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Welcome to a
photo tour of my workshop! This page takes a about 90 seconds to load at 28.8
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| As far as I am concerned, the single most important piece of
equipment is an isolation transformer. It greatly reduces the chance of being
electrocuted if one should encounter one of the many AC-DC radios that include the metal
chassis as part of the live circuitry.
Getting into antique radio repair? Get an Isolation Transformer first! This BK 1653A is a variable AC power supply-isolation transformer . It allows one to slowly increase the voltage as the components of the radio are checked for shorts or other problems. Below the BK is a simple Isolation transformer bolted onto a wood base. This model is available at Antique Electronic Supply. www.tubesandmore.com Second, if you work in a basement make sure the floor underneath your work position is insulated and that your bench is made of wood rather than metal or at least covered with a old piece of carpeting...this also protects the radio's cabinet and chassis surface from scratches. |
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| Ahhh.. the tool drawer... with wooden cigar box trays... does it get any better? Here I find screwdrivers of all sorts, nippers, clippers (not sure of the difference), pliers, tuning wrenches, solder wicks, etc. etc. This is where I keep the things I have bought in order to keep the CEO of Radio Shack Corporation living in his mansion. |
On
top...An Elenco Signal Generator (SG-9000)...used to generate a
frequency tone...455KHz is the most common one used...but I always check the alignment
data first. On bottom... An Elenco Audio Generator/Frequency Counter (SG 9300) . This is used in signal tracing in an attempt to locate a defective part. It can also be used in aligning the circuits. It is not a necessary piece of equipment, but it is helpful. |
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A Radio Shack frequency counter (22-306). I am an amateur radio operator and used this to check that my transmitter readouts are accurate, but is great to check my signal generator to make sure it is on frequency as well. Rugged little device! |
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Yes, that is a stethoscope to the left. It's a cheapy... less than $10...but by removing the diaphragm end and using the "non conducting" vinyl tube by itself, you can listen for arcing in resistors or tubes. It works great! Just make sure you do not use a stethoscope with a "carbonized" tube as it will conduct electricity and the last thing you need is a shock in each of your ears! Ouch! |
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A simple light bulb connected in series to your radio circuit can be a way of testing for any shorts. The bulb should be at least 100 watts... when you turn the radio on if the bulb glows, okay.. but if it lights brightly... TURN OFF THE RADIO... that means there is a short in the radio! |
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Whether keeping
database records of supplies, your collection or for viewing close-ups of
schematic diagrams now available on CD's and/or DVD's, a computer near the
bench is a BIG help... playing a little music while you |
 Radio Era Archives at www.radioera.com has a great assortment of resources available on CD, DVD, paper... lots and lots of technical manuals. Check it out...not cheap, but quality is excellent. |
Unless you are a trained electronics person... which I am not... you will need a lot of resource books. Check Antique Radio Classified at www.antiqueradio.com for a great list to choose from...
Another great
resource... bretsoldradios.com |
This is an Elenco 25 MHz Dual Channel Oscilloscope. It is used to check waveforms generated at various stages in the receiver circuit. In combination with a signal generator it is a handy, though not absolutely necessary, piece of equipment. Oscilloscopes can often be purchased second-hand at Amateur Radio swap meets or through purchase in Antique Radio Classified, but make sure the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) is clear and bright and that the trace doesn't drift. |
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 This is a homebrew speaker tester... it allows me to test a Permanent Magnet or Electrodynamic Speaker to make sure the Voice Coil and/or Audio Transformer is working properly... a very handy device 'cause if the speaker isn't "speaking"...it doesn't matter what else you repair. |
Sylvania Model 139. A real gem that I bought from a local TV repair shop... it was under their bench covered in dust. Cost...$25! |
(Left) BK-707 Mutual Conductance Tester -bought for $30 from sameTV repair shop as Sylvania 139 at left.. (Right) A Heath Kit Model TC-1 tester that is used to test older 4 pin tubes. |
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No matter what tube tester you have, it seems like there is always a tube socket that won't fit in it. So you can buy several tube testers or perhaps get a hold of a couple of these... adapters... the way companies tried to save the serviceman from having to buy an entirely new tube tester... sorta like Bill Gates helps us from having to buy a new computer and new software every six months!
