To learn electronics in a very different and effective way, and gain access to Mr Carlson's personal designs and inventions, visit the Mr Carlson's Lab Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab
Hello Mr Carlson; Could you build a portable device that opens a time portal? I am trying to go back to the 1960s, to meet my Dad, before he died on my 2nd Birthday. And I would need to go back, to talk to myself and help me through life. All the best Shaun of NYC
I concur with many others to start with the GE consumer grade receiver first then the BC348 then the CR88 then the SP600 then the mechanically complex Collins receiver and then the RA17C12……and then even go back through the AR88 that you said was probably partially restored (it’ll be interesting to see what the previous tech did to restore and maybe what mistakes they may have made or what they could have done better). THANKS FOR DOING THIS!!!
Honestly, I think my favourite part of this video was you sharing that special moment with your radio buddy. It was absolutely adorable. Animals can bring so much joy to our lives and provide such special moments.
Great receivers! Having an interest in war birds I'd like to see the BC348 done. Thanks for sharing the video with of your radio room pal. Cats are so special, I almost cried.
I have a bc348Q here I picked up cheap years ago. One band is down in sensitivity because one of the if cans is not doing well. It came with a nice homemade power supply and just worked already. Would love one of the big navy ship radios like I had for a short period that had been robbed of critical parts. Do the 348👍
@@Daveyk021 I don't know, mine has a nice power supply built when I got it. Some one had cut off the wires to probably make it easier to store and move so I matched up the colors and crimped them back together and luckily it fired right up and worked. I know ham radio operators used to buy up surplus radio and build power supplies for them all the time when these were common and cheap. I bet you could Google ancient plans for them. I seem to remember there being a data plate on them somewhere with the voltages they used.
Mr. Carlson…. You sir are a National Treasure !! A wealth of information and technical know how that is invaluable to those curious, learning and practicing electronics.. Can’t thank you enough for your time and efforts. My condolences to you and yours for the loss of your furry friend.. I prefer the company of cats to most humans.. Sorry for your loss.
Ahhh that surely was a treat at the end!! That little guy was so curious twisting the knob with his little paw and then looking around at the device! Thanks for sharing. RIP buddy.
Such a beautiful kitty. My black kitty was my lab helper for 15 years. He loved to sit on top of my tube radios to keep warm and fill them up with his fur. I've been looking for a decent Hammerlund for a few years and am looking forward to the restoration of yours but that GE radio is sweet and would be a good one to start with.
First off, so sorry to hear about your kitten. I have lost many pets and it's hard. That being said, great lineup you have here and will enjoy all of them.
Wow, really looking forward to this series. I'd love to see the BC348 first. Thank you so much for the hard work and dedication in making these videos and sharing your knowledge with everyone. Really looking forward to the first video regardless of which device gets picked.
I hate to break it to you, the reason this has never been done on youtube has less to do with expense and more to do with the fact that there's only One Mr. Carlson. And frankly sir, there's few on the planet with the skill, practical and historic knowledge in this field. Not to mention, who're also willing to film themselves. Explain the methods and skills and share the knowledge. You're as much of a priceless gem as the equipment you re-animate.
One of the radios that I operated in Korea, in 1954-55 was a Collins, but I would really like to see the GE consumer radio restored first. The final old video was really sweet.
I'd like to put my vote in for the GE...Not sure why. Ultimately, it doesn't matter, cause we're gonna get to see them all fixed up, and thats the fun part. The video of your lab pal was very bittersweet. I lost my own orange lab pal a few years ago.
You da man. Gonna need a lot of coffee for this series. UA-camrs are in for another treat. Your radio pal was doing his best Mr. Carlson imitation -RIP little buddy -love it :)
I'm so looking forward to this series! I would like to see that consumer GE first. Thanks for including the video of your pal, I'm sorry for your loss. I recently lost one of my pals after 13 years of company.
I'm going to go with the one the beautiful kitty chose haha. Thanks for sharing him with us. Love our kitty. In real response, I say the go with the CR88.
awwwww! I'm sorry for your loss.. I'm SURE he made a BEST of lab partner and his purring was misinterpreted as a new unique noise on the dial MANY times :) in fact, I bet you can STILL hear his purr when tuning the dials late at night as he visits you in-spirit each time you fire up the "orange glows"! Thank YOU for sharing him with us! :)
Paul I knew you were a good person but your video of your kitty and kind comment says reams about your character. Guys that love kitty's are special people in my view that have a special heart. The little guy was a darling and was well trained in receiver operation. I know when a kitty baby leaves us we are sad because they just become some special to us. But thankfully you have this neat clip to remember your radio room pal even after its gone. We have 6 and love them all. Thank you for a tearful but smiling moment. You have my vote and support. Keep up the wonderful work!
