/r/VintageRadios

Photograph via snooOG

Subreddit dedicated to vintage tube and antique crystal set radios. Please post pictures of your collection, and help out fellow redditors who need help in restoring them.

We're redditors who love antique radios of all kinds, with a special preference for tube radios. We want pictures, schematics, instructions, tips, insights, and ephemera! Please post what you know, your questions, and your help.

/r/VintageRadios

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8

I made an error, corrected it, then the whole set died...

Right, so I accidentally wire my rectifier diode wrong, I had my dropping resistor and my diode in series of course, but when I wired it, I accidentally bypassed the diode and went only through the resistor. (soldered to the wrong lug of the terminal strip i had). I ended up blowing the 33ohm resistor so I went back and wired it correctly then replaced the 33 with a new one. But when testing came I lost all amplification. No hum no nada. I've tested the tubes, a 1T4 seems to be dead. But the rest seem ok. All other components seem ok under the hood so I'm not sure where my problem is here. I did check the 3V4 and it seemed fine and I even replaced it as well as the 1T4 with spares to test and nothing changed. No output at all. Output transformer still works, so I'm not sure what's wrong. What now? How can I fix this? Thanks..

https://preview.redd.it/2a9jlmudlc4e1.png?width=1054&format=png&auto=webp&s=2d3ff6ec95e7ab539f5538342fd9674599c73579

0 Comments
2024/12/02
02:40 UTC

2

Where do I start with a General Electric RC 7431 A phonograph radio cabinet?

A neighbor had this in her basement and was using it as a table. She's moving and I picked it up.

I have built a few Raspberry Pi radios and may gut this while trying to use the radio controls . . but I am wondering if it's repairable for its original function PLUS streaming music.

It looks like there is non-original wire caps and electrical tape in there so someone may have worked on it at some point. Many of the wires are brittle. I didn't notice any bulging capacitors . . . but I barely know what a capacitor is.

The 110v cord is rotted away so that will be my first "fix".

All options are outside my comfort zone but Winter projects are good for Winter.

Any thoughts on whether this is worth any efforts to get running?

Any thoughts on resources to start? (A google search for this make/model turned up surprisingly little)

https://preview.redd.it/attugnx7pb4e1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2e4fe773e045d15d33d6400432b2b4898b79e702

https://preview.redd.it/d772jmx7pb4e1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b56fcb36c86e37bbc8528442508fb20f5fababc

https://preview.redd.it/8qprmhx7pb4e1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5df9da381ac5d295760cf09261d08569c80f9e7f

https://preview.redd.it/orqhzox7pb4e1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a63275358faa5e1ff55ddba93853fc6a0a298a6

https://preview.redd.it/eor60hx7pb4e1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d1a9d0350e0259e52cd9ab26aed3c4c579f70cf

https://preview.redd.it/tgf06px7pb4e1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63ae3873137f5a950e2bb9cb5e9b03b78639cfac

https://preview.redd.it/fplaktx7pb4e1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d740cd7ee59d30a0e834e71af05710995f3e5a6

https://preview.redd.it/9a0xlix7pb4e1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f84c7cd1c3fbee8e4aa3086d97e74dded18debf

https://preview.redd.it/j8uymkx7pb4e1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89c2bababb5ff405fa9a13ef3054181f701503d9

3 Comments
2024/12/01
23:43 UTC

3

Lost Brand: Anyone heard of them?

Hello, I have a BicSound 4400s FM Radio and Cassette player that I got from my grandparents house in rural Texas. I have search everywhere and found one post from a few years ago on this sub mentioning it, but not many people could find anything about the brand. I would greatly appreciate it if some people with better research skills then I can help me find out more about this brand and my radio.

https://preview.redd.it/qw0peujy5d3e1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=df64370f74f4273c0f7a22dee12b21f98f97db67

edit: added image

4 Comments
2024/11/27
03:30 UTC

6

1936 (ish?) 4 tube portable radio set identification help PLEASE?

Hi! I've been combing through Google Images all day and have got nothing. Can anyone identify the radio in this photograph? It's got a distinctive pattern you would think would be easy to find, but after hours of looking I've had no luck. The caption says it's a 4-tube radio and the image was taken in 1936. Edit: Photo was taken in Cleveland, so likely a US model, and it's being held by a 14 year old girl for size. Any help in identifying it would be enormous! Thanks!

https://preview.redd.it/dn1l7xe2wa3e1.jpg?width=1775&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e2f1653494746315a8c017be0ea40e7c0db48ce

17 Comments
2024/11/26
19:52 UTC

7

Limiting static on Antique tube battery farm AM, SW, LW radio through antenna feed.

I was told that to limit static coming through antenna lead into my antique battery operated AM, SW, LW, farm radio attach a capacitor of 0.05uf between the antenna lead and radio. Sound correct?

Also why 2 antenna leads coming from same radio?

1 for AM and 1 for SW?

Thanks to all for any and all "correct" answers.

3 Comments
2024/11/25
04:41 UTC

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