The Rochester Amateur Radio Association

The Lore of Vintage Communications Receivers
Rochester Amateur Radio Association
By Kevin Carey, WB2QMY
Receiver photos courtesy of Universal Radio, Inc.
www.dxing.com
1
What We’ll Cover
Communications Receivers of the 1945-1980 era
1.6 to 30 MHz frequency range
Primarily tube-types, Made in USA
Reasons for the current interest
Locating a vintage rig
Simple repairs & restoration tips
Soup-ups for your classic rig
2
How Far Back Can We Go?
Who owns or uses a rig older than:
1980, 1960, 1940, 1930?
3
What’s Old is New Again
Why the new interest?
Vintage rigs don’t “age-out” like other electronics
Early rigs had “attitude”
Today’s radios can leave us unfulfilled
Relive earlier times (first station, more innocent
world, etc.)
Newer listeners want to know what it was like,
and also save $$.
Challenge—they don’t always work right away
(tubes, calibration, capacitors, etc.)
4
Who’d Have Thought?
Not quite a swimsuit calendar, but…
5
Finding Old Iron
In-person sales
Do your research! (dxing.com, rigpix.com,
eham.net, Google, specialty books on your make)
Word of mouth (radio clubs, friends, on the air)
Swap meets & Hamfests
Good deals to be had, often a large selection
Ask if sellers have any vintage gear they didn’t bring
“hands-on” environment
Negotiation almost expected! (Is manual present?, any
deficiencies noted, is it getting late in the day?)
Last resort—leave a card with seller
6
7
Finding Old Iron
Classified Ads (Print & Online)
QST—Specific
listings for
Antique/Vintage/Classic gear
www.arrl.org Classified “Radios On-Line”
section (Antique/Vintage, and Receivers)
AWA Journal (formerly Old Timer’s Bulletin)
Electric Radio Magazine
Antique Radio Classified
8
Must-haves for the Serious
Collector
9
The “Bluebook” of Vintage Receivers
10
The eBay Revolution!
Find your treasure @ www.ebay.com
Nemesis to hamfests, or a boon to collectors?
Has driven prices higher in many cases
Huge volume of vintage gear now sold this way!
Worldwide market for both buyers & sellers
Give it a try…registration is free, easy
Reasonably safe medium (Feedback scores, verified
identities).
Walk-in services in some cities—They’ll can do the
work for you!
11
The eBay Revolution!
Search
tool—just enter keyword(s) for the
item(s) you’re looking for
You can converse with sellers via e-mail
Place a maximum bid for an item, and the
system bids on your behalf, as necessary.
Convenient payment options (credit card via
PayPal, check, money order)
Study the tutorials, become a “pro” user!
12
A “Model” eBay Auction
13
Description & Photo Section
14
Close-Up Photo of Dial
15
Internal View
16
Manual Included!
17
Payment & Shipping Details
Place your
max. bid here
18
Caveats to Online Auctions
Auctions designed to get the highest possible price
for an item. Don’t expect “super” deals unless
there is low demand for an item.
Shipping costs & concerns: Will they pack it
right?, must you be home for delivery?
Is a picture really worth a thousand words?
(performance issues, cigarette stench, paint finish)
You must ask questions to be sure! If not satisfied
with answers, don’t bid.
There are other fish in the sea!
19
Strategies
Decide the maximum you’re willing to pay, and
bid that amount (Remember shipping
costs—boatanchors can be heavy!)
“Reserve not met” message
“Buy Now” option—If you positively must have
that radio! Removes competition.
An odd bid may help due to bid increments
(i.e., $153.57 instead of $150.00)
How long is the auction? Early activity often
drives the price up.
“Watch” the auction to track its status
20
Strategies (Cont’d)
Check
feedback score of seller. How many
sales, how many negative, pos. & neutral?
Always pay promptly—simply click “Pay
Now” button when you win
Leave prompt, honest feedback
21
Vintage Radio Dealers
Military/industrial
surplus (Fair Radio
Sales, Toronto Surplus, etc.)
Radio Recyclers, RadioFinder
Usually not the cheapest way to
go, but items are fairly represented
May include a limited warranty
Don’t rule out “parts” sets, even before you
find your dream rig.
22
It’s on Your Bench
Now What?
Visual
checks—No power yet!
Gathering information on your set
SAFETY!
First power-up
“On-the-air” evaluation
23
Visual Checks
Don’t
just do something, stand there!
Learn all you can about the set (manuals,
reviews, service records, web searches, etc.)
Do the controls move freely?
Debris inside? signs of previous troubles?