The adapter on the right above is a U.S. Army Signal Core |
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In a white metal cabinet...just a sample of the more than 2500 tubes I have managed to collect! Many tubes are valuable. Price ranges vary from $2.00 to $110 for a single tube depending mostly on supply and demand. Of course the supply is constantly dwindling while the demand remains constant or increases....so in a way, tubes are like "money in the bank...earning low interest with high ATM fees." I hope I live long enough to make some money back... if not I have a feeling someday these may be in a yard sale! |
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Stored in plastic bins by type....more tubes....you can never
have enough tubes. Well, that is really not true. A good rule
of thumb is that when you need to order a particular tube, order two so
that you have a spare. I simply happened to buy out a collection of
tubes from an estate, otherwise I wouldn't have as many as I have...so do
as I say, not as I do! I do use Microsoft Access to keep a database of all my tubes. As I use a tube I make note of it and enter it into my database. When I get down to one of a particular tube type, I order two more. It's like taking one step back and going two steps forward...net result is that I have a lot of tubes. The variety of capacitors, resistors, coils, bulbs, knobs, etc. that you come across when restoring an antique radio are mind boggling.... I try to keep some of the most common types "neatly sorted" so that I can find one when I need it. Don't ask my why it doesn't work...but I keep trying to stay organized! I even bought a label machine so I would not have to try to decipher my own handwriting....the things you do when you get desperate.
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Here is what
the repairman may have carried his tubes in when he made a house call.
We all know what a "house call" is/was? It is something that no
one makes anymore!
I got this gem from a local TV repair shop for $5. It was under their bench along with two tube testers they sold me. It doesn't hurt to go in and ask... if a TV shop has been around for awhile, they might have a bench with something under it that you can buy cheap! |
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A collection of wire is quite valuable when you are restoring radios. The colors are provided in order to try to match the acceptable wiring color codes. The rubber coated wiring did not stand up, but the cloth-covered wires seem to have withstood time in much better shape. See an important warning message at end of this page. |
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Though I use
a digital
multi-meters, I also find a great deal of use for an analog meter, especially when it
comes to testing something like a capacitor. It helps to be able to see the needle
"deflect" ever-so-slightly!
Far Left = Radio Shack RS 22-216 analog Yellow meter = Fluke 12B digital multi meter To the left, a capacitance meter, though not necessary, is very handy. This EGC CX 920A meter has been very dependable for the past ten years! |
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A good supply of wood and plastic
refinishing agents is essential. Though I began restoring wood cabinets by refinishing
with polyurethane, I quickly learned that this is a "no-no" in Antique Radiodom.
I quickly moved up to the acceptable method of using Formsby's Tung Oil for a hand-rubbed
finish.
Woodworkers Supply at
www.woodworkers.com
They have a lot of finishing products I could not
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This is a Model K101A "ABC Regulated Battery Eliminator" |
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This is the type of radio for which you would use a battery eliminator... My
experience with battery operated radios from this period is limited, but I
look forward to learning! |
I am
quite sure the radio to the left is a homebrew TRF "Three-dialer" radio from the
mid-twenties to early thirties. |
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Here are a few of
the radios that I have restored... I have about 75 all together. Yes, I have run into a few that I have not been able to fix. I have much to learn. One thing that I am discovering is that if you cannot fix it, do not throw it out or dismantle it. Some people really don't care if the radio works. It is still an antique and they want if for the way it looks, not the way it plays! |
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Well, here is the "we are waiting for you to fix us" shelf... I guess I had better get to it! I hope you enjoyed the "mini-tour" and remember...don't throw away that old radio...not even that transistor in the cardboard box in the attic... they are now becoming quite collectible! I recently purchased a mint condition transistor radio at a flea market. The salesperson said, "Do you want the box that it came in?" YES! Note the "novelty" transistor... looks like a Polaroid 600 film cartridge. If you squint really hard and look to the left of the "600", you will see a Bicentennial transistor...logo of '76 with American flag on the front. |
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To the left is
a Stewart Warner Model 900 Series console ... to the right is a
Silvertone console-phonograph. I picked the Silvertone up for $5!
The Stewart
Warner plays... needs some restoration. The Silvertone needs a lot
of work. The veneer on the wood has separated.
Inside the
Stewart Warner console...
Beautifully designed technology! |
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Be careful, there are more than a
few people who have been electrocuted by these radios...and when it doubt... check it out
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Thanks for taking a look...it isn't fancy, but it's mine!
If you have any questions about antique radio
restoration or if you would like an estimate....email and we will see what we can
arrange...If I can't help you, I will see if I can send you in the right
direction to get some or answer your question.
I do this primarily as a hobby, it
is not my business.
It takes several
tube testers to provide the correct type of sockets for the many old and "new"
tubes that were used in the approximately 45 years of "tubedom".
