Practically Fixed
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71 Yr Old 4-Tube Vacuum Tube Radio Resurrection - 1953 Hallicrafters "Atom" Models AT-1, 2, &3 [4k]
1953 Hallicrafters "Atom" radio out from someone's junk box in unknown condition. Let's see if it works and if not can we fix it? Do we want to? Is that Silver Mica Disease? Hint: there is a gimmick involved.
See the checklist which appears when status changes, for tracking what is discovered that needs addressing in Red, followed by Green when resolved.
NOTE: This is not instruction, it is for entertainment for people like me who enjoy watching projects and the experiences gained. If you attempt to do any of the things in this video you are at your own risk. I am using special tech-bench safety equipment not detailed here so don't take for granted you can just plug these old items in safely without them being checked and repaired correctly. Check out the link below to Mr Carlson's Lab video below.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND REFERENCES:
[note: am in no way representing how these folks have shown doing these things - I don't even think they would approve.]
Schematics: NostalgiaAir.com
Thanks to shango066 for championing the approach of "fix it first", before mass re-capping. See shango066 for many examples of that approach.
@shango066
Awesome discussion of bench safety including variacs and isolation transformers by Mr Carlson's Lab (highly recommended):
ua-cam.com/video/XBsQ3sZ45Fk/v-deo.html
@MrCarlsonsLab
Modification method for a commercial Tripp Lite isolation transformer for tech-bench use by Todd Harrison, his channel is called ToddFun:
ua-cam.com/video/11Yve2ijWyk/v-deo.html
@ToddFun
Camera: Canon G7X Mark III
Mic: Rode Micro
Video Editing Software: Power Director
Video Editor: just me
People interested in the following topics may be interested in the subject matter of this video: 1950s radios, tube radio repair, tube radio restoration, vacuum tube radio recapping, silver mica disease, SMD, silver ion migration, IF can repair, IF transformer repair, gimmick capacitor, The Hallicrafters, Radio, hallicrafters tube radio, radio recapping, valve radio, Vintage Radio, antique radio, old radio repair, vintage radio, rf coil repair, shango066, mr carlson, radio repair and restoration, 1950s radio restoration, tube radio restoration, radio restoration videos, all American five radio, aa5, aa4, aa6, buy it fix it, repair cafe
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60 Yr Old Vacuum Tube Reel-To-Reel Recorder/Player 4 Channel Stereo - Sony TC-500 [4K]
Переглядів 1 тис.4 місяці тому
1964 Stereo Reel-To-Reel Recorder/Player with Stereo Tube Amplifier. Sony TC-500 Tapecorder. Picked this up from a man who said he thought it had a motor problem and had a video showing it starting to turn but stopping. When I picked it up we could not open the unit up to check it, but we bought it anyway and took a chance. Let's take a look at this vintage stereo technology and if we can get i...
Fixing My Vintage Electronics Workbench - Brief Update on my Working Setup [4K]
Переглядів 3164 місяці тому
Fixing my workbench setup to add some space and reorganization. Also updated my lighting. Thanks to Goodwill! NOTE: This is not instruction, it is for entertainment for people like me who enjoy watching projects and the experiences gained. If you attempt to do any of the things in this video you are at your own risk. I am using special tech-bench safety equipment not detailed here so don't take...
Zenith Tube Radio and the Story BEHIND Civil Defense Radio Markings - 1961 XD50G Restoration [4K]
Переглядів 2,4 тис.7 місяців тому
1961 Zenith Consoltone Tube Radio in for inspection and restoration/updating. We also discuss the Civil Defense CD markings on the radio dial. This will explore the story Behind those markings, and answer some of those questions you may have had. Note: This CONELRAD system was at least partially put into action a few times, due to some isolated false alarm cases. In some cases, the results were...
Tuner & Chassis Restoration - 94 year old Philco Mod. 20 - 1930 - Vacuum Tube TRF Radio - Pt 5 [4K]
Переглядів 7888 місяців тому
Part 5 - Chassis and Electrical Restoration with complete Tuner Tear Down and Restoration for this now 94 Year Old Philco vacuum tube radio is a Tuned Radio Frequency or TRF design which pre-dates Superheterodyne radios in the market place. The first superhet was sold in 1924 according to wiki, but TRFs were still sold for a few more years to come. In Parts 1 and 2 we thoroughly evaluated this ...
94 Year Old Philco Model 20 - 1930 - Power Switch Repair - Vacuum Tube TRF Radio - Part 4 [4K]
Переглядів 4278 місяців тому
Part 4 - Power Switch Repair for this now 94 Year Old Philco vacuum tube radio is a Tuned Radio Frequency or TRF design which pre-dates Superheterodyne radios in the market place. The first superhet was sold in 1924 according to wiki, but TRFs were still sold for a few more years to come. I believe the part number of the switch we are looking at is a Philco part 4095, and is made by H&H. In Par...
Transformer Repair - Philco Mod 20 Vacuum Tube TRF Radio - 94 Year Old Tube Radio - Part 3 [4K]
Переглядів 4528 місяців тому
Part 3 - Transformer Repair of this now 94 Year Old vacuum tube radio is a Tuned Radio Frequency or TRF design which pre-dates Superheterodyne radios in the market place. The first superhet was sold in 1924 according to wiki, but TRFs were still sold for a few more years to come. In Parts 1 and 2 we thoroughly evaluated this old radio and at the end of Part 2 we even got it to work and receive ...
Philco Model 20 Vacuum Tube TRF Radio Repair - 1930 - 93 Year Old Tube Radio - Part 2 [4K]
Переглядів 2,8 тис.Рік тому
Part 2 - This 93 Year Old vacuum tube radio is a Tuned Radio Frequency or TRF design which pre-dates Superheterodyne radios in the market place. The first superhet was sold in 1924 according to wiki, but TRFs were still sold for a few more years to come. This came to me via a friend and was owned by his Uncle who had intended to repair and restore it but never did get to it. Let's get her worki...
Philco Model 20 Vacuum Tube TRF Radio Repair - 1930 - 93 Year Old Tube Radio - Part 1 [4K]
Переглядів 4,2 тис.Рік тому
This 93 Year Old vacuum tube radio is a Tuned Radio Frequency or TRF design which pre-dates Superheterodyne radios in the market place. The first superhet was sold in 1924 according to wiki, but TRFs were still sold for years to come. This came to me via a friend and was owned by his Uncle who had intended to repair and restore it but never did get to it. Let's get her working. See the checklis...
