Three Junk Radios and a Signal Tracer - Will they Work? 

I agree that every self-respecting restorer should carry their equipment with them on holiday. I’m still working on a small briefcase design that will fit my scope, signal generator, dim-bulb tester, two multimeters, signal tracer, soldering station, screwdrivers, resistors set, full set of tubes, tube tester, etc. The filter caps I’ll just carry around in my pockets (thanks for the tip) 😊 Thanks for the good start to my weekend. Have a great one.

A testament to a time when things were made to last for a long long time. Well done mate

Everybody in Australia carries capacitors in their pockets haha That was a good one. Nice field repair Dave!

Hi Dave, To think how many old discarded radios, that could have been repaired, are buried deep in landfill sites. In my early teens, during the latter half of the 1960s, I’d take a trip across our city to various designated dump sites, and usually within thirty seconds of arriving someone would pull up in their car, lift an old radio out of the boot, and head with it to one of the dumpsters. Having intercepted, I would go home with a radio (or two) LOL. You being technically competent, the ‘quick test’ method you used in this video to get those old radios working was pretty much similar how I, as a thirteen to sixteen year old, proudly got radios to work, but that was the extent of my electronics knowledge those days …it was a time before I began my apprenticeship. The point I’m making here Dave is cars, fridges, toasters, electric irons, washing machines, gas cookers, tellies, radios, and many other durable consumer goods were not only repairable those days, they were mostly built to last. It goes to show, with technical competence (which you have), and a few basic tools and minimum required components (which you had to hand), the more ‘motley-looking’ of old radios, that have stood somewhere unused and unloved for decades, can be woken up to some level of functionality. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing you restore the signal tracer. You will certainly find it to be a useful piece of bench equipment. Nice chatting with you Dave, catch you again after your next video, all the best, Phil.

Loved it, hope to see them get restored when you get back home. Especially the signal tracer.

Great video Dave. I love seeing a rough and ragged unit spring to life like this. Basket Case radios may not be fun to work on. But they are great to watch you bring back from the dead.

Those things are amazing. They work and work, regardless.

Great video Dave. Thanks for taking the time to do something even when you’re on holiday - with capacitors! It’s amazing how these old radios still work in really bad condition. Come the apocalypse, valve radios will win.

Very interesting stream from Dave's Mobile Radio Repair Service 😄

Holiday triple radio resurrection video with bonus home made signal tracer to boot. It's amazing that stuff that looks ready to be tossed into the bin ( or came out of one ) can be be repaired with a little electronics knowledge. Take the lot home and later they may be 100% fixed at the home bench. Full Shango type electronics repair videos always entertain!

Morning David 👍 Wife’s out today so cuppa in bed (and Frosties) watching your video! 😮

Hope you are enjoying yourself down here with our cold wet weather. Thanks for showing us your new radios.

Another interesting video David. Shows what can be done with the minimum of equipment and the know how. 👍 thanks again. Derrick.

I was on a light ship, which is a lighthouse on a ship built in 1958. I couldn't believe my eyes at how many valve and transistor radio there were, also several transmitters. You would have loved to have seen them. I'm keeping in touch with the owner of this light ship and has asked me to return later in August to meet others involved with this collection of radios. I would guess there must be about 150 different radios, most of them look in good condition.

Good finds and analyses. Everyone in Australia travels around with caps in their pocket, explains so much. The finger dab on the grid cap approach always makes me laugh, fortunately there are never any high voltage to grid shorts.

26:03 minutes and three seconds of free therapy! I finally figured it out, you remind me of a human "OBD II" auto scanner. It never ceases to amaze me of your diagnostic capacity.

Thanks Dave, hope your vacation is a relaxing one. Field dim bulb tester, I like it🔌💡🕯️😬

😂❤ chuckling away with myself, good to see you back on David ,

Good afternoon this is a very informative video thanks regards from England 🇬🇧

Great video as usual. My dim bulb and variac setup is all in one case and could be portable but I've never thought to take it on the road (it's quite heavy). It's amazing how a radio that's 70 - 80 years old will work with very little attention. I'm sure that they will come out like new once back in your workshop. Looking forward to those video's.

The way the old radio hummed at around the 17 minute mark reminded me of the Phillips RF8 nothing but loud hum like that, its as if you fed 50 HZ into the amp directly ehehe. I still have to get around to replacing those big filter caps as you mentioned a few weeks ago.

Very pleased to see a video from you just now!

You are amazing. Absolutely love your videos. Thank you.

Very cool Dave. Glad to see a video.

Thanks, always interesting.

Thanks for the video David interesting stuff

Hi David. Well you certainly ‘made’ Shango’s day! 😄 We are NERDS one and all.

Dave on safari! A radio version of the Layland Brothers!

Great work Dave! That signal tracer should be a useful piece of kit! Cheers mate!

