Antique Radios And Phonographs FAQ

01 Rec.antiques.radio+phono: Introduction

This is a regular posting of frequently-asked questions (FAQ) about ...

02 Rec.antiques.radio+phono: Charter

Discussion of the use, repair, and collecting of early standard-...

03 Rec.antiques.radio+phono: Exclusions

Amateur radio equipment discussion will be directed to the existing ...

04 What other newsgroups cover similar items?

There are several newsgroups covering broadcast and amateur radio;...

05 Where can I get needles for my Victrola.

Contact the Antique Phonograph Supply Company, Route 23, Box 123, ...

06 Where can I get replacement vacuum tubes for my radio?

There are several suppliers of tubes. Best known is ...

07 I would like to get an old radio or an old phonograph. Where can I find one?

Generally, these items are where you find them. There are ...

08 I found an EtherSnarf model YU4Q radio at an estate auction and got it for $125. Did I get rooked?...

...It looks complete, has ten tubes and ...

09 My neighbor's grandfather left him a Victor spring-powered phonograph he wants to sell me for $100. Should I buy it?

As with old radios, the worth of an old phonograph is its ...

10 I got an old Westinghouse cathedral radio from my neighbor when he cleaned out it his attic...

...He told me he put it up there when Fred ...

11 Can I get spares for restoring my Edison phonograph---for my Atwater Kent radio.

Parts 2 and 4 of this FAQ list suppliers of spares for phonos ...

12 Can I just jump in and fix my old radio?

I've never worked on vacuum tube equipment before but I'm a ham ...

13 I'm all thumbs around mechanical and electronics devices. Can I find people who know how to make these things work?

Yes. You may find someone locally who still does work on ...

14 What's the difference between this newsgroup and rec.audio.tubes.

Rec.antiques.radio+phono was created to move discussion of ...

15 How do I subscribe to the boatanchors mailing list?

(March '96). The following instructions are the last information ...

16 Books about phonographs

Books about phonographs are written mostly by hobbyists,...

17 My phonograph does not work. What can I do?

18 I have just found this wonderful windup phonograph. How can I tell if it works? I don't have time to read a book. What can I do?

Phonographs are found which look new. Others look as ...

19 I just found some 'thick' records. How can I play them?

Many people think that the ...

20 I just found a "Victrola." What is it worth?

Most people use the word 'Victrola' as a ...

21 Where can I read about my Victrola?

Buy the book Look for the Dog by Robert Baumbach. ...

22 Where can I find out about record auctions? Parts? Supplies for old phonographs?

Join MAPS, the ...

23 I want to buy an Edison Standard. Can you name some dealers in my area?

Generally the answer to this question is unfortunately 'no.'...

24 I just found a phonograph. I can't remember the name. Who made old phonographs anyway?

The phonograph ...

25 Where can I learn about the history of the phonograph?

write to Allen Koenigsberg, 502 E. 17th ...

26 What is a gramophone?

The British ...

27 I just found an Edison cylinder player. Where can I find out about how it works?

There is one authority on Edison players, both ...

28 Where can I find a list of cylinders which were made?

Wax cylinders made up until by Edison 1912 are ...

29 Are there any magazines which discuss old phonographs?

Yes: Personally, the most ...

30 What are the most common old phonographs?

The phonographs which have survived today ...

31 Are all phonograph cyliders the same?

Not

32 What is the difference between Victor and Victrola?

The Victor Talking Mahince ...

33 I have some 78s I got from my family. I am afraid of hurting them with a diamond needle. How can I play such records?

34 I've got a . What's it worth?

This is the most frequently-asked question in this newsgroup. It ...

35 What is published to tell me what an old radio is worth?

There are some guides that list prices. The most commonly ...

36 I just got an old radio at a yard sale for $5. It is a Radio WireTelevision Model J5. When was this radio built? Can I get it towork? Is this radio worth restoring? Can I get a schematicsomewhere.