RCA Victor 1-X-51 Vacuum Tube Radio Repair 1951 - This was - Supposed - to be Easy! - Part 2 [4K]
Переглядів 1,3 тис.Рік тому
Part 2 - 72 year old AM vacuum tube radio with a cool dial and bakelite case is on the bench for repair. Should be pretty straight forward All American Five repair, right? Supposed to be... ! See the checklist which appears when status changes, for tracking what is discovered that needs addressing in Red, followed by Green when resolved. Also similar to RCA Model 1-X-52, 1-X-53, 1-X-54, 1-X-54,...
RCA Victor 1-X-51 Vacuum Tube Radio Repair 1951 - This was - Supposed - to be Easy! - Part 1 [4K]
Переглядів 1,1 тис.Рік тому
72 year old AM vacuum tube radio with a cool dial and bakelite case is on the bench for repair. Should be pretty straight forward All American Five repair, right? Supposed to be... ! See the checklist which appears when status changes, for tracking what is discovered that needs addressing in Red, followed by Green when resolved. Also similar to RCA Model 1-X-52, 1-X-53, 1-X-54, 1-X-54, 1-X-55, ...
Zenith Troubleshooting Challenge - Transistor Clock Radio Repair Mid 1960s Model B258W [4K]
Переглядів 1,1 тис.Рік тому
Let's take a look at this 60 year old transistor clock radio. It appears to be from about 1964 but I am not certain of its date. The chassis was used in many models with differing case designs and consists of only 4 transistors. It can run quite well being driven by a single output transistor as a Class A amplifier. Unfortunately, this little clock radio does not work. Let's see if we can bring...
Finale - 1940 Zenith "Long Distance" Portable - Vacuum Tube Radio 6D510 Part 2 [4K]
Переглядів 1,1 тис.Рік тому
Project Finale - Portable Zenith from 1940. Let's go through it and see if we can get it to play and sound good again. ERRATA: * Jim Burns' UA-cam channel is given incorrectly. It should be @jimburns348 (apologies Jim) See the checklist which appears, when status changes, for tracking what is discovered that needs addressing in Red, followed by Green when resolved. NOTE: This is not instruction...
1940 Zenith "Long Distance" Portable Diagnostics & Electrical - Vacuum Tube Radio 6D510 Part 1 [4K]
Переглядів 1,7 тис.Рік тому
Portable Zenith from 1940. Let's go through it and see if we can get it to play and sound good again. See the checklist which appears, when status changes, for tracking what is discovered that needs addressing in Red, followed by Green when resolved. ERRATA: The San Antonio AM1200 Station is WOAI, not WAOI. NOTE: This is not instruction, it is for entertainment for people like me who enjoy watc...
Finale - RADIOACTIVE Clock Radio Project - 1951 Vacuum Tube Radio GE 512F Part 3/3 [4K]
Переглядів 766Рік тому
"The World's Most Useful Radio!, some say", according to GE in 1951.Let's go through it carefully and see if we can fix it up. PLEASE NOTE: this clock has hazardous radioactive paint on the hands. If you do anything I do here, which I do not recommend, do your own research on the hazards and you are at your own risk. This is not instruction on how to be safe with these clocks, simply entertainm...
The RADIOACTIVE Telechron Clock Radio Project - 1951 Vacuum Tube Clock Radio GE 512F Part 2 [4K]
Переглядів 960Рік тому
The RADIOACTIVE Telechron Clock Radio Project - 1951 Vacuum Tube Clock Radio GE 512F Part 2 [4K]
Rare REED-TYPE Speaker in a 1964 Transistor Radio RESURRECTION - GE P807J [4K]
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Rare REED-TYPE Speaker in a 1964 Transistor Radio RESURRECTION - GE P807J [4K]
Part 3/3 AUTRONIC-EYE: 1952 CLASSIC CAR ACCESSORY "FINALE" - GM Chevrolet Vacuum Tubes [4K]
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Part 3/3 AUTRONIC-EYE: 1952 CLASSIC CAR ACCESSORY "FINALE" - GM Chevrolet Vacuum Tubes [4K]
Part 2 AUTRONIC-EYE: 1952 CLASSIC CAR ACCESSORY "Troubleshooting" - GM Chevrolet Vacuum Tubes [4K]
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Part 2 AUTRONIC-EYE: 1952 CLASSIC CAR ACCESSORY "Troubleshooting" - GM Chevrolet Vacuum Tubes [4K]
AUTRONIC-EYE: 1952 CLASSIC CAR ACCESSORY - GM Chevrolet Vacuum Tubes - Part 1 Initial Diagnosis [4K]
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AUTRONIC-EYE: 1952 CLASSIC CAR ACCESSORY - GM Chevrolet Vacuum Tubes - Part 1 Initial Diagnosis [4K]
COMING SOON - THIRD CHALLENGE REVEAL - FIRST TIME TO SEE THIS 1953 TECHNOLOGY
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COMING SOON - THIRD CHALLENGE REVEAL - FIRST TIME TO SEE THIS 1953 TECHNOLOGY
MAXIMIZING SENSITIVITY / FINALE - 1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Part 6 - CHEVY MODEL 986668 [4K]
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MAXIMIZING SENSITIVITY / FINALE - 1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Part 6 - CHEVY MODEL 986668 [4K]
A TRANSFORMER'S DARK HIDDEN PROBLEM - 1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Pt5 - CHEVY MODEL 986668 [4K]
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A TRANSFORMER'S DARK HIDDEN PROBLEM - 1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Pt5 - CHEVY MODEL 986668 [4K]
SOLID-STATE VIBRATOR RETROFIT & ALIGNMENT - 1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Pt4 - CHEVY MODEL 986668 [4K]
Переглядів 631Рік тому
SOLID-STATE VIBRATOR RETROFIT & ALIGNMENT - 1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Pt4 - CHEVY MODEL 986668 [4K]
PUSH BUTTON TUNING REPAIR etc - 1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Pt3 - CHEVROLET MODEL 986668 [4K]
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PUSH BUTTON TUNING REPAIR etc - 1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Pt3 - CHEVROLET MODEL 986668 [4K]
FIRST FULL POWER UP - 1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Pt2 - CHEVROLET PUSH BUTTON MODEL 986668 [4K]
Переглядів 694Рік тому
FIRST FULL POWER UP - 1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Pt2 - CHEVROLET PUSH BUTTON MODEL 986668 [4K]
ROACHED 1951 VACUUM TUBE CLOCK RADIO GE 512F Part 1 [4K]
Переглядів 818Рік тому
ROACHED 1951 VACUUM TUBE CLOCK RADIO GE 512F Part 1 [4K]
VINTAGE VARIABLE DC POWER SUPPLY EICO 1064 BATTERY ELIMINATOR AND CHARGER 1963 [4K]
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VINTAGE VARIABLE DC POWER SUPPLY EICO 1064 BATTERY ELIMINATOR AND CHARGER 1963 [4K]
1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Pt1 - THE VIBRATOR POWER SUPPLY - CHEVROLET PUSH BUTTON MODEL 986668 [4K]
Переглядів 804Рік тому
1953 VACUUM TUBE CAR RADIO Pt1 - THE VIBRATOR POWER SUPPLY - CHEVROLET PUSH BUTTON MODEL 986668 [4K]
MINI FRIDGE REPAIR & THERMISTOR DEMO - NTC vs PTC - VISSANI Also Magic Chef and other Brands [4K]
Переглядів 392Рік тому
MINI FRIDGE REPAIR & THERMISTOR DEMO - NTC vs PTC - VISSANI Also Magic Chef and other Brands [4K]

