Hi all,
I've recently seen an old Magnavox console radio for sale that has 5, 4 pin sockets on it with a monster 4 gang(?) air gap variable capacitor dominating the center section of it.
Inside the casing there is a large portion of a final inspection tag that is hand dated with 11/16/28 along with what looks to be a factory "DYNAMIC-7" stamp on the line below the date. I don't recall what number the tuning dial ends at but it begins at 0 (zero). There is no tube diagram or other information that I can find.
Can anyone give me a general idea what it is and whether one could find parts to resurect it? It's kind of neat and has been sitting in a local charity shop for on two months now. It's price has dropped from $189 to $98 (still to high) and I bet it will be going to the dumps soon.
Any help or links would be appeciated.
R/
Jim
I've recently seen an old Magnavox console radio for sale that has 5, 4 pin sockets on it with a monster 4 gang(?) air gap variable capacitor dominating the center section of it.
Inside the casing there is a large portion of a final inspection tag that is hand dated with 11/16/28 along with what looks to be a factory "DYNAMIC-7" stamp on the line below the date. I don't recall what number the tuning dial ends at but it begins at 0 (zero). There is no tube diagram or other information that I can find.
Can anyone give me a general idea what it is and whether one could find parts to resurect it? It's kind of neat and has been sitting in a local charity shop for on two months now. It's price has dropped from $189 to $98 (still to high) and I bet it will be going to the dumps soon.
Any help or links would be appeciated.
R/
Jim
Hugo,
It looks much older that the pic you linked. More like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Atwater-Kent-19...7QQihZ018QQcategoryZ38033QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
and the sockets look more like the lower left one in this link
http://cgi.ebay.com/UV-199-UV-299-B...ryZ73375QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
and the dial (only one) is similar to these
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-ORIGINA...6QQihZ001QQcategoryZ38034QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I'll see about getting a picture or two next time I swing through the store but by using the e-Bay links you kind of get the idea of its age and layout. I'm just looking for general info now since I don't own it but am thinking about it.
R/
Jim
It looks much older that the pic you linked. More like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Atwater-Kent-19...7QQihZ018QQcategoryZ38033QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
and the sockets look more like the lower left one in this link
http://cgi.ebay.com/UV-199-UV-299-B...ryZ73375QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
and the dial (only one) is similar to these
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-ORIGINA...6QQihZ001QQcategoryZ38034QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I'll see about getting a picture or two next time I swing through the store but by using the e-Bay links you kind of get the idea of its age and layout. I'm just looking for general info now since I don't own it but am thinking about it.
R/
Jim
Well here's where I can maybe help. Try this site, it's a huge archive of old radios, the best I've found, with pictures of 1000's of them:
http://radioatticarchives.com/
Then once you find something close, you can go to this site and if you're lucky they may have a free schematic.
This second site also has a forum where you can get advice on refurbishing it. Sounds like a sweet deal, and all parts are available for most of this stuff too. There are a few specialty sites with specific items for these old radios.
http://www.nostalgiaair.org/Resources/
http://radioatticarchives.com/
Then once you find something close, you can go to this site and if you're lucky they may have a free schematic.
This second site also has a forum where you can get advice on refurbishing it. Sounds like a sweet deal, and all parts are available for most of this stuff too. There are a few specialty sites with specific items for these old radios.
http://www.nostalgiaair.org/Resources/
Hi Jim ,
Try the adress below , too . You will find there A BIG LOT of links to every kind of antique radios web sites .
http://www.antiqueradio.org/radweb.htm
Good luck ,
Carlos
Try the adress below , too . You will find there A BIG LOT of links to every kind of antique radios web sites .
http://www.antiqueradio.org/radweb.htm
Good luck ,
Carlos
Frank754, Carlos,
I have Nostalgiaair on my favorites and that's where I checked for info first. I didn't have the other two links. Thanks.
By looking at the gallery on radioatticarchives I believe it really is from the late 20's. All the spindley legged consoles in that gallery, with their tiny little central dial, look very similar to the one I'm talking about.