(charring, electrical smell?)
How’s the line cord look?
Is the set properly fused? (if not, why not?)
24
SAFETY FIRST!
Check wiring (inside and out). Insulation may be
brittle, disintegrated.
“Hot Chassis” concern with AC/DC sets—Test
with a VOM against ground.
High voltages present—300V or more possible.
“One-handed” technique.
Beware of hot tubes, sharp metal!
See www.stanwatkins.com/safety.htm for more
safety tips
25
First Power-Up (Smoke Test)
Use
a variable transformer (“Variac”) to
bring the power up slowly, look for
excessive current draw.
Look, listen, smell for problems.
Variac seen at RARA Auction, just $10!
26
First Power-Up (Cont’d)
Document all problems you find
Are all tubes/pilot lights lit?
Noise from speaker?
Try tuning in a few local broadcast stations. How
close is the dial calibration?
“Scratchy” controls/switches?
“S” meter working?
Try other bands (WWV, CHU signals)
27
Simple Repairs
And Restoration Tips
Decide level of restoration you want to
Should it be left original, or restored to
do
showroom condition?
Is it damage, or “honest wear”
Consider a “phased” approach (safe,
operational, then cosmetic
Do
it yourself, or professional service?
Do you have the necessary tools?
28
The Restorer’s Toolkit
Variac (or series light bulb tester)
Tuner cleaner (DeoxIT by Caig Laboratories)
Canned air
Tube Tester (Eico, Hickok, Federal)
VOM/VTVM
Scope is nice, but not essential
Assorted handtools (small screwdrivers,
nutdrivers, needle-nose pliers, etc.)
Manuals, Parts Catalogs
Capacitor Tester (Eico 955, or equiv.)
29
The Restorer’s Toolkit (Cont’d)
RF/AF Generator (Eico, Hickok, HP, McMurdo
Silver, etc.)
Alignment tools (non-metallic)
Toothbrush
Soft brushes for cleaning dials, chassis, etc.
Mini attachments for vacuum cleaners (available
at discount stores)
Soldering/de-soldering equipment
“Test speaker” with clip leads
30
The Restorer’s Toolkit (Cont’d)
Needle-tip
lubricator (RS# 64-2301A)
Test antenna (10-15 foot wire w/alligator
clip)
Alligator test clips
Component Freeze Spray
Tubes
Fuses
31
Repair/Restoration Tips
Scratchy controls/switches
Shot of contact cleaner may help (spray in openings, or
along shaft)
If too far worn, replace it
AC Hum
Common problem in older receivers
Usually caused by disintegrated filter capacitors in p.s.
Test by jumping a known-good unit across existing cap
32
Repair/Restoration Tips
Paper/wax capacitor failures
A notorious problem in older RXs
Can cause distortion, intermittents, and “motorboating”
Happens when capacitor materials dry out, disintegrates
Modern (sealed plastic) replacements are available--
often sold as “kits” for a particular set.
Purists often “re-cap” an entire set as standard policy
Modern capacitors can sometimes be “hidden” inside
vintage component casings—tough work though.
33
Repair/Restoration Tips
Tubes
Often an overblown problem—most types still avail.
Substitution guides can be helpful
Solid state replacements available for some tubes
Make a location chart before removing or cleaning
tubes
Tip: Worn lettering may become readable by cooling
tube in freezer, then breathing on it.
Clean tube sockets with contact cleaner, rock tube
Tube Testers often seen at hamfests ($35-$100).
(Hickok model 6000 said to be best for vintage radio
work. Federal TV-2A also excellent.)
34
Repair/Restoration Tips
Speaker Tears
Easily repaired w/ tissue paper and glue
There are also speaker rebuilding services
Dial Cord Replacement/Service
Get a dial cord diagram, or make one before touching
cord. Dial cord books sometimes found at hamfests
Long tweezers (hemostat type) useful for stringing dial
cord around pulleys, shafts, etc.
Many sizes & types of cord available through vintage
radio dealers
Slipping cord can be fixed by removing spring at pulley
& twisting a few turns. Musician’s Rosin also helpful. 35
Dial Cord & Tube Guidebooks
36
Typical Dial Cord Drawing
37
Repair/Restoration Tips
Shorting Tuning Capacitor Plates
Symptoms include audible rubbing, signal drop-out
Use ohm meter to determine trouble area
Outer plates most susceptible to damage
Straighten plates gently with fingernail or jeweler’s
screwdriver
Line Cords
AES, others offer many types of replacement cords &
plugs
Consider using a plug with fuse holders built in
38
Repair/Restoration Tips
Receiver
Alignment
Not always necessary—check performance
Do not attempt alignment without manual.
