I don't know how many little radios I ruined when I was a boy randomly turning IF cans and such. I know better now days though. Good work once again David, hope you fully recover from your ailments. Cheers.
ALast, you are not the only one to mess with the painted screws, oh dear the radio never worked again, i was much the same as a kid (loved taking things apart :-D
@@DavidTipton101 Same here. The number of clock radios I mounted a speaker jack to in the 80's so I could hook up a 1960's HMV bookshelf speaker to it. Although they were usually quite successful. Except the 8 Ohm unit I hooked to 2 x 4 Ohm speakers at once. Turned into a bowl of rice bubbles (Went snap crackle and pop ) then set fire to my chest of drawers.
Aren't they fun memories! Most memorable (and probably useful) for me was when I removed the back of a ~1958 television to see where the pictures were coming from. I learned a lesson about shock hazards that I still remember (~65 years) every time I work on anything electrical!
I hope your back mends well Dave. I love the $5 Chinese kit radio as it's so brutally simple, yet it's a real radio, the sort of thing that can bring radio to every part of the globe.
Thanks BSD Junkie, my back is good now if not a little scarred, if I get many more of these operations I'll look like a turtle from the back. The kit radio works very well, I was surprised how well. Thanks BSD Junkie 🙂
3 out of 3! Radios like these are generally simple beasts but they're complicated by the fact they're fiddly buggers! I was especially impressed you got the kit radio working. Hope you're back on form soon mate and you're lugging big heavy valve monsters about like they're nothing!
Just one last comment, and we speak for all those guys out there who watch your channel. WE LOVE YOU LOADS. In the words of the great KBW, "David...You're F.....g Good!" N&W 👍👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
When I was just a boy the local Radio Technician would come and repair our Black and White TV - was fascinated with that.. I remembered making crystal sets with germanium diodes. Got into Short Wave Listening for quite a few years and always thought that I would like to become a Radio Technician but it never happened.. Ended up becoming a Toolmaker which I very much enjoyed and never regretted.. Thanks for filling the void for me.. Cheers 🙂
My pleasure PJ Gold, I have the same plan to become a TV tech but it didn't happen for me either thankfully. I had a much better job and can work on radios now 🙂
Shango down under fixes transistor radios! Love it! You do good at a logical approach to solving each one's problem there David. Pocket radios often get put in a sweaty shirt pocket and on the last one the tuning capacitor gets the brunt of the oxidation , results from all that moisture. I like putting a radio into the lower half of a sandwich bag held by a rubber band around the case thus keeping my sweat away from those parts and they last for years of listening! Well at least until the speaker gives up the ghost. Wishing you well on the mend after your skin cancer treatment.
Hi Steve, I was drawing on Shangos knowledge there 🙂 That's a good point, they would get a fair bit of moisture in a pocket, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks Steve, I'm all good now thanks 🙂
It's great to get these old radios working as they should, I enjoy doing these as well, even though they are virtually worthless to anyone else. It's all about the satisfaction you get from doing them.
Hi Chris, It was a bit of a challenge to myself to see if I could make them work, and at least two of them are worthless but a bit of fun for me. It was good to see them working again 🙂
When you said 'kit radio' I thought you said 'git radio'. I thought 'that's a bit cruel, I mean, you've only just met.' Good to see you on the air Dave, God bless you and all the best for your speedy recovery.
Good to see you, Dave. Get well soon and let's see a cabinet valve set with replacement wood and veneer. Plenty of varnish and wax. And don't forget to change the waxies. Get well soon, Young Man.
Yes the first board is definitely a kit radio and someone didn't get it wired right and probably overheated the board while soldering and took the traces off the board oh fun. Wow all the antenna coil wires in the wrong place. Obviously whoever had it was disappointed when it didn't work and just tossed it in a box of junk. That second radio is so small I could never work on something that small. Pretty nice David 3 for 3 . I hope you make a speedy recovery. Thanks for the video.
Hi LUCKYLARRY, did the original assembler not know to close the test points? and I think he/she had the board upside down when connecting the antenna wires. The little radio was packed, there must have been some sleepless nights designing that. My back is fully healed now thanks and it's my pleasure sharing the video 🙂
Great job! I never had too much luck with transistor radios myself. Lloytron was branded Lloyd's in the US and was sold at discount stores from the 60's-90's. Very low end products, but they made it into the hands of many! Nice to see you put so much attention into a 90's product - the font on the dial reminds me of what GE was using in the mid 90's. At the time I remember everyone complaining how ugly electronics had become, but they do have their own sense of style, especially that turquoise world map!
Hi Adam, it's early days with transistor radios for me, I prefer the tube stuff really. The LLoytron radio works very well and picks up shortwave better than some larger radios, I was quite surprised. Thanks Adam 🙂
I know you line up future projects by what you have collected, but if you ever had the opportunity to look at one of the early clock radios, I would find it particularly interesting. Something like the AWA Radiola 5 56MA, Hotpoint P65MEC or Columbus 563 Greenwich. From my limited understanding these models are essentially the same. It would be great to see how the clock interacted with the radio. Just a thought:)
@@dogribmoon I don't have any of those models with clocks but I have recently picked up a Time Spot radio which I believe is the first rdio to have a clock or a clock capable of turning the radio on and off. I hope to get to it next year 🙂 www.radiomuseum.org/r/britishvac_goblin_time_spot_radio_s.html
You are a patient man. Working on something so small and fiddly with wires constantly coming off and plastic pieces breaking is not for the feint hearted. Even aligning them can be a nightmare but they all came out very nicely in your hands. Very entertaining as usual.
Nice to see these radios coming back to life. The last radio you worked on is very similar to a Design GO model kk-939B FM, AM and 8 SWs. Which uses a CXA1691BM chip. I was very surprised how well the shortwaves worked on its own short telescopic antenna. I picked up this radio on eBay for a couple of pounds, I managed to find a circuit diagram of a similar radio. I've added a signal strength meter to it and a vari-cap fine tuning control, which has made it much easier selecting shortwave stations. I've removed the original tuning condenser and fitted an external one with more capacitance, giving a wider band coverage. Hoping to connect a BFO to it a bit later on.
Wow, that's a beast of a radio you are flipping. My radio also used the CXA1691BM chip and it works very well on shortwave at night with the built in ferrite antenna. A BFO, that's what I need 😄
That Rustolium is really good paint. I did my garden bench with it - looks like new now. These little transistor radios are great to get to learn about repairing radios. A lot safer than valves (but not quite as much fun). Great job again David, enjoyed watching. Cheers,
The Rustolium paint works well. I am learning about transistor sets but they aren't as good as working on old valve equipment, I enjoy that more. Thanks Radio-Ged 🙂
Hello Sir David!! Wonderful to see and text real royalty!! Please recover fast and save the world from ruined transistor models. Cheers and Thank You Sir David!!
Hi John, that's me... saviour of transistor radios 😄 I'm all good now John, it's been a little while since the operation and it's healed nicely. Thank you John 🙂
@David Tipton That is terrific!! I have an entire house full of radios and photographs that need you magic wand. Wish I lived nearby so I could drive you crazy with them. Ha!
Hi Dave, Although each one of your three radios were thrown together in their thousands, they might have appeal in a few years time. Each one was not designed, and manufactured to last beyond a certain time, therefore their is a high probability they will be a rarity since very few will have survived. Whenever inexpensive imported transistor radios came into the workshop for repair, the general rule was to not spend more than thirty minutes fault diagnosis/repair time on them. If after fifteen to twenty minutes there was no likelihood of effecting a repair in the allotted time we put the radio back together, and wrote R N R (return not repaired) on the paperwork. Hundreds of those inexpensive transistor radios were consigned to dumpsters those days. A very interesting radio repair video: you certainly have loads of patience. Continue going steady, and don’t overdo things my friend. Best regards from Phil.
