To learn electronics in a very different and effective way, and gain access to Mr Carlson's personal designs and inventions, visit the Mr Carlson's Lab Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab
QUESTION: Would the crew of the B29 ever do mods to these receivers to make them work better during wartime? Obviously this one is done by a HAM; but it wouldn't surprise me if a B29 radio operator tinkered with his radios adding switches and circuits to aid him ... "necessity is the mother of invention" after all :)
@@Lawson80 If they modded these, that would surprise me. I don't think that was done, at all. First, remember that the B-29 was considered an absolutely futuristic airplane when it was placed into service. This would be like you or me modding a brand new Tek scope. Second, such a move would theoretically endanger the crew if it went bad. IMO, the only way this might have been done (at the time) was if there were actual orders and the radios were recalled to some repair depot in bulk. And finally, if your gig was to fly on B-29's and risk your life to bad landings or being shot down every flight, I find it hard to believe that a guy would pull out a soldering iron and start tweaking. Most of the radio operators at the time were not engineers even if they were called that. They were trainees just trained to use the gear as is. Just my opinion.
My father flew 27 missions on a B-29 Bomber during WWII. I was just imagining what he heard and experienced as I listened to your old radio come to life. Nice video... miss you dad.
@@bradleyleben7785 I believe it may have been a B-25 or B-17. Either way, your mother's cousin - along with all the men and women whom served and died for our freedoms - need to be remembered as long as possible. Our nation salutes his young sacrifice on our behalves. Blessings...
I worked as an electrical engineer in design for manufacturability. The technology has come a long long ways. The whole radio looks like it was built by hand. With everything automated today, the steps in placing even one resistor on the board is calculated in the fractions of a second. The pick and place machines sound like a machine gun placing all of the transistors, resistors and capacitors on the circuit boards. I wonder how many man-hours it took to build one of those BC-348/224 radios.
That will be a really fine restoration Paul. The good thing about the radio is it is in good hands now. Cannot think of a better person to bring this artifact back to life.
I think you can even get a reproduction data/nomenclature plate for it. I love seeing gear that my grandfather worked on during his 47 years of government service with the US Army, US Navy, CAA, and FAA.
@@MrCarlsonsLab , he's right you know!!! The very best possible thing that could happen to ANY electronics gear is for it to be given to you for TLC and use!
Hey, he could easily make it happen. All you need is a low-power (legal) transmitter for AM and FM, and he could stream 40's music all day long. I've been thinking about doing just that so I can listen to period music on the rigs in my collection.
My brother used to buy the infinitely cooler ART-13 rs and put them on the AM radio band to drown out all the preachers on Sunday (!) with C & W records which had not exactly church like lyrics and themes.....the 13's only had a little over 100 W, but you be surprised the disruption a 100 W source could make in a medium sized area.....
My grandpa was a flight engineer instructor for the b29s in ww2. We got him up in "Fifi" when he was 85 years old. He couldn't hardly walk anymore but he could squirt right up that ladder. Lol
Paisley Prince, I have had the distinct honor of logging some time at Fifi's controls, so I fully understand the happiness you two felt that day. Well done and bravo to you. 🙂
I had a chance to see FiFi on display at the local airport many years ago. At the time, it was the only airworthy B-29, but I understand there is a second one now.
@LZ129 Brazil grandpa was allowed to sit in the flight engineers seat during our time up inside Fifi. I don't think he even looked in the cockpit lol. The flight engineer sat backwards behind the copilot and looked after the engines while the pilot focused on flying the plane.
Had a BC 348 for many years. Mine was built for the Russian Lend Lease program. It was lettered entirely in Russian. Built a power supply for the dynamotor and it worked just great ARS. KE4D
I don't often comment but I wanted to let you know that I find your videos super informative and entertaining. What a cool find this radio is! You go into such detail I can almost smell the hot 1940s dust through the screen. Can't wait to watch the restoration of this piece of history. The time and thought that went into something like this is just incredible.
I'm 53 years old just for reference. When I was a young boy, about 3/4 years old, my dad purchased a Zenith World radio not working from a radio repairman. It was dusty and dirty. Dad cleaned it up and blew the dust off and out of everything. Next he pulled all bulbs and took them to the local drug store where they had a testing station and every bulb you could emagine. We got home and installed the bulbs and just like that the old Zenith was warming up, crackling and glowing. He went through the selection buttons and dialing in the tuner. Before you knew it the contacts were coming clean and did that thing pick up stations. AM, SHORT BAND, SEA GOING, even stations from the Asian pacific ! To this day he still has the old Zenith. It hasn't been plugged in over 30 some years. I bet it still works.
Yeah, most people don't have a clue how to process audio. My favorite example is some DIY audio group building proper pro recording gear, and they didn't even normalize the audio when they exported the video. Probably no need for him to gate. It's very rare you can't hear the gate working.
My ears tell me otherwise. If he was sitting next to you in your living room, would he sound like that? No. GOOD audio would have him sound like he as there next to you, without room colourations affecting what you hear.
@@Wizardofgosz Notice that mic he's using as well. Probably a Neumann, with great dynamic range. What I'd love to hear is Paul on his old AM broadcast xmitter on the 80 or 40 AM Window. You know his audio is going to be top-notch.
You got me again with this one Mr Carlson, for 2 reasons. I built B-17 instrument panels for over 20 years and have them world wide and with many US customers. So years ago I bought one of these radios on eBay and got it working. But swing back to 1958, when I was 12 years old, I got my first Wireless Set #19 and had 3 more over the decades. But marriages and kids put an end to the hobby for 40 years. About 6 months ago I decided to get my ham radio license and first got my Tech level and my General a month later. I started out with an IC-7300, totally digital transceiver. But the lust for the smell of WWII cosmoline and hot vacuum tubes came back, so I just got my 5th #19 set and am working on building an AC power supply for it and get it totally operational. I'm sure you probably know this radio. If you look up the history of the 19 set , it was a brilliant design, first designed by the Brits and built in Canada by Northern Electric and by RCA and Zenith here in the USA. The technology it had replaces equipment 3 times its size and was the first real transceiver that used both parts of the receiver and transmitter together, in the same circuit and same tubes. It also introduce technology that had never been seen before and is still used in today's SDR radios. would love to see you bring one back to life in your lab....Please:-)
When I was in high school back in the early 70s I found one of these in a local Army/Navy surplus store. I paid $20 for it. There was a lot of extra space where the dynamo was, but I didn't know at the time what was missing. I didn't know much about electronics at all, but I did get it to work well enough I could hear one side of a conversation from a ship-to-shore radio operator.
OH MY GOSH ! As a child , my homebound Grandfather gifted and set up for me , his BC-348 receiver , this was his constant companion and became mine . He had converted it to house current and it gave off a wonderful smell ! Grandpa included a western union headset with fabric covered wires that faithfully reproduced every faint broadcast . I'll be honest , I became enamored with DXing and lost many hours of school night sleep . Our local Thrifty drug store had a do it yourself tube tester and self serve tube selection .. THIS kept my companion running for many years . Alas , the smoke leaked out many years later and I no longer was comforted by the dim lamp inside the vernier driven dial display . I took it in my red wagon , bouncing on the "jerry" mounts to the radio repair shop on Main street . He kept it for the diagnostic cost and it was akin to loosing my loving Grandfather .. so sad .
I agree. Must be that they tried to get Mr C to work on something and he did not have the time, or could be just jealous of him. Never makes sense to me why folks dont like a video like this. I never thumb down a video, I just hit the back button.
@@TheRadioShop I confronted somebody once that down voted one of my videos and asked him why. His response was he down voted all videos because it was fun. Nothing more deep than that. And he was supposed to be an acquaintance/friend. Some people just set out to do irritating stuff. They have no idea how it makes us feel. I wish there was a required question when you down voted a video that would give us a hint so we might be able to do something about it on future videos.
It is called JEALOUS. People with no raising. What is funny is people think they are hurting someone. TH-cam don't care if a video gets an up vote or down vote. It is the fact that someone hit either button, that shows interaction. The more interaction the better for the person whom created the video, as it gets them higher in recommended videos and such. --KE4EST
Thank You Mr Carlson, That was a very interesting video. I have watched videos that were 8 mins long and I got bored with them. I was born in 1964 and my eyes just lit up seeing a radio that came from the mid 40's and a B29 no less (though my heart belongs to a SR-71), start working working we just a tube and bulb regulator installed. I was so happy when you right away decided it is going to get restored. In these trying times you were able to brighten my day some.