Thanks for the help so far.
R/
Jim
I have Nostalgiaair on my favorites and that's where I checked for info first. I didn't have the other two links. Thanks.
By looking at the gallery on radioatticarchives I believe it really is from the late 20's. All the spindley legged consoles in that gallery, with their tiny little central dial, look very similar to the one I'm talking about.
Thanks for the help so far.
R/
Jim
Another thing to consider, if there are no tubes in the unit or no tube diagram, would be to look at how many tube sockets it has, for example 3 or 5.
The 4 pin sockets narrow it down to an age range, the number of tubes can perhaps narrow it down to a design, for example regenerative or superhet. The superhets also have IF-coupling coil units (sort of like interstage transformers), so that's another giveaway.
Many of the designs if not the circuits themselves are similar in the time period, so perhaps by narrowing it down you could at least come up with a close design from another manufacturer, and use the same tube sockets, just rewire the board a bit.
The 4 pin sockets narrow it down to an age range, the number of tubes can perhaps narrow it down to a design, for example regenerative or superhet. The superhets also have IF-coupling coil units (sort of like interstage transformers), so that's another giveaway.
Many of the designs if not the circuits themselves are similar in the time period, so perhaps by narrowing it down you could at least come up with a close design from another manufacturer, and use the same tube sockets, just rewire the board a bit.
If it does have a 4 gang variable cap, it is likely a TRF radio. That also dates it in the '20s.
I was at a flea market two years ago. I spotted a large metal box lying in the dirt. It had obviously been there a while (the vendor has a permanent space). It had 5 globe type tubes in it and a faded paper tag that said that all the tubes were replaced in 1929! I bought it for $20. It was a Sparton radio of unknown origins. The output tubes were National Union NX-483's. I have not found a tube dealer who has ever heard of them. I put them into a TubelabSE and they sound real nice and produce about 1.5 watts. Like a 45 with a 5 volt filament. Not bad for $10 each.
I was at a flea market two years ago. I spotted a large metal box lying in the dirt. It had obviously been there a while (the vendor has a permanent space). It had 5 globe type tubes in it and a faded paper tag that said that all the tubes were replaced in 1929! I bought it for $20. It was a Sparton radio of unknown origins. The output tubes were National Union NX-483's. I have not found a tube dealer who has ever heard of them. I put them into a TubelabSE and they sound real nice and produce about 1.5 watts. Like a 45 with a 5 volt filament. Not bad for $10 each.
It was yesterday that I took a second glance at it. Last month it was marked $189. I looked into the cabinet and saw no speaker, 4 out of the 5 tubes missing and no readily apparent power cord or schematic so I totally dismissed it at that price. Around here it the cabinet is the attraction, not the guts.
Yesterday I saw that it was down to $98. I looked a bit closer at it and noted that it has 5 sockets, all square, all identical and paired up along one side of the chassis. Also they were kind of wired like the old Atwater Kent stuff with much of the wiring above the chassis. There is still a tube in one of the sockets but I failed to get the make or number when I was there. It was large though, looked similar to a 300B.
So while I'm learning a lot about something I might not even get (whacha bet it's sold now) let me ask another 'good' question-
-If the tuning dial starts at 0 will this radio be able to receive the full band of modern day AM radio as it sits, or will the circuit(s) have to be reconfigured for full band reception?
R/
Jim
Yesterday I saw that it was down to $98. I looked a bit closer at it and noted that it has 5 sockets, all square, all identical and paired up along one side of the chassis. Also they were kind of wired like the old Atwater Kent stuff with much of the wiring above the chassis. There is still a tube in one of the sockets but I failed to get the make or number when I was there. It was large though, looked similar to a 300B.
So while I'm learning a lot about something I might not even get (whacha bet it's sold now) let me ask another 'good' question-
-If the tuning dial starts at 0 will this radio be able to receive the full band of modern day AM radio as it sits, or will the circuit(s) have to be reconfigured for full band reception?
