Found a magnavox tube radio @ goodwill today. Its an old table top console, stereo , with wide angle 8" speakers in it.
It has this amp in it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Magnavox-6BQ5-S...ryZ50593QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
6CA4 rectifier, and two 6bq5 outputs. ( stereo SE) ~ 5 ish watts/ channel. Good shape, original tubes ( marked magnavox.) I have seen some on ebay for upwards of $30 but I don't know if its worth the asking price they have @ good will. their asking $50 for the radio its self, and I can't talk them down. I imagine it will sit if its not worth it. What do you guys think.?
It has this amp in it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Magnavox-6BQ5-S...ryZ50593QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
6CA4 rectifier, and two 6bq5 outputs. ( stereo SE) ~ 5 ish watts/ channel. Good shape, original tubes ( marked magnavox.) I have seen some on ebay for upwards of $30 but I don't know if its worth the asking price they have @ good will. their asking $50 for the radio its self, and I can't talk them down. I imagine it will sit if its not worth it. What do you guys think.?
If you're looking for an amp to modify, this might be the one--with some of these high-falutin' high-sensitivity speakers the hifi set are always talking about, and some basic circuit changes, it could be a real winner. Output transformers might not be too hard to find. I wouldn't buy it if it doesn't work, work pretty loud, and doesn't seem to attenuate base or treble too extremely. At worst it'll make the best iPod amp in the world, at best it may have the "silky mids, transcendant highs, and and warm, honey lows" that I'm just not sure are there unless I take a bunch of acid 
$50 isn't too bad for something like this...especially if it works. You may have to put another $50-100 in it to make it something that will make Hans Hifi drool, but I think the wine does that anyway. In any case, with new caps, a resistor check and some circuit redesign it'll be a nice thing to listen to indeed.
$50 isn't too bad for something like this...especially if it works. You may have to put another $50-100 in it to make it something that will make Hans Hifi drool, but I think the wine does that anyway. In any case, with new caps, a resistor check and some circuit redesign it'll be a nice thing to listen to indeed.
It is worth it if working. And if that can't demonstrate that then they should sell it for less (or you could always play chicken -- waiting for the price to drop -- but someone might beat you to it )
I've sold those OPTs on eBay for $40/pr, and the speakers are worth something (likely OB candidates). And you might get lucky on the tubes in them.
Plan on gutting it eventually, and starting over. An RH84 would be a good candidate.
dave
)I've sold those OPTs on eBay for $40/pr, and the speakers are worth something (likely OB candidates). And you might get lucky on the tubes in them.
Plan on gutting it eventually, and starting over. An RH84 would be a good candidate.
dave
hey thanks for the replies. I tested it , it does work ( loud and clear too!) Bass and treble controls work fine. Only the FM doesn't work so I am assuming it is out of alignment or just plain has a bad converter tube. Sometimes the oscilator uses a 12at7 or something similar and reception is very dependant on how much gain the tube has left.
Anyways I peered inside of it and the speakers look minty ( still black, not even very dusty )
One has a large alnico slug, the other is tucked up inside the basket ( making for a very low profile speaker...hmm guitar amp?)
Anyways, I can't seem to find ANY info on it on the net. It is a wooden table top model, the tuner looks like a miniaturized magnificent magnavox , and the unit is isoceles trapezoid shaped. Sort of reminds me of an old normende or grommes.
I think I read somewhere that the magnavox 6bq5's were made by mullard??
Anyways I peered inside of it and the speakers look minty ( still black, not even very dusty
)One has a large alnico slug, the other is tucked up inside the basket ( making for a very low profile speaker...hmm guitar amp?)
Anyways, I can't seem to find ANY info on it on the net. It is a wooden table top model, the tuner looks like a miniaturized magnificent magnavox , and the unit is isoceles trapezoid shaped. Sort of reminds me of an old normende or grommes.
I think I read somewhere that the magnavox 6bq5's were made by mullard??
Just about the only downside to living in a small town.
ThSpeakerDude88 said:
I don't know if Magnavoxes were but a lot of US manufacturers branded Mullard tubes. If you can get your hands on a tube, and it doesn't say right on the silkscreen, find the little codes if they exist (2 rows of 3 digits). If the second row starts with a B you have a tube made at the Mullard Blackburn factory. http://www.audiotubes.com/mullcode.htm
I have found that even 40 years old, most of the EL84s i've scored out of these kinds of things are fine (ie test as good as new).
dave
It's definitely worth it being a working magnavox. My experience with magnavoxs from the old era has been nothing short of great. I had an astro-sonic germanium solid state hifi cabinet with 2x15 & jensen rp103 knock-off horns. Everyone would swear it was tubed. It sounded better than any of the high end sony stuff I had picked up. It even worked as a great bass amp (they just don't make home stereos with two fifteen-inch speakers anymore )...they really tried for quality equipment in those days.
