Thanks for giving me an idea of how to tackle my Philco 40-155. It stills seems a bit daunting, but your video has made it less so. I wish I could find a video of my 40-155. Thanks, John!
Thank you. This explanation and demo is very clear and even though it was not possible to capture the attachment of the dial pointer to the dial cord with your camera, the explanation given gave me a clear mental picture.
Excellent video, very informative, i'm restoring an old magnavox with a broken stereo thread, i spent two hours poking at it before i came searching youtube! Thanks for the video.
Thanks John! I got my main tuning dial string working perfectly. I also used violin bow rosin on the string before installing and she really grips great now. The perfection knot is key to doing this. I put a small drop of super glue on each perfection knot to help keep it from possibly coming untied. Thanks for posting this video. Just great!
I followed your instructions to replace the broken dial cord on a Zenith console stereo -- it took me two tries to get it right, but it's working great now. Thanks!
Just west of you at the border! got a friend's 1943 Majestic, got a hum (filter caps) speaker turned to confetti (LOL) thanks for the instructions and turning me on to Bob's, he has the cord and cap. You rock!
On the big wheel, you just have to place the spring on one side as beginning and the other inner side on the end of the wire. My configuration was made like this before it broke after 40 years..
Thanks John, didn't check UA-cam video before I did my first one. I winged it and tied a knot about an inch or 2 past the spring and put a dab of super glue to keep the knot from coming loose, as I didn't know what kind of knot to use, or had no idea how to connect both ends to the spring. There were 2 tiny eyelets on the spring to thread the string through, which was difficult because the new string has a fiberglass filament in the middle. Should have skipped the eyelets and attached to spring
Thank you so much John. I am now confident I can do the same. Unfortunately I lost the indicator pointer for my radio during a move. Unlike your radio, mine had the wire glued directly to the cord. So I will have to figure out the bends needed to make it travel correctly in front of the dial. I will probably use some stiff 30 gauge wire. White paint and red for the tip. Does anyone know what the inch ounces, or nano meter tension forces exerted on the dial string should be? A small pull gauge might work.
Where do I get genuine dial cord. The stuff sold on ebay and amazon stretches like a rubber band and is almost impossible to string because you have to pull it incredibly tight and then it relazes and you have to shorten it again a few days later. Obviousally this stuff is not dial cord because dial cord does not stretch. Even after all this when tuning the radio it still has some stretch to it.
I'm not sure if anyone actually makes dial cord specifically for antique radios anymore. The problem with eBay or Amazon is that these people are selling stuff just to make a profit. They may not be radio enthusiasts nor have any knowledge about how good their products work inside radios. So I have 2 suggestions: 1st: Go to any place that sells fishing gear and buy my favorite typecof string, a spool of "Berkley Braided nylon flexible" fishing line, 20 pound test. It has an engineered flex, yes, but only to a distinct stopping point. When you apply it to your radio you're going to stretch it taught to that flex point and it should not flex beyond that. Since it's braided it is extremely durable. And you can buy it on eBay or Amazon too. My second suggestion would be to purchase it from radio enthusiasts who know the best type of cords. You could try antiqueradiosandparts.com to buy parts because they probably know better than others. Please know that I'm not affiliated with that website. Just because of their name I assume they are knowledgeable about antique radio parts. Or you could go to the blog antiqueradios.com and find answers to that same question. I can personally vouch for antiqueradios.com because I have learned about everything I know from the gracious engineers and hobbyists there. It is a great place to learn about antique radios.
I'm struggling to get the cord threaded in the correct way on a similar tuner. Martin Audiokit. Probably from the 60's. So tricky as everything is between 2 panels and the cord keeps slipping off of the wheels and pulleys and i still have not really sussed which way round it all goes.
The string pattern is usually customized for each individual radio. Unless you have the same make and model as shown in the video it will probably be a little bit different. You should be able to find a string diagram in the models manuals. If not then try using websites devoted to antique radios to see if any members might have the diagram for your radio.