Seeing that BC-348 really took me back to my teen years as a novice ham license holder. I bought a BC-348 from an army surplus radio dealer. He told me that it came out of a submarine. It came with a power supply, but the problem was that it ran off of 400Hz instead of 60Hz. Fortunately, it came with the manual and schematics. I was able to use a power transformer and associated power circuit from an old tv that I tore apart and then duplicated the required voltages needed. I had lots of help from the local ham club whenever I ran into any snags. The receiver needed no maintenance and worked perfectly. The dealer was also a ham and he assured me that it worked. Together with a home-brew transmitter, I made lots of CW contacts all over the world on 80 and 40 meters. I'm looking forward to your video of restoring it.
BC348, you are a treasure! That furry friend was priceless. I went to engineering school in the 60’s so don’t need to learn anymore, but love to watch you work!
What a great restoration selection project. OK so for me the consumer grade GE has to be my choice. From the silhouette of the speaker grill that looks like one huge speaker contained in the GE. It's great to see you a getting your labs up and running again Paul. What a lovely cat and thank you for sharing that with the community. Your final comments were very moving.
I'm catching up with your videos. Your little radio room pal was adorable and very smart to notice that the dial moved when he rotated the knob. Not many cats can do that. The highlight of the video for me.
Having used an R390 and a 390A as a CTI, I will note that the usability and stability after hours of use in rolling seas are a factor that hams and casual users rarely need to contend with. The R390/390A were classified gear in their day. They are, when restored, very very quiet, precise and stable. No random digital birdies here.
Having used an R-390 in the Navy, I'll always have a love for them and their great sensitivity & selectivity. So, I'll put in my 1st vote for it. Next, and hearing your comments about your mod's - will be for the SP-600. In fact, if you really can get that great FM sounding audio; that would be a great side-project is to build a universal SP-600 AUDIO section that can be hooked into any radio... like the R-390 w/the 600 sound quality. As a person w/hearing loss & tinnitus, it would be awesome to enjoy hearing these beauties without the crude output. Thanks in advance for all of the upcoming hard work. 73
Firstly, I’m so sorry for the loss of your little mate. The look on his face when he discovered that turning the knob made the dial move was beautiful. You could see the cogs ticking over in his head. My old cat Oscar used to adjust the controls on my Icom IC-7600 while I was using it. If you happen to get another kitty down the track make sure to introduce us to your new radio shack buddy. This whole protect will be awesome! I’d love to see the big GE restored. I like watching you and people like David Tipton here in Australia restoring domestic old radios. Keep up the great work! Craig VK3CRG
from 1965-67 I was stationed at FOCCPAC in Hawaii. In our hi-res TV system studio (800 Lines) we had in the control center one of the Collins receiver. Since we were underground under a pineapple field there was an above ground antenna for the radio. In our spare time we would surf the broadcast band the get distant AM broadcast station. I , to this day would love to find one of them. Later when I became a ham (1977) I then realize what a treasure we had. To this day I would love on, or a complete restored Collins S line, rx, tx, vfo etc. I bought a house in Florida that had been owned by a ham, the former Cheif Engineer of the VOA station in then Ceylon. Keep up the good work!!. I went to eletronics school in 1961, 36 weeks of tubes, 2 weeks of Transistors. Glass tube warms the room and glows.
My recently deceased uncle (an EE, and WWII vet), worked at GE (USS Nautilus development contracts) and would have been thrilled by learning the design details of that consumer-grade GE radio (as I am). So that GE radio is at the top of my list.
Intersting set of videos ahead, good idea. And the right words about our friends. They are not our cats, they are the ones who accept to let us share their existence.
Yes, yes, yes, yeessss! I am so excited for this! To answer your question I would like to see you start with the BC348 receiver first. Your videos are absolutely beautiful pieces of work and I so excited when a new one is posted. I hope you never quit making videos I really enjoy learning all that you teach and really just enjoy them! Thank you so much Mr. Carlson! Keep up the fantastic work! I honestly wish they would give you your own tv channel dedicated just to whatever you want to do!
@@MrCarlsonsLab Yaa, got a couple BC-348s, one a Q and one an R. The R still has the Dino. I want to see how to get a power transformer for it and how YOU make a tube rectified power supply. I need to order a hole punch tool the size of tube sockets.