I had one of these when I was in my mid-teen years, early 1970s. Man what a blast from the past. I loved that thing. I used it as both a short wave receiver and a tunable IF receiver for some frequency converters that down converted 6 meters, 2 meters and 220 Mhz to the 20 meter ham band. Almost identical to mine. Love your work, please keep it up! Thanks, WB6MIE Tony
I really wonder why over 100 times people gave thumbs down. Your videos are in the top 3 for me regarding interestivity and quality. This is sooo valuable content I happily pay for but everyone can get for free and still some people think it is bad and so it should not had been uploaded, could not disagree more!
I am captivated by your awesome radio voice. Your knowledge and explanations of everything you touch is amazing. Keep up the incredible legacy your building for future generations to remember how great these electronic inventions have formed our world today.
My old man had a Motorola business mobile radio from the late 50s that had a Dynamotor in it for the high voltage transmitter. We could talk well over 100 miles with it on a long whip. I inherited it when I had my first pickup that I used for a service truck for the family business. I remember when I keyed it, the headlight dim bad. Later, I got a Motorola Motrac all solid state. Still as big as a small trunk, but space age compared to the old one. The AM reception you got , made me incredibly happy. That is a keeper. I had an old WWII Army receiver when I was a kid and used to listen to the world. I remember hearing Radio Moscow and feeling very odd, almost bad. Got my ham ticket in my teens, Now I have a grandad’s call.
Equipment like this ends up in garage sales because the children and grandchildren of the original owner have no idea if it is salvageable or not. They assumed because parts were missing that it was junk. Their loss our gain. Thanks for saving a part of history.
About fifteen years ago it took four of us from the local Amateur Radio Club four evenings to empty the grage of a silent key member. Strangely the only receiver that actually worked looked in worse condition than this one, sat on the floor with various components that had fallen of a bench loose inside. We sold most of the gear at the local Hamfest and the silent keys widow ended up with about £900.
Thank you for sharing this video. I am 66, and I used to find gear like this in scrap piles all of the time when I was a kid. My first headphones, turntable, loudspeakers, and turntable amp all came from a pile of discarded military and TV station electronics that I came across on my way home from school one day. Every drug store had a large stand with a tube (valve) tester and stock of replacement tubes in the 1960s, so I always pulled and tested the tubes in the devices I salvaged. It was amazing how many discarded radios and TVs fired up and started working perfectly after I replaced a bad tube or two. As a result, I was the only kid in the neighborhood with a TV in my room. That really impressed the girls.
I was rooting for this radio to work right from the start; I was genuinely shocked when it did though! I only discovered a new obsession with radio last year but your channel has fed my interest in electronics and radio to no end, thank you for that! Great job!
This is one of those subjects that I enjoy, but have no stake or experience in. I love the look of old radios, and how 30s and 40s radio electronics worked. I got a chance, almost 20 years ago now, to visit this lady who had bought and taken up residence in a shut down hospital somewhere around the West coast, and she had this gorgeous old tube radio that was in a wooden cabinet about as tall I was at the time (probably about 5' or so), and I couldn't believe how wonderfully it worked for its age, how strongly it picked up signals from way beyond what a modern radio would be able to pick up. It was that day I fell in love with tube tech. I remember being in awe at how the valves glowed and, honestly, how big they were. I've never been able to afford a vintage tube radio, so I live vicariously through TH-camrs such as yourself. I hope that some day, I'll be able to pick up and restore a vintage tube radio of my own :)
It is truly amazing how well this legacy equipment has stood the test of time. I could pull a 10 year old commercial radio out of a stack and it is 50 / 50 whether it will power up and have the ref osc in spec. Thanks for sharing !
I was briefly the proud owner of a BC-348 back in the 60s, sold to me by my neighbor/friend ham operator. He put in the proper power supply, aligned it, and into my bedr oom it went. That radio was one talking receiver and I spent many hours logging what and where. Like Paul said - that radio needed no mods and was just fine the way it was. A good friend of my neighbor's wanted that 348 real bad, so I reluctantly gave it up and got a superb Hallicrafters in its stead. But it wasn't the same. I do wish I could find anorher one someday. I look forward to seeing the resto on Paul's.
Always brings me back to when I was learning Electronic Communication when in college in 1965. Part of the learning course, we had to design and build a AM receiver with audio out. That's when i first learned not to touch B+ by accident. Still have a scar where my wrist was laying on the chassis and got too close to B+ on a tube. Thanks for your videos, I enjoy the a lot.
I had an Hallicrafter's S20R receiver which was my first ham receiver in 1959, but it failed after one day. Probably old leaking capacitors. Couldn't get it to work again, so the local electronics store who sold it to me exchanged it for a BC-348. The BC-348 receiver was very sensitive, but selectivity suffered on 40M. I was 13 at the time and was a new Novice. I sold it and bought a Knight Kit R-100, which worked well enough.
Spending ages on eBay has taught me that "for parts/repair" really doesn't mean anything. Maybe I've just been lucky, but about half the time it means "it doesn't work," and about half the time it's "I couldn't be bothered to figure it out." Even if it really were broken, the fact you have two others means the parts are probably still valuable. Nevertheless glad to see it power up! These videos are fun.
My grandfather, a navy RADAR technician in WW II, had one of these and let me use it. His was very clean. Someone in my family has it, and maybe I should get it to Me. Carlson! Thank you for this channel. I am a radio and electronics enthusiast, without the talent/patience to fix things, so I enjoy living vicariously through these videos.
Nice video on this old radio sir. As an aircraft mechanic I will vouch for the ruggedness of most things built for the aviation industry, especially wartime Boeing aircraft back in the day. Your electronics prowess is impressive sir. In my studies of my own trade and my hobbies it seems as if my brain has run out of space for everything I wish to learn and know...let alone time to spend doing it as well. I would be telling you a lie if that old receiver truly didn't really make me happy when that dial spooled up on 5 mhz down at the bottom band to pick up the international time signal. It was designed to survive an atomic EMP. 75 years of abuse and neglect ain't no hill for that climber...she's a winner! Even after years of dirty hands inside her perfect innards. I am glad she is in good hands sir. I don't know if there is anyone here in the USA that loves old radios like that anymore, but I am glad you do. If I had the specs and was within reasonable shipping distance I would hand fabricate those cover plates you need.
Have one I obtained when I was in High school 1974, still works, absolutely rock solid radio, they were also in the B-17, don't see many of them. thanks.
Hi Paul - I did a lot of restorations of these old WW-II units when I was involved with the Ysterplaat Air Force Base volunteer group in Cape town & many items were well butchered when we got the radios. Some were fortunately O.E.M. condition but in storage in poorly environment close to the sea for many years. Those that had been 'Hammed' had all sorts of mods applied, some good, some nasty, many had BFO's added, Etc. BUT, the point of this comment is that with very little effort nearly all worked to an extent + a few were near what they should have been after manufacture. Yes, all those American sets were superbly & cleverly designed too - A bitch to un-layer in repair sometimes - The BC-348 is a grand receiver. I loved the Colins ART-13 which were used by South African Airways for many years after close of WW-II - Being a Ham myself, I had a few in my personal collection & still do. Super, Paul, I always enjoy your fiddles on this gear "Power to your elbow" All the best, Tony in Kotzeshoop, N-Cape, S-Africa.
@@davidsault9698 I have a pretty decent collection myself, but I'm sure it doesn't even come close to Paul's -- not by a long shot! I lost a good portion of it to so-called "ham friends," though. We have a decent ham fest here locally, and a lot of my Dad's buddies would come over every year to eat my Mom's cooking at their home. I was working at an engineering firm in Houston, my Dad passed away, but they came over to eat with my Mom. Basically, it was a 30-year-old habit for us all. Long story short, they asked my Mom if she wanted to sell anything at the ham fest, and they proceeded to purchase $20K or so worth of "junk box material" for $300.00, cash. I didn't talk to her for about two years or so after that experience. Check it. I was given 10 hermetically sealed, remote, high-voltage relays (8 poles), worth about $1500.00 apiece -- gone. 8877's, 3-500Z's, 3CX-3000 tubes, sockets and plate transformers, and my novice rigs plus other rare, expensive electronic devices -- all gone for $300.00. Hell, it was probably more like $30K worth of gear, now that I think about it, guys.