The video shows only the first "fitting" of the string, which was just a rough estimate of the length needed to cut the cord from its spool. A second, exact fitting is really required to get an absolute certain length of the cord. Be sure to put significant tension on the spring when getting this measuremtn
Also, took a lighter and melted "the ends" of the knots so, not to fray over time. Overkill maybe but, while already in there why not right? So, nice to have my old radio back. AM stations play a lot of good music that FM refuses to play now for some reason.
Hi, I just bought an oldskool maxim TV... Shaped & styled like a football.. it looks brand new and unused... I just plugged it in an within 30 seconds of fiddling with the side tuner wheel while on radio it jammed at one end.. felt like it slightly popped in... Really annoying as I now can't use the video in for computer console as I can't get the dial to move at all 😔 don't want to break it, so must open it up and see what's going on... Any ideas will be greatly appreciated... Really don't want to make things Any worse.. Cheers 👍 If they can, that is. Thanks 👍
Not sure how to advise you. It could us a dial cord, but on TV's unlikely. Does it have a radio dial? If so then you might have a cord. If you're not confident about doing it yourself please get a tech to do it. These old appliances can be very dangerous.
Thanks.. Yes, you can can use fishing line too, but not nylon filament. The best fishing string to use is braided dacron fishing line - because it is less likely to slip. Really good tip though!
@nortonics5745 explains how to capture the video screen as an image below. "Paint" is a free Microsoft image editor that comes with Windows. If you are using Windows you can find Paint by typing PAINT into the searchbox at the bottom of your screen. Click on the Paint icon that pops up. After you have copied the screen into your clipboard memory, just open paint and CNTRL-V to paste it into an image. Another Microsoft tool you can use is "Snip." While CTRL-ALT-PRINT copies the entire screen, SNIP allows you to copy just a partial selection of your screen. You can find and open SNIP through the same searchbox method. It's intuitive. Click "new" and draw the selection box around the part of the image you want to copy. It will place your selection into the clipboard memory and you can paste it into Paint using the same CTRL-V method. If you are using a Mac computer, well, I can't help you other than to say throw it out and get a PC.
Hi Jim. I probably got that schematic from a website called "Nostalgia Air." But several years ago I purchased a CD on eBay that was packed with several thousand antique radio schematics. It was only 7 or 8 bucks and you can probably still find it. Certainly worth it. I also joined another website in Europe where membership sort of requires members to frequently upload their own schematics into a shared cache. The name escapes me right now but it is also an amazing source.
John, I too am in the Cincinnati area. I am having some trouble with the dial cord on my Philco 39-30. I am newer to antique radios so it's been tough. Are there any good workshops/ groups in the area were I could get help with this kind of thing?
I don't think the dial cord is cotton based. I could be wrong about that though. I have heard that besides nylon fishing wire could also be used for this. The chord definitely needs to be braided as the one in the video is in my opinion.
Hi John, I have been succedded to mount a dial cord perfectly in an antique Philips 1960 model. God bless you.
Amit Srivastava (India)
Thanks for giving me an idea of how to tackle my Philco 40-155. It stills seems a bit daunting, but your video has made it less so. I wish I could find a video of my 40-155. Thanks, John!
Thank you. This explanation and demo is very clear and even though it was not possible to capture the attachment of the dial pointer to the dial cord with your camera, the explanation given gave me a clear mental picture.
Excellent video, very informative, i'm restoring an old magnavox with a broken stereo thread, i spent two hours poking at it before i came searching youtube! Thanks for the video.
Thanks John! I got my main tuning dial string working perfectly. I also used violin bow rosin on the string before installing and she really grips great now. The perfection knot is key to doing this. I put a small drop of super glue on each perfection knot to help keep it from possibly coming untied. Thanks for posting this video. Just great!
i realize it's kinda randomly asking but do anyone know a good site to stream new series online ?
@Everett Leonel Flixportal :)
@Musa King thank you, I went there and it seems to work :) I really appreciate it !!