As usual another great video you seen to be well versed in repairing old radios ,I learn something new every video you put out

Great work David see you soon

Hi David. Another busman’s holiday Shango style 😂😂. It shows what can be achieved with very little tools if you know what you’re doing. Well done breathing life into them all. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the restorations go. All the best Graham

Gosh, you can't kill these old radios with a stick! When you worked on the Astor, I thought you had turned it into a Theremin for a minute there. Almost played Good Vibrations! 😄 Sorry you had to endure the freezing conditions here. If only you had come the week before, it was lovely. I think that's what is said in Ireland. 😊

Looks like you have a couple of radios for up comming you tube videos. Yes once cleaned up and you wave your magic wand over them they will looka treat. A great find and looking forward to to a blow by blow video. Keep up the good work Dave.

I did enjoy that! Good fun!

It is amazing that those radios worked. As dirty as they are. You never know until you try em out, although you did somes recapping .

Thanks!

Ey Up Fantastic, what a lovely selection of radios Best regards Shaun

A good bit of bush repair there Dave. I recently restored a model JJ. I see you have the same issue I did of missing knobs. I was fortunate to have 1 that I was able to use to make a mold and cast a second one. If you need a mould I can made you another. Cheers Bob

I know you know what you’re doing. But man I was waiting for you to get nailed real good. That was a bit tense to watch. And..... it’s clear to me now that you are clearly the nerdiest guy I have ever come across. And. And. I am comforted to know that , when I finally get to visit down under, I don’t have to worry about bringing extra capacitors since folks always carry a few in their pockets. You have proved again that you are something else. Good times

Hello Mr. Tipton, I started laughing right from the start of the video when you described the temperature of your homeland. Here in Washington State, we start melting if it's over 80 degrees during summer. 60 degrees and we're bar-b-qing in our swimsuits. "LOL". Anyway, wanted to say "Howdy" and another great video to enjoy in my late evening. (THAT'S WHEN THEY POP UP HERE). Must be a time zone thing! Can't wait till your next adventure! "Cheers Mate".

Great Video Dave, Love the Astor JJ, even in rough state still look and sound good

You even make fault finding interesting! Hope you have a good visit.

Nice haul Dave, a fun video.

Wow, great video. Really enjoyed it. Great to see you! :-)

Now that's my kind of vacation. Great work as usual. You make the coffee taste that much better in the morning here in California. Hey! You have world wide reach! Any other continents out there want to chime in?

That signal tracer will come in really handy do some minor repair and new test leads and maybe some new labels !

Hi David great video and its amazing how the work is never done even when on holidays lol with goodies like them. Also just about that signal generator xraytony had something similar restored few months back worth to have a look. Keep your videos going mate love them kind regards George.

17c warm day here in Northern England! 😂😂. Nice reference to Shango66, reassuring to know if you bump into a holidaying Aussie he'll be travelling equipped...with radio spares, "Struth"

Hi David. Thanks for yet another entertaining video. It seems these old radios just want to work. You've only got to give them half a chance! Anyway, what's wrong with taking a few caps in your pocket, and some resistors... and a soldering iron, multimeter, maybe a bag or 2 of tools, dim bulb, sig gen, scope, maybe 3D printer, coil winder, lathe ... Cheers Dave

Love your new Shango style repairs Dave.

Just sat enjoying a nice morning cup of tea watching a bit of RU-vid when who should pop up but Mr Tipton. It's amazing how these radios fire up after being stored away for many years. This Christmas my sister bought me a 1938 HMV battery table radio. This set had been stored in a loft for more than 60 years, I connected it up to my battery eliminator and it worked. Amazing. Great video as usual. All the best. Terry

Thanks David. I find your vids fascinating & extremely enjoyable. You explain things so well for us non radio types. I just love old tube radios. Keep 'em coming please mate. Cheers from the mid north coast NSW.

I love it good 👍

Always learning from you Dave. I've yet to experience feedback caused by a reversed speaker connection but in future if I do, I now know what to try. Thank you.

Great vid Dave and love the nerdy pockets full of caps thing! Fine if you are driving down to Melbourne but you'd better be careful of airport security if flying - I'm not sure they would understand! 🤣🤣

Very nice finds David. Always love how you find the fault super fast ❤️ I think you way more addicted to radios than me 🤣.

David Great Work from signal Tracers from Victoria it was fun Getting them going with only basic Test equipment full marks Mate Regards Ian,

a nice mixed bag of lollies there david :) look forward to seeing them all smart and cleaned up...

David sir you handle any type of radios you are master. good knowledge is better to great person invented!! Keep it up sir Sir junk or fully dead radios you touched ones a time come back running like new one this is awesome work I appreciate your hard work and video editing nice sir. Thanks for the sharing this video ❤😊😊

Hey Dave I was going to mention you in the comments of Shangos valve radio video, I was going to be a bit cheeky and say "your no David Tipton". Thanks Dave for your good work, it's allways a good day when you post a vid.

Very Nice ;P

jolly good show David! 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺

Good morning David

Great stuff, Dave! Oh, don’t scrap that little Peter Pan. It’s cute! You can’t do that, Dave! ;-)

That looks like 👍 a pretty 😍 good 😊 deal. That’s even better than buying them at a yard sale. I hope 🤞they’re all tube type. I’m not sure 🤔 if the speakers 🔊 are field coil, or permanent magnet 🧲. I hope 🤞 there’s no issues with the dial cords. Just be careful, in case this radio 📻 may have a short in it. It’s probably just cooking 👨‍🍳 off the dust. Hopefully 🤞 the dial lights 💡 are good 😌 (where applicable). That newer speaker 🔊 was permanent magnet 🧲. Your friend, Jeff.