Often very complex (hi/lo end of scale, etc.)
Observe all pre-settings and warm-up times
Stripped coil form threads? String wrapped
around slug may fix it, or small rubber band
alongside threads.
39
Repair/Restoration Tips
Cosmetic Attention
Proceed at your own risk! Every case is unique.
Use mild cleaners only—test in a hidden spot
Front panel, knobs can be removed for cleaning
Non-ammonia Windex , Murphy Oil Soap often used,
along with very soft cloth, or brush
Dishwasher technique for front panels (use caution)
Toothbrush or Q-tip may help in hard-to-reach areas
NEVER wash dial scales! Use very soft brush to clean
dust off—nothing more—printing may be erased!
Canned air/vacuum tools
40
Repair/Restoration Tips
Cosmetic Attention (Cont’d)
Touch-up paints available for many models. Can be
applied with a toothpick for minor chips. (Make sure
surface is horizontal)
Replacement front panels & dial glass available for
some models
Novus #1, #2 for plastic knobs and some trim
Old English scratch cover (for wood cabinets)
Pledge furniture polish brings out luster on front panels,
cabinets, crinkle finishes
41
Using Vintage Receivers
Have reasonable expectations.
“Sunday Drive” philosophy
In 1955, there were: less crowded bands, fewer
interference sources, fewer modes to deal with
Some
higher end units can still hold their
own today (Collins, National, the 3 H’s)
Most will have better audio…all will help
warm your shack!
42
Soup-Ups
Avoid physical modification of your rig. No
drilling!
Many external items available to improve
performance
Audio Filter—for peaking desired signals & notching
heterodynes. (MFJ 751B, 722 good choices, others
available)
Crystal Calibrator—Easily homebrewed, simple design
online at: www.rason.org/Projects/calibrat.htm
External Digital Frequency Readout—Simple
connection to VFO, direct reading. Check offerings by
“Almost All Digital Electronics”
43
Soup-Ups (Cont’d)
High-Pass Filters to eliminate BCB QRM
Check offerings by Par Electronics, others
Preselectors, Preamplifiers
May boost sluggish performance, esp. on higher
frequencies (above 20 MHz)
Check offerings by MFJ, others
Audio Matching Transformers
Helps match 600-ohm output impedance on older rigs
to common 8-ohm impedance for today’s speakers.
RS #32-1031B “Line Transformer” a good choice.
Greatly improves audio quality on R-390/A
44
We Have Local Resources!
Antique
Wireless Association (AWA)
Glenwood Sales (RARA Advertiser)
Goldcrest Electronics (Rochester)
Radio Daze (Victor)
45
Vintage Radio References
Books
The ARRL Handbook
Preferably from an era matching your receiver. Commonly available at hamfests, swapmeets, eBay
Available new from American Radio Relay League, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111 or online at:
www.arrl.org.
Modern Radio Servicing by Alfred A. Ghirardi, 1935 and later editions. May be available online from
ABE books (www.abebooks.com) or similar vintage booksellers.
Receiver Troubleshooting and Repair, Alfred A. Ghirardi, sixth printing 1955. May be available online
from ABE books (www.abebooks.com) or similar vintage booksellers.
Shortwave Receivers Past and Present, Fred Osterman, Universal Radio Research, 6830 Americana
Parkway, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068. www.universal-radio.com
Antique Radios, Restoration and Price Guide, David and Betty Johnson, 1982, Wallace-Homestead
Book Company, 201 King of Prussia Road, Radnor, PA 19089. May also be available online from ABE
books (www.abebooks.com) or similar vintage booksellers.
Ham Equipment Price Guide, Dave Goodman, KG6JTB. 1219 W. Saint George Dr., San Dimas, CA
91773 www.kg6jtb.freewebspace.com
46
Vintage Radio References
Books (Cont’d)
How to Repair Old-Time Radios, Clayton Hallmark, Tab Books, Blue Ridge Summit, PA
ISBN 0-8306-7342-3. May also be available online from ABE books (www.abebooks.com) or similar
vintage booksellers.
Elements of Radio, Abraham Marcus and William Marcus, 1948 & later editions, Prentice-Hall, Inc.
May be available online from ABE books (www.abebooks.com) or similar vintage booksellers.