All I can say is Paul's junk box is a *HELL* of a lot more organized than mine. Well, let me clarify that statement. When I was managing an engineering firm, I had the absolutely most disheveled desk imaginable. Believe it or not, it was organized in my mind. I knew where everything was on my desk. Then I read an article which stated that some researcher did a study and found out those that had a messy desk actually had their own form of organization. Needless to say, I totally went with that explanation, and when somebody walks into my ham shack and says, "OMG! Look at the stuff you have in here, strewn everywhere!", I'm quite proud. LOL! OTOH, I did have to make things neat in a few areas of my shack so I could fit more stuff into the same space, so I might eventually be a "Paul type" convert. Well, I wouldn't hold your breath on that one, actually. :D
In the B-17, it helped to keep the radio operator warm at high altitude. Worked well with the ART-13 Xmtr (which had a huge vacuum relay for switching the antenna between Rx and Tx). Still very usable and common in the 60's. You keep finding this stuff and I'll keep having good memories. Thx....
These are great dependable receivers!!! They were used in many many aircraft including the B17's and one was in the Enola Gay. I just recently restored the same one but mine was a BC-348-C made by RCA then later modified by Belmont and was tagged as a BC-348-S. I noticed his set on here is missing the manufacturers tag. As in this one, in mine, the dynamotor was replaced by a power supply. Just had to recap the power supply, correct some wiring and it came alive. Works great. The dial light rheostat had been replace with just a rotary switch which was used as the on/off. Not sure what that was all about. Took some doing to get the power back on using the AVC/OFF/MVC 'flush' switch.
I’m not an electronics guy…..I don’t under stand the majority of what you speak, but I do enjoy your videos. You still make me want to hear what you have to say. Thanks !
With all the nastiness they use to make electronics components, especially the dopants, I'm sure the FDA has some kind of warning on snorting it too often. In other words, we better "Just Say No!" to magic smoke. Not only that, but our electronics projects will be a *LOT* cheaper. We don't need no kids hooked on the stuff and headed to rehab.
Great video, again! I have an R-392, had the transmitter also but a ham friend wanted it. Built up a 28vdc supply for it, heaters use straight 28vdc. I acquired it in about 1972 from the scrapyard. I listened to everything, I was a novice at the time, but the R-392 turned me into a 'real' SWL, quite the upgrade from the (modded half to death) Hallicrafters S-38D I got for Xmas in '61. What a receiver, had a depot tag on it that said it had just been refurbed. It is waterproof down to like 5'. I think it has over 30 tubes in it if I remember. Came with a foam insulated tube kit. One for the Xmitter, one for the receiver. Worked great the last time I used it, about 1998 or so. I always used a variac and brought it up over a minute or so. Probably should do some capacitor changing. O-ringed case, you can eat off of anything inside. Nice, no mod box, only scratches are on the case. Michael in Colorado.
Paul, Great find and video! My father was a B-29 navigator in the USAAF in the pacific 1944-1945. He died in 2016 at 94. Ive been in Fifi and my family is a 'Friend of Doc' although Ive only seen her on the internet. God bless Paul (in MA)
I used to sell those radios! I grew up in Edmonton with electronics and ham radio my passion. At 15 in 1966 I worked at Western Surplus Sales on Jasper Avenue in Edmonton being paid $0.85 an hour and used the money I made to buy old surplus equipment. My first radio was a BC454 Command receiver. We also sold the 19 Set , BC-312, National HRO to name a few. The store was mainly surplus military electronics with some new electronic parts added in, and secondary surplus military clothing and survival equipment. All the aircraft equipment ran on 28 volts with Dynamotors as you mentioned. When you switched on the the BFO and tuned around it brought back very fond memories. Darn Mr. C but your making me feel really old all of a sudden!! 73's es 7esa
"A four gangs tuning section on a single conversion super heterodyne receiver is...pretty fantastic" 13:03 - I love it when you talk dirty. You are amazing! Great video, Paul!
What is even more amazing is I know exactly what he said. (I'm a retired electronics engineer and use to play with radios in the 60's when I was a kid.)
@@sharonburns4788 So, you want us to whisper electronics and physics into your ear, huh? That should help you release some "magic smoke," I'm thinking. :D
When I see an item being sold for parts, I often suspect it means the seller doesn't know if or how it works. And if it does work, they can't guarantee that it's working properly, or that it hasn't been modified. But if even a few parts can be repurposed, the buyer can't really complain.
Yeah the over exaggeration of "Parts Machine" got to me too - lol -. I've got a gearbox that I haven't got a car to test in, what am I supposed to say, working good, or for parts. What It really means is, if you are a tinker you might get it going, but if you're a novice don't buy it.
I was given a BC-348 when I was a novice in 1965. I couldn't scrounge enough parts to get it to run on the dynamotor or build a power supply ( I was a broke 15 yr old). Traded it for a Heathkit HR-10 so I could get on the air. There was also a BC-312 and BC-348Q. Your data plate is missing.Those receivers were also used in the B-17, B-24 and maybe the C-47, C-46 and the C-54 transports. de WA8SDF
@@Ryan6.022 >Yes they will almost definitely have either a vintage jukebox or drink machine. Idk why it seems like everyone I find is like that. the one near me doesn't. although his shelves are always overflowing with weird and wonderful stuff. I'll have to go back there once covid is done as the store is curbside pickup at the moment, and i usually go there without any idea of what i wanna buy... i become like a kid in a candy store. and yes, i know the owner by name...
I've been on the hunt for five years, and today was the first day that a horde of gems found me... For free! I'm pretty sure I remember Paul saying "A lot of this stuff just finds me". Keep seeking and you shall find. Good luck! :)
I swear he's invented a time machine and has purchased these items ahead of time and put them in hidey-holes in the Canadian wilderness waiting for a time to conveniently "find" them again. Only sometimes someone found them first and didn't take such good care of them and those are the restoration pieces haha 😃
I had one of these. It was out of an Iceland Air DC3. I so regret selling it now. The feel of those controls is something you don't get any more. Isn't this the radio you can see in the background of the cockpit on the original "flight of the phoenix" film?. Speaking of funny recollections for old radios... no19 tank set had a quarter turn flag lock on the edge of the dial for fixing frequency with FLICK marking it.... it doesn't take much dirt for that to read something else..... you also want to get a look at the original manuals (especially the disposal section). Modern stuff has disposal notices along the lines of do not throw out, ensure it goes into the correct recycling line, protect the pandas etc etc. The disposal sections of these old radios were much more fun... preferred option EXPLOSIVES :-).... secondary option smash every dial and valve with as big a hammer as you can find then set it alight with petrol.
I am a new viewer and sub. I find your videos absolutely amazing and interestingly very relaxing. I sometimes have a difficult time following but your attention to detail and the way you explain it is spot on! Thanks for the excellent content.
Another one out of the storage racks and into line for restore! I love this old stuff, new is OK but older is better! This radio also mixes my long time aircraft background in too, LOVE IT! Thanks!
It’s amazing what you can pick up as “spares or repairs”. This one’s a real gem and boy, are you going to be busy Paul with all these restorations piling up. Can’t wait to see it working better than new again. Talking of spares or repairs I recently picked up a couple of well-cheap 100MHz Fluke 4- channel ‘scopes (marked as not working or faulty). Nothing much wrong with them apart from a front panel encoder control and one missing EHT cable - both now working perfectly and these repairs were inspired by watching your videos!!
James Weekes compared to the modern VHF, HF units this thing is extremely heavy. A modern Honeywell VHF unit weighs about 5 kgs and it‘s the size of a large size thin client PC.
Just saw the radio compartment on a B-29, about 1000 lbs of radio gear and some had teletypes included. Weight? Check out what the tires weighed. What I saw, you could have put Mr. Carlsons whole lab in there.
