Author Topic: Old Radios and TVs  (Read 3701 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline compaqxp

  • The Canadian
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1449
  • Reputation: +743/-808
Old Radios and TVs
« on: July 12, 2013, 08:51:40 AM »
I'm sure some of you will enjoy this, so I figured I'd make a topic in what seems like forever.

I'm got a bunch of hobbies, but the things I enjoy the most are working on old radios and TVs
as they're fun to mess around with and get working. They're also very nice to use. The radios are
almost always really simple to get working, but the TV's pose a bigger challenge (to me at least).
I have one that I'm trying to get it's HV section working correctly at the moment, without much luck.

This is a 1954/5 Philips R-7520 chassis I'm working on at
the moment. It's been a major pain, but it's slowly coming back to life. And this
is a Philco radio from 1939 that I'm working on. I should have all the parts in the mail
by next week and it'll be all good then. Right now I'm working on the cabinet while I wait.

This is a Marconi 158 from around 1938 that is fully done. It's been
fully restored electrically and I've done some minor work to the cabinet (it was mostly fine).
I plugged it in last night with a long antenna and was easily about to pick up stations from all
around the world on SW.

I'll post some pictures of other's I've done latter when I get the chance (maybe I'll post a video of one working?).
Just thought I'd show you folks in case anyone is interested or if any of you do the same.

Offline compaqxp

  • The Canadian
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1449
  • Reputation: +743/-808
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2013, 09:41:32 AM »
This is an RCA M48 (I think? Can't recall), that I got for something like 5$ a few years ago.
I've only just gotten to it and I wish I'd done so sooner. The cabinet was all but falling apart
until yesterday when I started working on it. I've had to re-glue almost every joint on it,
but it's now much stronger then it was and I can start to fix the finish. The chassis is okay and
it does work, but running one of these on old caps is a terrible idea. It'll be done by the end of summer.

This one...well I don't know much about it. It's a Monitor Radio MR-10 and
tunes much higher then a normal FM radio. It might as well be a sort of early scanner. The only station I can get
is the local Environment Canada weather broadcasts on 162.550MHZ. Either way I love how it's designed.

I've got tons more that are either done or in progress, but I won't bore you all with that  :p
« Last Edit: July 12, 2013, 09:44:47 AM by compaqxp »

Offline CG6468

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11493
  • Reputation: +540/-210
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2013, 09:48:07 AM »
The Marconi is beautiful.

I never heard of a Monitor Radio, but it looks cool!
Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town

Offline JohnnyReb

  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 32063
  • Reputation: +1997/-134
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2013, 09:51:35 AM »
I've got the first TV I ever saw.....It's out in the shed and I can't remember exactly what it is but I think it's a Philco. It has a round TV screen that folds out of the cabinet.

When I was a kid the neighbor worked on radios. He had some old ones that had vaccum tubes bigger than a quart jar.
“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of ‘liberalism’, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.” - Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948

"America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within."  Stalin

Offline compaqxp

  • The Canadian
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1449
  • Reputation: +743/-808
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #4 on: July 12, 2013, 10:02:22 AM »
Here's some random stuff that is mostly future work. The last image is the one Philco's cabinet
 that I have to do some more work to.

I've got the first TV I ever saw.....It's out in the shed and I can't remember exactly what it is but I think it's a Philco. It has a round TV screen that folds out of the cabinet.

When I was a kid the neighbor worked on radios. He had some old ones that had vaccum tubes bigger than a quart jar.

Whatever you do don't get rid of it or part it out. Some of those early roundie sets bring in good money and people love to restore them.

I know some of the early tubes were big, but I don't really know what a quart is so I can't get a mental image. (I searched it up and it's about 1 liter, no clue what tube would be so big)
« Last Edit: July 12, 2013, 10:05:30 AM by compaqxp »

Offline Chris_

  • Little Lebowski Urban Achiever
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 46845
  • Reputation: +2028/-266
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #5 on: July 12, 2013, 10:15:24 AM »
My Ford has an old Philco radio, but the volume shaft and knob are missing.  I have a feeling I'm going to have to replace the entire potentiometer, but I haven't taken it apart to find out.
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline CG6468

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11493
  • Reputation: +540/-210
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #6 on: July 12, 2013, 10:19:27 AM »
My Ford has an old Philco radio, but the volume shaft and knob are missing.  I have a feeling I'm going to have to replace the entire potentiometer, but I haven't taken it apart to find out.

How's the vibrator? I remember replacing those on my 1954 Mercury.
Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town

Offline Chris_

  • Little Lebowski Urban Achiever
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 46845
  • Reputation: +2028/-266
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2013, 10:23:29 AM »
:???: I haven't found it.
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline CG6468

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11493
  • Reputation: +540/-210
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2013, 10:41:49 AM »
:???: I haven't found it.

It's usually a rather large metal thing in a cylindrical shape.
Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town

Offline JohnnyReb

  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 32063
  • Reputation: +1997/-134
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2013, 12:29:43 PM »


I know some of the early tubes were big, but I don't really know what a quart is so I can't get a mental image. (I searched it up and it's about 1 liter, no clue what tube would be so big)

These were some real old radios even by 1955 standards. Some were battery operated and had marine band, ship to shore and other frequencies you could tune in on. They were all in huge cabinets.
“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of ‘liberalism’, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.” - Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948

"America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within."  Stalin

Offline marv

  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2194
  • Reputation: +124/-28
  • Resident Grandpa
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2013, 12:44:36 PM »
Hm, shoulda kept my '38 Oldsmobile. It had a factory radio in it that worked when I bought the car in '54.........

When I was a kid, Dad had a Zenith console that needed a 200' antenna he would string around the roof. Dunno what ever happened to it. It was the one with SW, "magic eye tuner", and a 12" paper cone speaker. Sounded awesome.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2013, 04:03:50 PM by marv »
FOUR BOXES KEEP US FREE: THE SOAP BOX, THE BALLOT BOX, THE JURY BOX, AND THE CARTRIDGE BOX.

THIS POST WILL BE MONITORED BY THE NSA

Offline obumazombie

  • Siege engine to lib fortresses
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 21814
  • Reputation: +1659/-578
  • Last of the great minorities
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2013, 12:55:14 PM »
I will be posting all this on the "American Pickers" website.
There were only two options for gender. At last count there are at least 12, according to libs. By that standard, I'm a male lesbian.

Offline landofconfusion80

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4289
  • Reputation: +609/-116
Re: Old Radios and TVs
« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2013, 10:30:12 AM »
Any knowledge of "restomod" TVs/ appliances? I've got an old cherry Admiral TV out in the garage that I'd like to put newer guts into. 
One Who Grows (244 posts)
20. absolute bullshit. the cave is unspeakably vile.

I don't know how any of you can live with yourselves.

:)