03-22-2018, 03:27 AM
As long as it's Germanium transistors I think we can make an exception, it's a 1958 set after all, I have plenty of tube sets newer then that, or at least as old. Those Nashville capacitors are awful, many a dead transistor radio has been brought back to life just by replacing those, same with those radial lead Japanese ones with the plastic shells, I'm surprised that one was still good. Those are like the electrolytic equivalent of Hunt capacitors, the way to test if it's bad is if it makes a clunk or ping when it his the bottom of a garbage can.
With regard to replacing germanium transistors that was a stroke of luck finding a replacement over the counter like that, and for a realistic price. Some suppliers have absolutely stupid prices on germaniums, if they have them at all, some people have switched to using Soviet/Russian substitutes, apparently they were still making them until the mid 1990s, if not later. I have a Nordmende that has some problem transistors in it, they are the infamous Phillips/Valvo/Mullard AF117s, notorious for forming tin whiskers between the can and the elements shorting them out, which I believe is why the Nordmende doesn't work. Apparently if you remove the transistor, solder the three elements together, and then discharge a capacitor between the three tied together elements and the can you can blow the whiskers out of them without damaging the transistor.
Regards
Arran
With regard to replacing germanium transistors that was a stroke of luck finding a replacement over the counter like that, and for a realistic price. Some suppliers have absolutely stupid prices on germaniums, if they have them at all, some people have switched to using Soviet/Russian substitutes, apparently they were still making them until the mid 1990s, if not later. I have a Nordmende that has some problem transistors in it, they are the infamous Phillips/Valvo/Mullard AF117s, notorious for forming tin whiskers between the can and the elements shorting them out, which I believe is why the Nordmende doesn't work. Apparently if you remove the transistor, solder the three elements together, and then discharge a capacitor between the three tied together elements and the can you can blow the whiskers out of them without damaging the transistor.
Regards
Arran