I know this comment is for a video years old now but funny you mention FiFi. Couple weeks ago i got called to unlock a car for a customer the customer was a pilot. I was on call that weekend and as a single dad had my 8 year old son with me. I asked if they were in town for the air show and they were. My son was all excited and i told him next year we might go cause i was on call this time but the pilot asked if i had a call right after this or not. I said no and he said well come on and follow me to the airport. We did and got a private 1 on 1 tour of all the planes and we even got to sit in the cockpit of all of them including FiFi! The pictures are priceless and it was a great time. All the pilots were beyond amazing and loved seeing my son so excited. Its cool to see the same radio here in the video. If any of you have a chance to check out the airshows i highly recommend it. Won't be available forever and it's incredible that those old birds are still flying
You're awesome Mr. Carlson! Had I had access to you in my developmental years no telling where I would be now. I hope you are guiding at least one child. 💯 BreAnn
If that tube was manufactured over here in the UK I recommend you throw it away and install the box instead. 😉 You are the most brilliant practical tech out there, I'm learning so much from every video. Your back catalogue even helps to relieve the suffering when I'm ironing. 😄
I have two BC-348Q Receivers made in 1944 one I had to do some minor repairs to and the other is bone stock completely original and still works as it did originally during the war. Both of mine are made by Wells Gardner. Mine are both Complete have all the covers on them and both do have power supplies that were added. Thanks for showing one of these old veterans of WW2. These radios were definitely built to last. Yours has been heavily modified I noticed the military loom type ties have been cut off on yours mine still have it.
Wow. I get here 55 minutes after Mr. Carlson publishes this and there's a ton of comments already! Congrats on the channel and your Patreon course - it's been the highlight of my coronavirus quarantine. All the best from Brazil!
suddenly i find myself geeking out on old electronics , and mind you , i haven't got the slightest notion about electronics old or new , so with that been said you must be doing something right to peak my interest , subbed and liked !!
You have the ability to clearly explain things so the rest of us can understand and follow along. Each of your vids are fascinating. Love this old stuff from WW II.
This is a piece of history, Paul. You definately need to restore this radio into its former glory. I look forward to join you in your restauration, like we join you in all your other restaurations. Take care, 73 LB5JG Asle
Love this chanel and i found it to day , and been watching several of your videos. You are doing great content with a speech that a Norwegian understand so i am impressed. I am a old signal man from army times and used th HF to transmit back to norway when we was out in field som place around the globe and you put me right back in radio mode Happy Days ..
This radio was used by army and ground forces too, I think it was even more used on the ground than in the air so there no proof it was used in the plane...
@@bucyruserie1211 Unintentional often goes hand in had with unnoticed. Also, I am offering a potential explanation for the down votes which is not spite but folly.
you know I was thinking the same thing being into RC cars I've never had to look around inside of my receiver it has always worked from the day I got it and it came with the cover and everything and it still works as far as I know I haven't fired up in while
Paul- Another excellent video on this old radio. The way in which you investigated its workings made me feel as though I was there doing it myself!! Keep up the excellent work!
That was a trip down memory lane. I bought a BC348 complete with an external power supply back in 1978 using £15 of my first weeks wages of £25. It came from the Air Training Corp which I was a member of. They had just got a Racal RA17 from RAF Locking so the BC348 had become surplus. Looking around inside I found a date of 1946 in it. Of course that might have been when it was serviced or something. Even then I've had it over half its life. Most Sunday mornings I was at the ATC in their Radio Room operating on a country wide net. Our station, with an R210 receiver and matching transmitter (C111 ?) , did use dyno-motors so other stations recognised us before we even gave our callsign. I still have the BC348 but it has been in storage for years. Finally if you watch the film Memphis Belle you can see where the BC348 fitted in the B17.
During WWII, my dad was a "civilian attache" to Bechtel McCone Aircraft in Birmingham Alabama, where he was a "flight radio engineer". He installed, tested and repaired these radios as well as the myriad of navigational aids and radars. He told me he never wanted to see another piece of avionics as long as he lived. But he was a Ham, W4KVN. for many years.
I look forward to your rebuild of this one. My first radio back in the early 1960's was an R1155, very modified; any chance of finding one of those and restoring it Paul?
@Jack O'Bean I still have a BC348 which I purchased from the Air Training Corps in 1978 with my first weeks wages. However, it hasn't been powered up for about twenty years. When I bought it he ATC squadron I was in had just been allocated an RA17. A couple of years ago I was talking to someone who worked on RA17s in the RAF back when they were still classified equipment. Obviously by 1978 they were surplus to requirements and being given out to ATC squadrons, as was a lot of other Radio kit, like the R210/C111 army set that was our main station. Every Sunday I would be one of three our four cadets using that to talk to other ATC stations around the U.K.
Robert’s right. eBay’s rules regarding returns on electronics and other merchandise cause sellers to list equipment as “parts” so they can sell them “as-is” with no returns.
Awesome! My sentiments towards old military electronics is to ALWAYS find a way to restore them and get them working again. I am very happy for you that this is a good unit. Happy restore! Hope once you have it fully restored you will share with us its abilities.
I was a crew chief on the KC-97L. Which for those not familiar is the grandson of the B-29. (The B-50 was in between) The '97 was actually 2 fuselages married together to form a double deck. Re-engined to the larger P&W R-4360 and two J-47 jets hung on it too. Everything else was basically the same. Loved flying on that aircraft.
If you buy a warbird, the trick is to get one with the same engine as what was used in the Airlines, because there are still warehouses full of parts for those old radials as many saw service into the 80s domestically
It's on the healing bench, it'll get healed. Edit: You can hear the fatherly disappointment in Mister Carlson's voice as he digs deeper into the butchery. He's not mad, he's just disappointed.
I noted that exact thing myself, but one has to expect radio amateurs with surplus gear to mod mod mod. Heck some of us do stuff to brand new gear, but none of MY stuff is going to be on a bench years from now I'm pretty certain.
A good find, Paul. No, a fantastic one. Despite the "parts" classification and the power supply mods (plus speaker and a small power amp.), the front is quite clean and not too much damage has been done. I have restored a Marconi R1155 including its direction finder (RAF Bomber Command plus some other uses), various "Command" sets and a National HRO Sr (1937). However I did replace the by-pass capacitors before switching them on (and "hid" the new caps in the original cans or paper cylinders). I also provided an external power supply and 6V6 power amp for the R1155. Look forward to seeing your BC-348 in the future. Great vid.
Great to see you being so enthusiastic about these rock solid electronics. Once I got my hands on a old radio that had two scales (I mean one with a lot receiving bands on top of the radio (30 by 80 cm wide glass plate) and one under the huge speaker that was a bit smaller) for air, sea, river, traffic, police, fire brigade and you name it, I guess it was from before 1930 cause it had such a huge range receiving signals. Unfortunately back in the eighties, when I picked this bad ass up from the streets, it had missing one big old paint covered tube and one that was broken (cause all them tubes were red painted) and the one time I tried to get life out of it, the mains cable that was maybe copper (it did not look like it) wrapped in some cloth with a sort of wax in it, and those two wires were also wrapped in some cloth looking cover that had a tar-ish smell, especially when it started to smoke, lol lol.... Sadly I could not find the tubes, they were not available at that time, even contacted philips for it, but no way that they were found, then... Nowadays all those tubes are coming back, pity I had to scrap that radio, I saved over the years the condensator that, as you described going from microfarad to picofarad, the 'tuning block' Unfortunately there was a leaking in this old shed, in a box where it was wrapped in cotton but other steel material in the box got rusty and it jumped over to the tuning block, destroying it completely.... Everytime I see an ad, link or reference to old radio's, I can't ignore and have to see if I see that bad boy again, I would love to see that one running somewhere somehow.... Lovely to see your vids.....
@@uclajd I remember those days as well. How about the tube testers in Walgreens and Radio Shack? How about Radio Shack "Life Time" tubes? God, those tubes weren't the best things out there -- and then some! I really, really miss my old SX-101 and Apache transmitter. Guess I'll see if I can find those again and restore my novice setup in a 2nd ham shack or something.
I'd love to see him restore an old TV as well. If you don't subscribe already, check out shango066, right here on TH-cam. He's very entertaining and a fantastic trouble-shooter. A lot of folks could learn a *LOT* about basic trouble-shooting from his videos.
In these times of restrictions I've been thinking about my next restoration project and a few days before this video was released I decided make a start on my Dad's BC-348!
What a thing of beauty! I imagine only the military could have afforded to buy something of that quality. Please do more of this Paul. Proud Patreon supporter.
it is insane that any radio would work inside a massive lumbering shaking flying machine, these were built better than anything available today, your knowledge is incredible
As always Mr. Carlson, I loved your video. I have an old Canadian Marconi AM radio. Or at least it is one part of a radio set. It looks to be some sort of military or maritime radio, as the insides are all metal pipes and geared shafts to change what ever is inside the enclosed boxes. There are no wires, tubes, or boards to be seen when taking the case apart. Really dam cool looking and looks like it cost a bundle when it was new. I bought it years ago and haven't seen inside it since I bought it. It is fascinating enough that I would like to take a picture of the insides and make a poster of it. It is probably only useful as an anchor, and with it being as heavy as it is it would work well as one, it must weight at least 15 pounds and quite possibly more.
