03-28-2026, 03:47 PM
A word of caution: try to fight the temptation of pluggin in ANY radio, even if you knew it all your life, without having done a full re-cap. All paper and electrolytic caps should go, the mica caps stay unless damaged.
#1. Replacing caps is just that. A cap is a cap. It is up to you, electrically (for this purposes) they are no different.
#2. When you do not know if a lug of a capacitor is just a solder post and has nothing inside connected, or it does, look at the wire coming to that lug from the inside. If it is there, it is connected, if there is nothing comint to the lug, it is a convenience solder post.
#4: it is called "Solder post / solder terminal strip". Sometimes there are posts that have a second terminal that could be riveted to the chassis for things soldered to it to be grounded.
#5. In general, the grommets under the tuning caps have two parts AZND sometimes they have a metal cylinder inside. The bottom part is needed as without it your top part does not act as good, since the screw now connects it to teh chassis and the whole thing becomes rigid. And, in some cases, where the tuning cap is wanted isolated, it is not connected by the screw.
I often use grommets from Home Depot, or order on Amazon.
#6. For most places anything from AWG22 to AWG18 is fine. The currents are minuscule. The sole exception is the filament wiring, which for some tubes could be in amps; I use AWG 20 to 18 tthere. Solid or stranded - matter of personal preference.
#7. By using the Grounded cord you improve safety. Sometimes, this GND is a bit noisier than the waterpipe as it goes to the bar to which other equipment is also connected. Try and you will see which is better.
This said, most radios will pull the stations without any explicit GND.
#1. Replacing caps is just that. A cap is a cap. It is up to you, electrically (for this purposes) they are no different.
#2. When you do not know if a lug of a capacitor is just a solder post and has nothing inside connected, or it does, look at the wire coming to that lug from the inside. If it is there, it is connected, if there is nothing comint to the lug, it is a convenience solder post.
#4: it is called "Solder post / solder terminal strip". Sometimes there are posts that have a second terminal that could be riveted to the chassis for things soldered to it to be grounded.
#5. In general, the grommets under the tuning caps have two parts AZND sometimes they have a metal cylinder inside. The bottom part is needed as without it your top part does not act as good, since the screw now connects it to teh chassis and the whole thing becomes rigid. And, in some cases, where the tuning cap is wanted isolated, it is not connected by the screw.
I often use grommets from Home Depot, or order on Amazon.
#6. For most places anything from AWG22 to AWG18 is fine. The currents are minuscule. The sole exception is the filament wiring, which for some tubes could be in amps; I use AWG 20 to 18 tthere. Solid or stranded - matter of personal preference.
#7. By using the Grounded cord you improve safety. Sometimes, this GND is a bit noisier than the waterpipe as it goes to the bar to which other equipment is also connected. Try and you will see which is better.
This said, most radios will pull the stations without any explicit GND.
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.
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