Woot! This is going to be a blast! I am really keen on seeing the wooden GE consumer radio first. I think it looks really neat and it will set a good base level for all the other behemoths. A close second would be the AR-88/CR-88.
I think it's a great idea you've got here. No matter what receiver "wins" the start, I am very much looking forward to restoration of all of them. 73 Kay
I would love to see the General Electric restored. The look of it is amazing! The case alone shows that it isn't like the other radios in huge metal cases. The GE is in a class of it's own and can be displayed on a table as where the metal boat anchors will sit on a shelf and collect dust.
I personally like the metal boat anchors. I have quite a few radios like that, and they aren't that bad looking on tables, although I agree the GC is amazing. The cabinet is in great condition.
Yeah Paul ...this is going to be great. Can't wait for it. Many thanks for even getting the courage to begin such a laborious chapter. You really are a special guy. Cheers to all the friends of the channel.
Love that cat! Let's see a lot more of him during these upcoming restorations please. Personally I would vote to restore the BC348 first. Many years ago a Ham acquaintance of mine had come by one of these receivers but he would never say where or how he got it. The performance was supreme and it was the envy of other Hams in the local radio club. I know this new restoration series will be avidly watched by all your followers and congratulations on taking on this big project. Very good luck with it - it will be a great success and an inspiration to all!
I vote for the GE wooden unit, Btw I worked on the replacement contract for the BFO unit on the R390, the accuracy and thermal stability was incredible, the mix of caps across the variable inductor was complex to achieve the spec, military grade. This should be a fun series to watch.
Thermal stability for the R-390A came at a price. How many watts were pulled to operate the R-390A beast with both ovens switched on? This was not an issue back in the day with government and military users but users today may be appalled by how fast their electric utility meters are running.
LOVE the vid of your wonderful kitty pal helping you scan the radio waves! RIP little kitty buddy! I have a Russian Blue and TWO Maincoons that I ADORE! HEY! I’ve been watching your awesome vids for a couple years now. I’ve never repaired a radio before but I have inherited an old Crosley Corp. 146CS(V) and it works or used to. I bought it 30 years ago and refinished the cabinet and gave it to my parents for Christmas. Well now my folks have passed and I’ve Inherited it now…..I would love to try and restore the radio chassis and record player myself at some point but I’ll have to learn more from you first and get some basic tools and equipment. Thank you SO MUCH for all you do Paul!
Off topic...Very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. His short clip and your comment was a sad but nice touch to your video. Thank you for sharing that with us.
As a former RAF Telegraphist I was pleased to see an old friend , the Racal RA17, a triple super heterodyne receiver. It excellent for both R/T and CW reception, I last used one in 1976. The tuning sequence was from the top right and then clockwise.
I am so looking forward to this series! I vote for the BC-348 first. Second choice would be the SP-600. I have a BC-224 that had its dynamotor cut out and no power supply installed. I wanted to know what it was like to run the BC-224 (or BC-348) in its original dynamotor configuration, so I spent 1 1/2 years searching and finally found a dynamotor for it. While I did manage to get my dynamotor working, it would be nice to hear your thoughts about the dynamotor, its use, and restoration tips. Thanks Paul. Keep up the great work!
Personally, I'd like to see the General Electric done first. I think the GE would be a good starting point for what good consumer gear looks like inside, and would make a neat comparison for what the more "pro" gear has inside when they get their turn on the healing bench.
I'd like to see the GE 1st. Paul, I just love your show and meticulous approach you take to everything you do! This is just perfect to me, I started taking things apart to see how they worked when I was in elementary school and explored a lot of old tube tech back in the 60's when I was a kid, just great stuff! Thanks for all you give out!
I used the Racal RA17 (pro version I think of the RA117) when I first started working at the BBC Receiving Station in 1979. They were still working well, although we also had much more modern Racal receivers. We had about 30 of them, plus Racal RA1772s (still the best receiver I've ever used!), 1792s, and others. I think this British designed and built Racal radio was the first receiver in the world to have 30 one MHz 'bands' each with a readout to 1 kHz on a six-foot 35mm film strip! Completely revolutionary at the time, and completely overcame the dial-frequency cramping on HF receivers that came before. Electronically they are quite complex and in inexperienced hands or with inadequate test equipment alignment can be completely wrecked. I will be interested in what you find inside and how you interpret how it actually works! Of course there's plenty of technical detail and design history on the web.
This is going to be a very interesting series of videos. What a fantastic lineup of radios with the BC348, CR/AR 88, a Racal, the R390, and a Hammerlund. I've seen the inside of the R390 in the past. What a marvel of mechanical and electronics engineering. It deserves to have a transparent lid to allow the operator to watch it in operation while tuning the radio. The best place to start would be with the consumer radio. What a nice looking cat. Sorry for your loss.