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @williammoore2982
    @williammoore2982 Місяць тому

    Have not been able to find a schematic for this radio.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed Місяць тому

      Check out Radio Museum: go to schematics tab www.radiomuseum.org/r/general_el_all_transistor_p_807j.html#pic-tabs-1 You can also buy from Sams Publications: This looks like it might be the right one www.samswebsite.com/en/photofact/details/index/id/59580

  • @Frankensteins_Highboy
    @Frankensteins_Highboy Місяць тому

    God I want that head unit

  • @gizzzmonic
    @gizzzmonic Місяць тому

    clothing optional. Lol

  • @ernie599
    @ernie599 Місяць тому

    thank you so much for this video, it helped so much.

  • @sadieatterberry1885
    @sadieatterberry1885 2 місяці тому

    Hello hope all is well my pilot light lit but when I turned to low or high the fire want come

  • @almalm7849
    @almalm7849 2 місяці тому

    That was great. I love it.

  • @almalm7849
    @almalm7849 2 місяці тому

    You need to name this transformer, Steve Austin, $6 million transformer ha ha I’m goofy enough to do the same thing. Most people would have skipped ahead not me that should tell you something.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 2 місяці тому

      "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him; we have the technology." The speeding up I did in the edit looked like it came from that show. Thanks!

  • @HelpingHand-ic4wt
    @HelpingHand-ic4wt 2 місяці тому

    7 of 77... right about that time I was installing the reverberator from a Chrysler in a junk yard into my 12 year old Chrysler. Good times.

  • @martinmelucci4383
    @martinmelucci4383 2 місяці тому

    Years ago, for my '77 Mark V, I found a new old stock unit that was dead. When I had it completely restored to original spec, I also requested the rebuilder also provide me with preamp outputs, so I could also run a signal to an external power amplifier directly from the preamp, while keeping the original connector intact to provide speaker level outputs from the internal amplifiers. I eventually have to send it out again (maybe to you) to add a Bluetooth receiver directly into the preamp. These are seriously beautiful sounding head units...the midrange is gorgeous sounding. You really can't tell how great they are with the original speakers, but they are well worth keeping intact for a proper restoration vs people who put in modern guts in old radios. Yes, the built in amps aren't anything special, but with a nice sounding external amplifier (even a modern compact one you can squeeze behind the dash like a JL Audio MX280/4), these head units sing, along with having (along with the later electronic version of these units) the best 8 track players ever offered from an car manufacturer...and they play not only normal stereo tapes, but also the special quadraphonic ones that provide discrete surround sound.