The Zenith Trans-Oceanic—The Royalty of Radios, 1995, By John Bryant and Harold Cones,
Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310 www.schifferbooks.com
Equipment Manuals
W7FG Vintage Manuals (highly recommended source) 402731 West 2155 Drive, Bartlesville,
Oklahoma 74006. Tel. 918-333-3754, Order Line: 800-807-6146 www.w7fg.com/ (Owned by local
ham, Jeff Ach, W2FU)
The Boat Anchor Manual Archive (BAMA), Online manuals that may be downloaded electronically,
huge selection. http://bama.sbc.edu/
Fair Radio Sales (military surplus manuals), 2395 St. Johns Rd., P.O. Box 1105, Lima, OH 4580247
1105, Tel. 419-227-6573. www.fairradio.com
Vintage Radio References
Equipment Manuals (Cont’d)
The Manual Man, 27 Walling St., Sayreville, NJ 08872-1818, Tel. 908-238-8964
Cardwell Condenser Corporation (Hammarlund manuals) 80 East Montauk Highway,
Lindenhurst, NY11757. Tel. 516-957-7200
Surplus Sales of Nebraska (primarily Collins manuals), 1218 Nicholas Street, Omaha, NE
68102-4221. Tel. 402-346-4750, 800-244-4567
Howard W. Sams & Company, P.O. Box 7092, Indianapolis, IN 46207-7092. Tel. 800-428SAMS
A.G. Tannenbaum, P.O. Box 386, Ambler, PA 19002. Tel. 215-657-0106.
www.agtannenbaum.com
48
Vintage Radio References
Tubes, Parts & Restoration Supplies
Antique Electronic Supply, 6221 South Maple Ave., Tempe, AZ 85283. Tel. 602-820-5411
www.tubesandmore.com (Highly recommended resource—everything for the vintage radio
enthusiast)
Webtubes.com (online resource for early radio books and related publications)
www.webtubes.com
Play Things of Past, catalog requests to: Gary B. Schneider, 9511 Sunrise Blvd., #J23,
Cleveland, OH 44133. Tel. 216-582-3904 (large selection of vintage parts)
Electron Tube Enterprises, 11 Linden Ln, Box 8311, Essex, VT 05451. Tel. 802-879-7764
Almost All Digital Electronics, 1412 Elm St., S.E. Auburn, WA 98092. Tel. 253-351-9316
(Digital Frequency Readouts for vintage receivers) www.aade.com
Radio Adventures Company, RD 4 Box 240, Franklin, PA 16323 Tel. 814-437-5355 (Digital
Frequency Readouts for vintage receivers, other items of interest to hams)
R & R Designs Classic Radio Paints, 202 Midvale Drive Marshall, WI 53559 Tel. 1-608-6554857 (Touch-up paint for vintage gear, Hammarlund clocks, HQ-129X front panels, various
other parts & radio connectors)
Frontier Capacitor, P.O. Box 218, 403 S. McIntosh St., Lehr, North Dakota 58460
Tel. 701-378-2341
49
Vintage Radio References
Tubes, Parts & Restoration Supplies (Cont’d)
Surplus Sales of Nebraska, 1502 Jones St., Omaha, NE 68102 Tel. 402-346-4750
www.surplussales.com
George H. Fathauer & Assoc., LLC, Early Radio & Collector Tubes, 688 W. First St., Suite 4,
Tempe, AZ 85281 e-mail: fathauer@home.com
Fair Radio Sales, 2395 St. Johns Rd., P.O. Box 1105, Lima, OH 45802-1105, Tel. 419-2276573. www.fairradio.com
W.J. Ford Surplus, 4 Wellington St., P.O. Box 606, Smith Falls, ON K7A 4T6 Canada
Tel. 613-283-5195 www.testequipmentcanada.com
Radio Daze Vintage Radio & Electronics, 7620 Omnitech Place, Victor, NY 14564
(Showroom near Rochester, NY, as well as online ordering. Impressive, growing selection of,
parts, tubes & restoration supplies)
MFJ Enterprises, 300 Industrial Park Road, Starkville, MS 39759 Tel. 662-323-5869
www.mfjenterprises.com (Receiving accessories, other ham/SWL items)
Universal Radio, Inc., 6830 Americana Parkway, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068.
www.universal-radio.com (Interesting selection of books on radio history & collecting)
50
Vintage Radio References
Tubes, Parts & Restoration Supplies (Cont’d)
Just Radios, Dave & Babylyn Cantelon, 42 Clematis Road, North York, ON Canada M2J 4X2
www.justradios.com (capacitor kits for tube radios)
Toronto Surplus and Scientific www.torontosurplus.com
Museums
Antique Wireless Assn. Museum, 2 South Avenue, Bloomfield, NY 14469
www.antiquewireless.org (Website has selections from the AWA Journal, classified ads,
business card ads, photo tour of the museum, excellent links on radio history, AWA
membership info, and much more—a must visit!)