)...they really tried for quality equipment in those days.I parted out one of those astro-sonic consoles once! Got one for $20 @ our local goodwill. Cabinet was destroyed, 15" woofers were mint! I am currently using the horns on top of my Sansui sp-1500's crossed over @ 8khz
man I really want that thing, it would make a cute little amp for listening to jazz at night with. I just don't know if I can justify spending $50 on it...maybe someone will buy the woofers on ebay?
Also, the fact that it has all the original tubes ( and that the back has never been off) tells me that it has not been used much. the cabinet is in great shape except for the top, which has some water damage. It seems to have "sat in grandmas garage because the FM section didn't work and does grandma use it anymore? No, so lets donate it to goodwill"
man I really want that thing, it would make a cute little amp for listening to jazz at night with. I just don't know if I can justify spending $50 on it...maybe someone will buy the woofers on ebay?
Also, the fact that it has all the original tubes ( and that the back has never been off) tells me that it has not been used much. the cabinet is in great shape except for the top, which has some water damage. It seems to have "sat in grandmas garage because the FM section didn't work and does grandma use it anymore? No, so lets donate it to goodwill"
finally found a picture of the unit online. It is a model FM026.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Huge-Vintage-Ma...3975543QQihZ019QQcategoryZ38035QQcmdZViewItem
theres a picture. Its small enough that I could probably keep it as a nice sounding console up on a shelf somewhere. It puts out 10 watts of power into two high eficiency 8" woofers, so it gets loud for sure. Still trying to justify 50 on it though, its not in as nice of shape ( externally) as the one on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Huge-Vintage-Ma...3975543QQihZ019QQcategoryZ38035QQcmdZViewItem
theres a picture. Its small enough that I could probably keep it as a nice sounding console up on a shelf somewhere. It puts out 10 watts of power into two high eficiency 8" woofers, so it gets loud for sure. Still trying to justify 50 on it though, its not in as nice of shape ( externally) as the one on ebay.
Hey,, your in Indiana right?
Check you local papers for estate auctions.
I get loads of old Magnavox consoles that way.
Over here in the far west burbs of Chicago there are no less than 6 auctions every weekend, If you hit them regularly they always turn up. These things sell for pennies! I generally get them for under $10.00. Nobody wants to haul them home these days.
Heck, last fall I picked up a McIntosh MC240, and a Marantz 7 pre-amp for under $200 at a local estate sale.
Last weekend I picked up (2) early 70's Marshall Lead 100's geetar amps for $200.00 each. They have a book value of around $4-5000.00 Each
I didnt even bid on the 2000 tubes being sold, though I did grab a lot of other trinkets.
Estate sales and public auctions are where the real treasures are.
I hit the western farm belt auctions in my area, Consoles and Organs are nearly as common as corn.
I have found the Goodwill shops are generally very limited as far as decent gear goes. They get all this stuff free, but the best stuff gets listed on their ebay site.
They also broker out a lot of the stuff. The stores sell mostly the low dollar items.
Trout
Check you local papers for estate auctions.
I get loads of old Magnavox consoles that way.
Over here in the far west burbs of Chicago there are no less than 6 auctions every weekend, If you hit them regularly they always turn up. These things sell for pennies! I generally get them for under $10.00. Nobody wants to haul them home these days.
Heck, last fall I picked up a McIntosh MC240, and a Marantz 7 pre-amp for under $200 at a local estate sale.
Last weekend I picked up (2) early 70's Marshall Lead 100's geetar amps for $200.00 each. They have a book value of around $4-5000.00 Each
I didnt even bid on the 2000 tubes being sold, though I did grab a lot of other trinkets.
Estate sales and public auctions are where the real treasures are.
I hit the western farm belt auctions in my area, Consoles and Organs are nearly as common as corn.
I have found the Goodwill shops are generally very limited as far as decent gear goes. They get all this stuff free, but the best stuff gets listed on their ebay site.
They also broker out a lot of the stuff. The stores sell mostly the low dollar items.
Trout
How the heck did you steal an MC240 for under $200 !?! What kind of shape is it in? you are right about the goodwills, ours never really have anything good, although sometimes you will run across something obscure.
I know someone that actually picked up a tweed champ and early 50's tele at a goodwill for $250 (somebody at goodwill knew it was worth something- they just didnt know HOW MUCH it was worth!!
)
What kind of shape is it in? you are right about the goodwills, ours never really have anything good, although sometimes you will run across something obscure. I know someone that actually picked up a tweed champ and early 50's tele at a goodwill for $250 (somebody at goodwill knew it was worth something- they just didnt know HOW MUCH it was worth!!
)
ThSpeakerDude88 said:How the heck did you steal an MC240 for under $200 !?!
I know someone that actually picked up a tweed champ and early 50's tele at a goodwill for $250 (somebody at goodwill knew it was worth something- they just didnt know HOW MUCH it was worth!!
I got lucky, When I walked into the estate sale, The MC240, The Marrantz 7 pre-amp, A scott Tuner w/multiplexer, and Garrard Vintage turntable all nicely housed in a nice solid console style cabinet. Plus inside there were extra shure cartridges and cables.