![Delco High Performance Radio Receiver! [Repair]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZS3X2Bat8Dw/mqdefault.jpg)
To learn electronics in a very different and effective way, and gain access to Mr Carlson's personal designs and inventions, visit the Mr Carlson's Lab Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab
I finally got called back to work, it's just part-time. But I can't wait to join your patreon and build some of the test gear you designed.
QUESTION: Would the crew of the B29 ever do mods to these receivers to make them work better during wartime? Obviously this one is done by a HAM; but it wouldn't surprise me if a B29 radio operator tinkered with his radios adding switches and circuits to aid him ... "necessity is the mother of invention" after all :)
This type radios have personly charme 👍
@@Lawson80 If they modded these, that would surprise me. I don't think that was done, at all. First, remember that the B-29 was considered an absolutely futuristic airplane when it was placed into service. This would be like you or me modding a brand new Tek scope. Second, such a move would theoretically endanger the crew if it went bad. IMO, the only way this might have been done (at the time) was if there were actual orders and the radios were recalled to some repair depot in bulk. And finally, if your gig was to fly on B-29's and risk your life to bad landings or being shot down every flight, I find it hard to believe that a guy would pull out a soldering iron and start tweaking. Most of the radio operators at the time were not engineers even if they were called that. They were trainees just trained to use the gear as is. Just my opinion.
hey please do a scientology E meter !!!!!! i am really curious what u think!!!!!!
My father flew 27 missions on a B-29 Bomber during WWII. I was just imagining what he heard and experienced as I listened to your old radio come to life. Nice video... miss you dad.
my dad was a tailgunner in korea in the b-29
i wish i had dad's like you people, mine was a junkie and thief. *sigh*
@@TheBarretNL
I feel your pain sir.
My mom’s cousin went down in one over France. He’s buried there
@@bradleyleben7785 I believe it may have been a B-25 or B-17. Either way, your mother's cousin - along with all the men and women whom served and died for our freedoms - need to be remembered as long as possible. Our nation salutes his young sacrifice on our behalves. Blessings...
I worked as an electrical engineer in design for manufacturability. The technology has come a long long ways. The whole radio looks like it was built by hand. With everything automated today, the steps in placing even one resistor on the board is calculated in the fractions of a second. The pick and place machines sound like a machine gun placing all of the transistors, resistors and capacitors on the circuit boards. I wonder how many man-hours it took to build one of those BC-348/224 radios.
That will be a really fine restoration Paul. The good thing about the radio is it is in good hands now. Cannot think of a better person to bring this artifact back to life.
Thanks Buddy, I appreciate that!
I think you can even get a reproduction data/nomenclature plate for it. I love seeing gear that my grandfather worked on during his 47 years of government service with the US Army, US Navy, CAA, and FAA.
So say we all...
@@MrCarlsonsLab , he's right you know!!! The very best possible thing that could happen to ANY electronics gear is for it to be given to you for TLC and use!
@@wes11bravo do you have a source of where you can obtain those reproduction plates?
Wouldn't it be spooky if Glenn Miller just started playing
Hey, he could easily make it happen. All you need is a low-power (legal) transmitter for AM and FM, and he could stream 40's music all day long. I've been thinking about doing just that so I can listen to period music on the rigs in my collection.
weather updates for the area around Nagasaki Japan would be even more spooky
Unfortunately, no AM BCB reception....only the high end.
You beat me to it. I was thinking exactly the same thing!
My brother used to buy the infinitely cooler ART-13 rs and put them on the AM radio band to drown out all the preachers on Sunday (!) with C & W records which had not exactly church like lyrics and themes.....the 13's only had a little over 100 W, but you be surprised the disruption a 100 W source could make in a medium sized area.....
My grandpa was a flight engineer instructor for the b29s in ww2. We got him up in "Fifi" when he was 85 years old. He couldn't hardly walk anymore but he could squirt right up that ladder. Lol
That's great! Thanks for sharing your story.
Paisley Prince, I have had the distinct honor of logging some time at Fifi's controls, so I fully understand the happiness you two felt that day. Well done and bravo to you. 🙂
I had a chance to see FiFi on display at the local airport many years ago. At the time, it was the only airworthy B-29, but I understand there is a second one now.
@LZ129 Brazil grandpa was allowed to sit in the flight engineers seat during our time up inside Fifi. I don't think he even looked in the cockpit lol. The flight engineer sat backwards behind the copilot and looked after the engines while the pilot focused on flying the plane.
that's fantastic to hear you got him to be back in a b29!!! I know those gents loved those bombers.
Had a BC 348 for many years. Mine was built for the Russian Lend Lease program. It was lettered entirely in Russian. Built a power supply for the dynamotor and it worked just great
ARS. KE4D
I don't often comment but I wanted to let you know that I find your videos super informative and entertaining. What a cool find this radio is! You go into such detail I can almost smell the hot 1940s dust through the screen. Can't wait to watch the restoration of this piece of history. The time and thought that went into something like this is just incredible.
I appreciate that!
I'm 53 years old just for reference. When I was a young boy, about 3/4 years old, my dad purchased a Zenith World radio not working from a radio repairman. It was dusty and dirty. Dad cleaned it up and blew the dust off and out of everything. Next he pulled all bulbs and took them to the local drug store where they had a testing station and every bulb you could emagine. We got home and installed the bulbs and just like that the old Zenith was warming up, crackling and glowing. He went through the selection buttons and dialing in the tuner. Before you knew it the contacts were coming clean and did that thing pick up stations. AM, SHORT BAND, SEA GOING, even stations from the Asian pacific ! To this day he still has the old Zenith. It hasn't been plugged in over 30 some years. I bet it still works.
Ed Spencer plug it in and try it out some more
Best Audio on TH-cam. This guy knows how to use a Compressor/Gate
Yeah, most people don't have a clue how to process audio. My favorite example is some DIY audio group building proper pro recording gear, and they didn't even normalize the audio when they exported the video.
Probably no need for him to gate. It's very rare you can't hear the gate working.
My ears tell me otherwise. If he was sitting next to you in your living room, would he sound like that? No. GOOD audio would have him sound like he as there next to you, without room colourations affecting what you hear.
@@stevebailey2781 So you want him to record in an anechoic chamber?
There are many, many, who do it properly on TH-cam.
@@Wizardofgosz Notice that mic he's using as well. Probably a Neumann, with great dynamic range.
What I'd love to hear is Paul on his old AM broadcast xmitter on the 80 or 40 AM Window. You know his audio is going to be top-notch.
You got me again with this one Mr Carlson, for 2 reasons. I built B-17 instrument panels for over 20 years and have them world wide and with many US customers. So years ago I bought one of these radios on eBay and got it working. But swing back to 1958, when I was 12 years old, I got my first Wireless Set #19 and had 3 more over the decades. But marriages and kids put an end to the hobby for 40 years. About 6 months ago I decided to get my ham radio license and first got my Tech level and my General a month later. I started out with an IC-7300, totally digital transceiver. But the lust for the smell of WWII cosmoline and hot vacuum tubes came back, so I just got my 5th #19 set and am working on building an AC power supply for it and get it totally operational. I'm sure you probably know this radio. If you look up the history of the 19 set , it was a brilliant design, first designed by the Brits and built in Canada by Northern Electric and by RCA and Zenith here in the USA. The technology it had replaces equipment 3 times its size and was the first real transceiver that used both parts of the receiver and transmitter together, in the same circuit and same tubes. It also introduce technology that had never been seen before and is still used in today's SDR radios. would love to see you bring one back to life in your lab....Please:-)
When I was in high school back in the early 70s I found one of these in a local Army/Navy surplus store. I paid $20 for it. There was a lot of extra space where the dynamo was, but I didn't know at the time what was missing. I didn't know much about electronics at all, but I did get it to work well enough I could hear one side of a conversation from a ship-to-shore radio operator.
