How to quickly restore repair fix a Zenith tube radio D-lab electronics 

I am currently working on the same radio which was my grandmother’s. I am having a tough time figuring out where the high side of the pot is so I can install an aux for MP3. Thanks as your videos have been a great resource!

I just purchased one of these, very similar condition. No sound at all. The old sand resistor sooks like it got really hot at one time. I tried this on an isolation transformer at 110 V...hope to get it working to let my wife have in her classroom...her HighSchool kids are fascinated by old tech

Terry - I just picked up two Zenith 6G601 radios, on two different days, in one week, for $5 each. Both have no sound, but I plan to recap them, like you did and bring them back to life. 73 Paul AA1SU

Informative good and short video without unnecessary over talking and useless tuning and turning the knob left and right listening to noises without any station for minutes like many to extend the video time, thanks.

Excellent work. Finding one with a dial cover that hasn't yellowed was great luck.

I always enjoy your videos. But they are TOOOOOO SHORT !!! We need longer vids from the D-lab !!!

Good video! You are great at being clear while you are going over your repair.

Since I’m beginning this AA5 restoration journey your instructional videos have been very helpful. Thank you!

As Terry knows, it’s very important to bend the wires together to make a mechanical connection. As I was told many times in my younger days, solder is for making electrical connections, not to hold things together.

I really appreciate this video. Like watching the swap meet ones too but this one really helped. Thanks

I have had the same experance with electrolytic caps in even more modern equipment. I put tantalum caps in place of the surface mount and new leaded electrolytic caps in place of leaded electrolytic caps and then it works like it should again. They don't cost much more, but they are far less problems.

I just rewatched your video,nice repair job on that nice older radio,diffently a collector item .🖒🖒

Great video, very informative. I'm getting ready to take on a project myself, an old RCA phonograph from 1956.

Some people say using the old tail to attach the new cap is sloppy work. I've always believed it's better to use the tail so as not to disturb all the other wires soldered to the lug if it's not necessary and I know my radio restorations will outlive me. Why cause yourself more problems than you need to? I'm glad to see that's the way you do it as well. I admire your knowledge of tube equipment and enjoy your videos very much! Thank you for taking time to share your knowledge with us.

Well done and nice explained what to do first.thanks for the video.

Thanks, I have a bunch of old school tube amps and radios I need to work on.

I like the razor to use a prep by scrapping ,i had just bought a new exacto knife like yours with plenty of extra blades .

wow you are the best sounds great

There are definitely many different ways to go about repair/restoration. I prefer to troubleshoot before replacing any parts---what if I recap the whole set and find that the oscillator coil is dead or the tuning capacitor is shorted? But this one had a happy ending, that's the important thing

Thank you for sharing!

Excelente estado de conservação esse Zenith......

Did you change out the electrolytic capacitors too? all that space under the chassis allows you to bypass the cans on top and install the replacements underneath.

Now you can listen to 760am WJR, Mark Lavin

Great video. Im using this information to try and replace the caps on an old Delco Wonderbar radio from a 1955 cadillac but I cant find the right capacitors to replace the old Electrolytic ones. Do they need to be purchased from a specialty store or some other resource. Can you provide any advice? Thanks.

This is a great radio. I have one and i am interested in what type of battery goes in this machine. These are portable or can be plugged into a 110 wall outlet. Does anyone have knowledge of the battery or even a picture?

Terry this is a link to Mr Carson lab it's about the polarization of Sprague orange drop capacitors

Hello.I just got a Zenith 10S669, My question is how to detach the push buttons panel in the front before removing the chassis?any help will be much appreciated thank you very much.

Hello, I just want to say I sure love watching your videos. I have purchase 2 old radios, One of them is 92 years old. the other one is a silvertone 7036 and I was able to get it working just by replacing the power cord and resoldering a broken resistor. I'm wanting to replace the wax capacitor, I have notice you use different color type and shape. does it matter what color cap??

Should probably change the silver mica caps to. Starting to see a lot of radios and transmitters in the last several years that have the old micamold caps that are going bad. Different problem than the old paper caps but cause similar problems. Its called silver migration and what happens is the silver actually starts to migrate through the sheets of mica and causes it to short out. Just remember, don't throw them away. You can get good money for them from precious metal recovery. Mike

Have you ever worked on a Zenith 5R216 radio? I'm looking for a parts identification diagram. I am having a hard time finding where the 2 electrolytic capacitors are located.

In other restoration videos, they recommend finding the foil side of the replacement cap and using that as the negative side. Do you do the same thing and just haven’t mentioned it or don’t really see a reason to do it?

Great job! How were you able to determine the voltage for the caps? I'm working on refurbishing an rca 45x1, and can't determine the cap voltage of two capacitors?

Why not replace the brittle wires as well I just bought one of these bakelite radios and it took me all of 7 hours to re-do the whole wiring system. lots of pictures were needed to be taken but easy stuff. I left all the cloth ones as is and changed the plastic ones that were cracking.

I have same radio--all tubes filaments work--i have replaced rectifier tube. I have replaced the paper caps--but not the electrolytic cans yet...running 115v...only rectifier works! I get hum from speaker --but cant figure out what's happening to other tubes...look like they are in series--HELP--its my fathers radio and I'd really like to get it working again for him...

D-lab Electronics i have a old grundig 4066 and it's time to change out the old caps but i have a question. The highest dc volt is 500, dose this mean I just can buy capacitors at 500vdc and use them? And sorry if my English is a little bad I'm from Sweden

I hadn't plug it in for over a year I used a dim light with a 200 watt bulb but that tube lit up like a Christmas tree the restriction tube did to but it still came up. Any help would be appreciated.

I'm working on one at this moment. It popped the 1lb4 tube so I am changing the caps but I also pulled out one of the altru Leduc can and I'm stumped now on the value on it and confused because of the three prongs .Do you think I need to change it and could it pop the tube?

Hi Terry, love show! Ineed to learn more so I can repair my 63’ Zenith Stereophonic console, seems the power supply have overheated!(that was stinky) could you tell me about a site where I can find info on the numbers on these drop in units? Can I send pictures to you? (id purposes)

D-lab Electronics I have one just like that. Only 1 tube lights up what you think could be wrong with it?

Terry I been watching you for years,learn a lot from you ,could I ask you a question,about a radio I working on ,I have a capciator question for you ,I also on messenger .

i have a zenith 7c05 chassis radio and i gets pretty darn hot on top. radio seems to work well considering. would you recommend still replacing the wax caps and possibly the bumblebee caps? Why else would this radio get so warm? Enjoy the channel, Mike

Terry, You may have tons of odd tubes but I also have some odd ones. If you ever need anything you don't have, give me a shout.

Why did they use a octal base audio output tube instead of 3lF4 loctal base?

can I replace a 35 volt 3uf capacitor with a 33uf or 1uf capacitor? D-lab Electronics

Cool..Radio.

glass slinger never makes a mechanical connection, he just touches it together with the solder, plus he wears a dress... LOL

Anyone have a web site or a phone number where I can buy capacitors for a old tube radio

250 volt I like that.

The can I took out is behind the1lb4

One of the major issues with the later AA5's (early 50's on) is the silver mica caps inside the IF transformer cans. 90% of the time, they're kaput. Soldering new caps outside the cans is easy, pulling out the old internal silver mica's out is like doing brain surgery LOL :)

I need some work done, I tried emailing with no success. Please give me a good contact thankyou

Those wax paper capacitors are as ugly as the leak damage they can do to the tubes.

….I bet you get lucky more often than not...…….

WOW, what an excellent project!