I would say restore them in this order of electrical complexion with the Collins on top with the mechanical complexity. GE consumer grade radio BC348, SP600, CR88, RA17 and R-390A On which one is best I would have to say RA17 with the SSB adapter as I’m a proud British citizen.
first one BC348. My first real receiver was a war surplus BC348-M. I asked my dad to help me and he handed me the Radio Armatures Handbook. I learnd a great deal getting it to work.
Your cat pal is funny. I have three cats. Looks like a lot of repair fun with all those fine commercial grade built like a safe receivers. I used to have a Hewlett-Packard RF generator that size
What a precious cat, Paul. They have such short lives but bring so much joy to us. Thank you for sharing. I thoroughly enjoy your videos and your in-depth knowledge. All the best to you!
R-390A is the one I want to see you do. I'll actually get to rate you on your work. Worked on them while I was in the USAF/AFCS. Don't drink coffee when you tackle the gearing.
I’d like to see the GE first. I have a 390A and it really is a crazy good receiver. But when I pull the top off and look, I put it right back on lol. Way above my hack skill level. Very excited for this series.
Aw, what a good boy. I wish I could let mine into the workshop, but he likes to move the disorganization on the bench randomly into the disorganization on the floor. :3
Your cat is now in our hearts as well Sir! Consumer grade GE would be a great starting point before jumping into the deeper water of the commercial grade receivers. Look forward to this series! 73 - KF6IF
![1940's Forestry Radio Receiver And Transmitter [Teardown With Circuit Description]](/img/n.gif)
To learn electronics in a very different and effective way, and gain access to Mr Carlson's personal designs and inventions, visit the Mr Carlson's Lab Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab
Which one gives you back pain when lifting.
The BC-348Q
Hello Mr Carlson;
Could you build a portable device that opens a time portal? I am trying to go back to the 1960s, to meet my Dad, before he died on my 2nd Birthday. And I would need to go back, to talk to myself and help me through life.
All the best Shaun of NYC
Nice cat.
i like the wooden one . thanks for your time and sharing . now get back to work 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Your little pal was obviously an expert. Adjusting here a little and there a little, checking all the dials, listening carefully...
Looking forward to this series! Let's start with the consumer grade GE!
Agree GE first :)
I agree, it’s really nice
GE looks cool. looking forward to it!
I'm going to put my vote here too, although I'm looking forward to all!
👍
I concur with many others to start with the GE consumer grade receiver first then the BC348 then the CR88 then the SP600 then the mechanically complex Collins receiver and then the RA17C12……and then even go back through the AR88 that you said was probably partially restored (it’ll be interesting to see what the previous tech did to restore and maybe what mistakes they may have made or what they could have done better). THANKS FOR DOING THIS!!!
Nice tribute. Some companions mean so much to us. You are better for knowing them.
Honestly, I think my favourite part of this video was you sharing that special moment with your radio buddy. It was absolutely adorable.
Animals can bring so much joy to our lives and provide such special moments.
It is the most replayed part of the video according to the new feature on the slide bar. I'm not surprised.
Great receivers! Having an interest in war birds I'd like to see the BC348 done. Thanks for sharing the video with of your radio room pal. Cats are so special, I almost cried.
I have a bc348Q here I picked up cheap years ago. One band is down in sensitivity because one of the if cans is not doing well. It came with a nice homemade power supply and just worked already. Would love one of the big navy ship radios like I had for a short period that had been robbed of critical parts. Do the 348👍
@@69Dartman These days, where do I find a Power Transformer to replace the dyno motors in the ones I have?
Ha ha. I thought your comment said 'Having an interest in war brides'. LOL
@@Daveyk021 I don't know, mine has a nice power supply built when I got it. Some one had cut off the wires to probably make it easier to store and move so I matched up the colors and crimped them back together and luckily it fired right up and worked. I know ham radio operators used to buy up surplus radio and build power supplies for them all the time when these were common and cheap. I bet you could Google ancient plans for them. I seem to remember there being a data plate on them somewhere with the voltages they used.
@@frankowalker4662 Somebody had to service them when the husbands were overseas.
Sorry for the loss of your feline buddy. Faithful pets deserve a special place in our hearts.
Thank you for sharing with us that special recording of your sadly departed friend, and your brief words of tribute were truly touching.
Mr. Carlson…. You sir are a National Treasure !! A wealth of information and technical know how that is invaluable to those curious, learning and practicing electronics.. Can’t thank you enough for your time and efforts.