Hi Phil, I can understand these being too expensive to repair even in the early days, I spent way too much time on them. Thanks Phil, I'm going so slow theses days people need stop motion cameras to see if I'm moving at all 👍🙂
That first radio looks like it's a kit radio, RadioShack here in the states sold those, had premade circuit boards and instructions on parts placement and a parts list with values on components. I put one together when I was 9, and it kinda worked. My dad, who was a electronics engineer, took over and showed me what I did wrong, why it wouldn't work that way, and how it was to work when put together properly. I didn't have much wrong, maybe one or 2 caps in backwards, and a diode in wrong. But was fun having dad help me. My mistakes were made by going too fast and rushing. The time I spent with my dad learning a job he loved, and having him patiently teach me, was priceless. He was killed in a car accident in 1983 a month before my 16th birthday. Spend as much time with your parents as you can, your time with them is not promised. David, you remind me of my dad, less the new Zealand accent, of course. Lol. But your slow and careful explanation of what you're doing and the issues you find, plus never getting upset at a particular difficult problem, reminds me of dad, and I think it's why I love your channel so much, it's like spending time with my dad again. 🥲
Hi dave1135. that's tough losing your Dad like that and at that age. I lost my Dad suddenly when I was 13 so I know how it feels. We were both lucky to have had that time with them and my Dad taught me a lot about working with wood even at my tender age. I'm glad you enjoy my videos, that means a lot. As for the radio, this one works well, I wonder why the owner gave up on it Thanks Dave 🙂
Very well done on the kit radio. I laughed when I saw the unbridged 'test points'. Imagine trying to fix that radio without the schematic / instructions. "I don't really know anything about transistor sets", you could have fooled me. Ho, ho.
Hi Ralph, the kit radio had me going for a while, I couldn't work out what it was, the test points are what gave it away. It's true I am very uneducated with transistor sets but I hope to get better. Thanks Ralph 🙂
Hello David, I'm still in the process of watching & enjoying this video, but I wanted to jump in and say, that as soon as you picked that 1st radio up, & went to remove the back, I immediately realized that it was indeed a "Kit Radio!" 😊 I almost bought one just like it, around Christmas of 2019, but instead, chose a different AM-FM Kit Radio, which I've not been able to assemble yet!! Reason being, is because I immediately found that 2 of the three, 4.7k Resistors were WAY OUT of tolerance, & I could only get an erratic resistance reading out of the 3rd one!! Shortly after that, my future Son-In-Law, accidentally knocked those 3 resistors off of a table where I'd laid them, and inexplicably, we were never able to find any of them again! Since then, all of the other resistors from that kit have disappeared as well, as I'd taped them inside of a small, used up notebook, & labeled them, and it now appears that someone has thrown that notebook away, as I cannot find it anywhere! Now I have to wait until I can purchase all new resistors before I can ever assemble that radio! Good Grief!! Well, back now, to watching you repair the remaining 2 radios! Am looking forward to it!! Take Care, & Stay Safe and Well! Highest Regards & Best Wishes Always!! Ron H. Abilene, Texas; USA.
Hi Ron, it sounds like your kit radio is destined to never be assembled, I hope you get to do it one day. I was slow to work out that it was a kit radio, I didn't know they existed but I remembered Shango talking about them a long time ago, I don't know if it was the same as mine. Thanks Ron, take care in Abilene 🙂
@@DavidTipton101 Thank you David, for your kind reply! Yes, at the moment, I'm sure it does sound a lot like my kit is destined to never be built! LOL!!! I really do hope to assemble it yet, though; I just have to come up with the $$$ to replace all the resistors, & then I intend to jump into it FULL FORCE!! 😊 Right now, unfortunately; I am laid up with a broken ankle, and have at least 5 more weeks or so to recuperate, & then some physical therapy after that! I'd unfortunately been on a downturn, so to speak; for over 4 years, prior to this, due to being suddenly stricken with Arthritis in my Right Knee back in May 2018, which has left me unable to return to work since, and has unfortunately spread out, to my right hip, and lower back, limiting my mobility a lot more! Have been fighting for Disability, which I hope to get soon! After breaking this Ankle in 3 places, my Dr.'s assistant told my GF, that he felt that I should not attempt to work again, as the ankle would likely not be able to take the stress of standing for 8 hrs. or more, so I was going to send S.S. all documentation of that. However; my Dr. himself, says that he doesn't think his assistants assessment, might exactly be so, and as a result, I now dunno what to believe! 🤔😏 Go Figure! ???? 🙂 Hopefully something will come together soon - either Disability or something else - which will begin providing me with funds. Then I can order the parts I need, to complete that kit, plus purchase a few old Tube Radios, (or as you call them there, in the "land down under," "Valve Radios"), and try my hand at repairing, and/or restoring a few of those as well! 😊 Take Care & Bye For Now! Ron
@@Ron-vq3zl Hi Ron, that is very unfortunate set of ailments and a broken ankle to top it off. I hope you can get some support from SS or something or someone. I wish I could help you in some way. If there is please contact me at vintageradioaus (at) gmail.com.
Well done as per usual. Just as Manuel said, nobody is on your level of perfection. Regarding Shango, i laughed really much for the You've got this remark. He's a king of common sense remarks and of course his electronic expertise. Hope all will be well regarding the melanoma.
Thank you Veljko. Did Manuel say that, nice guy. I learn a lot from Shango, it was only fair to give him credit. I'm all healed up now thanks Veljko 👍🙂
Hello David .. The real fun remains with the old devices, especially with your professionalism and superior experience in dealing with these devices .. I thank you very much for the wonderful work you do for us... We miss you so much when you are late for us with your creations
I enjoyed this triple trip David, fortunately transistors do not get you down. The first radio, where the builder did not see that he/she needed to close all the current measuring pads, when you measured every transistor current apart, you only activated one transistor at a time, making the voltage drop over R11 (220Ω) always to low, so reading every individual current always to high. I could not figure out if you saw that yourself. One small thing about the LED's I saw. In that period the LED's used much more than modern ones. I just bought a green LED that gives the same intensity of light at .5 mA as a red one of that period will do at 5 mA. Saves a lot on batteries.
Hi Erik, I wasn't sure how I was supposed to measure the test pads, I know now, thanks. Good point about the LEDs I have moden replacements here, once again thank you 👍🙂
P.S. We purchased a Sinclair Spectrum home computer that some "genius" tried to fix. Took us days on end to sort things out. But we don't quit, and sorted the s..t in the end. Patience, Perseverance and Determination Conquers All. W&N ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I have a couple of tiny radios that care from a deceased estate in Sydney. A friend acquired them and sent them to me so I could have a little for with them. Both use just 3 transistors and a TRF circuit. The selectivity is pretty good despite the simple circuit, which is remarkable. The smaller one has a digital clock and is tuned using a small screwdriver into a trimpot through a hole in the front. The other is a bit larger and lime green. It does have a tuning knob and is marked with a number of NSW regional stations. The smaller one has no switch, power is applied by plugging in the headphones. Look after yourself and get well soon David
Dick Smiths Super Ear also used the headphones to apply power. But it only works correctly with the supplied ones as the DC resistance is the collector resistor for the output transistor. Other headphones cause severe distortion. I found out the hard way when I picked one up at Vinnies and tried using better headphones. Quirky design there.
Thanks again Dave. You never cease to entertain. Sad to hear about your melanoma. That's tough to work with with folks like us that live near the tropics. I'm about 100 miles closer to the equator in the northern hemisphere than you are in the south. But we do both live on an ocean to our east and were both susceptible to brilliant and damaging sunshine. So stay healthy and keep up the good work.
Hi Tim, my melanoma is a thing of the past and I have healed up nicely, there will be more down the track but if I can keep on top of them I'll be OK. I rarely wore a shirt in my youth and now I'm paying for it. You take care as well, thanks Tim 👍🙂
Прекрасная работа..!! Вы учитесь на лету..)) Шанго умеет хорошо объяснять . И в транзисторах на самом деле нет ничего сложного. Почти все транзисторные каскады на разных схемах выглядят одинаково. Так же как и ламповые. Разная только компоновка элементов на монтажных платах. Желаю вам скорейшего выздоровления..!!! 👍 Жду от вас еще много интересного видео..))