  • @chrismulnix1749
    @chrismulnix1749 3 місяці тому

    I just restored one of these. New caps, and changed out the bad tootsie roll resistors that were out of tolerance and new tubes. The 12 AU7 and the EB91 were questionable on all three tube testors all giving different sinerios. Anyway where in the world to you find a uni probe. This came with two HV probes that are currently useless to me. I'm not into TV's yet.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 3 місяці тому

      May be able to watch ebay for one if you want originality. Design-wise, the switch design is a little rinky dink imho. However the schematic which is available online shows the probe on the left side for DIY. If you made your own probes you could just have one with, and one without the resistor and not bother with a switch. Thanks for watching.

  • @zorka4098
    @zorka4098 3 місяці тому

    Still catching up to your channel. I have restored several of this model radio, one includes the ingraham cabinet. I have been most impressed by these small table models and their ability to pick up long distance stations with that simple wave antenna and the upfront rf amp. Really enjoy this model and it is how I listen to distant ball games in the summer.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 3 місяці тому

      Yes I agree, these are really nice radios. I think I will get in there and replace those old cracking wires eventually as it is truly a keeper. Thanks

  • @zorka4098
    @zorka4098 3 місяці тому

    Question: why would you completely disassemble the tuning condenser instead of removing just the mica/screws, etc. and cleaning the whole thing in your sonic cleaner already assembled? Seems your issues with the plates rubbing wouldn't have been a factor then.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 3 місяці тому

      That turned out to be true, but I guess I just wanted to show how it went together and I wanted to thoroughly clean and lube the pivots because it was a bit tight and the way the tuning knob interacted was it was slipping a bit and I wanted to have it moving easily. It really wasn't that big of a problem just took a bit of attention. Thanks for watching my projects unfold.

  • @zorka4098
    @zorka4098 3 місяці тому

    Just catching up on this series after watching your switch repair chapter. I really like the step by step approach with the list popping up on the left side periodically. The second radio I ever repaired was a Philco 610, not as old (it was a Superhet), but you lay things out very well in how to approach these restores.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 3 місяці тому

      Thanks. Glad you like the list. Thanks for the comment.

  • @appunti2
    @appunti2 3 місяці тому

    Thank you so much for the metallurgy explanation: it was interesting to listen about why chrome plating is so uneffective against rust. 🙂

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 3 місяці тому

      Hi. You are welcome, glad you found it interesting. Thanks for the kind comment.

  • @zorka4098
    @zorka4098 3 місяці тому

    I applaud your patience and persistence. Much better than I could ever do. Wonder if a watch repair man could have helped. 🤣🤣

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 3 місяці тому

      Thanks for the note. I did need to take deep breaths from time to time.

  • @goodun2974
    @goodun2974 4 місяці тому

    You're obviously experienced at this, so my comment might not specifically apply to you, but I would caution newbies against using any kind of metal shelving for the equipment. If you do, one must take great pains to make absolutely certain that none of the test equipment can ever make an inadvertent chassis connection to the metal shelving. Although the metal rails are heavily painted and it's not that likely that equipment will scratch through the paint sufficiently to make a connection to it, when you have a mix of vintage and newer test equipment, all of which has different internal grounding scenarios ---- ranging from no connection to a capacitor-coupled/ non-polarized wall-cord connection to an actual earth ground connection ---- the possibility exists of one or more pieces of equipment accidentally making electronic contact with metal shelving. This might not automatically constitute a safety hazard but you really don't want to take a chance on it;, and a more likely possibility is that you will get weird readings from oscilloscopes and other sensitive test equipment due to small amounts of current flowing through the metal shelving, or perhaps it will become a capacitively-coupled pickup antenna or a re-radiator of energy from an RF generator. Perhaps the metal shelving should be grounded, although there might be scenarios where that causes problems rather than canceling them. At the very least I would be putting rubber moldings, or even duct tape, on all exposed edges of the shelving so that equipment doesn't accidentally get pushed onto or into them and make contact. My other comment from 20 years as an audio equipment bench tech is that if you can set up the bench so that it's several feet away from the wall and you can walk behind the shelves to hook up equipment and change power cord routing and so on, do it. This isn't practical for many people working in a small space, but if you have sufficient room I highly recommend it. PS, I would never put soldering equipment up on a shelf; I am right-handed, so the soldering and desoldering stations were on the right side of the bench. I used the variac with built-in current limiting somewhat less often than the soldering equipment , so I put the variac on the left , which might not have been ideal but it was a small narrow bench built into a nook in the wall, and I had to make compromises.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Thanks for those points. Yes, for those inexperienced, the use of an isolation transformer is one of the most overlooked essentials and is difficult to find correctly set up for a tech bench. Those for medical applications still pass through the ground/neutral and therefore do not do the type of isolation needed without modification by someone who knows what they are doing. In looking at my situation you will see I placed a foam insulating tube over the exposed post in the middle back of the bench. The other metal points higher up I can manage. In addition to everything on GFCI I have lots of current limiting as well for DUT. The bench top does not have metal railing under it so I have not had any coupling issues thus far. When soldering, the soldering pencil stand comes down to the bench top so I do not park it overhead when in use. I am definitely space limited so access behind is not possible for me. Thanks for the comments.