I want to see the full restoration of these little Champs....

This Signal Tracer just reminds me of when I took a telecommunications technical course in 2000. I had one of these, but it was much more modern and adapted to the analogue technology of the time. According to what the course instructor said that the tracers were always in the hands of someone listening to someone else's conversation (cell phones at the time were analogue, therefore captureable with an analogue tracer) and from what he said... it was jaw-dropping! As the course was close to the big hotels here in the capital of Brazil, everything could be heard: from common conversations to parliamentarians and executives requesting "certain" services. But now the technology is obsolete.

Nice, a radio with wall-to-wall carpet. I also use to pack all kinds of stuff I might need on a trip, multimeters, scope, components etc, but i never get to use them, and the stuff I end up needing, I forgot to pack. Maybe a trailer with a fully equiped workshop could be something...

Brave brave man

18:03 If nothing else, this old Astor radio would do well as a foghorn! LOL😁

Hi Dave... I was just going to say that very thing to you... please be careful when you are fiddling with unknown radios that have been passed on to you. I know you have lots of experience but you do need to take care. Anyway that was an interesting little jaunt down radio lane. When you look at the state of some of these old radios it makes you wonder where they have been sitting for the past x number of years.

Love the radiophonics workshop radio , could make a new Dr who signature tune :) ofcourse all the radios will work with Mr tiptone in charge

Cool video. Clean up that nasty dirt and send it to Shango. He likes that sort of stuff...

🏖 as always you can get junk working again 😂 nice job cant wait to see what they are going to look like when your done

I see you have one of Dave's testers very good

That was fun, and your humour is getting better?

Superb troubleshooting Great comment/warning about using only one hand with these mains voltage radios. Especially important with twice the "pressure" of 240 verses 120 VAC either is enough to fibrillate ones heart however. Were Bakelite housed radio shiny when new and naturally become dull over time?

Thanks David! You really brighten up a shitty day! How hard can it be to get an ancient radio this a ton of dust to go? The signal tracer is interesting, look forward to that restoration. It seems a good idé to carry a emergency kit, it can also help this, i'm not sure that you say in english, radio abstinense?

As the old joke goes, "If you carry your tools and test gear with you even when on vacation then you might be a redne..., er, radio restorer." (Apologies to any down-under rednecks that might read this). Amazing those radios worked at all given their dusty condition. Will have to remember the swapped-speaker-leads-causes-oscillator-squeal trick.

24:40 sounded like the radio was picking up SW

Got an astor like that a good radio

Thanks Dave for taking us along on your vacation, So which relative want you to take a look at their computer while you're? (Kidding aside thanks for all great tech tips I've hijacked from your videos)

Please don't give up on that dusty old radio Bring it back to Life,

Hi David, great haul. Is that a capacitor in your pocket or are you just gald to see me? It will be interesting to see how the JJ comes up. Everybody here agrees they sound fantastic, mine certainly did when it was working properly. Just as a service to others reading this the Peter Pans were recabineted Astors, as were the the Adelaide made National's. I picked up the beautiful Peter Pan JKL in brown, but there was an almost identical (dial was a bit different) National P239 in cream that went for substantially more. Peter Pan "Snails"are highly sought rtoo. The signal tracer is probably an electronics magazine "Kit" from the 50s or early 60s. And yes I also have a radio tool kit and some spares in the car! My late wife tended to put my jeans in the wash with checking, so I don't carry caps in my pockets! I don't have a dim bulb in the car though, but I've got my old one somewhere....

Oh yeah.

According to YT’s automatically generated subtitles there was a bit of mid-ass soldering at 15:53. 😮😮😮

Well you do have a ' Crap of radios' a technical term for a radio that should be flushed down the dunney as early as possible :-D I'm not sure if any of those radios are worth the trouble, but you do love pain david lol.

That doesn't mean nerd Dave that is one of the basic principles of the boy scouts! Be prepared! Sadly that's not being taught to the youth of today! Thanks for posting and take care!

You certainty got you hands full the signal tracer might worth saving.

I think a isolation transformer on the mains would be useful. as some sets are AC/DC

At 13:48 it sounds like a door hinge that needs oil.

😀👍

The fault in that dirty radio is an open in the antenna circuit.

Always cool to get the tool to fix the sets you find for fun and profit. (You do profit from some of your work, do you not? - - - )

radio has a dalek voice effect going on at first

Hi Dave. Are you planning to bring them home and restore therm.

Not to mention that the incandescent bulb in your dim-bulb unit is in itself a museum piece. I suppose maybe Russians are still making them. Unfortunately, if I traveled with my repair stuff I'd have to drive a small van interstate because I couldn't make up my mind what would stay and what would come with me so I'd have to bring everything.

David seri bir şekilde restore işine girmişsin sonucu sabırsızlıkla bekliyorum kolay gelsin

David, i think you found secret transmitter of illuminati.. 😂