Спасибо, Дед Мазай, я учусь на лету, и Шанго очень помогает своими объяснениями. Со временем я освоюсь с транзисторными радиоприемниками, как вы сказали, это не так уж сложно. Мне уже намного лучше, спасибо 🙂
Glad to see you back, Dave! The currents in the first radio can be lowered by changing the values of the resistors, connected to the transistors bases (on the schematic these resistors are marked by asterisks). I don't think that would improve the radio performance in any way, but certainly that would prolong the lifetime of the batteries. Cheers.
Really Dmitri, I didn't notice the asterisks. It would be good to get English instructions for it, thanks. The radio works fine but is probably pulling more power than it should as you suggest. Thanks Dmitri 🙂
If no one has mentioned it yet, I believe your assertion? Err-assumption? That the first radio is a DIY teaching aid kit that needs to be assembled and tested stage by stage is on the money.. Good Job! Err-To you and not the original constructor 😃 APU I dropped a Like..😄
Well done David - Such fiddly items these small transistors. I don't know how you keep your cool working with these AND you got all three of them working. Have missed your postings so good to have you back. Very sorry to hear about your back problems and pray for quick recovery.
Lovely video Dave. I suspect the germanium transistors in the little square one are past their best. I've repaired a few germanium sets recently for a friend and the output transistors were dead. All the replacement NOS ones I could buy were useless so I cheated and replaced the output sections with off the shelf audio output units from the interweb. They sounded very good. Glad to know you are on the road to recovery.
Something a bit different, but not shortage of the usual D Tipton attention to detail, fixing and making parts. They all came back to life nicely. Looking forward to you being back to full health and tackling that weighty German set. In the meantime the inclusion of a bit of Mel Brooks was a bonus. Cheers best wishes
Terrific job on a few bargain basement but pretty hot radios. The last on is a real performer...IC chip and all. I learn a lot from you...and Shango. You're less cranky though...a bit easier to listen to! I love all of your new toys...3-D printer and the Frankenstein coil winder to name a couple. Keep going! My wife had a melanoma on her leg removed last year. Not quite as frightening as it once was if you are smart and get to a dermatologist ASAP. Heal quickly because I have a feeling the heavy German radio could just be a Grundig Majestic! Just restored one and it is a heavy and loud beast!
Thanks MrCrystalcranium. Yes, Shango is a little bit higher on the stress level than me. The 3D printer and winder are cheap but handy devices. Good to hear your wife was treated successfully. The German radio is Loewe Opta, it's quite heavy but mostly awkward, I have had to to move it back a few months due to parts 🙂
Yes, the first one is a kit, I have built an Ebay buy one very like that, great fun, instructions all in Chinese, bit it worked first go so all good. It was very cheap, but well worth it for the fun value.
Loved it! I can remember those chipless transistors from my childhood. I thought it was magic that they received almost as well as the tube types! Keep up the good work David. Cheers from Arizona, USA.
Glad to hear you’re healing up good. I think you need to give yourself credit you’re starting to get that transistor thing down. Great job as always. I really looking forward to the next one.
Hello Ripley, I have healed up well considering the rather large cuts they made. Transistors scare me, I don't know them well enough to be comfortable yet, a bit of practice will fix that. Your DeWald is still going strong and draws a few comments from visitors and I have almost finished the candy you sent 😉🙂
Good to have you back Dave. You must have the patience of a saint. These little tiny things frustrate me no end. Modern surface mount stuff even more so.
The third one looks like a radio that I used to take with me when I biked. I adhered it to my handlebars with Velcro. The differences being mine was silver colored and badged for Grundig. It was a good little unit.
"Every day, in every way I'm getting better and better." That's what Emile Coue said. Physically, mentally and spiritually. The square radio is most elegant. It reminds me of a woman's compact from the early '60s.
Hi Stanley, that was also uttered by Frank Spencer and that didn't do him any good 😄 It's a cute radio, they could probably fit it in a postage stamp now 🙂
I had to look up Frank Spencer! Anyways, follow your doctor's orders, stay out of the sun and don't do too much until you are quite ready. Have a good weekend.
Great fun reviving the dead !! Transistor radios can be fun to repair and some of the compact ones are a real challange. Great work as you all ways do and look forward to the next adventure.
I reckon you know more about transistors than you let on haha. You almost certainly know this site, but for others following along at home the UK vintage radio repair and restoration site has an excellent page by page explanation of what to expect in each radio stage and how they work. One guide covers transistors. The second valves. Its a must go to for explaining in depth common designs and how they actually work.
Nice work. I'm impressed how you can jump from tube (valve) sets to a transistor radio. I've been thinking about starting on transistor radios they take up so much less space. Not sure if I have the hands for soch delicate wires.
Hi Nelson, transistor sets work exactly the same as valve radios, it's the little differences that trip[ me up and fault symptoms are different too, experience will fix that. I'm a bit ham fisted myself 😄
That kit was one of my first attempts at building a kit. Mine worked OK but I live in such a rural area that it can only get one AM station. Last year our AM put in an FM translator that gives us FM stereo of the same AM transmission so not I can get that as well. I think the one I built is in my back-room that has been converted by my lovely daughter who now lives in my house to care for dear old dad when my lovely wife (RIP) and I were down South one winter. It is so filled with crap that I cannot even get past the door now. Ah well I have dozens of other radios around my recliner now that I play with, and recently put up an outdoor AM/FM/SW Antenna so I can get other stations now. The antenna is wonderful for my SDR, and I have a couple of those All-in-one radios along with a kit that I built. Also now working on building one around the cheap all-in-one chip that has no real way to display the stations, other then to print out a sort of tuner display like the old days on the old sets. I haven't gotten it all built as of yet but it is very interesting trying to build the entire setup from a schematic. I am to a point now where I am regretting not starting with a bigger board for all the parts.
Hi Jerry, you are lucky to have your daughter to look after you, it would be nice to dig out your kit radio and see if it still works. IO can imagine you sitting there surrounded with radios, your new antenna system will be a big help. You can always start again with a bigger board 😉😄 thanks Jerry.
@@DavidTipton101 The Chinese are now putting out tons of new all band radios based on that all in one chip. I have 3 of those, all offer. am/fm/lw/sw/VHF/UHF as well as bluetooth speaker function and SD card player built in. One is Stereo, I use the aux on that as an external speaker for my new wifi radio builds and the bluetooth for the same if I decide to go wireless. One is very small, fits in the palm of my hand but is rather thick. It is built like the old external speakers for the AN/PRC-25/77 radios we used to use in Vietnam during that. little skirmish it works great and is early my favorite in my entire collection. My all time favorite is a larger hand held from the USSR that I purchased from a seller in Ukraine. It was sold as not working, but 2 capacitors quickly brought it back to life. It is AM/SW and draws in the Shortwave at night without being hooked to my external antenna. The AM is great and the little flashlight/dial light works great at night when I am in bed in the dark. Now days I guess I could turn on the lights since I now sleep alone since loosing my wonderful wife a few years ago, but old habits die hard. Somehow those old USSR built radios are just plain intriguing. They seem to be built from better stuff, with better builds, and built to live long lives, not the quick builds of todays throw away world.
Great video David! I especially liked the Shango insert! You may be the only person, on the web, that has a portrait of his face at 24:24. Thanks for posting and have a speedy recovery! Take care, John.
Shango had a few of these chinese kit radios on his channel. I also got one, it was the first time I saw component wires stick to my tools because they are magnetic, made from iron wire 😊
Dear Mr Tipton, I have been watching Buzz 51 and he had a link to your website, and I enjoy working on transistor radios, I think what you do is inceptable, Buzz said you had a lot of knowledge with these radios, so I am just a beginner so I have subscribed and will start watching the videos you produce. Have a great weekend!!
Hi Mark and welcome. I only just watched Buzz's video today, I was totally surprised when he started talking about my undies haha... cheeky bugger 🤣 I thoroughly enjoy Buzz's videos, he puts a lot of effort it them which shows. I hope you do well with your radio repairs, as long as you are careful with the high voltages it's a lot of fun. Thanks Mark 🙂
I'm all good now thanks Aryon, I made a number of videos with lightweight radios while I wasn't allowed to lift anything so there are still a few to come 🙂
Dave, that first radio is a Chinese kit that someone has assembled (rather poorely). The "brass blobs" are points that are used to measure the current drawn when testing each stage. You are supposed to bridge them after testing. Unfortunately the instructions are in Chinese, so few builders manage to get them working. The usual problem is getting the IF/Osc coils mixed up. The original circuit does have the colours marked, but again it's in Chinese. If you hunt around, there are English translations on the web.