    • @goodun2974
      @goodun2974 4 місяці тому

      @@PracticallyFixed , I don't work on vintage AC-DC transformerless radios, and I'm retired from Audio repair now, therefore on whatever projects I do on my own, an isolation transformer isn't strictly necessary, but if I was working on such radios or using an oscilloscope a lot then it's really a good idea to have one if for no other reason than to prevent blowing up sensitive equipment (including vintage VTVM's). By the way, I've noticed from watching UA-cam videos reviewing modern digital soldering stations that are "clones" of the more expensive pro-grade stuff, some of them leak fairly high voltage at low current onto the tip and could cause all kinds of weird behavior with associated test gear or perhaps damage sensitive IC's and components. One guy opened up a Yihua desoldering station to find that it switched the neutral instead of the hot and had all kinds of other construction and design errors built-in.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Isolation transformer was front of mind as I am about to work on a true hot-chassis set, without even the (now failed) capacitor isolation. Fact is, none of the videos here or elsewhere are instruction of fundamentals, including safety. I don't know where younger or inexperienced folks get the fundamentals these days as I believe classes on this in public schools are long gone. Being raised by an engineer "helping him" with tube gear (including TVs as we all did) as a kid, and then working in the R&D department at TI as a teen I picked up most of my initial training then, which of course continued in my working life (also retired). Newbies need an "Elmer", as in the ham world; I have never seen adequate instruction in fundamentals on any channel here. Just no substitute for an old hand looking over their shoulder and correcting someone as they are making an error. As mentioned, these videos are intended for just entertainment for folks like me who enjoy watching folks puzzle through troubleshooting and how to use logic based upon their understanding. I am trying to give back by videoing my own projects. Interesting point about the irons (I think I saw that video you mentioned a while back). Perhaps I should open mine up and take a look. Have done a lot of work with it and haven't damaged anything yet (have been using this unit for about 15 years), but you got me interested. Saw shango do a review recently of a station which created noticeable RF interference for him; my soldering station does not do that to a noticeable extent, but my relatively new hot air station does. Wonder if FCC relaxed their regulations to facilitate all these lower cost switch mode power supplies that are everywhere now.

    • @goodun2974
      @goodun2974 4 місяці тому

      @@PracticallyFixed , I don't know if the FCC specifically relaxed regulations on RF emissions or if UL safety codes have been watered-down ----- but with so many people buying "cloned" or counterfeit equipment directly from Asia, basically they get what they get because there is little to no regulatory oversight of such equipment. If you watch Big Clive's channel, he frequently does teardowns and reviews of equipment that turns out to be highly dangerous. But anyway, younger generations typically don't have the chance to learn electrical and electronic safety until they make a major mistake which they might not recover from. Learning to use power tools as a kid in the late 60s, I discovered what could happen if you were using a metal cased, ungrounded power drill while standing barefoot or in damp moccasins on a concrete slab floor in the basement or garage. Our schools had wood and metal shops,, auto mechanics for the gearhead types (wasn't my thing), and an electronics shop.. We subscribed to Popular Mechanics, Popular Electronics and other similar magazines as kids, so we were always reading about electrical and electronics projects that you could do yourself. In 1970 or 71 my dad, my younger brother and I partially gutted our cottage at the beach, rewired the electrical, improved the plumbing, and changed out all the windows and put up new paneling. I got zapped a few times by the power tools and I was much happier in the late 70s and 80s when double-insulated Bosch and Makita tools came out that didn't need grounding and wouldn't shock you through the plastic casings. Nowadays, of course, the prevalence of cordless tools makes both pros and DIY-ers even safer. Also, as an amateur guitar player, and still amateur all these years later, we all found out the hard way that playing guitar while standing on a concrete slab could zap you because the strings were connected to the chassis of the amp. If you want to see videos on UA-cam where the techs are very careful to remind people that amplifiers should always have a 3 wire earth-grounded power cord, watch guitar amp repairs. The good techs are all very careful to reiterate this fact over and over, and to point out when the switch or fuse are placed in the neutral line instead of the hot line, or if the chassis grounding is done in a way that's unreliable. By the way, I posted some soldering related videos on my channel recently including a review and tear down of a $45 Harbor Freight Schneider soldering station that isn't half bad for the money (certainly much better than what I had to work with as a kid in the 60s), as well as an investigation into the crappy direct-from-China soldering iron tips that are so prevalent on the internet nowadays. It's one thing to buy a cloned soldering station direct from China, but people, especially newbies to soldering, are really better off buying name brand tips, solder, flux and other accessories from authorized distributors in the US instead of buying from faceless Asian sellers. If you skim through the comments of any soldering-related video on UA-cam, you will find dozens of people complaining that the solder "won't stick to the tip" or "falls off the tip", or "it won't melt, it won't flow"...... and of course,"what am I doing wrong?"

  • @branjo7823
    @branjo7823 4 місяці тому

    Does this unit have to have a speaker load applied to keep amplification board from burning up? Thanks.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Hi. I cannot say. When doing some research on this unit, I did see it "somewhere" that it was important that these audio output OP Amps not be run unloaded or they could fail, and since these ICs are extremely hard to find, and the unit did not belong to me, I thought it would be irresponsible of me to not take that precaution. I do know that in general, it is something I have heard about for decades regarding amps, and the Sony R2R, with vacuum tube output amps, that I just had on my channel had an internal 8 ohm load on each speaker connection unless the speaker was plugged in. Likely the answer in general is, it depends - for this unit, I played it safe.