@Everett Leonel glad I could help xD
I followed your instructions to replace the broken dial cord on a Zenith console stereo -- it took me two tries to get it right, but it's working great now. Thanks!
Glad it worked...
Thanks your vid was helpfully.👌
Just west of you at the border! got a friend's 1943 Majestic, got a hum (filter caps) speaker turned to confetti (LOL) thanks for the instructions and turning me on to Bob's, he has the cord and cap. You rock!
Thanks for your great videos, I was able to restring an old English Roberts radio using your techniques..👍
On the big wheel, you just have to place the spring on one side as beginning and the other inner side on the end of the wire. My configuration was made like this before it broke after 40 years..
Exactly what I needed, Thank you!
Excellent video. Finally I repaired dial cord of my Philips Radio 1960 model.
Thanks John, didn't check UA-cam video before I did my first one. I winged it and tied a knot about an inch or 2 past the spring and put a dab of super glue to keep the knot from coming loose, as I didn't know what kind of knot to use, or had no idea how to connect both ends to the spring. There were 2 tiny eyelets on the spring to thread the string through, which was difficult because the new string has a fiberglass filament in the middle. Should have skipped the eyelets and attached to spring
Thank you so much John. I am now confident I can do the same.
Unfortunately I lost the indicator pointer for my radio during a move.
Unlike your radio, mine had the wire glued directly to the cord.
So I will have to figure out the bends needed to make it travel correctly in front of the dial. I will probably use some stiff 30 gauge wire. White paint and red for the tip.
Does anyone know what the inch ounces, or nano meter tension forces exerted on the dial string should be?
A small pull gauge might work.
Great job man I wish this would help me with my Siera radio cord
I somehow pulled it off. It's working again. Thanks.
Patience is sometimes the best key. After the first few confidence takes over and you're home free.
Hory sheet it works! thanks man! There is one issue ;P in the Perfect Loop example in the first knot does not match to the second step ;P
Excellent!
Yes, it takes a little practice. This took me 3 attempts to get the exact right measurement. Just stick with it and you'll get it.
Where do I get genuine dial cord. The stuff sold on ebay and amazon stretches like a rubber band and is almost impossible to string because you have to pull it incredibly tight and then it relazes and you have to shorten it again a few days later. Obviousally this stuff is not dial cord because dial cord does not stretch.
Even after all this when tuning the radio it still has some stretch to it.
I'm not sure if anyone actually makes dial cord specifically for antique radios anymore. The problem with eBay or Amazon is that these people are selling stuff just to make a profit. They may not be radio enthusiasts nor have any knowledge about how good their products work inside radios. So I have 2 suggestions: 1st: Go to any place that sells fishing gear and buy my favorite typecof string, a spool of "Berkley Braided nylon flexible" fishing line, 20 pound test. It has an engineered flex, yes, but only to a distinct stopping point. When you apply it to your radio you're going to stretch it taught to that flex point and it should not flex beyond that. Since it's braided it is extremely durable. And you can buy it on eBay or Amazon too. My second suggestion would be to purchase it from radio enthusiasts who know the best type of cords. You could try antiqueradiosandparts.com to buy parts because they probably know better than others. Please know that I'm not affiliated with that website. Just because of their name I assume they are knowledgeable about antique radio parts. Or you could go to the blog antiqueradios.com and find answers to that same question. I can personally vouch for antiqueradios.com because I have learned about everything I know from the gracious engineers and hobbyists there. It is a great place to learn about antique radios.
I'm struggling to get the cord threaded in the correct way on a similar tuner. Martin Audiokit. Probably from the 60's. So tricky as everything is between 2 panels and the cord keeps slipping off of the wheels and pulleys and i still have not really sussed which way round it all goes.
The string pattern is usually customized for each individual radio. Unless you have the same make and model as shown in the video it will probably be a little bit different. You should be able to find a string diagram in the models manuals. If not then try using websites devoted to antique radios to see if any members might have the diagram for your radio.