These old little transistor radios are quite interesting. When you look at the schematics, you can clearly see similarities to the old valve radios. Nice video and I’m curious to see what the German radio is. (I‘m from Germany)
Transistor radios work the same as the old tube sets in the theory of operation at least. It shouldn't be too hard to graduate from one to the other. The German radio is a Loewe Opta Meteor, it's been sidelined for a bit while I wait for parts 🙂
@@DavidTipton101 Waiting for Parts is a hard time. The worse is, when working on a Radio already sitting on the Bench and you notice you need a special Part... As a student I Only have time on Weekends, so waiting for parts over the week isn't much of a problem for me. For the Loewe I would highly recommend changing all WIMA Caps (The Brown Candy looking ones). These are the worst. They went short when you see them 🤣 In Germany we say "WIMA Kur" when we replace them😅
Hi David. Enjoyed your video as usual. Well you have three more radios working now. Hope you get better soon. Take care and look after your self. Derrick.
If you would like to learn more about transistor radios, I recommend "Build your own transistor radios by Ronald Quan" available on Amazon and other sources. It is the definitive guide. I had the shear joy of learning analog video electronics from Mr. Quan when we both worked for Sony Corp. back in the early 1980s. What an amazing mind! Good news, I bumped into him earlier this month at the Pacificon 2022 (amateur radio) convention in San Ramon California. I almost cried, I was so happy that he was still among the living. Keep up the awesome work, David. You ROCK!
Thanks for the tip videolabguy, I will look for the book. Some people just amaze us mortals with their ability to retain knowledge. I happy you were able to meet up with him again, good for you 👍😉🙂
the gel superglue is basically just regular superglue with CMC (carboxymethyl cellulous) added to it. so yes, the cellulous will fill up anomalies in the surface. it's similar to the old trick of building up material with baking soda and liquid superglue, but runnier
Yeah it was great mate. We observed ANZAC along with UK Rememberance Day. I'm an ex RAF Squadron Leader who received...... I was injured. Anyway KBW made us laugh. And my good mate (on C.B.) sent me a genuine RAF cap badge. It belonged to his grandfather (still has some of the original paint on it).
Good to hear Wayne. I saw UK remembrance day on the news, it's pretty good that we still remember that day over 100 years later. That was nice for that gent to send you the badge 🙂
Hey Dave, take a look at UNI-T UTG962 signal generator, it's not that expensive. I use it for FM alignment. It goes up to 60MHz but you can easily make harmonics so the second harmonic goes up to 120MHz which is more than enough for FM alignment. For example, a diode to ground with a series resistor between the diode and generator can be used to create harmonics. FM circuits have good selectivity so you don't have to worry about filtering unwanted frequencies.
I quite enjoyed that! I would probably enjoy watching you restore pretty much anything. We have the same Rustoleum 2x paint here in Canada too, and that stuff is nice quality. Use it on car restoration projects all the time.
I don't know how many little radios I ruined when I was a boy randomly turning IF cans and such. I know better now days though. Good work once again David, hope you fully recover from your ailments. Cheers.
I did a fair bit of ruining stuff pretty much all my life, I guess that's how you learn. I'm all good now, thanks A Last 🙂
ALast, you are not the only one to mess with the painted screws, oh dear the radio never worked again, i was much the same as a kid (loved taking things apart :-D
@@DavidTipton101 Same here. The number of clock radios I mounted a speaker jack to in the 80's so I could hook up a 1960's HMV bookshelf speaker to it. Although they were usually quite successful. Except the 8 Ohm unit I hooked to 2 x 4 Ohm speakers at once. Turned into a bowl of rice bubbles (Went snap crackle and pop ) then set fire to my chest of drawers.
Aren't they fun memories! Most memorable (and probably useful) for me was when I removed the back of a ~1958 television to see where the pictures were coming from. I learned a lesson about shock hazards that I still remember (~65 years) every time I work on anything electrical!
So do I!
Your attention to detail and persistence never ceases to amaze me!
And me, thanks Roger 😄
I hope your back mends well Dave.
I love the $5 Chinese kit radio as it's so brutally simple, yet it's a real radio, the sort of thing that can bring radio to every part of the globe.
Thanks BSD Junkie, my back is good now if not a little scarred, if I get many more of these operations I'll look like a turtle from the back. The kit radio works very well, I was surprised how well. Thanks BSD Junkie 🙂
3 out of 3! Radios like these are generally simple beasts but they're complicated by the fact they're fiddly buggers! I was especially impressed you got the kit radio working.
Hope you're back on form soon mate and you're lugging big heavy valve monsters about like they're nothing!
Thanks Paul, I was lucky to get all three working. I'm all fixed now Paul, thank you 🙂
Just one last comment, and we speak for all those guys out there who watch your channel. WE LOVE YOU LOADS. In the words of the great KBW, "David...You're F.....g Good!"
N&W
👍👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thanks N&W and Nobby 🙂
When I was just a boy the local Radio Technician would come and repair our Black and White TV - was fascinated with that.. I remembered making crystal sets with germanium diodes. Got into Short Wave Listening for quite a few years and always thought that I would like to become a Radio Technician but it never happened.. Ended up becoming a Toolmaker which I very much enjoyed and never regretted.. Thanks for filling the void for me.. Cheers 🙂
My pleasure PJ Gold, I have the same plan to become a TV tech but it didn't happen for me either thankfully. I had a much better job and can work on radios now 🙂
Shango down under fixes transistor radios! Love it! You do good at a logical approach to solving each one's problem
there David. Pocket radios often get put in a sweaty shirt pocket and on the last one the tuning capacitor gets the brunt
of the oxidation , results from all that moisture. I like putting a radio into the lower half of a sandwich bag held by a rubber band around the case thus keeping my sweat away from those parts and they last for years of listening! Well at least until
the speaker gives up the ghost. Wishing you well on the mend after your skin cancer treatment.
Hi Steve, I was drawing on Shangos knowledge there 🙂
That's a good point, they would get a fair bit of moisture in a pocket, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks Steve, I'm all good now thanks 🙂
It's great to get these old radios working as they should, I enjoy doing these as well, even though they are virtually worthless to anyone else. It's all about the satisfaction you get from doing them.
Hi Chris, It was a bit of a challenge to myself to see if I could make them work, and at least two of them are worthless but a bit of fun for me. It was good to see them working again 🙂
So glad to see you back, Dave. Take it easy and get well soon.
Thanks Colin, I'm good now thanks 👍🙂
When you said 'kit radio' I thought you said 'git radio'. I thought 'that's a bit cruel, I mean, you've only just met.'
Good to see you on the air Dave, God bless you and all the best for your speedy recovery.
Haha... the accent will get you every time 😄 Thanks Mark, all the best to you 🙂
Good to see you, Dave. Get well soon and let's see a cabinet valve set with replacement wood and veneer. Plenty of varnish and wax. And don't forget to change the waxies. Get well soon, Young Man.
Thanks clasicradiolover, I'm all good thanks. I haven't got any woodwork lined up for this year, hopefully some for 2023 👍🙂
Yes the first board is definitely a kit radio and someone didn't get it wired right and probably overheated the board while soldering and took the traces off the board oh fun. Wow all the antenna coil wires in the wrong place. Obviously whoever had it was disappointed when it didn't work and just tossed it in a box of junk. That second radio is so small I could never work on something that small. Pretty nice David 3 for 3 . I hope you make a speedy recovery. Thanks for the video.
Hi LUCKYLARRY, did the original assembler not know to close the test points? and I think he/she had the board upside down when connecting the antenna wires. The little radio was packed, there must have been some sleepless nights designing that. My back is fully healed now thanks and it's my pleasure sharing the video 🙂
Great job! I never had too much luck with transistor radios myself. Lloytron was branded Lloyd's in the US and was sold at discount stores from the 60's-90's. Very low end products, but they made it into the hands of many! Nice to see you put so much attention into a 90's product - the font on the dial reminds me of what GE was using in the mid 90's. At the time I remember everyone complaining how ugly electronics had become, but they do have their own sense of style, especially that turquoise world map!