OH MY GOSH ! As a child , my homebound Grandfather gifted and set up for me , his BC-348 receiver , this was his constant companion and became mine . He had converted it to house current and it gave off a wonderful smell ! Grandpa included a western union headset with fabric covered wires that faithfully reproduced every faint broadcast .
I'll be honest , I became enamored with DXing and lost many hours of school night sleep . Our local Thrifty drug store had a do it yourself tube tester and self serve tube selection .. THIS kept my companion running for many years .
Alas , the smoke leaked out many years later and I no longer was comforted by the dim lamp inside the vernier driven dial display . I took it in my red wagon , bouncing on the "jerry" mounts to the radio repair shop on Main street . He kept it for the diagnostic cost and it was akin to loosing my loving Grandfather .. so sad .
Hi Mark. They are still around on the surplus market, Maybe one day you will be reunited.
How could someone, let alone two people, downvote this O.o
It's the most wholesome electronics restoration on TH-cam!
I agree. Must be that they tried to get Mr C to work on something and he did not have the time, or could be just jealous of him. Never makes sense to me why folks dont like a video like this. I never thumb down a video, I just hit the back button.
@@TheRadioShop I confronted somebody once that down voted one of my videos and asked him why. His response was he down voted all videos because it was fun. Nothing more deep than that. And he was supposed to be an acquaintance/friend. Some people just set out to do irritating stuff. They have no idea how it makes us feel. I wish there was a required question when you down voted a video that would give us a hint so we might be able to do something about it on future videos.
It is called JEALOUS. People with no raising. What is funny is people think they are hurting someone. TH-cam don't care if a video gets an up vote or down vote. It is the fact that someone hit either button, that shows interaction. The more interaction the better for the person whom created the video, as it gets them higher in recommended videos and such. --KE4EST
Thank You Mr Carlson, That was a very interesting video. I have watched videos that were 8 mins long and I got bored with them. I was born in 1964 and my eyes just lit up seeing a radio that came from the mid 40's and a B29 no less (though my heart belongs to a SR-71), start working working we just a tube and bulb regulator installed. I was so happy when you right away decided it is going to get restored. In these trying times you were able to brighten my day some.
Glad to be that light Rowan!
I had one of these when I was in my mid-teen years, early 1970s. Man what a blast from the past. I loved that thing. I used it as both a short wave receiver and a tunable IF receiver for some frequency converters that down converted 6 meters, 2 meters and 220 Mhz to the 20 meter ham band. Almost identical to mine. Love your work, please keep it up! Thanks, WB6MIE Tony
I really wonder why over 100 times people gave thumbs down. Your videos are in the top 3 for me regarding interestivity and quality. This is sooo valuable content I happily pay for but everyone can get for free and still some people think it is bad and so it should not had been uploaded, could not disagree more!
I am captivated by your awesome radio voice. Your knowledge and explanations of everything you touch is amazing. Keep up the incredible legacy your building for future generations to remember how great these electronic inventions have formed our world today.
Thanks for your kind comment!
My old man had a Motorola business mobile radio from the
late 50s that had a Dynamotor in it for the high voltage transmitter. We could
talk well over 100 miles with it on a long whip. I inherited it when I had my
first pickup that I used for a service truck for the family business. I
remember when I keyed it, the headlight dim bad. Later, I got a Motorola Motrac
all solid state. Still as big as a small trunk, but space age compared to the
old one. The AM reception you got , made me incredibly happy. That is a keeper.
I had an old WWII Army receiver when I was a kid and used to listen to the world.
I remember hearing Radio Moscow and feeling very odd, almost bad. Got my ham
ticket in my teens, Now I have a grandad’s call.
Thanks for sharing your story Christopher!
Equipment like this ends up in garage sales because the children and grandchildren of the original owner have no idea if it is salvageable or not. They assumed because parts were missing that it was junk. Their loss our gain. Thanks for saving a part of history.
About fifteen years ago it took four of us from the local Amateur Radio Club four evenings to empty the grage of a silent key member. Strangely the only receiver that actually worked looked in worse condition than this one, sat on the floor with various components that had fallen of a bench loose inside. We sold most of the gear at the local Hamfest and the silent keys widow ended up with about £900.
Heck they don’t even know what these things are!
150,000 rivers in just the cockpit.
And no touch screen lol
They end up going cheap to moron ham radio dealers then put on ebay for 350 un restored. And then the gotta have its will pay on ebay..
Thank you for sharing this video. I am 66, and I used to find gear like this in scrap piles all of the time when I was a kid. My first headphones, turntable, loudspeakers, and turntable amp all came from a pile of discarded military and TV station electronics that I came across on my way home from school one day. Every drug store had a large stand with a tube (valve) tester and stock of replacement tubes in the 1960s, so I always pulled and tested the tubes in the devices I salvaged. It was amazing how many discarded radios and TVs fired up and started working perfectly after I replaced a bad tube or two. As a result, I was the only kid in the neighborhood with a TV in my room. That really impressed the girls.
I was rooting for this radio to work right from the start; I was genuinely shocked when it did though! I only discovered a new obsession with radio last year but your channel has fed my interest in electronics and radio to no end, thank you for that! Great job!
This is one of those subjects that I enjoy, but have no stake or experience in. I love the look of old radios, and how 30s and 40s radio electronics worked. I got a chance, almost 20 years ago now, to visit this lady who had bought and taken up residence in a shut down hospital somewhere around the West coast, and she had this gorgeous old tube radio that was in a wooden cabinet about as tall I was at the time (probably about 5' or so), and I couldn't believe how wonderfully it worked for its age, how strongly it picked up signals from way beyond what a modern radio would be able to pick up. It was that day I fell in love with tube tech. I remember being in awe at how the valves glowed and, honestly, how big they were. I've never been able to afford a vintage tube radio, so I live vicariously through TH-camrs such as yourself. I hope that some day, I'll be able to pick up and restore a vintage tube radio of my own :)
It is truly amazing how well this legacy equipment has stood the test of time. I could pull a 10 year old commercial radio out of a stack and it is 50 / 50 whether it will power up and have the ref osc in spec. Thanks for sharing !
I was briefly the proud owner of a BC-348 back in the 60s, sold to me by my neighbor/friend ham operator. He put in the proper power supply, aligned it, and into my bedr oom it went. That radio was one talking receiver and I spent many hours logging what and where. Like Paul said - that radio needed no mods and was just fine the way it was. A good friend of my neighbor's wanted that 348 real bad, so I reluctantly gave it up and got a superb Hallicrafters in its stead. But it wasn't the same. I do wish I could find anorher one someday. I look forward to seeing the resto on Paul's.
Always brings me back to when I was learning Electronic Communication when in college in 1965. Part of the learning course, we had to design and build a AM receiver with audio out. That's when i first learned not to touch B+ by accident. Still have a scar where my wrist was laying on the chassis and got too close to B+ on a tube. Thanks for your videos, I enjoy the a lot.
Thanks for your comment Sam!
I had an Hallicrafter's S20R receiver which was my first ham receiver in 1959, but it failed after one day. Probably old leaking capacitors. Couldn't get it to work again, so the local electronics store who sold it to me exchanged it for a BC-348. The BC-348 receiver was very sensitive, but selectivity suffered on 40M. I was 13 at the time and was a new Novice. I sold it and bought a Knight Kit R-100, which worked well enough.
Spending ages on eBay has taught me that "for parts/repair" really doesn't mean anything. Maybe I've just been lucky, but about half the time it means "it doesn't work," and about half the time it's "I couldn't be bothered to figure it out." Even if it really were broken, the fact you have two others means the parts are probably still valuable. Nevertheless glad to see it power up! These videos are fun.
With Ebay and their selling policies it is often better as a seller to list items as parts or not working. Too many buyers who try and rip you off.
My grandfather, a navy RADAR technician in WW II, had one of these and let me use it. His was very clean. Someone in my family has it, and maybe I should get it to Me. Carlson! Thank you for this channel. I am a radio and electronics enthusiast, without the talent/patience to fix things, so I enjoy living vicariously through these videos.
