A non-audiophile friend of mine requested I convert his non-functioning 1939 Zenith radio into a working stereo that he and his kids could use with their iPhones and iPods in their 1920's home. His criteria was that I keep the project as low cost as possible (read no restoration parts), while still coming up with some decent sound. I gutted the tube amplifier/tuner parts and replaced them with a 15 watt per channel TPA3122d2 Class D amplifier. This amp can run successfully off a safe, 12 volts. The TPA3122 is also a good match sonically to the Wild Burro drivers. The original baffle board was removed and a new one constructed from Birch ply. Two Betsy drivers were installed on the new baffle board. This thing rocks! As anyone knows, two Betsy's can go quite loud with 15 watts.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Hi,
An inductor (possibly with a parallel resistor) on the bottom unit might
be useful to make it richer and reduce vertical comb filtering effects.
We are talking cheap tweaking and voicing here, not rocket science.
Very nice cabinet though. I wonder if the central sections were
intended to have any acoustical purpose, I suspect perhaps.
Presumably its mono.
rgds, sreten.
An inductor (possibly with a parallel resistor) on the bottom unit might
be useful to make it richer and reduce vertical comb filtering effects.
We are talking cheap tweaking and voicing here, not rocket science.
Very nice cabinet though. I wonder if the central sections were
intended to have any acoustical purpose, I suspect perhaps.
Presumably its mono.
rgds, sreten.
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Hi,
You have wired the drivers vertically in stereo ?
Not the best plan IMO, but it will work in a fashion.
rgds, sreten.
I think you did really well actually. The wood beams in front of the grill will work as a diffuser but then you will also need all the treble you can get. So no inductor or anything on any of the drivers.
The stereo difference will cut down on interference in the high frequencies anyway.
A bit of furniture polish and/or bees wax on that beautiful old cabinet could do wonders though.
Sad to hear that all of the old 1920s electronics had to be gutted. You might as well have left it in and just put the amp in a safe place. Looks as though someone had been there before with all the modern components strewn around though.
The stereo difference will cut down on interference in the high frequencies anyway.
A bit of furniture polish and/or bees wax on that beautiful old cabinet could do wonders though.
Sad to hear that all of the old 1920s electronics had to be gutted. You might as well have left it in and just put the amp in a safe place. Looks as though someone had been there before with all the modern components strewn around though.
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Next one???
Please stop killing those amazing Old Radios... keep original, and use your electronics knowledge for RESTORE a beautifull chassis with the original tubes please.... Use the DIY for make DIY things...Sorry, i´m a radio collector...
Oh please. Do you know how many of these go to the junk yard? I saved it from there. Do you know how expensive it is to restore one? Do you know how difficult it is to find someone that has the knowledge to do a restoration. Do you know how many people still listen to AM radio? Be happy that someone is listening to this gem everyday. Two of which are teenagers, playing modern music through a 1930's look chassis that fills the house with sound. Sorry, but you stated your opinion and I'm stating mine.
I'm not killing anything, I'm breathing new life into it with new a new heart.
I'm not killing anything, I'm breathing new life into it with new a new heart.
Next one???
Sorry, i´m a radio collector...
Hi,
Two speakers vertically don't give you stereo in the
accepted sense, and TBH I'm not sure what it would
sound like, with various left and right on recordings.
Personally I'd convert stereo to mono at the input
via a passive mixer, so you have two mono channels.
An FR on the top as a coherent source. Personally
I'd then try and entirely different driver on the
bottom end to get more bass and smoother mids,
that allows the top driver to dominate higher up,
so basically they don't interfere too much.
rgds, sreten.
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