Hi Adam, it's early days with transistor radios for me, I prefer the tube stuff really. The LLoytron radio works very well and picks up shortwave better than some larger radios, I was quite surprised. Thanks Adam 🙂
Great to see you up and back in the workshop.
I hope the recovery from surgery is progressing well.
Thanks dogribmoon, I'm all fixed now 👍🙂
I know you line up future projects by what you have collected, but if you ever had the opportunity to look at one of the early clock radios, I would find it particularly interesting.
Something like the AWA Radiola 5 56MA, Hotpoint P65MEC or Columbus 563 Greenwich.
From my limited understanding these models are essentially the same.
It would be great to see how the clock interacted with the radio.
Just a thought:)
@@dogribmoon I don't have any of those models with clocks but I have recently picked up a Time Spot radio which I believe is the first rdio to have a clock or a clock capable of turning the radio on and off. I hope to get to it next year 🙂 www.radiomuseum.org/r/britishvac_goblin_time_spot_radio_s.html
Hi David, your inginuity and skill knows no bounds. Many thanks from Nr Liverpool UK.
Thanks Chris. Stay warm in Liverpool 😀
Every radio gets a chance in your workshop. It was very interesting.
For three patients, three thumbs up 👍👍👍
Thank you David
Thanks Bernd, I love doing these old sets up, it happens as you get older I think. Three thumbs up from me 👍👍👍🙂
You are a patient man. Working on something so small and fiddly with wires constantly coming off and plastic pieces breaking is not for the feint hearted. Even aligning them can be a nightmare but they all came out very nicely in your hands. Very entertaining as usual.
Thanks Ian, I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Nice to see these radios coming back to life. The last radio you worked on is very similar to a Design GO model kk-939B FM, AM and 8 SWs. Which uses a CXA1691BM chip. I was very surprised how well the shortwaves worked on its own short telescopic antenna. I picked up this radio on eBay for a couple of pounds, I managed to find a circuit diagram of a similar radio. I've added a signal strength meter to it and a vari-cap fine tuning control, which has made it much easier selecting shortwave stations. I've removed the original tuning condenser and fitted an external one with more capacitance, giving a wider band coverage. Hoping to connect a BFO to it a bit later on.
Wow, that's a beast of a radio you are flipping. My radio also used the CXA1691BM chip and it works very well on shortwave at night with the built in ferrite antenna. A BFO, that's what I need 😄
Great video as always, feel better soon!
Thank Ken, I do now thanks 🙂
That Rustolium is really good paint. I did my garden bench with it - looks like new now. These little transistor radios are great to get to learn about repairing radios. A lot safer than valves (but not quite as much fun). Great job again David, enjoyed watching. Cheers,
The Rustolium paint works well. I am learning about transistor sets but they aren't as good as working on old valve equipment, I enjoy that more. Thanks Radio-Ged 🙂
Hello Sir David!! Wonderful to see and text real royalty!!
Please recover fast and save the world from ruined transistor models.
Cheers and Thank You Sir David!!
Hi John, that's me... saviour of transistor radios 😄 I'm all good now John, it's been a little while since the operation and it's healed nicely. Thank you John 🙂
@David Tipton That is terrific!!
I have an entire house full of radios and photographs that need you magic wand. Wish I lived nearby so I could drive you crazy with them. Ha!
@@johnwelch557 I'm glad you don't 🤣🤣🤣 (kidding of course)
@@DavidTipton101 🤣🤣
Hi Dave,
Although each one of your three radios were thrown together in their thousands, they might have appeal in a few years time. Each one was not designed, and manufactured to last beyond a certain time, therefore their is a high probability they will be a rarity since very few will have survived.
Whenever inexpensive imported transistor radios came into the workshop for repair, the general rule was to not spend more than thirty minutes fault diagnosis/repair time on them. If after fifteen to twenty minutes there was no likelihood of effecting a repair in the allotted time we put the radio back together, and wrote R N R (return not repaired) on the paperwork. Hundreds of those inexpensive transistor radios were consigned to dumpsters those days.
A very interesting radio repair video: you certainly have loads of patience.
Continue going steady, and don’t overdo things my friend. Best regards from Phil.
Hi Phil, I can understand these being too expensive to repair even in the early days, I spent way too much time on them. Thanks Phil, I'm going so slow theses days people need stop motion cameras to see if I'm moving at all 👍🙂
Wow, I remember those little guys from way back when. Wishing you the best on your recovery.
We all had something back in the day, I'm in good health thank you 🙂
Mate, your patience astounds me, well done, I don't have the dexterity to do this!
Thanks Alan, there are small part in these radios, I prefer bigger sets where I can get a hammer in there 👍😄
Thanks for the feedback David, so easy not to realise how busy life can get at times.
Cheers mate, will let you crack on.
👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️
Wayne & Nina
Thanks Wayne & Nina, I enjoy the to and fro with people but it does make for a lot of work, thanks for your understanding regarding email 🙂
That first radio looks like it's a kit radio, RadioShack here in the states sold those, had premade circuit boards and instructions on parts placement and a parts list with values on components. I put one together when I was 9, and it kinda worked. My dad, who was a electronics engineer, took over and showed me what I did wrong, why it wouldn't work that way, and how it was to work when put together properly. I didn't have much wrong, maybe one or 2 caps in backwards, and a diode in wrong. But was fun having dad help me. My mistakes were made by going too fast and rushing. The time I spent with my dad learning a job he loved, and having him patiently teach me, was priceless. He was killed in a car accident in 1983 a month before my 16th birthday. Spend as much time with your parents as you can, your time with them is not promised. David, you remind me of my dad, less the new Zealand accent, of course. Lol. But your slow and careful explanation of what you're doing and the issues you find, plus never getting upset at a particular difficult problem, reminds me of dad, and I think it's why I love your channel so much, it's like spending time with my dad again. 🥲
Hi dave1135. that's tough losing your Dad like that and at that age. I lost my Dad suddenly when I was 13 so I know how it feels. We were both lucky to have had that time with them and my Dad taught me a lot about working with wood even at my tender age. I'm glad you enjoy my videos, that means a lot. As for the radio, this one works well, I wonder why the owner gave up on it Thanks Dave 🙂
Very well done on the kit radio. I laughed when I saw the unbridged 'test points'. Imagine trying to fix that radio without the schematic / instructions. "I don't really know anything about transistor sets", you could have fooled me. Ho, ho.
Hi Ralph, the kit radio had me going for a while, I couldn't work out what it was, the test points are what gave it away. It's true I am very uneducated with transistor sets but I hope to get better. Thanks Ralph 🙂
Hello David,
I'm still in the process of watching & enjoying this video, but I wanted to jump in and say, that as soon as you picked that 1st radio up, & went to remove the back, I immediately realized that it was indeed a "Kit Radio!" 😊
I almost bought one just like it, around Christmas of 2019, but instead, chose a different AM-FM Kit Radio, which I've not been able to assemble yet!!
Reason being, is because I immediately found that 2 of the three, 4.7k Resistors were WAY OUT of tolerance, & I could only get an erratic resistance reading out of the 3rd one!!
Shortly after that, my future Son-In-Law, accidentally knocked those 3 resistors off of a table where I'd laid them, and inexplicably, we were never able to find any of them again!
Since then, all of the other resistors from that kit have disappeared as well, as I'd taped them inside of a small, used up notebook, & labeled them, and it now appears that someone has thrown that notebook away, as I cannot find it anywhere!
Now I have to wait until I can purchase all new resistors before I can ever assemble that radio! Good Grief!!
Well, back now, to watching you repair the remaining 2 radios! Am looking forward to it!!
Take Care, & Stay Safe and Well!
Highest Regards & Best Wishes Always!!
Ron H.
Abilene, Texas; USA.