R/
Jim
The AM broadcast band has not moved. Chances are the old radio will cover all but the top 100 KHz or so that was added a few years ago. I have a RCA superhet that was built in 1931 that works fine, but here in south Florida it only picks up one English speaking station.
The 300B didn't exist in the 20's, but if it is a 50 it is worth the price of the radio! Look for the number.
It was full of dirt and had been wet, but it wasn't too rusty yet so I saved it. I have far too many radios waiting for me to fix, so I don't know if I will ever get to it. Besides those NX-483's have taken up a rather permanent residence in one of my amps. I can't seem to find any more.
The speakers cabinets in my living room are both 1941 vintage Zenith console radios (more flea market scores). I replaced the old speakers with modern Silver Iris drivers. No permanent changes were made, and all the parts including the speakers were saved. They have a high WAF and fit in well with her antique furniture. So my current stereo has 65 year old speaker cabinets fed with 77 year old tubes.
The 300B didn't exist in the 20's, but if it is a 50 it is worth the price of the radio! Look for the number.
It was full of dirt and had been wet, but it wasn't too rusty yet so I saved it. I have far too many radios waiting for me to fix, so I don't know if I will ever get to it. Besides those NX-483's have taken up a rather permanent residence in one of my amps. I can't seem to find any more.
The speakers cabinets in my living room are both 1941 vintage Zenith console radios (more flea market scores). I replaced the old speakers with modern Silver Iris drivers. No permanent changes were made, and all the parts including the speakers were saved. They have a high WAF and fit in well with her antique furniture. So my current stereo has 65 year old speaker cabinets fed with 77 year old tubes.
It is humid enough that some brand name OPT's have actually rusted even though they have never been outside of the air conditioned house.
It is also a shame that there are at least 10 old console radios at that flea market just sitting outside unprotected. They are all totally ruined. I found a Zenith Transoceanic lying in the dirt also. Total junk, and the 1L6 was missing (I have 2 working Transoceanics already). I did find one of the Zenith consoles now in my living room there for $75. It had just arrived and was in excellent shape.
http://www.renningers.com/dora/dorahome.htm
They have an "extravaganza" 3 or 4 times a year. About 20,000 people, lots of old junk, oh I mean priceless antiques, and prices sometimes can be unreasonable. I just wait until an hour before closing and make low offers. There are not many people buying old electronics. One of them starts today. I am headed in that direction in a few hours (200 miles).
It is also a shame that there are at least 10 old console radios at that flea market just sitting outside unprotected. They are all totally ruined. I found a Zenith Transoceanic lying in the dirt also. Total junk, and the 1L6 was missing (I have 2 working Transoceanics already). I did find one of the Zenith consoles now in my living room there for $75. It had just arrived and was in excellent shape.
http://www.renningers.com/dora/dorahome.htm
They have an "extravaganza" 3 or 4 times a year. About 20,000 people, lots of old junk, oh I mean priceless antiques, and prices sometimes can be unreasonable. I just wait until an hour before closing and make low offers. There are not many people buying old electronics. One of them starts today. I am headed in that direction in a few hours (200 miles).
I only bought one radio chassis. It had a 47 and an 80 in it and it was $5. There were several old radios. Some in good shape, some lousy. The asking prices varied from cheap to absurd. The asking price did not always correlate with the condition. I saw a Radiola III for $75 and thought about buying it, but didn't. I saw some nice looking 40's vintage consoles from $25 to $300. The expensive ones were often in the worst shape. I don't have room for any more big radios. I saw a red "Catalin" marbelized RCA, asking price $1000, a "Hopalong Cassidy" radio with a unique metal faceplate. It sold for $350.
One vendor had 4 boxes of tubes, mostly early TV tubes. There were about 15 6V6GT's and a few unidentified globe tubes. He was sure that the lot was worth "at least $1000, and got angry when I offered him $75. There were no other tubes to be found.
One vendor had 4 boxes of tubes, mostly early TV tubes. There were about 15 6V6GT's and a few unidentified globe tubes. He was sure that the lot was worth "at least $1000, and got angry when I offered him $75. There were no other tubes to be found.
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