It was marked cheap because they thought it was just another Junk Console from the 60's.
The MC240 was in mint condition, but needed new PS caps, I replaced them and instant success. The Marrantz 7 took a bit more tinkering, Had a bad selenium rectifier and a couple oxidized sockets.
Speaking of guitar amps, My buddy out here just grabbed a early 60's blackface Deluxe at a garage sale this morning for $25.00
He just called and is bringing it by, Says it is dusty but near mint otherwise.
Trout
well I went back and got it- couldnt resist! I thought if its junk I can at least use the parts to make a nice guitar amp. However I was plesantly surprised when I tested it further! The FM section DOES work! Very nicley too, louder than your average *boombox*. FM isn't very sensative, maybe need an antenna and some tweaking. I will post more when I get the chance to open her up.
WELLL my $50 paid off! Not only do I have the most amazing amp ever heard, but I was plesently greeted with a yummy "made in great brittain" tag (along with the codes beginning with a B) on the 6bq5's Hello Mullards!! Their the older ones with the ugly ghettering that is all over the tube inside, I thought they were bad at first untill I looked it up.
I have not tested them yet, I will do that tomarrow. However they seemed to have as much power as my new sovteks, so I'm assuming they have a good amount of life in them.
The amp was simple to setup, one jumper on the power connector, and a stereo cable into my laptop was all that was needed. It is going to make a cute little amp for jazz/classical ( which it can do at very loud volumes!)
I honestly have to say that I did not think 5 watts could do so much, the amp's soundstage is absolutly stunning,and the highs go wayyy up there. Heck the thing has better highs and lows than my solid state receiver! I am sure that this amp could use some modifications, but wow- I am blown away. I was hoping that the distortion I was hearing from my horns was not the drivers themselves, and I was right, it was my amp, because with this one they sound gorgeous.
Now some questions about the radio its self. It is a rather neat looking console, so I might like to keep it operational. The FM tuning is sketchy, pots need cleaned, and Stereo FM MPX does not work. All I get is motorboating when mpx is selected. AFC and standard FM work fine. It has a seperarte unit for the mpx, what should I look for to diagnose it?
Hello Mullards!! Their the older ones with the ugly ghettering that is all over the tube inside, I thought they were bad at first untill I looked it up. I have not tested them yet, I will do that tomarrow. However they seemed to have as much power as my new sovteks, so I'm assuming they have a good amount of life in them.
The amp was simple to setup, one jumper on the power connector, and a stereo cable into my laptop was all that was needed. It is going to make a cute little amp for jazz/classical ( which it can do at very loud volumes!)
I honestly have to say that I did not think 5 watts could do so much, the amp's soundstage is absolutly stunning,and the highs go wayyy up there. Heck the thing has better highs and lows than my solid state receiver! I am sure that this amp could use some modifications, but wow- I am blown away. I was hoping that the distortion I was hearing from my horns was not the drivers themselves, and I was right, it was my amp, because with this one they sound gorgeous.
Now some questions about the radio its self. It is a rather neat looking console, so I might like to keep it operational. The FM tuning is sketchy, pots need cleaned, and Stereo FM MPX does not work. All I get is motorboating when mpx is selected. AFC and standard FM work fine. It has a seperarte unit for the mpx, what should I look for to diagnose it?
Hi ThSpeakerDude88,
If you replace the decoupling caps that look like paper tubulars you could probably get everything working. That and any electrolytic supply caps. Coupling caps should always be replaced before you lose something that is not replaceable.
Do not adjust anything! Remember, it was in tune at some point.
-Chris
Filter caps and / or ground connections. It's motorboating and it's a classic fault.
If you replace the decoupling caps that look like paper tubulars you could probably get everything working. That and any electrolytic supply caps. Coupling caps should always be replaced before you lose something that is not replaceable.
Do not adjust anything! Remember, it was in tune at some point.
-Chris
Glad to hear that it's working. That little amp can sound really good.
One thing to look for is frequency shaping networks in the feedback network. It should be working nicely with the speakers that the amp was developed to run but you may want to remove them if you use the amp to drive different speakers.
I have a very crude hand drawn schematic of what I found in one of these amps many years ago. Mine also had Mullard's in it and they were still working nicely. Also had a Mullard rectifier tube.
It was one of these amps that got me back into the audio hobby 15 years ago...
To see the schematic of the Motorola SE pentode amp go to my web page and click on the David monoblock link. The schematic is at the bottom of the David page.
Gary
Gary P's DIY page
One thing to look for is frequency shaping networks in the feedback network. It should be working nicely with the speakers that the amp was developed to run but you may want to remove them if you use the amp to drive different speakers.
I have a very crude hand drawn schematic of what I found in one of these amps many years ago. Mine also had Mullard's in it and they were still working nicely. Also had a Mullard rectifier tube.
It was one of these amps that got me back into the audio hobby 15 years ago...
To see the schematic of the Motorola SE pentode amp go to my web page and click on the David monoblock link. The schematic is at the bottom of the David page.
Gary
Gary P's DIY page
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