Hi Ron, it sounds like your kit radio is destined to never be assembled, I hope you get to do it one day. I was slow to work out that it was a kit radio, I didn't know they existed but I remembered Shango talking about them a long time ago, I don't know if it was the same as mine. Thanks Ron, take care in Abilene 🙂
@@DavidTipton101
Thank you David, for your kind reply!
Yes, at the moment, I'm sure it does sound a lot like my kit is destined to never be built! LOL!!!
I really do hope to assemble it yet, though; I just have to come up with the $$$ to replace all the resistors, & then I intend to jump into it FULL FORCE!! 😊
Right now, unfortunately; I am laid up with a broken ankle, and have at least 5 more weeks or so to recuperate, & then some physical therapy after that!
I'd unfortunately been on a downturn, so to speak; for over 4 years, prior to this, due to being suddenly stricken with Arthritis in my Right Knee back in May 2018, which has left me unable to return to work since, and has unfortunately spread out, to my right hip, and lower back, limiting my mobility a lot more!
Have been fighting for Disability, which I hope to get soon!
After breaking this Ankle in 3 places, my Dr.'s assistant told my GF, that he felt that I should not attempt to work again, as the ankle would likely not be able to take the stress of standing for 8 hrs. or more, so I was going to send S.S. all documentation of that.
However; my Dr. himself, says that he doesn't think his assistants assessment, might exactly be so, and as a result, I now dunno what to believe! 🤔😏 Go Figure! ???? 🙂
Hopefully something will come together soon - either Disability or something else - which will begin providing me with funds.
Then I can order the parts I need, to complete that kit, plus purchase a few old Tube Radios, (or as you call them there, in the "land down under," "Valve Radios"), and try my hand at repairing, and/or restoring a few of those as well! 😊
Take Care & Bye For Now!
Ron
@@Ron-vq3zl Hi Ron, that is very unfortunate set of ailments and a broken ankle to top it off. I hope you can get some support from SS or something or someone. I wish I could help you in some way. If there is please contact me at vintageradioaus (at) gmail.com.
Well done as per usual. Just as Manuel said, nobody is on your level of perfection. Regarding Shango, i laughed really much for the You've got this remark. He's a king of common sense remarks and of course his electronic expertise. Hope all will be well regarding the melanoma.
Thank you Veljko. Did Manuel say that, nice guy. I learn a lot from Shango, it was only fair to give him credit. I'm all healed up now thanks Veljko 👍🙂
Hello David .. The real fun remains with the old devices, especially with your professionalism and superior experience in dealing with these devices .. I thank you very much for the wonderful work you do for us... We miss you so much when you are late for us with your creations
Hi Elc.Eng. Ihsan Al mutari, the old stuff is the best for me. It's my pleasure to share what I enjoy doing, thank you 👍🙂
lovely to have you back David.... such fun little radios!!! .. take care of yourself!!!
Thanks chris b. Take care 😊
Hi David. Hoping for a speedy recovery. You did well with these, and even Shango should be impressed. Great stuff as always. Cheers Chris.
Thanks Chris, I'm all healed now. I don't know about Shango being impressed, I was impressed, I'm heading for an overconfidence fail now 🤣🤣🤣
Good to have you back, I hope everything's going well now.👍
Hi Brian, everything is good now thanks 🙂
I enjoyed this triple trip David, fortunately transistors do not get you down.
The first radio, where the builder did not see that he/she needed to close all the current measuring pads, when you measured every transistor current apart, you only activated one transistor at a time, making the voltage drop over R11 (220Ω) always to low, so reading every individual current always to high. I could not figure out if you saw that yourself.
One small thing about the LED's I saw. In that period the LED's used much more than modern ones. I just bought a green LED that gives the same intensity of light at .5 mA as a red one of that period will do at 5 mA. Saves a lot on batteries.
Hi Erik, I wasn't sure how I was supposed to measure the test pads, I know now, thanks. Good point about the LEDs I have moden replacements here, once again thank you 👍🙂
P.S. We purchased a Sinclair Spectrum home computer that some "genius" tried to fix. Took us days on end to sort things out. But we don't quit, and sorted the s..t in the end.
Patience, Perseverance and Determination Conquers All.
W&N ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I couldn't agree more Wayne & Nina, even take a break and come back later, well done 👍🙂
I have a couple of tiny radios that care from a deceased estate in Sydney. A friend acquired them and sent them to me so I could have a little for with them. Both use just 3 transistors and a TRF circuit. The selectivity is pretty good despite the simple circuit, which is remarkable. The smaller one has a digital clock and is tuned using a small screwdriver into a trimpot through a hole in the front. The other is a bit larger and lime green. It does have a tuning knob and is marked with a number of NSW regional stations. The smaller one has no switch, power is applied by plugging in the headphones. Look after yourself and get well soon David
Wow, they sound unique Wenlocktvdx, tuned with a screwdriver? I have a tiny Sony that uses the headphone socket to apply power. Thanks Wenlocktvdx 🙂
Dick Smiths Super Ear also used the headphones to apply power. But it only works correctly with the supplied ones as the DC resistance is the collector resistor for the output transistor. Other headphones cause severe distortion. I found out the hard way when I picked one up at Vinnies and tried using better headphones. Quirky design there.
You are a magician. Very impressed with your troubleshooting abilities!
Thank you IT guy 😊
Good to see you back Dave!
Those little radios were fun to watch.
A bit of a change, luckily they didn't pose much of a problem for me or I might have been in trouble. Thanks Daniel 🙂
So nice to see you back working your magic, David. Enjoyed that a lot.
Thank you John 🙂
Thanks again Dave. You never cease to entertain. Sad to hear about your melanoma. That's tough to work with with folks like us that live near the tropics. I'm about 100 miles closer to the equator in the northern hemisphere than you are in the south. But we do both live on an ocean to our east and were both susceptible to brilliant and damaging sunshine. So stay healthy and keep up the good work.
Hi Tim, my melanoma is a thing of the past and I have healed up nicely, there will be more down the track but if I can keep on top of them I'll be OK. I rarely wore a shirt in my youth and now I'm paying for it. You take care as well, thanks Tim 👍🙂
Прекрасная работа..!! Вы учитесь на лету..)) Шанго умеет хорошо объяснять .
И в транзисторах на самом деле нет ничего сложного.
Почти все транзисторные каскады на разных схемах выглядят одинаково. Так же как и ламповые.
Разная только компоновка элементов на монтажных платах.
Желаю вам скорейшего выздоровления..!!! 👍
Жду от вас еще много интересного видео..))
Спасибо, Дед Мазай, я учусь на лету, и Шанго очень помогает своими объяснениями. Со временем я освоюсь с транзисторными радиоприемниками, как вы сказали, это не так уж сложно. Мне уже намного лучше, спасибо 🙂
Best wishes for a quick and relatively painless recovery.
I'm all good now thanks Moshe 👍🙂
Glad to see you back, Dave! The currents in the first radio can be lowered by changing the values of the resistors, connected to the transistors bases (on the schematic these resistors are marked by asterisks). I don't think that would improve the radio performance in any way, but certainly that would prolong the lifetime of the batteries. Cheers.
Really Dmitri, I didn't notice the asterisks. It would be good to get English instructions for it, thanks. The radio works fine but is probably pulling more power than it should as you suggest. Thanks Dmitri 🙂
If no one has mentioned it yet, I believe your assertion? Err-assumption? That the first radio is a DIY teaching aid kit that needs to be assembled and tested stage by stage is on the money..
Good Job! Err-To you and not the original constructor 😃
APU I dropped a Like..😄
Hi KorAllRBare, yes I don't really know what I was supposed to do there, it works so I will leave it at that 😄 Thanks for the like, it helps a lot 🙂
Well done David - Such fiddly items these small transistors. I don't know how you keep your cool working with these AND you got all three of them working. Have missed your postings so good to have you back. Very sorry to hear about your back problems and pray for quick recovery.
Hello Kenneth, thank you. It's a case of working through the problems as they come up. My back has healed up nicely thanks, I'm all good now 👍🙂
All the best with the Melanoma, my father and brother and myself all dealt with that. We are still standing. So will you!
