6 hours ago
Hi Dan,
Sorry for the late reply.
I believe that you had a 2K pot for the volume control. If we use the circuit where we vary the volume by varying the cathode bias of the RF Amp tube(s), that pot is part of a voltage divider. the value of pot specified in that version of the schematic was 1K. Putting a 2K pot in the "voltage divider" will change voltages at other "taps" in the divider. Putting a 2K resistor in parallel with the pot will restore the correct voltages in the divider. In addition, bridging with the 2k resistor will lessen the current passing through the pot and will extend its life IMHO. I updated my previous post because I drew the suggested add-in resistor in the wrong spot. I updated the drawing and highlighted the circuit in question. It is further reproduced here with further improvements:
The yellow highlighted area shows the circut path from the rectifier cathode back to the center tap of the transformer (the complete electron path. Note that Chassis ground is not the endpoint of the circuit, the center tap is. the center tap is actually at a more negative voltage than chassis ground. This is to provide the "C-" or grid bias for the output tube. This method was very common in the 1920s and 1930s. Later radios used cathode bias resistors, as the "voltage dividers" tended to suffer open resistors which would stop operation or produce weak, greatly distorted sound.
Looking at the highlighted path, the current path is from the rectifier, through the filter, through the loudspeaker field coil, through the volume control and other resistors to the center tap of the transformer Rectifier plate winding. Note the other series of resistors from ground to B+. Changes in resistance along the highlighted path also changes voltages across "taps" in that voltage divider. Since the circuit that we are reproducing is expecting 1K Ohm for the section of the divider that consists of the volume control pot, I suggest bridging the 2K Ohm volume control pot with a 2K Ohm 5 Watt resistor.
These "screen grid" TRF sets with biased detectors tended to be quite sensitive. This is why the second version of this set added another 8KOhm section of the pot to shunt the antenna input. In these sets, volume is lowered not only by increasing cathode bias but by also shunting the antenna inout progressively to ground as volume is lowered.
The advantage of TRF sets were:
The disadvantages included:
Hope this helps and glad you got this old-timer playing again!
Sorry for the late reply.
I believe that you had a 2K pot for the volume control. If we use the circuit where we vary the volume by varying the cathode bias of the RF Amp tube(s), that pot is part of a voltage divider. the value of pot specified in that version of the schematic was 1K. Putting a 2K pot in the "voltage divider" will change voltages at other "taps" in the divider. Putting a 2K resistor in parallel with the pot will restore the correct voltages in the divider. In addition, bridging with the 2k resistor will lessen the current passing through the pot and will extend its life IMHO. I updated my previous post because I drew the suggested add-in resistor in the wrong spot. I updated the drawing and highlighted the circuit in question. It is further reproduced here with further improvements:
The yellow highlighted area shows the circut path from the rectifier cathode back to the center tap of the transformer (the complete electron path. Note that Chassis ground is not the endpoint of the circuit, the center tap is. the center tap is actually at a more negative voltage than chassis ground. This is to provide the "C-" or grid bias for the output tube. This method was very common in the 1920s and 1930s. Later radios used cathode bias resistors, as the "voltage dividers" tended to suffer open resistors which would stop operation or produce weak, greatly distorted sound.
Looking at the highlighted path, the current path is from the rectifier, through the filter, through the loudspeaker field coil, through the volume control and other resistors to the center tap of the transformer Rectifier plate winding. Note the other series of resistors from ground to B+. Changes in resistance along the highlighted path also changes voltages across "taps" in that voltage divider. Since the circuit that we are reproducing is expecting 1K Ohm for the section of the divider that consists of the volume control pot, I suggest bridging the 2K Ohm volume control pot with a 2K Ohm 5 Watt resistor.
These "screen grid" TRF sets with biased detectors tended to be quite sensitive. This is why the second version of this set added another 8KOhm section of the pot to shunt the antenna input. In these sets, volume is lowered not only by increasing cathode bias but by also shunting the antenna inout progressively to ground as volume is lowered.
The advantage of TRF sets were:
- Simplicity
- Better bandwidth, greater fidelity
- Easier to align
The disadvantages included:
- Selectivity not as good as superheterodyne sets
- RF gain at higher frequencies. By heterodyning and converting all signals to a lower "IF" frequency, gain and selectivity were superior in a superheterodyne. However, fidelity may have suffered in superheterodyne sets, especially in earlier sets with low IF frequencies of between 48 and 250 KHz.
Hope this helps and glad you got this old-timer playing again!
"Do Justly, love Mercy and walk humbly with your God"- Micah 6:8
"Let us begin to do good"- St. Francis
Best Regards,
MrFixr55