[Guest]

Hi All:

I'm new to the forum. I just acquired a PT-44 table radio (wood). It looks very nice. It plays somewhat.

I have two questions:

1- Is this radio a desirable and/or a rare find, approx value working in good shape?

2- Would this radio be considered an easy or tough radio to work on and fix?

Any help would be appreciated.

TommyR

[Carl Travis]

Hi Tommy,
2 Pt-44's have sold recently on Ebay, 1 for $137.50 and the other for $150.
Since it plays "somewhat" it should not be too difficult to recondition.
Main thing is to replace electrolytic and paper capacitors and check for resistors that have drifted in value.

[Ron Ramirez]

And watch out for those rubber-covered wires. The rubber insulation dries up and falls off over time, creating a real potential for short circuits.

[Guest]

And watch out for those rubber-covered wires. The rubber insulation dries up and falls off over time, creating a real potential for short circuits.

OK -- I plan to go slow and careful on this radio.

"Measure twice - cut once".

TommyR

[Bill Hutchinson]

Going nice and slow, especially if this is your first restoration, is good advice. Replace wires and parts one at a time so you don't lose track of where you are, and it should be fairly straight forward.

As far as capacitor values, don't worry too much about not finding "exact" replacement values. In other words, you'll run into some .05 uf caps; modern .047 uf will do the job. 33 uf will replace a 30 uf, 47 uf for 50 uf, .033 will replace .03, and so forth. The important thing is the working voltage - replace with either equal or greater value; don't go down!

After the caps are replaced, an alignment will help it operate much better. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. It sounds like it sort-of works right now, so odds are you have a good set of tubes.

One more bit of advice - replace the power cord with a modern polarized plug. Wire the neutral side (with the wide blade) closest to ground. Be sure to ask if you have any more questions - we're here to help!

Sounds like a nice radio - good luck with it!

Bill

[Guest]

Going nice and slow, especially if this is your first restoration, is good advice. Replace wires and parts one at a time so you don't lose track of where you are, and it should be fairly straight forward.

As far as capacitor values, don't worry too much about not finding "exact" replacement values. In other words, you'll run into some .05 uf caps; modern .047 uf will do the job. 33 uf will replace a 30 uf, 47 uf for 50 uf, .033 will replace .03, and so forth. The important thing is the working voltage - replace with either equal or greater value; don't go down!

After the caps are replaced, an alignment will help it operate much better. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. It sounds like it sort-of works right now, so odds are you have a good set of tubes.

One more bit of advice - replace the power cord with a modern polarized plug. Wire the neutral side (with the wide blade) closest to ground. Be sure to ask if you have any more questions - we're here to help!

Sounds like a nice radio - good luck with it!

Bill

Thanks Bill.

I plan to keep it and use it -- when you think about it, THESE sets were meant to be fixed. To see one in a garbage landfill would be upsetting.

TommyR

[Carl Travis]

And watch out for those rubber-covered wires. The rubber insulation dries up and falls off over time, creating a real potential for short circuits.

Yes, replacing the old rubber covered wire can be the worst part of the job.