My condolences to you and yours for the loss of your furry friend.. I prefer the company of cats to most humans.. Sorry for your loss.
Ahhh that surely was a treat at the end!! That little guy was so curious twisting the knob with his little paw and then looking around at the device! Thanks for sharing. RIP buddy.
AR88 for me. 4 legged cat pals are a blessing. Thank you for sharing.
you are an extraordinary educator.
Such a beautiful kitty. My black kitty was my lab helper for 15 years. He loved to sit on top of my tube radios to keep warm and fill them up with his fur.
I've been looking for a decent Hammerlund for a few years and am looking forward to the restoration of yours but that GE radio is sweet and would be a good one to start with.
My cat"s name is "Mister Fella" and he's getting up there in years; I love that guy. I love your videos about as much as Mister Fella!
The cat's reaction to the dial moving is priceless Paul! Funny stuff!
First off, so sorry to hear about your kitten. I have lost many pets and it's hard. That being said, great lineup you have here and will enjoy all of them.
Wow, really looking forward to this series. I'd love to see the BC348 first.
Thank you so much for the hard work and dedication in making these videos and sharing your knowledge with everyone.
Really looking forward to the first video regardless of which device gets picked.
I hate to break it to you, the reason this has never been done on youtube has less to do with expense and more to do with the fact that there's only One Mr. Carlson. And frankly sir, there's few on the planet with the skill, practical and historic knowledge in this field. Not to mention, who're also willing to film themselves. Explain the methods and skills and share the knowledge. You're as much of a priceless gem as the equipment you re-animate.
This is going to be incredible. This is set out to be a highlight of my year.
Yep, going to be awesome!
Absolutely!
Did not take long for your little buddy to figure out how that dial moved! Nice. Thanks for sharing.
One of the radios that I operated in Korea, in 1954-55 was a Collins, but I would really like to see the GE consumer radio restored first. The final old video was really sweet.
The General Electric please 🙂
A great Channel!
Hello from Belgium
I'd like to put my vote in for the GE...Not sure why. Ultimately, it doesn't matter, cause we're gonna get to see them all fixed up, and thats the fun part. The video of your lab pal was very bittersweet. I lost my own orange lab pal a few years ago.
You da man. Gonna need a lot of coffee for this series. UA-camrs are in for another treat. Your radio pal was doing his best Mr. Carlson imitation -RIP little buddy -love it :)
I'm so looking forward to this series! I would like to see that consumer GE first.
Thanks for including the video of your pal, I'm sorry for your loss. I recently lost one of my pals after 13 years of company.
Sad, but they are so worth it.
The GE is gorgeous. I lost my Sylver in 2020. He was a great cat. Rip buddy.
@@t3m077 Short 4 Sylvester? Memorial day was the last funeral 4 Us.
@@robertakerman3570 yes! His name was Sylvester! Although we just called him Sylvie.
@@t3m077 Time heals a little
Let's do this! Looking forward to the restoration process. Loved the kitty. He will be missed.
I'm going to go with the one the beautiful kitty chose haha. Thanks for sharing him with us. Love our kitty. In real response, I say the go with the CR88.
awwwww! I'm sorry for your loss.. I'm SURE he made a BEST of lab partner and his purring was misinterpreted as a new unique noise on the dial MANY times :) in fact, I bet you can STILL hear his purr when tuning the dials late at night as he visits you in-spirit each time you fire up the "orange glows"! Thank YOU for sharing him with us! :)
Cool Cat, I'm sure the feeling was mutual.
Paul I knew you were a good person but your video of your kitty and kind comment says reams about your character. Guys that love kitty's are special people in my view that have a special heart. The little guy was a darling and was well trained in receiver operation. I know when a kitty baby leaves us we are sad because they just become some special to us. But thankfully you have this neat clip to remember your radio room pal even after its gone. We have 6 and love them all. Thank you for a tearful but smiling moment. You have my vote and support. Keep up the wonderful work!
Thanks for your kind words John!
The GE seems quite interesting for the initial restoration. Though all of them seem great. Radio cat is cool. I am sorry for your loss. Meow.
This is like christmas! Seven times over! Looking forward to this. It's going to be fun!
Love the cat --- what a treat!!! Thank you. I'd vote for the GE consumer grade radio to start. I'm more curious about that than any of the others.
Ahh, just watched to the end, love the cat, what a great friend. My cat loves to lay across the keyboard while I'm trying to type 😃
Thanks for sharing your video of your Silent Key Kitteh.
