shafts that move in and out of coil sleeves. I wish great-grandpa would've picked a Philco when he was radio shopping in 1940!

[Paul Philco322]

You know the slug tuning sets can work quite well, I have one and it is a super performer. Permiability tuning I belive is the term.

Paul

[NostalgiaRadioTime]

I wish mine was working well I'm still working on it and have isolated the problem to the tuner itself.

[NostalgiaRadioTime]

Had some other things that needed my attention more, so this project has been on the back burner for a while. Since I never worked on a radio that doesn't use the standard variable capacitor for tuning, (this set uses the shafts that move in and out of coil sleeves for tuning), I have a question: Would it hurt anything to spray some DeOxIt onto the shafts and work them in and out of the coil sleeves, or what would you recommend to clean them with? I believe that is where the problem lies with this set in preventing it from receiving stations. Either there is dirt in the coils or something is touching and shorting them out.

[NostalgiaRadioTime]

SUCCESS! Finally, after 25 years of silence, my great-grandparents' 1940 Coronado console radio plays beautifully. Receives all of the local stations up & down the AM dial. I am one happy camper tonight! Attached are a couple of photos of the finished product.

I can remember visiting them in the early 70's as a tot with my folks, and walking up to this very radio when I wasn't even tall enough to reach up to touch the buttons (I'm 41 now). I can still picture it sitting in the corner of their living room, where I'm sure it sat since they bought it new in 1940. And the crazy thing is, it never played back in the early 70's either! I remember asking great-grandpa to turn it on and he said it "hasn't worked in years"! I hope they're listening from above tonight to the sweet music coming out of their speaker.

And, with the RCA jack that was built into the chassis for an optional phonograph back then, I can plug in my iPod, hit the 'phono' button, and play any music I want through it! Can also plug in a cassette tape player, CD player, or anything that has a headphone jack! I had my smartphone playing through it on the Live365 app, where I found a channel that plays nothing but Fibber McGee & Molly radio shows 24/7!

Thanks again to Art Hoch for his kindness in scanning and e-mailing the schematic for this radio from the Rider's Manual. The help provided by this schematic was an invaluable resource to getting it to play again.

       

[Eliot Ness]

It looks beautiful Greg, great job! I love seeing folks restoring radios from their families past, it makes them even more cherished with those memories attached.

[Jayce]

Looks very nice! I have a small Airline table radio with the slug tuning and it works quite well. Just can be hard to get to the peak of he stations.

[NostalgiaRadioTime]

Thanks guys! I hope Sparker who posted about his great-grandmothers' Philco sees this thread and thinks twice about disposing of the radio.

This Coronado uses a similar clear plastic dial cover like the 1939 Philcos used (which today are usually always cracked, dark yellow in color, or have pieces missing out of them). I managed to salvage this one and it's still crystal clear!

[Paul Philco322]

That is a stately and dignified looking set. Too big for my nitetable!

Paul

[NostalgiaRadioTime]

Here's a 10 minute video demonstration I put together for a friend, if anyone is interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExFLs8bMoOk

[w4rtc]

Hi
That looks good, you did a good job. I worked on one ot those and it was not too sensitive after working on it I found a open loop wire after I repaired the loop man that thing was super sensitive it received stations all across the dial. Congrats you have a nice radio
Joe

[shaler78]

You can also use the EQ feature on your i-pod to even further tailor the sound going into your radio. I've found that the Jazz or R&B setting works well for improving the sound thru my Philco 47-1230 chassis by improving the BASS and TREBLE response.
.

[NostalgiaRadioTime]

Thanks for the tip! I also have a 47-1230, so I'll have to give it a try through that as well.

[shaler78]

Try every setting on your i-pod and your tone positions on your radio. You may prefer other ones than what I suggested. Each radio is a little different

[Radioroslyn]

Something else that will improve the sound is using a backwards output or filament transformer to match the impedance. Without it you are driving an input of 500,000 ohms with 8 ohms. Not a good match at all. From the ipod take the two center conductors and connect them together. Take the two shields and do likewise. Take the two connection (one the center connection and two the shield connection and connect them to the 8 ohm or the low voltage side of your transformer. Connect you radio to the plate side of the output transformer of the 115vac side of the filament transformer. You will notice much more volume and better tone.
Terry