    • @branjo7823
      @branjo7823 4 місяці тому

      Thank you. ​@@PracticallyFixed

    • @branjo7823
      @branjo7823 3 місяці тому

      Where did you get the schematic, and do you know if the 8 track portion had a gain level adjust for tape playback. I have this exact radio, and it plays quad tapes great, but regular 8 tracks are quiet. ​@PracticallyFixed

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 3 місяці тому

      The schematic I used was sent to me by the radio's owner but it was from Sams Publishing. Search samswebsite. It was from Ford 5FD4804 which it says includes D8AF-19A188-AA. $22. There were some differences between that and one of the circuit boards inside, which does happen sometimes, but it worked for my purposes. If you have a different part number you may want to see if that shows up at Sams. I do not know of a gain adjustment like you mention. There is a troubleshooting table in the Sams info with a number of components (ICs, diodes, transistors and switches) you can check. There are some differences in those components to check in stereo and quad mode so those unique to stereo mode may be involved. Replacement for some of those may not be available and it is not easy to work on. That would mean checking for continuity and voltages as shown on the schematic and hopefully just some switches and diodes, rather than ICs. Before getting deep into all that you may want to try different stereo tapes to be sure, or maybe take a known working quad tape and tape off the slot so that it "fools" the player's switch into thinking it is a stereo tape as a test. It may be "just" that switch that is operated by that "finger" I mention which feels for the type of tape, or the leads going to it. When a stereo tape goes in, it switches its common from the quad circuit (normal position) to the stereo circuit. If the stereo side of switch is oxidized, (which seems likely due to it not being contacted for decades) you may get the failure you mention. If I were working on it, I would probably snoop around there first checking that switch for continuity and function. You may want to try just operating it a lot to see if it will wake up. If I recall correctly, I think it is a microswitch and you may be able to take it apart (don't lose the spring!) and see if you can clean the contacts. If you get it figured out, please post back here what you found to help others with this unit. Sorry for the long answer. Good luck.

    • @branjo7823
      @branjo7823 3 місяці тому

      @@PracticallyFixed Thanks for the reply. If I figure it out, I will post.

  • @hazevthewolf178
    @hazevthewolf178 4 місяці тому

    Watching this video. Thank you for a very comprehensive tutorial on silver mica disease. I've got a few old radios kicking about my house that I'd like to restore.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Thanks for watching. I can barely see these wires. Here is another silver mica surgery video I did for a slightly different design in a GE radio. There are other variations. Getting the right replacement caps can be difficult and if the slugs get moved around too much is can be hard to get them back. In some cases I have had to use a sweep generator to help. ua-cam.com/video/3N4JPfezTUI/v-deo.html Check out its playlist for the whole project, I think there were 5 videos covering that radio. I ended up using an expensive bit of test equipment to help me get the slugs set right. Not a simple fix. Some of the older IF cans use variable capacitors instead of variable inductors (slugs). Those do not have this problem. That is one of the reasons some folk prefer to not mess with these "newer" radios, as in late 40s/early 50s onward. Glad you enjoyed it. [edit number of parts to the GE 875 playlist]

    • @hazevthewolf178
      @hazevthewolf178 4 місяці тому

      @@PracticallyFixed Thanks for your comprehensive reply.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Shango066 has shown using the variable capacitor for finding the replacement caps when doing SMD surgery. It is probably the best way to do it. I didn't have the right parts handy.

  • @jimf4492
    @jimf4492 4 місяці тому

    Thanks for another video. It's interesting that Hallicrafters made a simple and cheap AM receiver. As an amateur radio operator, I only knew about their military and ham radio gear. This one was certainly built to a price! And, I learned something - I had never heard of a "gimmick". I'm getting better at understanding how these things work, but that was a new one. I would say "Go Rangers", but I think it's now hopeless...

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Thanks. My first exposure to Hallicrafters was my Dad had a S-38B he took onboard ship with him during Korea. I restored it many years ago and if I recall right, it also had a gimmick to do with the BFO circuit. The Astros have been plagued this year with injuries especially with starting pitching. The team had to release a couple of really big dollar contracts that were not producing as well. Been an up and down year.

  • @kaa522
    @kaa522 4 місяці тому

    I have this exact radio along with several other AA4's. Definitely not designed for long distance reception, local stations only.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Right you are. The external wire helped a lot but the missing IF amp really makes a difference. Thanks for watching and the comment.

  • @stephenmusch56
    @stephenmusch56 4 місяці тому

    In dealing with SMD, watch Shango066 video in which he uses variable mica capacitors to determine capacitor values for the IF transformers. Just search Shango066 silver mica disease repair CBS radio. I have used his technique several times and it works. Takes the guesswork out of determining capacitor values.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Hi. Yes I have done this too. I mentioned near the end that I attempted this but the variables I had did not go to low enough capacitance ranges. (guess I need to go shopping, oh no) As shown, [ 1:34:00 and 1:41:20 ] I toyed with adding capacitance in series to lower the range of the variable capacitor, but since I would be choosing between discreet options, 82pF, 100, 110pF etc., I just used the 82 and it tuned in. Thanks for the note. [edit, added time stamps where it was discussed]

  • @hestheMaster
    @hestheMaster 4 місяці тому

    It seems they made this radio for Dewald Radio Mfg. in 1956. Same circuit with model number K-412. I'd guess it would also be a victim of the dreaded SMD too. Love the fact a gimmick capacitor was used here. Steve from Chicago

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Hello Steve. That is a very interesting find. The K-412 circuit (in Sams) looks very similar to the Run 1&2 version of the Atom due to the couplate (this one is a Run 3 without, but still almost the same). Looked in my RCA tube manual at the licensed RCA circuits but this 4-tube version wasn't shown. The case mold looks the same with some minor changes. What led you to finding that connection? Thanks

  • @DERB_Seymour_Indiana
    @DERB_Seymour_Indiana 4 місяці тому

    Hey PF, nice fix on the SMD. I agree that personal satisfaction is the only reason to go to that much trouble for a radio like that. But your efforts did inspire me to buy one of these types of radios. I picked up a GE model 419 on eBay to see what all the fuss is about. LOL Also made a low ball offer on a Westinghouse Model H 648T4, but have not heard back on that one yet. NBD whether or not I get that one as the GE will serve the purpose I had in mind. :)

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Hi ya Doug. Thanks. I enjoying trying to diagnose these things and finding out if I got it right. Good luck on that GE, looks like fun. Thanks for watching and the kind comment.