I'm looking forward to this series, especially the aviation rig.
Poignant moment there at the end. Cats and radios, we have lots in common Paul.
Seeing that BC-348 really took me back to my teen years as a novice ham license holder. I bought a BC-348 from an army surplus radio dealer. He told me that it came out of a submarine. It came with a power supply, but the problem was that it ran off of 400Hz instead of 60Hz.
Fortunately, it came with the manual and schematics. I was able to use a power transformer and associated power circuit from an old tv that I tore apart and then duplicated the required voltages needed. I had lots of help from the local ham club whenever I ran into any snags.
The receiver needed no maintenance and worked perfectly. The dealer was also a ham and he assured me that it worked. Together with a home-brew transmitter, I made lots of CW contacts all over the world on 80 and 40 meters.
I'm looking forward to your video of restoring it.
Thanks for sharing your story Craig!
BC348, you are a treasure! That furry friend was priceless. I went to engineering school in the 60’s so don’t need to learn anymore, but love to watch you work!
Regardless of order this will be great, love the kitty video, I just lost my kitty two weeks ago and i really miss her.
What a great restoration selection project. OK so for me the consumer grade GE has to be my choice. From the silhouette of the speaker grill that looks like one huge speaker contained in the GE. It's great to see you a getting your labs up and running again Paul. What a lovely cat and thank you for sharing that with the community. Your final comments were very moving.
I'm catching up with your videos. Your little radio room pal was adorable and very smart to notice that the dial moved when he rotated the knob. Not many cats can do that. The highlight of the video for me.
Having used an R390 and a 390A as a CTI, I will note that the usability and stability after hours of use in rolling seas are a factor that hams and casual users rarely need to contend with. The R390/390A were classified gear in their day. They are, when restored, very very quiet, precise and stable. No random digital birdies here.
AWWWWWW! What a cute radio room pal! He looks like he was a great friend of yours.
Having used an R-390 in the Navy, I'll always have a love for them and their great sensitivity & selectivity. So, I'll put in my 1st vote for it.
Next, and hearing your comments about your mod's - will be for the SP-600. In fact, if you really can get that great FM sounding audio; that would be a great side-project is to build a universal SP-600 AUDIO section that can be hooked into any radio... like the R-390 w/the 600 sound quality. As a person w/hearing loss & tinnitus, it would be awesome to enjoy hearing these beauties without the crude output.
Thanks in advance for all of the upcoming hard work.
73
Firstly, I’m so sorry for the loss of your little mate. The look on his face when he discovered that turning the knob made the dial move was beautiful. You could see the cogs ticking over in his head. My old cat Oscar used to adjust the controls on my Icom IC-7600 while I was using it. If you happen to get another kitty down the track make sure to introduce us to your new radio shack buddy. This whole protect will be awesome! I’d love to see the big GE restored. I like watching you and people like David Tipton here in Australia restoring domestic old radios. Keep up the great work! Craig VK3CRG
Thanks for your kind comment Craig! David Tipton is a fantastic fella too.
My choice.....the GE 1st......CR-88 2nd but oh my my I can hardly wait for the RACAL and the Hammarlund. They make my heart skip a beat. 🙂
from 1965-67 I was stationed at FOCCPAC in Hawaii. In our hi-res TV system studio (800 Lines) we had in the control center one of the Collins receiver. Since we were underground under a pineapple field there was an above ground antenna for the radio. In our spare time we would surf the broadcast band the get distant AM broadcast station. I , to this day would love to find one of them. Later when I became a ham (1977) I then realize what a treasure we had. To this day I would love on, or a complete restored Collins S line, rx, tx, vfo etc. I bought a house in Florida that had been owned by a ham, the former Cheif Engineer of the VOA station in then Ceylon. Keep up the good work!!. I went to eletronics school in 1961, 36 weeks of tubes, 2 weeks of Transistors. Glass tube warms the room and glows.
Well, cats and electronics... What can I say 😸 Sorry for your loss.
7:31 - Yes, I remember that receiver. That's where I first encountered a 'dynamotor' :)
My recently deceased uncle (an EE, and WWII vet), worked at GE (USS Nautilus development contracts) and would have been thrilled by learning the design details of that consumer-grade GE radio (as I am). So that GE radio is at the top of my list.
These types of interests tend to run in families! My grandfather was a tube fanatic, although we didn't get along for other reasons.
This is just FANTASTIC to follow! Thanks Mr. C!!! My vote is for beginning with the GE consumer receiver.
Wow, that's an impressive collection.
Intersting set of videos ahead, good idea.