It's a common problem these days, most people I know have had them and cut out, gotta keep on top of them 🙂
Lovely video Dave. I suspect the germanium transistors in the little square one are past their best. I've repaired a few germanium sets recently for a friend and the output transistors were dead. All the replacement NOS ones I could buy were useless so I cheated and replaced the output sections with off the shelf audio output units from the interweb. They sounded very good.
Glad to know you are on the road to recovery.
Hi Jonka, thank you. I was very happy the transistors worked at all so I'm calling it a win. That's a good cheat 😄
Something a bit different, but not shortage of the usual D Tipton attention to detail, fixing and making parts. They all came back to life nicely. Looking forward to you being back to full health and tackling that weighty German set. In the meantime the inclusion of a bit of Mel Brooks was a bonus. Cheers best wishes
Thanks Ken, I'm good now thanks, the videos were shot a little time ago. The German set has been pushed back while waiting for parts. All the best 👍🙂
Always a good day when you release a video .Iam so pleased you are doing well. Fantastic download David my friend. Best wishes Terry uk 🇬🇧 ❤.
Thank you Terry, I'm good thanks, best wishes to you too Terry 😀
Terrific job on a few bargain basement but pretty hot radios. The last on is a real performer...IC chip and all. I learn a lot from you...and Shango. You're less cranky though...a bit easier to listen to! I love all of your new toys...3-D printer and the Frankenstein coil winder to name a couple. Keep going! My wife had a melanoma on her leg removed last year. Not quite as frightening as it once was if you are smart and get to a dermatologist ASAP. Heal quickly because I have a feeling the heavy German radio could just be a Grundig Majestic! Just restored one and it is a heavy and loud beast!
Thanks MrCrystalcranium. Yes, Shango is a little bit higher on the stress level than me. The 3D printer and winder are cheap but handy devices. Good to hear your wife was treated successfully. The German radio is Loewe Opta, it's quite heavy but mostly awkward, I have had to to move it back a few months due to parts 🙂
Yes, the first one is a kit, I have built an Ebay buy one very like that, great fun, instructions all in Chinese, bit it worked first go so all good. It was very cheap, but well worth it for the fun value.
Hi Peeps, I agree, great fun and cheap 🙂
Loved it! I can remember those chipless transistors from my childhood. I thought it was magic that they received almost as well as the tube types! Keep up the good work David. Cheers from Arizona, USA.
Hi Bob in Arizona, thanks you. It's wonder to,me how any radio works 😄
Glad to hear you’re healing up good. I think you need to give yourself credit you’re starting to get that transistor thing down. Great job as always. I really looking forward to the next one.
Hello Ripley, I have healed up well considering the rather large cuts they made. Transistors scare me, I don't know them well enough to be comfortable yet, a bit of practice will fix that. Your DeWald is still going strong and draws a few comments from visitors and I have almost finished the candy you sent 😉🙂
Good to have you back Dave. You must have the patience of a saint. These little tiny things frustrate me no end. Modern surface mount stuff even more so.
Thanks 1974UTuber. Yeah, I don't seem to get too riled theses days, must be old age 🙂
Thank you David. Really enjoy you working on these and the process. Thanks again take care of yourself Cheers
Thank you John, take care 🙂
The third one looks like a radio that I used to take with me when I biked. I adhered it to my handlebars with Velcro. The differences being mine was silver colored and badged for Grundig. It was a good little unit.
Hi Stephen, someone else said it looked like a Grundig copy. Thanks Stephen 😊
"Every day, in every way I'm getting better and better." That's what Emile Coue said. Physically, mentally and spiritually. The square radio is most elegant. It reminds me of a woman's compact from the early '60s.
Hi Stanley, that was also uttered by Frank Spencer and that didn't do him any good 😄 It's a cute radio, they could probably fit it in a postage stamp now 🙂
I had to look up Frank Spencer! Anyways, follow your doctor's orders, stay out of the sun and don't do too much until you are quite ready. Have a good weekend.
Very nice mini pocket radios. Its our fortune to see many different kind of radios through your channel.
Thank You
Thank you @bharathba4762 🙂
Well done, as always, David. I hope you get well soon.
Thank you Otto, I'm good now thanks 👍🙂
Hi Dave thanks for the videos. The first radio looked like a kit I got a couple of years ago but I couldn’t get it to work. Ended up for parts! Cheers
Haha... I wonder how many of these kit radios end up working. Thanks Mike 🙂
Fantastic Dave, I was looking forward to this vid! Three from three is a pretty awesome strike rate! 😃👍👏
Hi Chris, thanks. Yeah, three from three, who'd a thought it. I'll quit while I'm ahead 🤣🤣🤣
@@DavidTipton101 🤣
Great fun reviving the dead !! Transistor radios can be fun to repair and some of the compact ones are a real challange. Great work as you all ways do and look forward to the next adventure.
Thank you Stephen 🙂
I burst out laughing with the Shango interjection; I am unsure how you found that but I appreciated it.
Thanks abcsd1254, it took a bit of finding and I 'think' it is a photo of him, either way he was there in spirit 😄
Thank you for sharing your craft. Sounds like your health is on the mend too. Positive energy your way.
Thank you murrij. I'm over most of my medical problem now thank you, one more thing to get sorted and should be all good 🙂
I reckon you know more about transistors than you let on haha. You almost certainly know this site, but for others following along at home the UK vintage radio repair and restoration site has an excellent page by page explanation of what to expect in each radio stage and how they work. One guide covers transistors. The second valves. Its a must go to for explaining in depth common designs and how they actually work.
Hi Seiskid, I haven't heard of that site, I will look it up, it sounds like what I need 🙂 Edit: Found it, thanks 😉
Nice work. I'm impressed how you can jump from tube (valve) sets to a transistor radio. I've been thinking about starting on transistor radios they take up so much less space. Not sure if I have the hands for soch delicate wires.
Hi Nelson, transistor sets work exactly the same as valve radios, it's the little differences that trip[ me up and fault symptoms are different too, experience will fix that. I'm a bit ham fisted myself 😄
That kit was one of my first attempts at building a kit. Mine worked OK but I live in such a rural area that it can only get one AM station. Last year our AM put in an FM translator that gives us FM stereo of the same AM transmission so not I can get that as well. I think the one I built is in my back-room that has been converted by my lovely daughter who now lives in my house to care for dear old dad when my lovely wife (RIP) and I were down South one winter. It is so filled with crap that I cannot even get past the door now. Ah well I have dozens of other radios around my recliner now that I play with, and recently put up an outdoor AM/FM/SW Antenna so I can get other stations now. The antenna is wonderful for my SDR, and I have a couple of those All-in-one radios along with a kit that I built. Also now working on building one around the cheap all-in-one chip that has no real way to display the stations, other then to print out a sort of tuner display like the old days on the old sets. I haven't gotten it all built as of yet but it is very interesting trying to build the entire setup from a schematic. I am to a point now where I am regretting not starting with a bigger board for all the parts.
Hi Jerry, you are lucky to have your daughter to look after you, it would be nice to dig out your kit radio and see if it still works. IO can imagine you sitting there surrounded with radios, your new antenna system will be a big help. You can always start again with a bigger board 😉😄 thanks Jerry.
@@DavidTipton101 The Chinese are now putting out tons of new all band radios based on that all in one chip. I have 3 of those, all offer. am/fm/lw/sw/VHF/UHF as well as bluetooth speaker function and SD card player built in. One is Stereo, I use the aux on that as an external speaker for my new wifi radio builds and the bluetooth for the same if I decide to go wireless. One is very small, fits in the palm of my hand but is rather thick. It is built like the old external speakers for the AN/PRC-25/77 radios we used to use in Vietnam during that. little skirmish it works great and is early my favorite in my entire collection. My all time favorite is a larger hand held from the USSR that I purchased from a seller in Ukraine. It was sold as not working, but 2 capacitors quickly brought it back to life. It is AM/SW and draws in the Shortwave at night without being hooked to my external antenna. The AM is great and the little flashlight/dial light works great at night when I am in bed in the dark. Now days I guess I could turn on the lights since I now sleep alone since loosing my wonderful wife a few years ago, but old habits die hard. Somehow those old USSR built radios are just plain intriguing. They seem to be built from better stuff, with better builds, and built to live long lives, not the quick builds of todays throw away world.