Requests like this send everyone scrambling for their references,...

37 I just looked at a Radio Wire Television model B45...

... It has 13 ...

38 I saw a little table radio with a very pretty plastic case, butthe owner want hundreds of dollars for it...

... The case looks like marble, ...

39 Correlation between price and value?

Well, if a low-tech radio is worth hundreds of dollars because of ...

40 I keep hearing about "Neutrodyne," "Regenerative," "TRF," and"Superheterodyne." What do these terms mean?

The first home entertainment radios were crystal sets which used ...

41 I have an old radio-phono. The radio works fine, but the phono doesn't make any sound in the loudspeaker at all. What's the deal?

Your phono pickup probably uses a Rochelle salt crystal cartridge,...

42 Radio made in 1939 jack on the back labelled "television"

I just got an old radio that I think was made in 1939. But it has ...

43 I have a console with 6L6's and a twelve-inch loudspeaker. Is this "high fidelity?"...

... Just what can I expect to hear from my old radio ...

44 When was magnetic recording introduced?...

...I keep hearing ...

45 Philco cathedral radio - Can I get it to work better than it does now?

I have a nice old Philco cathedral radio that I have listened to ...

46 You say "electronic overhaul." Will that restore my set to like-new performance?

Generally, yes---actually, better than new. Modern resistors ...

47 Modern components?...

... But if I put modern components like ...

48 Philco battery-powered radio - Can I get a converter at Radio Shack?

I have a Philco battery-powered radio. It has a four-prong plug ...

49 Dating Old Radios By Their Tube Complement

The development of vacuum tubes, both electrically and mechanically,...

50 Dating Old Radios By Their Tube Complement p2

The tube complements are:...

51 Dating Old Radios By Their Tube Complement p3

This version was generally not built as a price leader ...

52 Dating Old Radios By Their Tube Complement: History and Other Designs

This ends the most common AC-DC section. Now we will ...

53 Dating Old Radios By Their Tube Complement: p1 Older radios

Home entertainment radio began in 1920. KDKA in Pittsburgh ...

54 Dating Old Radios By Their Tube Complement: p2 Older radios

Problems with secondary emission from the 24 were cured, more or less,...

55 Dating Old Radios By Their Tube Complement: p3 Older radios

Development of a button seal that could be used with glass ...

56 Where Can I Get Vacuum Tubes?

Antique Electronic ...

57 Where can I get tubes, electronic parts, knobs, dial lenses, grille cloth, schematics, literature, refinishing supplies, etc.?

The following suppliers carry a variety of merchandise for ...

58 p2 Where can I get tubes, electronic parts, knobs, dial lenses, grille cloth, schematics, literature, refinishing supplies, etc.?

Additional sources are contained in the following directory ...

59 p3 Where can I get tubes, electronic parts, knobs, dial lenses, grille cloth, schematics, literature, refinishing supplies, etc.?

Periodicals--...

60 p4 Where can I get tubes, electronic parts, knobs, dial lenses, grille cloth, schematics, literature, refinishing supplies, etc.?

Loudspeaker reconing:...

61 p5 Where can I get tubes, electronic parts, knobs, dial lenses, grille cloth, schematics, literature, refinishing supplies, etc.?

Some other suppliers for various things:...

62 p6 Where can I get tubes, electronic parts, knobs, dial lenses, grille cloth, schematics, literature, refinishing supplies, etc.?

Test equipment:...

63 Where can I get literature relevant to old radio design, repair,and history?

Bibliography:...

64 Cosmetic and cabinet finish

This section discusses some of the methods that can be used to clean ...

65 General purpose solvents that are generally mild and easy and effectiveto use

1. Water, with or without soap. Water is actually the most ...

66 Solvent application methodologies

The best methodology for using any of the above solvents is ...

67 Radio and electronic phono technical

WARNING: HIGH VOLTAGE. SHOCK and FIRE hazard. ...