And the right words about our friends. They are not our cats, they are the ones who accept to let us share their existence.
Yes, yes, yes, yeessss! I am so excited for this!
To answer your question I would like to see you start with the BC348 receiver first.
Your videos are absolutely beautiful pieces of work and I so excited when a new one is posted. I hope you never quit making videos I really enjoy learning all that you teach and really just enjoy them! Thank you so much Mr. Carlson! Keep up the fantastic work! I honestly wish they would give you your own tv channel dedicated just to whatever you want to do!
Thanks for your kind comment!
@@MrCarlsonsLab Yaa, got a couple BC-348s, one a Q and one an R. The R still has the Dino. I want to see how to get a power transformer for it and how YOU make a tube rectified power supply. I need to order a hole punch tool the size of tube sockets.
I'm Happy to know we have so much restorations to watch in the near future☺️
Woot! This is going to be a blast! I am really keen on seeing the wooden GE consumer radio first. I think it looks really neat and it will set a good base level for all the other behemoths. A close second would be the AR-88/CR-88.
Very sorry that you lost your cat. I know what good friends they can be. It's great that the two of you had each other for as long as you did!
I've seen many of these radios before, but that GE Consumer radio looks like a rare find. I'd love to see that one first.
I think it's a great idea you've got here. No matter what receiver "wins" the start, I am very much looking forward to restoration of all of them. 73 Kay
I would love to see the General Electric restored. The look of it is amazing! The case alone shows that it isn't like the other radios in huge metal cases. The GE is in a class of it's own and can be displayed on a table as where the metal boat anchors will sit on a shelf and collect dust.
I personally like the metal boat anchors. I have quite a few radios like that, and they aren't that bad looking on tables, although I agree the GC is amazing. The cabinet is in great condition.
Yeah Paul ...this is going to be great. Can't wait for it. Many thanks for even getting the courage to begin such a laborious chapter. You really are a special guy. Cheers to all the friends of the channel.
Love that cat! Let's see a lot more of him during these upcoming restorations please. Personally I would vote to restore the BC348 first. Many years ago a Ham acquaintance of mine had come by one of these receivers but he would never say where or how he got it. The performance was supreme and it was the envy of other Hams in the local radio club. I know this new restoration series will be avidly watched by all your followers and congratulations on taking on this big project. Very good luck with it - it will be a great success and an inspiration to all!
I miss my pal. I got him when I was 5 had him for 24 years. As an only child, he was effectively my brother.
I vote for the GE wooden unit, Btw I worked on the replacement contract for the BFO unit on the R390, the accuracy and thermal stability was incredible, the mix of caps across the variable inductor was complex to achieve the spec, military grade. This should be a fun series to watch.
I think you would find the BC348 is pretty mechanically complex too. More so than people think.
Thermal stability for the R-390A came at a price. How many watts were pulled to operate the R-390A beast with both ovens switched on? This was not an issue back in the day with government and military users but users today may be appalled by how fast their electric utility meters are running.
Impressive collection. THANK YOU for sharing.
The GE, but I look forward to watching you fix all of them.
Holy Hornswaggles! Wow this is going to be a fun series.
Great concept, Paul! I'd like to see the GE commercial unit done first, followed by the BC348 aviation unit. Thanks!
LOVE the vid of your wonderful kitty pal helping you scan the radio waves! RIP little kitty buddy! I have a Russian Blue and TWO Maincoons that I ADORE! HEY! I’ve been watching your awesome vids for a couple years now. I’ve never repaired a radio before but I have inherited an old Crosley Corp. 146CS(V) and it works or used to. I bought it 30 years ago and refinished the cabinet and gave it to my parents for Christmas. Well now my folks have passed and I’ve Inherited it now…..I would love to try and restore the radio chassis and record player myself at some point but I’ll have to learn more from you first and get some basic tools and equipment. Thank you SO MUCH for all you do Paul!
Looking Forward to seeing them all get restored, but i'd like to see the consumer one first.
Off topic...Very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. His short clip and your comment was a sad but nice touch to your video. Thank you for sharing that with us.
y once had a cat like that, Doing the same! lol Being my pall! mStill miss hm...😪 Rest in peace!
As a former RAF Telegraphist I was pleased to see an old friend , the Racal RA17, a triple super heterodyne receiver. It excellent for both R/T and CW reception, I last used one in 1976. The tuning sequence was from the top right and then clockwise.
I am so looking forward to this series! I vote for the BC-348 first. Second choice would be the SP-600.
