Craftsmen RC-2

SS64 · 6th December 2011, 10:40 PM

I picked up this little amp at a local hamfest for $20. It appears to be un modded and in good shape. All the tubes check good.. No shorts and good emission. Ok here's the problem though... At low volume it sounds good, but as i increase the volume the sound becomes distorted. I know the speaker is good and it is on the right ohm connection..

What do you guys think? Maybe the 70 year old output transformer is going south?

GloBug · 6th December 2011, 10:54 PM

Re-cap it and go from there. OPT likely fine.

GloBug · 6th December 2011, 10:59 PM

Here's a drawing if you need it.
Hawthorne Audio • View topic - Hi Everybody / Help
Have fun.

SS64 · 6th December 2011, 11:01 PM

Ok ill slap some in there for temporary to see if it fixes it..
Anybody have a schematic for it?

GloBug · 6th December 2011, 11:06 PM

Look above.

SS64 · 6th December 2011, 11:54 PM

thanks. I must have posted when you did.

Wavebourn · 7th December 2011, 12:00 AM

For convenience:

Dyna Saur · 9th December 2011, 12:39 AM

Over the years, I have owned three of these amps, they're decent sounding, approximately 10 watts out. Nothing special, just a basic 50s era 6V6 PP amp design.

The caps - ALL of them, signal path as well as power supply electrolytics - should be replaced, as these units are about 60 years old. RCA never intended these things to still be in use after six decades.

/ed B in NC

Wavebourn · 9th December 2011, 01:09 AM

Do you mean RCI, or RCA?

6th December 2011, 10:40 PM	#1
SS64 diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008	Craftsmen RC-2 I picked up this little amp at a local hamfest for $20. It appears to be un modded and in good shape. All the tubes check good.. No shorts and good emission. Ok here's the problem though... At low volume it sounds good, but as i increase the volume the sound becomes distorted. I know the speaker is good and it is on the right ohm connection.. What do you guys think? Maybe the 70 year old output transformer is going south? __________________ It isn't fun unless it can kill you!

6th December 2011, 11:01 PM	#4
SS64 diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008	Ok ill slap some in there for temporary to see if it fixes it.. Anybody have a schematic for it? __________________ It isn't fun unless it can kill you!

6th December 2011, 11:54 PM	#6
SS64 diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2008	thanks. I must have posted when you did. __________________ It isn't fun unless it can kill you!

7th December 2011, 12:00 AM	#7
Wavebourn diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Pleasant Hill, CA	For convenience: __________________ The devil is not so terrible as his mathematical model! Wavebourn: We Create Creativity!

9th December 2011, 12:39 AM	#8
Dyna Saur diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: NC	Craftsmen RC-2 Over the years, I have owned three of these amps, they're decent sounding, approximately 10 watts out. Nothing special, just a basic 50s era 6V6 PP amp design. The caps - ALL of them, signal path as well as power supply electrolytics - should be replaced, as these units are about 60 years old. RCA never intended these things to still be in use after six decades. /ed B in NC __________________ real radios glow in the dark

6th December 2011, 10:54 PM	#2
GloBug Banned Join Date: Jun 2011	Re-cap it and go from there. OPT likely fine.

6th December 2011, 10:59 PM	#3
GloBug Banned Join Date: Jun 2011	Here's a drawing if you need it. Hawthorne Audio • View topic - Hi Everybody / Help Have fun.

6th December 2011, 11:06 PM	#5
GloBug Banned Join Date: Jun 2011	Look above.

9th December 2011, 01:09 AM	#9
Wavebourn diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Pleasant Hill, CA	Do you mean RCI, or RCA? __________________ The devil is not so terrible as his mathematical model! Wavebourn: We Create Creativity!

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