Museum of Radio & Technology, Inc., 1640 Florence Ave., Huntington, WV 25701
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~postr/MRT/index.htm
Hammond Museum of Radio, Hammond Mfg., 595 Southgate Drive, Guelph, ON Canada
(Excellent representation of communications gear, Founded by Fred Hammond, VE3HC
www.kwarc.on.ca/hammond
New England Wireless and Steam Museum, 1300 Frenchtown Road, East Greenwich, RI
02818 USA Telephone: 401-885-0545 http://users.ids.net/~newsm/
John Dilks’ (K2TQN) Mobile Radio Museum. Museum information online at:
www.eht.com/oldradio/museum/
51
Vintage Radio References
Periodicals
AWA Journal, Available with membership in the AWA, Dues: $20/yr., P.O. Box 421,
Bloomfield, New York 14469 www.antiquewireless.org
Electric Radio, P.O. Box 242, Bailey, CO 80421-0242 Tel. 720-942-0171 $1 for sample
copy. er@frontier.net
Antique Radio Classified, P.O. Box 802-N14, Carlisle, MA 01741 $39.49/yr. (6-month trial
$19.95 www.antiqueradio.com
Monitoring Times Magazine, (Radio Restorations column) 7540 Highway 64 West,
Brasstown, NC 28902-0098 Tel. 828-837-2216 www.monitoringtimes.com
QST Magazine, (Old Radio column), American Radio Relay League, 225 Main St.,
Newington, CT 06111. QST available with ARRL Membership, Dues: $39/yr. www.arrl.org
Internet & Online Resources
Sci.electronics.repair FAQ—Huge collection of tips for troubleshooting electronic gear
www.repairfaq.org
Boatanchor FAQ—Nice collection of writings on getting started, where to find parts, etc.
www.virhistory.com/ham/rrab.faq.htm
52
Vintage Radio Resources
Internet & Online Resources (Cont’d)
Boatanchors News Group—Discussion group for vintage ham/swl gear.
Rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors
National Radio Restoration Hints
www.io.com/~nielw/Hint.htm
The Heathkit Shop—Information & parts for Heathkit restoration
www.theheathkitshop.com
RTO Electronics—Heath restoration and repair service
www.rtoham.com
Total Electronics—Heath Repair, Plus Paint & Silkscreen services for many models
www.angelfire.com/nc/totalelectronics
Martek Radio, LLC—Vintage amateur and shortwave radio repair & alignment. 240 Hiram
Allen Rd., Blythewood, SC 29016 Tel. 803-786-4607 e-mail: w7do@msn.com
Miltronix—Repair & restoration of R-390 series receivers and some other “R” series
receivers. Rick Mish, 36 E. Manhatten Blvd., Toledo, OH 43608 Tel. 419-255-6220
www.dxing.com/r390/mish.htm
53
Vintage Radio Resources
Internet & Online Resources (Cont’d)
Glen Zook—Collins, Heath & other repairs/restorations/parts http://home.comcast.net/~zcomco/
Boatanchor Classifieds www.dealamerica.com/deal/cgi-bin/ads/bcads.cgi
Bry’s Price Guide—Survey of asking prices for vintage/classic radios
www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/8701/ham/boneyard.htm
John Kendall’s Vintage Electronics—Online selection of swl/ham/broadcast gear
www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/
My Vintage Radios—Equipment repair & restoration service, silkscreening
www.myvintageradios.com
The Hammarlund Historian—History of the Hammarlund Co., information resources and
pictures www.hammarlund.info/
W.J Ford Surplus Enterprises—Receivers, transmitters, test gear, components
www.testequipmentcanada.com/
54
Vintage Radio Resources
Internet & Online Resources (Cont’d)
DXing.com—Excellent resource pages with pictures and specs of many models
www.dxing.com/rx/tindex.htm
Boatanchor Pix—Photos and information about many vintage models
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~postr/bapix/
E-ham.com—Wide-ranging discussion board with an area for vintage/classic gear. User’s
opinions, quirks of certain models, tips www.eham.com
55
What We’ve Covered…
Boatanchors
are fun to work on and use!
Where to find them, including eBay
Initial checkout, safety
Tools you’ll need
Common problems & restoration tips
Add-ons for boosting performance
References where you can learn more
56
Thanks for attending!
57
Other Questions:
wb2qmy@arrl.net
OR:
Kevincarey@monitoringtimes.com
58