I have a BC-224 that had its dynamotor cut out and no power supply installed. I wanted to know what it was like to run the BC-224 (or BC-348) in its original dynamotor configuration, so I spent 1 1/2 years searching and finally found a dynamotor for it. While I did manage to get my dynamotor working, it would be nice to hear your thoughts about the dynamotor, its use, and restoration tips. Thanks Paul. Keep up the great work!
This is going to be an awesome series. Looking forward to the great education I am going to receive.
Personally, I'd like to see the General Electric done first.
I think the GE would be a good starting point for what good consumer gear looks like inside, and would make a neat comparison for what the more "pro" gear has inside when they get their turn on the healing bench.
Hi Paul... you've quilted me I to starting to restore my Eddystone 830 receiver. Looking forward to your series, thanks.
I'd like to see the GE 1st. Paul, I just love your show and meticulous approach you take to everything you do! This is just perfect to me, I started taking things apart to see how they worked when I was in elementary school and explored a lot of old tube tech back in the 60's when I was a kid, just great stuff! Thanks for all you give out!
I used the Racal RA17 (pro version I think of the RA117) when I first started working at the BBC Receiving Station in 1979. They were still working well, although we also had much more modern Racal receivers. We had about 30 of them, plus Racal RA1772s (still the best receiver I've ever used!), 1792s, and others. I think this British designed and built Racal radio was the first receiver in the world to have 30 one MHz 'bands' each with a readout to 1 kHz on a six-foot 35mm film strip! Completely revolutionary at the time, and completely overcame the dial-frequency cramping on HF receivers that came before.
Electronically they are quite complex and in inexperienced hands or with inadequate test equipment alignment can be completely wrecked. I will be interested in what you find inside and how you interpret how it actually works! Of course there's plenty of technical detail and design history on the web.
I vote for the G.E consumer grade to start things off.
I like the wood, hits my soft spot
That is by far the coolest collection I've ever seen....especially the Racal and the Collins....bring it on, looking forward to it!!!
Stay well WD8JM
RIP little buddy.
This is going to be a very interesting series of videos. What a fantastic lineup of radios with the BC348, CR/AR 88, a Racal, the R390, and a Hammerlund. I've seen the inside of the R390 in the past. What a marvel of mechanical and electronics engineering. It deserves to have a transparent lid to allow the operator to watch it in operation while tuning the radio. The best place to start would be with the consumer radio.
What a nice looking cat. Sorry for your loss.
I would say restore them in this order of electrical complexion with the Collins on top with the mechanical complexity.
GE consumer grade radio
BC348, SP600, CR88, RA17 and R-390A
On which one is best I would have to say RA17 with the SSB adapter as I’m a proud British citizen.
first one BC348. My first real receiver was a war surplus BC348-M. I asked my dad to help me and he handed me the Radio Armatures Handbook. I learnd a great deal getting it to work.
Consumer GE first, please. Definitely going to be a fun series of videos.
Your cat pal is funny. I have three cats. Looks like a lot of repair fun with all those fine commercial grade built like a safe receivers. I used to have a Hewlett-Packard RF generator that size
Hi There , I would suggest the BC 348 for starters , Thanks for all the vids, greetings from SA
What a precious cat, Paul. They have such short lives but bring so much joy to us. Thank you for sharing. I thoroughly enjoy your videos and your in-depth knowledge. All the best to you!
R-390A is the one I want to see you do. I'll actually get to rate you on your work. Worked on them while I was in the USAF/AFCS. Don't drink coffee when you tackle the gearing.
Man speaks from experience.......LOL
What a great idea! I vote for the commercial grade GE. Thanks Mr. Carlson.
Any one of these would be great. Not to sit on the fence the GE followed by the CR 88.. but I will be keenly following whatever is picked
What a great idea! I will be following this all the way! Let the journey begin!
I’d like to see the GE first. I have a 390A and it really is a crazy good receiver. But when I pull the top off and look, I put it right back on lol. Way above my hack skill level. Very excited for this series.
I'm really excited for the Collins and that consumer radio. The rest is a sweet bonus. Can't wait!
Is that Racal unit a Wadley Loop design? The tuning controls make me think so....
Hi Alan. You got it, these receivers use the Wadley Loop. Thanks for stopping by!
Aw, what a good boy.
I wish I could let mine into the workshop, but he likes to move the disorganization on the bench randomly into the disorganization on the floor. :3
My vote is to start with the GE, then the BC-348. Really looking forward to seeing the entire series!
Your cat is now in our hearts as well Sir! Consumer grade GE would be a great starting point before jumping into the deeper water of the commercial grade receivers. Look forward to this series! 73 - KF6IF