Nice video on this old radio sir. As an aircraft mechanic I will vouch for the ruggedness of most things built for the aviation industry, especially wartime Boeing aircraft back in the day. Your electronics prowess is impressive sir. In my studies of my own trade and my hobbies it seems as if my brain has run out of space for everything I wish to learn and know...let alone time to spend doing it as well. I would be telling you a lie if that old receiver truly didn't really make me happy when that dial spooled up on 5 mhz down at the bottom band to pick up the international time signal. It was designed to survive an atomic EMP. 75 years of abuse and neglect ain't no hill for that climber...she's a winner! Even after years of dirty hands inside her perfect innards. I am glad she is in good hands sir. I don't know if there is anyone here in the USA that loves old radios like that anymore, but I am glad you do. If I had the specs and was within reasonable shipping distance I would hand fabricate those cover plates you need.
Mister Carson the b29 Aircraft reciver is cool
I love that older equipment. Great video!
Thanks!
Leave the stuff marks and dents in case it's patina. Do a rehab of tubes caps and other stuff. Great find....
Mr. Carlson, you have the best audio on the internet; very pleasing sounding and cause no listener fatigue.
Have one I obtained when I was in High school 1974, still works, absolutely rock solid radio, they were also in the B-17, don't see many of them. thanks.
Hi Paul - I did a lot of restorations of these old WW-II units when I was involved with the Ysterplaat Air Force Base volunteer group in Cape town & many items were well butchered when we got the radios. Some were fortunately O.E.M. condition but in storage in poorly environment close to the sea for many years. Those that had been 'Hammed' had all sorts of mods applied, some good, some nasty, many had BFO's added, Etc. BUT, the point of this comment is that with very little effort nearly all worked to an extent + a few were near what they should have been after manufacture. Yes, all those American sets were superbly & cleverly designed too - A bitch to un-layer in repair sometimes - The BC-348 is a grand receiver. I loved the Colins ART-13 which were used by South African Airways for many years after close of WW-II - Being a Ham myself, I had a few in my personal collection & still do. Super, Paul, I always enjoy your fiddles on this gear "Power to your elbow" All the best, Tony in Kotzeshoop, N-Cape, S-Africa.
Mr Carlson finds a WW2 bomber radio, walks to the next room and finds the missing parts, and gets it working. Damn I wish you were my neighbor!
Can u imagine his "Junk Box." :D
@@davehebert3403 I know. Absolutely incredible. He has everything!
@@davidsault9698 I have a pretty decent collection myself, but I'm sure it doesn't even come close to Paul's -- not by a long shot!
I lost a good portion of it to so-called "ham friends," though. We have a decent ham fest here locally, and a lot of my Dad's buddies would come over every year to eat my Mom's cooking at their home. I was working at an engineering firm in Houston, my Dad passed away, but they came over to eat with my Mom. Basically, it was a 30-year-old habit for us all.
Long story short, they asked my Mom if she wanted to sell anything at the ham fest, and they proceeded to purchase $20K or so worth of "junk box material" for $300.00, cash. I didn't talk to her for about two years or so after that experience.
Check it. I was given 10 hermetically sealed, remote, high-voltage relays (8 poles), worth about $1500.00 apiece -- gone. 8877's, 3-500Z's, 3CX-3000 tubes, sockets and plate transformers, and my novice rigs plus other rare, expensive electronic devices -- all gone for $300.00. Hell, it was probably more like $30K worth of gear, now that I think about it, guys.
So say we all...
All I can say is Paul's junk box is a *HELL* of a lot more organized than mine. Well, let me clarify that statement.
When I was managing an engineering firm, I had the absolutely most disheveled desk imaginable. Believe it or not, it was organized in my mind. I knew where everything was on my desk. Then I read an article which stated that some researcher did a study and found out those that had a messy desk actually had their own form of organization.
Needless to say, I totally went with that explanation, and when somebody walks into my ham shack and says, "OMG! Look at the stuff you have in here, strewn everywhere!", I'm quite proud. LOL!
OTOH, I did have to make things neat in a few areas of my shack so I could fit more stuff into the same space, so I might eventually be a "Paul type" convert. Well, I wouldn't hold your breath on that one, actually. :D
In the B-17, it helped to keep the radio operator warm at high altitude. Worked well with the ART-13 Xmtr (which had a huge vacuum relay for switching the antenna between Rx and Tx). Still very usable and common in the 60's. You keep finding this stuff and I'll keep having good memories. Thx....
'Doc' circles over my house every Saturday morning. Its a beautiful sight.
These are great dependable receivers!!! They were used in many many aircraft including the B17's and one was in the Enola Gay. I just recently restored the same one but mine was a BC-348-C made by RCA then later modified by Belmont and was tagged as a BC-348-S. I noticed his set on here is missing the manufacturers tag. As in this one, in mine, the dynamotor was replaced by a power supply. Just had to recap the power supply, correct some wiring and it came alive. Works great. The dial light rheostat had been replace with just a rotary switch which was used as the on/off. Not sure what that was all about. Took some doing to get the power back on using the AVC/OFF/MVC 'flush' switch.
There were bazillions of those radios available surplus through the 60's, and still are.
I’m not an electronics guy…..I don’t under stand the majority of what you speak, but I do enjoy your videos. You still make me want to hear what you have to say. Thanks !
Worked aircraft electrical and avionics systems for a time and we called that "magic smoke" the "Genie". :D
You just haven't lived unless you've released and snorted "magic smoke." :D
@@davehebert3403 Once is comes out it can be hard to put it back in.
With all the nastiness they use to make electronics components, especially the dopants, I'm sure the FDA has some kind of warning on snorting it too often. In other words, we better "Just Say No!" to magic smoke. Not only that, but our electronics projects will be a *LOT* cheaper. We don't need no kids hooked on the stuff and headed to rehab.
Exactly. Always tune for minimum smoke.
Man, we need a contest so we can dish out awards, such as "The Genie"; "The Magician," and the "The Maximum Smoke Award," in no particular order.
Great video, again! I have an R-392, had the transmitter also but a ham friend wanted it. Built up a 28vdc supply for it, heaters use straight 28vdc. I acquired it in about 1972 from the scrapyard. I listened to everything, I was a novice at the time, but the R-392 turned me into a 'real' SWL, quite the upgrade from the (modded half to death) Hallicrafters S-38D I got for Xmas in '61. What a receiver, had a depot tag on it that said it had just been refurbed. It is waterproof down to like 5'. I think it has over 30 tubes in it if I remember. Came with a foam insulated tube kit. One for the Xmitter, one for the receiver. Worked great the last time I used it, about 1998 or so. I always used a variac and brought it up over a minute or so. Probably should do some capacitor changing. O-ringed case, you can eat off of anything inside. Nice, no mod box, only scratches are on the case. Michael in Colorado.
Paul,
Great find and video!
My father was a B-29 navigator in the USAAF in the pacific 1944-1945. He died in 2016 at 94. Ive been in Fifi and my family is a 'Friend of Doc' although Ive only seen her on the internet.
God bless
Paul (in MA)
Thanks for sharing your story Paul!
I used to sell those radios! I grew up in Edmonton with electronics and ham radio my passion. At 15 in 1966 I worked at Western Surplus Sales on Jasper Avenue in Edmonton being paid $0.85 an hour and used the money I made to buy old surplus equipment. My first radio was a BC454 Command receiver. We also sold the 19 Set , BC-312, National HRO to name a few. The store was mainly surplus military electronics with some new electronic parts added in, and secondary surplus military clothing and survival equipment. All the aircraft equipment ran on 28 volts with Dynamotors as you mentioned. When you switched on the the BFO and tuned around it brought back very fond memories. Darn Mr. C but your making me feel really old all of a sudden!! 73's es 7esa
"A four gangs tuning section on a single conversion super heterodyne receiver is...pretty fantastic" 13:03 - I love it when you talk dirty. You are amazing! Great video, Paul!
What is even more amazing is I know exactly what he said. (I'm a retired electronics engineer and use to play with radios in the 60's when I was a kid.)
Talk nerdy to me!
@@keitha.9788 I'm a ham operator and even *I* know what he is talking about.
@@sharonburns4788 So, you want us to whisper electronics and physics into your ear, huh? That should help you release some "magic smoke," I'm thinking. :D
Keith A. Lloo
His mic is so warm. Best voiceover on youtube, this guy is the man.
Haha after last video's comments, you knew there was no need to ask if we would like to see a restoration of this beautiful device or not.
The coffee cup sitting on top of that *gorgeous* radio in the background is giving me heart palpitations!!!!!
When I see an item being sold for parts, I often suspect it means the seller doesn't know if or how it works. And if it does work, they can't guarantee that it's working properly, or that it hasn't been modified. But if even a few parts can be repurposed, the buyer can't really complain.