@@JerryEricsson Thanks for sharing your story Jerry.
It was so much fun watching the repairs go by without realizing the time.🍀☕✋))😎🎵
Thanks 문화융성 😄
That was cool. I enjoyed it.
Thanks Phil 👍
Great video David! I especially liked the Shango insert! You may be the only person, on the web, that has a portrait of his face at 24:24. Thanks for posting and have a speedy recovery! Take care, John.
Hi John, it was a tough find to get a shot of the elusive Shango... Thanks John. take care 🙂
Shango had a few of these chinese kit radios on his channel. I also got one, it was the first time I saw component wires stick to my tools because they are magnetic, made from iron wire 😊
I must look up Shango's experiences with these, a few have mentioned it, thanks rotwang83 👍🙂
Dear Mr Tipton, I have been watching Buzz 51 and he had a link to your website, and I enjoy working on transistor radios, I think what you do is inceptable, Buzz said you had a lot of knowledge with these radios, so I am just a beginner so I have subscribed and will start watching the videos you produce. Have a great weekend!!
Hi Mark and welcome. I only just watched Buzz's video today, I was totally surprised when he started talking about my undies haha... cheeky bugger 🤣 I thoroughly enjoy Buzz's videos, he puts a lot of effort it them which shows. I hope you do well with your radio repairs, as long as you are careful with the high voltages it's a lot of fun. Thanks Mark 🙂
Hi David. Sorry to hear about your health. I hope you make a full recovery soon.
I'm all good now thanks Aryon, I made a number of videos with lightweight radios while I wasn't allowed to lift anything so there are still a few to come 🙂
Dave, that first radio is a Chinese kit that someone has assembled (rather poorely). The "brass blobs" are points that are used to measure the current drawn when testing each stage. You are supposed to bridge them after testing. Unfortunately the instructions are in Chinese, so few builders manage to get them working. The usual problem is getting the IF/Osc coils mixed up. The original circuit does have the colours marked, but again it's in Chinese. If you hunt around, there are English translations on the web.
Thanks Graeme, I looked for English copies but didn't have any luck, it went together OK using the drawings I had 🙂
Great vid David.... the Small transistor radios can be Challenging at times,but you got there in the end. Roll on your Next Challenge.
Thanks Sean, yeah, you need to be patient with the little ones 😀
Thanks David, I enjoyed your video as always. Take care. See you on the next Radio Adventure.
Thanks Chris, see you soon 🙂
Hope your recovery continues well, Dave! Your summer will be there soon so remember, no sunbathing! 😁
Hi Allen, I'm fully healed now thanks. The damage was done early on, we didn't have sunscreen only coconut oil 😄
These old little transistor radios are quite interesting. When you look at the schematics, you can clearly see similarities to the old valve radios. Nice video and I’m curious to see what the German radio is. (I‘m from Germany)
Transistor radios work the same as the old tube sets in the theory of operation at least. It shouldn't be too hard to graduate from one to the other. The German radio is a Loewe Opta Meteor, it's been sidelined for a bit while I wait for parts 🙂
@@DavidTipton101 Waiting for Parts is a hard time. The worse is, when working on a Radio already sitting on the Bench and you notice you need a special Part... As a student I Only have time on Weekends, so waiting for parts over the week isn't much of a problem for me.
For the Loewe I would highly recommend changing all WIMA Caps (The Brown Candy looking ones). These are the worst. They went short when you see them 🤣
In Germany we say "WIMA Kur" when we replace them😅
@@julianretro2582 Thanks JulianRetro, I am aware of the WIMA Kur having had them in other radios and indeed they were short. Shoot on sight for them 😄
Thanks for an entertaining repair session. The Sony CXA1019 wonder-radio-on-a-chip turns up in all kinds of places.
Yes it does Nick, even in Hong Kong made radios 😀
Nice job Shango 😄 Take care, stay healthy Sir!
Shango-esque maybe James 😄 Thank you, take care 🙂
Hi Dave i would not have the patience for these silly little radios well done.
Thanks Michael, they are fiddly aren't they 🙂
Nice work.
Thanks Wayne 😀
Hi David. Enjoyed your video as usual. Well you have three more radios working now. Hope you get better soon. Take care and look after your self. Derrick.
Thanks Derrick, luckily they are small and my wife won't notice them round the house. Thanks Derrick 🙂
Always nice to see you're having a good time doing what you like. Great video. I doubt I would have the patience.
Lots of fun with these three 1959Berre. It does require patience when it goes wrong 😄🙂
I knew you would go get some black satin paint, made me chuckle , the perfect perfectionist. Love your channel mate.
I knew it too Danny, I don't know why I kid myself 😄 thanks Danny 👍🙂
Thanks for sharing Dave. Stay safe and well.
Thank you Brian 🙂
If you would like to learn more about transistor radios, I recommend "Build your own transistor radios by Ronald Quan" available on Amazon and other sources. It is the definitive guide. I had the shear joy of learning analog video electronics from Mr. Quan when we both worked for Sony Corp. back in the early 1980s. What an amazing mind! Good news, I bumped into him earlier this month at the Pacificon 2022 (amateur radio) convention in San Ramon California. I almost cried, I was so happy that he was still among the living.
Keep up the awesome work, David. You ROCK!
Thanks for the tip videolabguy, I will look for the book. Some people just amaze us mortals with their ability to retain knowledge. I happy you were able to meet up with him again, good for you 👍😉🙂
Brilliant work as always! The Ross radio has Germanium transistors, not massively long-lived.
I was happy the germanium transistors still worked, I can't remember if they were the AF series or not 🙂
the gel superglue is basically just regular superglue with CMC (carboxymethyl cellulous) added to it. so yes, the cellulous will fill up anomalies in the surface. it's similar to the old trick of building up material with baking soda and liquid superglue, but runnier
Thanks Brian 👍🙂
I am very happy with your new job. Thank you very much for the video. It was very interesting and instructive!
Thank you Vladimir 🙂
Nice to see a new video, cute little radios. Hope you have a speedy recovery! Happy Halloween 🎃
Thanks Steve, all better now. Happy Halloween 😄
Really great video on these three radios Dave. Great job getting them all sorted out. The tiny black and chrome one is my favorite!
Thanks Gregg, I'm not much on transistors so I think I had a bit of luck on my side 😄
Yeah it was great mate. We observed ANZAC along with UK Rememberance Day. I'm an ex RAF Squadron Leader who received...... I was injured. Anyway KBW made us laugh. And my good mate (on C.B.) sent me a genuine RAF cap badge. It belonged to his grandfather (still has some of the original paint on it).
Good to hear Wayne. I saw UK remembrance day on the news, it's pretty good that we still remember that day over 100 years later. That was nice for that gent to send you the badge 🙂
Great video David , that little Invicta radio is very nice , really enjoyed watching I like your relaxed way of working through , best regards Shaun
Hi Shan, thank you. I hope you are doing well 🙂
Nice one, cheers David :)
Thank you Lloyd 🙂
Hope you are keeping well David,keep going with your productions.
Hi Colin, thank you, I will 🙂
Hey Dave, take a look at UNI-T UTG962 signal generator, it's not that expensive. I use it for FM alignment. It goes up to 60MHz but you can easily make harmonics so the second harmonic goes up to 120MHz which is more than enough for FM alignment. For example, a diode to ground with a series resistor between the diode and generator can be used to create harmonics. FM circuits have good selectivity so you don't have to worry about filtering unwanted frequencies.
Thanks for the link miloscapin. I have the big generator for FM now so I'll stick with that till it breaks. Cheers 😀
Good evening David - greetings and best wishes.
Good evening Serge, all the best to you too 🙂
Nice video, David. Curious on what kind of external aerial are you using for test the radios....
Thank you lu9da. I'm using a Miniwhip antenna, works well 🙂
I quite enjoyed that! I would probably enjoy watching you restore pretty much anything. We have the same Rustoleum 2x paint here in Canada too, and that stuff is nice quality. Use it on car restoration projects all the time.
Thanks Volktales. Rustoleum paint works well, better coverage that other paints, we have a good range available here 👍😀