  • @knifeswitch5973
    @knifeswitch5973 4 місяці тому

    Laundry list of issues on top of price point quality. Ouch. You got it though! Wonder what the list price was? I poked around but didn’t find anything.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      No, I couldn't find it either; not even one advertisement. Appreciate that you watched and the nice comment. Thank you.

    • @knifeswitch5973
      @knifeswitch5973 Місяць тому

      @@PracticallyFixed Hey man, been pretty quiet lately. Hope you're still at it and doing ok.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed Місяць тому

      @@knifeswitch5973 Howdy! Been really busy with my son's wedding and chasing bee and wasp issues. Going to a bee cutout this morning and gotta go. Trying to get the next radio done soon - down to the alignment. Thanks!

    • @knifeswitch5973
      @knifeswitch5973 Місяць тому

      @@PracticallyFixed well congrats to the newlyweds and I already learned something this morning 🐝. Good luck on your cutout.

  • @Mikexception
    @Mikexception 4 місяці тому

    Capacitors are produced with tolerances. I noticed that while very old capacitors tend to have values above and use bigger values modern use below margins and use lower values which usualy leads to significant difference. I see always people try to match values not produced today with near by lower modern value and assume it is ok. it In sound sensitive circuit like speakers and tuned tape recorders filetrs I would advice to measure capacitors and by combination equal the original value which is written on capacitor (if is is original and matches schematic).

  • @JacGoudsmit
    @JacGoudsmit 4 місяці тому

    One other possible improvement might be to replace the pressure pads that push the tape against the heads. Thanks for posting! Great video.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Thanks. That's true about the pads. Don't have any replacements on hand. The ones I have are for cassettes and for 8tracks, neither of which are appropriate. Will keep an eye out for them. Thanks for the comment.

  • @TechGorilla1987
    @TechGorilla1987 4 місяці тому

    I was jut gifted a VERY old RCA reel to reel that, from what I have discerned is from old educational tapes provided by a company in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I have yet to even power it up. It need a weight belt to lift.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      They are heavy aren't they? Thanks for the note.

  • @knifeswitch5973
    @knifeswitch5973 4 місяці тому

    Your back! Came out swinging taking on a R2R right out of the gate. Good video

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Haha! Thanks. Yeah we had some issues to deal with but all better now. Thanks again.

  • @Z2hstudio
    @Z2hstudio 4 місяці тому

    Very wonderful video, I admire your meticulousness and patience and your attitude of taking any small problem seriously. I cleaned and lubricated my Sony reel-to-reel tape recorder too. It has a similar oil filling hole structure of this TC-500. But I didn’t understand its function at the time, so I disassembled the whole motor and saw that the front and rear self-aligning bearings were wrapped by a circle of sponges. The oil filling holes led to these sponges. The sponges were responsible for storing a certain amount of oil and supplying it continuously to the copper powder sintered bearings, Very clever design.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Thanks very much for the comment! And also for letting us know about those sponges, good info to know.

  • @MarcKoser-e4g
    @MarcKoser-e4g 4 місяці тому

    Fascinating video! Your fast-forward knob/lever is a work of art. I recently restored a solid-state Toshiba with similar controls. Replaced belt with a Culligan water filter O-ring & at least 38 e-caps. I can picture dozens of young Japanese women assembling these machines.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Thanks! The O-ring substitution was ingenious. Thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed the video.

  • @thomasrose7713
    @thomasrose7713 4 місяці тому

    I have this very model. I’m going to have to watch this video a few times and I’ll be back to comment some more.🤣 looking very forward to this. thank you for taking the time to post this

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Thanks for the note. Good luck. Do keep in touch. I may be able to give you a few tips that aren't all in the video. One of the biggest tips is the location of the motor oiler tubes which I show near the end. The oiling of the capstan bushing has more to it than I showed. Thanks again for the comment and a thumbs up. :)

  • @atmylab
    @atmylab 4 місяці тому

    Great unit, worth restoring; I have a Sears Silvertone reel-to-reel that has tubes, the sound is robust and clear.

  • @DERB_Seymour_Indiana
    @DERB_Seymour_Indiana 4 місяці тому

    Hey PF, nice setup. I'm looking to build a similar table for a couple of 3D printers, but mine will all be made from all wood. Of course I still have to do my bench lighting project, but I'm getting there very slowly. Of course that is the way I get most things done these days. LOL Look forward to seeing more projects from you in the future. :)

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Thanks Doug! Been having a lot going on here but trying to get caught up. Had considered wood but just decided in my case it would delay getting the job done. More project vids on the way. Very much appreciate the note. Very best.

  • @jimburns348
    @jimburns348 4 місяці тому

    Looks great! A lot more room with improved equipment management 👍😉

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Hi Jim, thanks for the note. More to come soon.

  • @jordanch68
    @jordanch68 4 місяці тому

    You can use a transformer from either a 5v or better, 9v, wall wart ac adapter as the audio output transformer replacement.