The video shows only the first "fitting" of the string, which was just a rough estimate of the length needed to cut the cord from its spool. A second, exact fitting is really required to get an absolute certain length of the cord. Be sure to put significant tension on the spring when getting this measuremtn
Rephrase,,,melted the ends of the string just before the perfection knots. Just so, no one misunderstands what I am saying. Thanks again.
Great video but bad link to the knot
Also, took a lighter and melted "the ends" of the knots so, not to fray over time. Overkill maybe but, while already in there why not right? So, nice to have my old radio back. AM stations play a lot of good music that FM refuses to play now for some reason.
YOU DID A GREAT JOB!!!!
Make a video to install the thread please please
Grundig Music-Boy 1100
great job!!
Hi, I just bought an oldskool maxim TV... Shaped & styled like a football.. it looks brand new and unused...
I just plugged it in an within 30 seconds of fiddling with the side tuner wheel while on radio it jammed at one end.. felt like it slightly popped in... Really annoying as I now can't use the video in for computer console as I can't get the dial to move at all 😔 don't want to break it, so must open it up and see what's going on... Any ideas will be greatly appreciated...
Really don't want to make things Any worse..
Cheers 👍
If they can, that is. Thanks 👍
Not sure how to advise you. It could us a dial cord, but on TV's unlikely. Does it have a radio dial? If so then you might have a cord. If you're not confident about doing it yourself please get a tech to do it. These old appliances can be very dangerous.
Bobs antiques still in biz? says server not found. Great video thanks!
does anyone have the correct way to replace the tuning string on a Motorola 6x11u? thank you
I use high test fishing line. Works great.
Thanks.. Yes, you can can use fishing line too, but not nylon filament. The best fishing string to use is braided dacron fishing line - because it is less likely to slip. Really good tip though!
Nice! But joined Flicker and still could not access pic.
Try pausing the video and see if you can hand copy it.
@@johnallenrichter Pause vid, press Ctrl-Alt-Print screen, open paint, paste image, print.
@nortonics5745 explains how to capture the video screen as an image below. "Paint" is a free Microsoft image editor that comes with Windows. If you are using Windows you can find Paint by typing PAINT into the searchbox at the bottom of your screen. Click on the Paint icon that pops up. After you have copied the screen into your clipboard memory, just open paint and CNTRL-V to paste it into an image. Another Microsoft tool you can use is "Snip." While CTRL-ALT-PRINT copies the entire screen, SNIP allows you to copy just a partial selection of your screen. You can find and open SNIP through the same searchbox method. It's intuitive. Click "new" and draw the selection box around the part of the image you want to copy. It will place your selection into the clipboard memory and you can paste it into Paint using the same CTRL-V method. If you are using a Mac computer, well, I can't help you other than to say throw it out and get a PC.
Oh, and I got right the first time. WhooHoo!
Great video. Where did you find the diagram for the cord routing?
Hi Jim. I probably got that schematic from a website called "Nostalgia Air." But several years ago I purchased a CD on eBay that was packed with several thousand antique radio schematics. It was only 7 or 8 bucks and you can probably still find it. Certainly worth it. I also joined another website in Europe where membership sort of requires members to frequently upload their own schematics into a shared cache. The name escapes me right now but it is also an amazing source.
John, I too am in the Cincinnati area. I am having some trouble with the dial cord on my Philco 39-30. I am newer to antique radios so it's been tough. Are there any good workshops/ groups in the area were I could get help with this kind of thing?
Jacob Glaser just run the cord like you would a fan belt in your truck
is that cord cotton based?
I don't think the dial cord is cotton based. I could be wrong about that though. I have heard that besides nylon fishing wire could also be used for this. The chord definitely needs to be braided as the one in the video is in my opinion.
Excellent video, but you make it look far easier than it is.
e-x-c-e-l-l-e-n-t!
if you have schematic of radio MARLY n: 20549
Hey John I live in Cincinnati. Do you work on old short wave radios???