04-05-2019, 07:49 PM
Progress report:
I spent a lot of time cleaning and experimenting with a few cleaning agents. I settled with getting most of the surface gunk off with a single edge razor blade then a 50/50 mix of naval jelly and water. The dial cords were a different story. After 2 attempts and several hours I stepped away for a while. Third attempt was a couple nights ago after much thought and finally have success. One dial cord is original but the other is missing, so I finally replaced it with thin picture cord. Everything else was too stiff. If a good replacement comes along it won't take much to do it because it is the front cord. A few preparation tasks like a substitute speaker and plugging in good tubes and the 514 was ready for showtime. The speaker I used is a 6x9 oval, 8 ohm with 1800 ohm resistor in series. Brought the 514 up on the variac, everything looks good, voltages are nominal. Volume all the way up but no sound. Touched the first audio amp grid and hum comes from the speaker. Sending an audio signal in to the same point and it sings at all audio frequencies (ones that I can hear, anyway). Tried it on the other side of the 250pf coupling cap. from the detector and got nothing.
Today I replaced the 250pf mica cap. and tuned in the local station blast at 1500 khz. that is 3 miles away. Now I need the alignment instructions for the Philco 511, 512, 513, 514 or 515 and maybe the 86 would work. By the way, my antenna is something I rigged together during a recent restore and it works like a charm. I had an old 6 foot CAT5 ethernet cable laying around so I cut off the ends, soldered alternate wires together to get 48 feet of antenna in a 6 foot cable. The radio I restored has the antenna coiled up in the top, fastened with velcro.
Next is the alignment then try re-coning the RCA 100. I think I might take pictures of the re-cone and post them. That is, if it works.
I'm just so excited, wish they were all this easy...
Rod
I spent a lot of time cleaning and experimenting with a few cleaning agents. I settled with getting most of the surface gunk off with a single edge razor blade then a 50/50 mix of naval jelly and water. The dial cords were a different story. After 2 attempts and several hours I stepped away for a while. Third attempt was a couple nights ago after much thought and finally have success. One dial cord is original but the other is missing, so I finally replaced it with thin picture cord. Everything else was too stiff. If a good replacement comes along it won't take much to do it because it is the front cord. A few preparation tasks like a substitute speaker and plugging in good tubes and the 514 was ready for showtime. The speaker I used is a 6x9 oval, 8 ohm with 1800 ohm resistor in series. Brought the 514 up on the variac, everything looks good, voltages are nominal. Volume all the way up but no sound. Touched the first audio amp grid and hum comes from the speaker. Sending an audio signal in to the same point and it sings at all audio frequencies (ones that I can hear, anyway). Tried it on the other side of the 250pf coupling cap. from the detector and got nothing.
Today I replaced the 250pf mica cap. and tuned in the local station blast at 1500 khz. that is 3 miles away. Now I need the alignment instructions for the Philco 511, 512, 513, 514 or 515 and maybe the 86 would work. By the way, my antenna is something I rigged together during a recent restore and it works like a charm. I had an old 6 foot CAT5 ethernet cable laying around so I cut off the ends, soldered alternate wires together to get 48 feet of antenna in a 6 foot cable. The radio I restored has the antenna coiled up in the top, fastened with velcro.
Next is the alignment then try re-coning the RCA 100. I think I might take pictures of the re-cone and post them. That is, if it works.
I'm just so excited, wish they were all this easy...
Rod
