03-05-2015, 12:17 PM
Bill
next time you get itchy to power something up, considering your own "Keep in mind I have no idea what I am doing and so far I have only understood about 30% of what you honyacks are saying." admission, it will benefit you to ask if you even should.
i don't know if you have read other threads on restoration, or any general comments, at all, but if you did, you'd probably noticed that
1. Powering up, with or without dim bulb, variac or what not, a chassis that has not been thoroughly inspected is a bad idea. Really bad idea.
My opinion: people who power a chassis like that, and there are those who do it, without due inspection, are simply impatient and want to impress others by writing a post containing words "variac", "dim light tester" and such.
Do not do that. Does not do anyone good, no one gets impressed and you are the one who stand to incur potential losses.
It is quite possible that some tubes that otherwise might be just fine got killed due to being powered in wrong sockets.
2. Even when you inspect the chassis and the bulbs are in their proper sockets, what good does it do to power it? Nothing.
Remove bulbs, mark the places, TEST all tubes, and not for continuity (good continuity, I hope you are talking about the filaments, only gives you maybe 1/4 of the chance of the tube tested being good. There could be shorts, there could be no emission or the lack thereof, etc). You need to TEST the tubes, at leas using emission tester AND for shorts too.
3. test the power transformer first. With all tubes removed test the filament and high voltages.
4. Recap. And do not power before you do. You can power with bad resistors, but not with bad caps.
And....ask, ask, ask questions. You have accepted the fact you do not know much right now, so better safe than sorry, ask questions, there will be no lack of help here, but do not get bold.
And remember - the voltages in this radio can kill you in a jiffy and more experienced people than you and me get zapped and, yes, killed sometimes.
Be diligent, patient, do not rush, this is your first experience, make it a learning one, you will have your braggibg rights later when it sings.
best of luck.
next time you get itchy to power something up, considering your own "Keep in mind I have no idea what I am doing and so far I have only understood about 30% of what you honyacks are saying." admission, it will benefit you to ask if you even should.
i don't know if you have read other threads on restoration, or any general comments, at all, but if you did, you'd probably noticed that
1. Powering up, with or without dim bulb, variac or what not, a chassis that has not been thoroughly inspected is a bad idea. Really bad idea.
My opinion: people who power a chassis like that, and there are those who do it, without due inspection, are simply impatient and want to impress others by writing a post containing words "variac", "dim light tester" and such.
Do not do that. Does not do anyone good, no one gets impressed and you are the one who stand to incur potential losses.
It is quite possible that some tubes that otherwise might be just fine got killed due to being powered in wrong sockets.
2. Even when you inspect the chassis and the bulbs are in their proper sockets, what good does it do to power it? Nothing.
Remove bulbs, mark the places, TEST all tubes, and not for continuity (good continuity, I hope you are talking about the filaments, only gives you maybe 1/4 of the chance of the tube tested being good. There could be shorts, there could be no emission or the lack thereof, etc). You need to TEST the tubes, at leas using emission tester AND for shorts too.
3. test the power transformer first. With all tubes removed test the filament and high voltages.
4. Recap. And do not power before you do. You can power with bad resistors, but not with bad caps.
And....ask, ask, ask questions. You have accepted the fact you do not know much right now, so better safe than sorry, ask questions, there will be no lack of help here, but do not get bold.
And remember - the voltages in this radio can kill you in a jiffy and more experienced people than you and me get zapped and, yes, killed sometimes.
Be diligent, patient, do not rush, this is your first experience, make it a learning one, you will have your braggibg rights later when it sings.
best of luck.
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.