68 I've got a very nice Philco tombstone radio that is only a decoration because it doesn't play. What can I do to get it to play.

This section of the FAQ addresses getting them to play as nicely ...

69 Why does a 35Z5 or 35W4 rectifier have a number 40 or 47 bulb connected across part of the heater?

The heater serves as a voltage divider. Resistance of ...

70 I just found a (very old tube) radio in a (barn, attic, junk sale, etc.). It's complete. Can I plug it in and see if it works?

If you didn't hear the radio playing, it would be very wise to ...

71 Clean without damaging

The chassis of my radio is covered with a thick layer of dust, ...

72 What about AF power amplifier bias circuits?

You can do a little inspecting to see what your radio uses....

73 I want to plug it in. What do I look for?

OK, I've checked that the tube heaters are continuous, that the ...

74 Nice old fifteen tube radio problems with insulation falling of the wiring

I have a nice old fifteen tube radio. It's got problems ...

75 What about electrolytic capacitors? Can they be re-formed?

Roy Morgan sent me a drill for re-forming old caps. Keep in ...

76 What about testing other caps?

This is also from Roy Morgan....

77 Under radio color markings: What does this mean

I looked under my radio and there are a lot of parts with ...

78 Tubes covered with wax - What should I do about this?

My old radio has a lot of tubes covered with wax, and some of the ...

79 RCA model 630 ten inch TV set

I found an RCA model 630 ten inch TV set at a flea market. ...

80 My radio plays, but the audio is distorted

81 "All American Five" 50L6 radio

82 What sort of tools and test equipment do I need.

A 20,000 ohms/volt multimeter is indispensible. They are ...

83 My radio is supposed to have 295 volts on the screen of the 6L6 amplifiers. I read 303.5 on my digital voltmeter. Is something wrong?

Yes, both your expectation that the screens are supposed to read ...

84 I don't trust the calibration of my instruments? What can I use tocheck them?

There is a good frequency standard available for free: WWV, ...

85 Tek scope to trouble-shoot my AC-DC set, got sparks and burned out the wire

I tried to use a Tek scope to trouble-shoot my AC-DC set, but when ...

86 I want to fix my old radio myself, and have never used a soldering iron before. What do I need to do?

Soldering equipment for radio work is discussed in section 8 of ...

87 Replacing capacitors

Replacing all those capacitors is a lot of work. Somebody told ...

88 Where can I get look-alike wax paper caps?

I have an early 1930's radio and want to replace the wax ...

89 phonos and radio Tools

If you are going to work on anything yourself, you will need some ...

90 What do you consider basic tools for working on old phonos or radios?

There are a number of common small tools for working with any ...

91 Where do I get good tools?

You can get them from sources that sell primarily to the ...

92 What about soldering equipment for electronics work?

All of the manufacturers that use solder to connect ...

93 I need to solder some sheet metal, and my soldering iron won't melt the solder onto the metal.

The soldering process for electronics work is conceptually the ...

94 Test Equipment

The most frequently asked questions are about tube testers, and ...

95 People talk about using a "Simpson meter." I'm tired of hearing about Simpson. And what do Simpsons have to do with electronics?

The Simpson model 260, first produced right after WW II, is the ...

96 What other test equipment is "basic" for working on old radios.

For most work, the basic instruments that will do almost ...

97 Hickock generator vs Hewlett Packard signal generator. What's the real difference here?

I saw a Hewlett Packard signal generator at a hamfest, and, at ...

98 What about VTVM's?...

...I notice that you can get a service grade ...

99 What about signal tracers/analyzers. You mentioned these. What do they do?

These came in several configurations. The fanciest ones were ...

100 Tek 535 oscilloscope with some plugins

I have a chance to get a Tek 535 oscilloscope with some plugins ...

101 Tube tester

Ok, I've read through all the blather about meters, ...

102 Advantages/disadvantages oftube tester by Hickok (600, 6000, others), military (TV2C)

(The following was furnished by Dan Schoo)...