  • @EstelaSolano-xp6ps
    @EstelaSolano-xp6ps 5 місяців тому

    Tengo un eico 232 pero solo tiene una válvula me podría decir porque este eico solo tiene una válvula

  • @seanbatiz6620
    @seanbatiz6620 6 місяців тому

    First time seeing/hearing your bench test of one of these Autronic Eye units! It is interesting seeing/hearing its system components in action. I’ve acquired back ‘round oh, 2017, an amazingly restored, CORRECT, complete system for this fantastically SciFy option, for one of my ‘55 Buick Super 56R 2 Dr Coupe HT cars, thru that ‘one’ dude that restores/sells this units. His first name is John.. last name eludes me at the moment; Oldenburg?. For whatever reason, of all of the massive amount of original literature I’ve methodically collected for ‘55 Buick’s, there seems to have been only a small timeframe of THIS option having been available for GM’ Buick division specifically, in 1955, as there’s only tiny bits of “Buick” even being mentioned in GM’s Guide Autronic Eye literature directly, for that year; and that info primarily refers to just mounting hardware part no. references. The semi-large foldout xerox copies of installation instructions John supplied with my unit, that includes Buick installation for 1955 (all were 12VDC by ‘55), sadly has water damage to the original this copy was made from. So far, I haven’t had any luck in sourcing another example of that info, anywhere online. This Autronic Eye unit I have, is still currently CAREFULLY packed away, waiting for the one of my Super’s it’ll be installed in, to be restored enough for it. Only thing I can figure, is of the extremely limited drivers’ side fender-well space available of Buicks’ from ‘54 - ‘56, that created major complications for dealer techs then, in getting these mounted properly. Edit: just checked and yes, his name is John Oldenburg.. extremely knowledgable person for just about everything Autronic Eye!!! Does amazing restoration work of these units!

  • @AnalogElectronicsGent
    @AnalogElectronicsGent 6 місяців тому

    Bravo! Your work is very impressive! Wow… really impressed that you fixed the output transformer. And to think that you did this work in 90 degree plus weather. The outdoor work bench was a nice touch, especially the heavy vise atop your Black and Decker Workmate. I appreciate your determination to bring the radio back to its’ former glory… well done!

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 6 місяців тому

      Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. It was a fun project.

  • @powervoc2
    @powervoc2 6 місяців тому

    Great to meet you today. Look forward to many hours of learning from you on your channel.

  • @sparky6086
    @sparky6086 7 місяців тому

    Kind of a crude, macro frequency hopping.

  • @UpcomingJedi
    @UpcomingJedi 7 місяців тому

    Right. I just happen to have all these 'dangerous' products just laying around and the FIRST thing im going to do is grab it to make a voltage test. BBZZZZZZ! Yup, its good.

  • @Boozion
    @Boozion 7 місяців тому

    I remember duck and cover when I was a child in the 60's. My dad had a transistor radio in his work truck with the CD triangles on the dial. His work truck did not have a am radio in the dash. I miss what am radio used to be with music all over the band scan. Great info on conelrad. Thanks for sharing. 😂

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 7 місяців тому

      Yes, it is too bad about the music, really missing in my area. Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @timothystockman7533
    @timothystockman7533 7 місяців тому

    Although I'm not old enough to have worked in the broadcast industry during conelrad, I saw the remnants of it. There was a switch at the transmitter which would engage several relays in the transmitter and at the antenna tower to retune to the conelrad frequency. The transmitter was switched on and off in sequence with other stations on the frequency by a signal from a telegraph circuit from a central control point.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 7 місяців тому

      Thank you for contributing that! You saw that much of the actual gear in situ still remaining when you got into the industry, and I can imagine some of the "old timers" told you all about how it was to work. They would have known when it was installed, who provided it, training and whether it was to be under wraps or not. I think the concept was inspired and the design, ingenious. Thanks again.

  • @SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648
    @SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648 7 місяців тому

    Watch what you let touch hot tubes. It looks like the new power cord was draped around the 35W4 rectifier, which gets pretty hot.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 7 місяців тому

      Thanks for the suggestion - I went back to the video to take a look. If you mean the new black power cord, it is located far from the rectifier socket. The lead from the switch that now goes to the rectifier is blue and is a solid wire and is bent away from the socket but all that is hard to see on the video due to 2D perspective - things may look closer than they are. Then I reopened the back to check that the speaker wires were not near any of the tubes and they are all clear. I am pretty sure I check those things, but a degree of complacency does cause mistakes. Thanks again for the comment for me to check it.

  • @Ramblin_DMC
    @Ramblin_DMC 7 місяців тому

    I've been collecting radios for years and I never knew the details on Conelrad

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 7 місяців тому

      Thanks for watching and hope you found that detail interesting. Some things in plain sight that we see all the time and take for granted sometimes have some interesting backstories - such as town names on water towers.

  • @gordselectronicshobby3853
    @gordselectronicshobby3853 7 місяців тому

    With all that crap on your workbench, how do you manage to fix anything?

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 4 місяці тому

      Ok, ok Gord. Come take a look at what your comment and others like it caused! 😊👍 See, I read this, but it took some time. Thanks for the encouragement.

  • @crosleyfiver8686
    @crosleyfiver8686 7 місяців тому

    Howdy From ELP..... recently picked up Houston AM 740 DX'n a couple night s ago.

    • @PracticallyFixed
      @PracticallyFixed 7 місяців тому

      Howdy! That's some good DX'n there. KTRH used to be a 50kW channel but not anymore, so that is a great pick! In HOU we like to point out to visitors that ELP is almost exactly halfway to L.A. "The sun has ris', an' tha sun has set, and here we is, in Texas yet"

  • @scottbrady7499
    @scottbrady7499 7 місяців тому

    couldn't resist this AA5 investigation and rescue. only watch Shango066 radioTVphonoNut iz good, just the system of watching these evaluations can be Similar. In-N-Out burger Randy's Donuts alongside Talc Ore is exceptional

  • @ward5821
    @ward5821 7 місяців тому

    Currently, I am much more worried about Y2K, and 2012..