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TerryM 
Admin Group - pHp 
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Location: Saint Augustine Online Status: Offline Posts: 1950 |
 Topic: My 1930's Radio: New Pics!Posted: 23 Nov 2011 at 1:36pm |
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This used to be a hobby of mine. Collecting antique radios of all types. This is 1 of only 2 table tops style I had. The other one was a German radio called Grundig. All the rest were the tall wooded floor models. Now all I have is this one and 1 floor model. They both work too!
RCA Radiola Model 61-5. Interesting fact: all the old radios (house type) were plugged into 110v AC but everything inside ran on DC of various voltages.   I bought this radio at a yard sale for $5.00. Someone had painted it blue! It took a lot of work to get it back to the way it was supposed to look. Plus it didn't work either. Today I saw one on EBay going for $120.00. Terry |
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RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4
Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
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Guests
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Posted: 23 Nov 2011 at 2:33pm |
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Cool stuff!
 I have an old Zenith in a wooden cabinet and an old General Electric in a "bakelite" cabinet ( this was an early version of plastic). Both are table models. I have never stumbled across a floor model worth messing with.....too bad of shape. I'll have to take a couple of pictures and get the particulars, when I can. I started my laundry/kitchen/family room gut/remodel and am up to my eyebrows in dust/dirt/pipes/wires, etc. and it's going to take a while.  By the way, any/all new forum members.....please consider yourself "welcomed" by me. I try to get everyone but, have been a little busy.
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TerryM
Admin Group - pHp
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Location: Saint Augustine Online Status: Offline Posts: 1950 |
Posted: 23 Nov 2011 at 3:44pm |
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Myself I never cared for the Bakelite radios. The reason is that I like working with wood. I had a couple of the floor models that had great cabinets. It all comes down to how they were stored. They were veneer covered and usually the layers were separating.
Terry |
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RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4
Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
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Podsible Dream
podders Helping podders - pHp 
Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Location: Hightstown, NJ Online Status: Offline Posts: 571 |
Posted: 23 Nov 2011 at 4:53pm |
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The ultimate evolution of the table top radio was the 5 tube ACDC radio of the '60's. Then they all went solid state with transistors and silicon diodes. In my high school physics class the teacher used the 5 tube radio as the lesson for teaching us both classical mechanics (f=ma and all it's derivatives) and electronics and electrical theory. By the end of that semester ( the one before the Beatles landed) all of us could draw the schematic of all the components and discuss their function and the theory of operation. The five vacuum tubes each had their own function, the first in line was the rectifier which converted theAC line voltage to DC and then the power transformer lowered the voltage to the 6 or 12 volts needed for the rest of the circuitry. I used to collect these old radios from the neighbors trash and cobble together the various parts to make working units to listen to faraway stations in the middle of the night.
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Chris and Walt
'10 RP-171 'Free Spirit' '13 Dodge Durango Crew 5.7 L Hemi V8 |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Posted: 23 Nov 2011 at 7:03pm |
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I've always loved old radios, too. I have one floor model that is mostly in good shape - a few small issues with the wood, although our cats shredded the fabric cover over the speaker and I haven't replaced that yet. The radio itself doesn't work, I need to find someone that can diagnose and replace the tubes. I have another radio that is delaminating fairly badly and ultimately I may just trash it. Hard to bring myself to do that, though. Finally I have one tabletop, which also doesn't work.
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Guests
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Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 5:13am |
I used to do the same thing!  (along with the occasional TV)Those were the days when folks actually had TVs repaired - as opposed to just buying a new one. So, I didn't get many TVs. Terry - bakelite was never really my favorite, also. Like you, the wood ones are better. I can't remember where I found the one I have but, I know I bought it for just a dollar or two and it is in good shape. I don't see many of them and wanted it just because of that. Tech - That's the problem I have had with most of the floor models - not stored well and the wood was delaminated and/or wet/rotted/ect. Just would take too much work to try to save. One thing I thought I could do was remove the old electronics (and save) and put modern electronics inside - while preserving all of the original knobs an appearance. Wouldn't you know, I STILL listen to far away stations.....................  Happy Thanksgiving all!!!
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Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 6:07am |
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PS - The SO4R (Single Operator 4 Radio) is my latest creation. It allows me to switch multiple input devises between multiple radios (microphone, footswitch for mic, morse code "paddle", digital multi-mode controller, etc.). I used to have 4 mics, now just one. I used to have to unplug/plug the various devises from one radio to the other when needed.....messy and kind of a pain.
I first made a 2 radio version and liked it so well, I made the 4 radio version  The original prototype is in the upper right - "Mic/Radio Selector"
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David and Danette
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1222 |
Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 6:54am |
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In the late 60's I bought a amplifier and a tuner as kits from a mail order catalog. I forget the names now but there were many parts all different colored. I still remember the way the tubes looked as they glowed. Back then the 7-11's sold tubes with the machines to test your tubes if they worked or not. That brings back memories how things have changed. After I built the kits the amplifier worked but the tuner did not. I ended up taking the tuner to a repair shop and he told my soldering needed to be better. Eventually everthing worked. The Beatles and the Monkeys sounded good with that amplifier even not being stereo. David
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2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019) 2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014) Middle Tn 2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab |
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TerryM
Admin Group - pHp
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Location: Saint Augustine Online Status: Offline Posts: 1950 |
Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 7:32am |
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Here is another radio I play with:
Hallicrafters  An ad:  |
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RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4
Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
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Keith-N-Dar
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 03 Apr 2011 Location: Mayville, WI Online Status: Offline Posts: 1447 |
Posted: 24 Nov 2011 at 8:38am |
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So, what radio(s)/antennas do you have in your pod? I have a spare Icom 706 that I have been thinking about putting in our pod next year. I haven't decided on an antenna yet, but I have the wire tuner for the 706 also, and may go that route.
KB9NUM |
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Keith-N-Dar
Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |
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My 1930's Radio: New Pics!