02-04-2014, 09:57 AM
1. First the bad news:
Plugging it in is not the place to start.
Back in the days when this technology was current indeed often times a fault could be traced to a weak tube, but after 60-70 years it is bad wiring, bad capacitors, open coils and such.
Plugging the radio is the LAST thing to do when you are through with the chassis, having changed all capacitors that are not micas (about 10 on average counting two electrolytics), having replaced all out of spec resistors, mended all bad wiring, supplied new power cord, and performed a general cleaning overall. And then test the tubes and put the good ones back in (youcould get away with weak tubes as long as they are not gassy or shorted).
It is more work that you have possibly thought, so if you are not up to it, pull out of this project before you putt too much effort to quit. If you are up to it, we will at least help you with advice on what to do and troubleshooting should that become necessary (sometimes it is not).
2. Now the good news: your device is from 1958, this means the capacitors other than electrolytics might not need yanking and could stay. So if you are lucky the electrolytics will be it. If not (you said the transformer leaked tar) the transformer might overheat due to bad caps / bad rectifier (could be a selenium type those years) but might still survive.
3. Neutral news. Unless you are doing it out of friendship to the store owner, do not expect to make money on this project. At best you will get paid for parts, and even if you are paid for your time, you will spend way more time and effort that you will get compensated for such that you will consider it worth it.
So think it out well before you plunge.
Plugging it in is not the place to start.
Back in the days when this technology was current indeed often times a fault could be traced to a weak tube, but after 60-70 years it is bad wiring, bad capacitors, open coils and such.
Plugging the radio is the LAST thing to do when you are through with the chassis, having changed all capacitors that are not micas (about 10 on average counting two electrolytics), having replaced all out of spec resistors, mended all bad wiring, supplied new power cord, and performed a general cleaning overall. And then test the tubes and put the good ones back in (youcould get away with weak tubes as long as they are not gassy or shorted).
It is more work that you have possibly thought, so if you are not up to it, pull out of this project before you putt too much effort to quit. If you are up to it, we will at least help you with advice on what to do and troubleshooting should that become necessary (sometimes it is not).
2. Now the good news: your device is from 1958, this means the capacitors other than electrolytics might not need yanking and could stay. So if you are lucky the electrolytics will be it. If not (you said the transformer leaked tar) the transformer might overheat due to bad caps / bad rectifier (could be a selenium type those years) but might still survive.
3. Neutral news. Unless you are doing it out of friendship to the store owner, do not expect to make money on this project. At best you will get paid for parts, and even if you are paid for your time, you will spend way more time and effort that you will get compensated for such that you will consider it worth it.
So think it out well before you plunge.
