Dan - I really enjoyed the introduction, history and photos you shared! The Air Chief cabinet design is beautiful and I’m looking forward to the series. A clean looking chassis other than the years of dust. I know it will be a beauty and great player after your repairs. Those first power ups are always exciting. Best, Don
I have an almost perfect match of this Air Chief radio. Same exact cabinet, slightly different dial face, AM only. I'm torn between restoring it, or using the cabinet to house my own internet radio.
If you ever come across a box of the old big/heavy/solid original Sprague Atom electrolytics, they are worth something, because their very solid construction made them very good for audio, guitar amps, etc. You got a clarity and solidity out of them. But at some point, Vishay started building them, by inserting a modern small size cap into a big old case, with the heavy leads, cuz the guitar dudes wanted them that way. But it was not the same sound and sometimes the leads to the little internal cap would break. If they are heavy and does not sound hollow when you tap on them, it is probably the original version. Electrolytics for audio is difficult.. The only really good ones, except the original Atoms, were the Jensen Electrolytics, a special produced/branded F&T as i understand it... Now long, long gone...
Regarding this picture of Harvey Firestone 🔥, the manufacture of the Firestone 🔥 Air Chief AM/FM tube radio 📻, started in, or very near 1947. This was not 👎 the Firestone 🔥 Air Chief that it was, it was a free standing floor model. It also appeared to have a darker wood finish. That doesn't mean that that's the only Air Chief model that ever came out. At least, several models did. These must have been a freebie from the Firestone 🔥 Tire And Rubber Company, for buying their tires, or the radios 📻 came at a reduced cost by doing so. The free standing Firestone 🔥, I think was a 5, or 8 tube model, and it had a glass dial face, and dial light. I'm pretty sure that this Firestone 🔥 Air Chief radio 📻 also has a dial light. Just be really careful, if ya have to re-string the dial cord, they're hard to do. Who put "Renewal Alert" over the speaker 🔊? If it was you, why is it there? Your friend, Jeff.
There were likely several different models with the name Air Chief. I have updated the description section of the video with a few links that I used early on to help me verify the identity of this guy. I just noticed that on my thumbnail it says 'Fire Chief" not 'Air Chief",,, ooops, that may not get fixed. As for 'Renewal Alert", it is always advisable to put something over your speaker to keep your finger out ( I learned the hard way). That little advertisement was one of those things that fall out of a magazine. It was the perfect size for what I needed so I use it to cover the cone. Thanks for watching Jeff.
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Dan - I really enjoyed the introduction, history and photos you shared! The Air Chief cabinet design is beautiful and I’m looking forward to the series. A clean looking chassis other than the years of dust. I know it will be a beauty and great player after your repairs. Those first power ups are always exciting. Best, Don
Thanks Don. Part 2 is up now.
Enjoyed the history! I restored a Firestone 4-A-22…Adam a couple of years back….it was a table model also…Thanks for sharing…Take Care-Larry
Thanks for watching Larry.
Love the history. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Nice touch with the Firestone intro Dan. The follow on this should be fun.
ps,, I've often wondered about the gimmick cap winds.
Thanks Carl.
I have an almost perfect match of this Air Chief radio. Same exact cabinet, slightly different dial face, AM only. I'm torn between restoring it, or using the cabinet to house my own internet radio.
Always a difficult choice whether to restore or bring it into the modern age.
If you ever come across a box of the old big/heavy/solid original Sprague Atom electrolytics, they are worth something, because their very solid construction made them very good for audio, guitar amps, etc. You got a clarity and solidity out of them.
But at some point, Vishay started building them, by inserting a modern small size cap into a big old case, with the heavy leads, cuz the guitar dudes wanted them that way. But it was not the same sound and sometimes the leads to the little internal cap would break.
If they are heavy and does not sound hollow when you tap on them, it is probably the original version.
Electrolytics for audio is difficult.. The only really good ones, except the original Atoms, were the Jensen Electrolytics, a special produced/branded F&T as i understand it... Now long, long gone...
Regarding this picture of Harvey Firestone 🔥, the manufacture of the Firestone 🔥 Air Chief AM/FM tube radio 📻, started in, or very near 1947. This was not 👎 the Firestone 🔥 Air Chief that it was, it was a free standing floor model. It also appeared to have a darker wood finish. That doesn't mean that that's the only Air Chief model that ever came out. At least, several models did. These must have been a freebie from the Firestone 🔥 Tire And Rubber Company, for buying their tires, or the radios 📻 came at a reduced cost by doing so. The free standing Firestone 🔥, I think was a 5, or 8 tube model, and it had a glass dial face, and dial light. I'm pretty sure that this Firestone 🔥 Air Chief radio 📻 also has a dial light. Just be really careful, if ya have to re-string the dial cord, they're hard to do. Who put "Renewal Alert" over the speaker 🔊? If it was you, why is it there? Your friend, Jeff.
There were likely several different models with the name Air Chief. I have updated the description section of the video with a few links that I used early on to help me verify the identity of this guy.
I just noticed that on my thumbnail it says 'Fire Chief" not 'Air Chief",,, ooops, that may not get fixed. As for 'Renewal Alert", it is always advisable to put something over your speaker to keep your finger out ( I learned the hard way). That little advertisement was one of those things that fall out of a magazine. It was the perfect size for what I needed so I use it to cover the cone.
Thanks for watching Jeff.