This is a resource for those truly interested in the preservation and restoration of Antique Radios. I'm a 20 year Air Force Radio Technician who specializes in researching the obscure history of various Antique Radios, parts and technology from the early 1920's through the 1940's. I hope to not only introduce newcomers to the wonderful world of Antique Radios, but to also pass on decades of knowledge in Radio theory, restoration, and history.
Loose coupler can turn to variometer coil - LW antenna. ( connect in serries inner and outer coil ). Connect parralel variable cap and hight impedance front end TRF radio circuit. ( works on LW and MW AM bands ).
Loose coupler has a primary and a secondary. The slider is a variable tap, the other is a rotary tap. The headphones 🎧 you failed to mention have to be high impedance.
I love it! I recently purchased one of these that I refurbished an have had a lot of fun with it. Mine has a "Rack and Pinon" to tune the secondary coil. Thanks for the video!
Very cool. It worked! I used a long wire antenna, a ground wire hooked to a water pipe, a D18 Germanium Diode and vintage headphones. I heard a powerful sports station very clearly. I live in the San Diego area. Pretty cool that you can pick out sound from radio signals with such simple components. Thank you!
And the resistors? The can be quite out of spec sometimes… Especially those carbon types Did you check the voltages? Is these models selenium rectifiers were used, and the can degree quite much… Better replace it with a 1N4007 + 560r 1w resistor
The tuning knob has a switch, which is turned off. I can get a couple of stations with it on. I only get one when it's off. It switches a 360pf variable cap in and out of circuit. I've been called out before on this, which is why I recently added labels to the switch so it can be clearly seen if it is off or on. 750AM radio has an antenna 4 miles from my house, so that's what overrides everything else. I have an in-home transmitter, so if I'm inside the house, that is the overriding station.
I've always shied away from RTV when doing old consumer metal-based items as it's really hard on most pot metals. Both 'types' of RTV (smells of ammonia or vinegar) aren't pH neutral and from personal experience the pot metal starts to degrade. I suppose there may be some two-part RTVs that may be pH neutral, but I haven't tried any. Fortunately your base was cast iron so that wasn't an issue. Great video and a really lucky find. Glad YT recommended you!
Similar design antenna like that of yours, you are using both ends of the antenna, one to ground n earphone, n other ebd to gang caps. Does the ground end of the antenna needs to connect to the earphone too?
I don't mess with radios, cabinets, or speakers that are in good shape. I will redo them if there are issues, and this one had issues. Patina isn't always a good thing, in this case it wasn't.
Hello. For tjhe more technically interested guys, is this already a superheterodyne receiver ? What is the IF ? Long time ago they used 110 Khz. Four varable tuning cap's ? Why ? Some detailed explanation using the schematic would reveil a lot to the technique, used in those days. Most kindly, from an old technician in Belgium.
Recently I acquired at an auction a glass-enclosed regen 1920s radio. It's awesome to show this radio to the younger generation to see the vintage electronics with the 4 tubes lighting up.
Isn't it true, though, that after similar "restoration" treatments in subsequent years, no faceplate will remain? How many of these treatments will the faceplate endure? You're removing original physical material from the object and changing its dimensions. Is this treatment "museum correct"? Probably not. Just my opinion.
I have a couple of radios that are going on 20 years. You have to keep them in climate controlled conditions and most importantly away from direct sunlight.
My experience tells me to never use water based cleaning on old hard rubber... Use plain mineral spirits. Use #0000 steel wool. If really bad, start with 400 grit sandpaper. Finish with 1500 grit buffing pad...
@@RadioHist I've used that method as well. This needed much more aggressive treatment which involved hours of work. I have a hard rubber faceplate I did like this over a decade ago and it still looks like the day I did it. On plates with less UV damage I agree 100 percent with you and will definitely work with mineral spirits.
Hello, how are the coupling coils arranged in the L2 L3 anodes, where are they located, are the main coils wound on top or are they intertwined and what is the ratio of turns they have?
They were not. I'm just showing the process as sometimes the engraving is no longer viable. The plate on that radio was made from scratch. I don't have engraving equipment so I used dry transfer letters instead.