As my friend would say, underpromise and overdeliver. That way nobody is disappointed.
Yeah the over exaggeration of "Parts Machine" got to me too - lol -. I've got a gearbox that I haven't got a car to test in, what am I supposed to say, working good, or for parts. What It really means is, if you are a tinker you might get it going, but if you're a novice don't buy it.
I was given a BC-348 when I was a novice in 1965. I couldn't scrounge enough parts to get it to run on the dynamotor or build a power supply ( I was a broke 15 yr old). Traded it for a Heathkit HR-10 so I could get on the air. There was also a BC-312 and BC-348Q. Your data plate is missing.Those receivers were also used in the B-17, B-24 and maybe the C-47, C-46 and the C-54 transports.
de WA8SDF
Where do you manage to get all this stuff ...
A friend of mine and I have classified you as a very structured hoarder. ;)
My kind of "hoarder" !
@@Ryan6.022 >Yes they will almost definitely have either a vintage jukebox or drink machine. Idk why it seems like everyone I find is like that.
the one near me doesn't. although his shelves are always overflowing with weird and wonderful stuff. I'll have to go back there once covid is done as the store is curbside pickup at the moment, and i usually go there without any idea of what i wanna buy... i become like a kid in a candy store. and yes, i know the owner by name...
I classified him as brilliant and a National Treasure.
I've been on the hunt for five years, and today was the first day that a horde of gems found me... For free! I'm pretty sure I remember Paul saying "A lot of this stuff just finds me". Keep seeking and you shall find. Good luck! :)
I swear he's invented a time machine and has purchased these items ahead of time and put them in hidey-holes in the Canadian wilderness waiting for a time to conveniently "find" them again. Only sometimes someone found them first and didn't take such good care of them and those are the restoration pieces haha 😃
I had one of these. It was out of an Iceland Air DC3. I so regret selling it now. The feel of those controls is something you don't get any more. Isn't this the radio you can see in the background of the cockpit on the original "flight of the phoenix" film?.
Speaking of funny recollections for old radios... no19 tank set had a quarter turn flag lock on the edge of the dial for fixing frequency with FLICK marking it.... it doesn't take much dirt for that to read something else..... you also want to get a look at the original manuals (especially the disposal section). Modern stuff has disposal notices along the lines of do not throw out, ensure it goes into the correct recycling line, protect the pandas etc etc. The disposal sections of these old radios were much more fun... preferred option EXPLOSIVES :-).... secondary option smash every dial and valve with as big a hammer as you can find then set it alight with petrol.
I am a new viewer and sub. I find your videos absolutely amazing and interestingly very relaxing. I sometimes have a difficult time following but your attention to detail and the way you explain it is spot on! Thanks for the excellent content.
You're very welcome Richard!
As an "old" USAF comm/nav guy, that set is pure history! Very much looking forward to seeing it restored!
Another one out of the storage racks and into line for restore! I love this old stuff, new is OK but older is better! This radio also mixes my long time aircraft background in too, LOVE IT! Thanks!
You cannot watch a B29 radio being repaired on a B29 radio, so new tech is also very important eh?
Mr. Carlson you do great work with these older (very well made) electronic devices!
Oldtimey workbench looks great! Needs some wooden assortment boxes to replace the plastic ones.
It’s amazing what you can pick up as “spares or repairs”. This one’s a real gem and boy, are you going to be busy Paul with all these restorations piling up. Can’t wait to see it working better than new again. Talking of spares or repairs I recently picked up a couple of well-cheap 100MHz Fluke 4- channel ‘scopes (marked as not working or faulty). Nothing much wrong with them apart from a front panel encoder control and one missing EHT cable - both now working perfectly and these repairs were inspired by watching your videos!!
"It's heavy, the plane would probably fly higher without it"...genius!
James Weekes compared to the modern VHF, HF units this thing is extremely heavy. A modern Honeywell VHF unit weighs about 5 kgs and it‘s the size of a large size thin client PC.
Just saw the radio compartment on a B-29, about 1000 lbs of radio gear and some had teletypes included. Weight? Check out what the tires weighed. What I saw, you could have put Mr. Carlsons whole lab in there.
This is my Fave Electronics channel. Just love all the old gear you check out and restore :-)
I know this comment is for a video years old now but funny you mention FiFi.
Couple weeks ago i got called to unlock a car for a customer the customer was a pilot. I was on call that weekend and as a single dad had my 8 year old son with me.
I asked if they were in town for the air show and they were. My son was all excited and i told him next year we might go cause i was on call this time but the pilot asked if i had a call right after this or not.
I said no and he said well come on and follow me to the airport.
We did and got a private 1 on 1 tour of all the planes and we even got to sit in the cockpit of all of them including FiFi! The pictures are priceless and it was a great time.
All the pilots were beyond amazing and loved seeing my son so excited.
Its cool to see the same radio here in the video. If any of you have a chance to check out the airshows i highly recommend it. Won't be available forever and it's incredible that those old birds are still flying
Brought back some memories. As a young ham radio operator I used a similar BC342 in the late 60's. Dug in and did a few mods too. :) Thanks.
You're awesome Mr. Carlson! Had I had access to you in my developmental years no telling where I would be now. I hope you are guiding at least one child. 💯
BreAnn
Awesome! You’re going to make us think every old tube radio is just 30 min from working! Nice production value on this channel.
If that tube was manufactured over here in the UK I recommend you throw it away and install the box instead. 😉
You are the most brilliant practical tech out there, I'm learning so much from every video. Your back catalogue even helps to relieve the suffering when I'm ironing. 😄
I have two BC-348Q Receivers made in 1944 one I had to do some minor repairs to and the other is bone stock completely original and still works as it did originally during the war. Both of mine are made by Wells Gardner. Mine are both Complete have all the covers on them and both do have power supplies that were added. Thanks for showing one of these old veterans of WW2. These radios were definitely built to last. Yours has been heavily modified I noticed the military loom type ties have been cut off on yours mine still have it.
Wow. I get here 55 minutes after Mr. Carlson publishes this and there's a ton of comments already! Congrats on the channel and your Patreon course - it's been the highlight of my coronavirus quarantine. All the best from Brazil!
Gidday to you Navegador where you at. I'm living in Paraná
I love this Video, well done for not giving up. I wish I had one to restore. Thank you for bringing something that was used in WW2 back to life.
"Creamsicle Orange", it's an industry term... Awesome receiver!
suddenly i find myself geeking out on old electronics , and mind you , i haven't got the slightest notion about electronics old or new , so with that been said you must be doing something right to peak my interest , subbed and liked !!
Welcome Aboard!
You have the ability to clearly explain things so the rest of us can understand and follow along. Each of your vids are fascinating. Love this old stuff from WW II.
Love to watch your videos! And that microphone you use on the intro and outro sounds amazing!
Thanks Bowzer!
This is a piece of history, Paul. You definately need to restore this radio into its former glory. I look forward to join you in your restauration, like we join you in all your other restaurations. Take care, 73 LB5JG Asle
This was completely mesmerizing, like finding and studying a living Dinosaur. I've enjoyed so many of the projects, this one is already epic.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love this chanel and i found it to day , and been watching several of your videos. You are doing great content with a speech that a Norwegian understand so i am impressed. I am a old signal man from army times and used th HF to transmit back to norway when we was out in field som place around the globe and you put me right back in radio mode Happy Days ..
''....they probably took 'em out of the plane, to get more altitude....'' hahaha.
Amplitude or altitude ? You can't have both with that heavy thing...😅🤣😂😂🤣
Some of those radios might have been tossed over to gain altitude if the plane was shot up and lost an engine.
This radio was used by army and ground forces too, I think it was even more used on the ground than in the air so there no proof it was used in the plane...
Excellent! Glad you're going to do the full restore! Baffled why *anyone* would thumbs this down. Sheesh.
Thanks, good sir, for all you do.
For what it is worth,
i sometimes give a 'thumbs down', it isn't intentional. it's chubby fingers on an I phone.
@@carbidegrd1 Hi, if you unintentionally hit the 'Thumbs Down' , just hit it again.. and it goes away. Then you can give the Thumbs up... Be well, Tom
@@bucyruserie1211 Unintentional often goes hand in had with unnoticed. Also, I am offering a potential explanation for the down votes which is not spite but folly.
Thanks 👍
2:40 that looks exactly like a miniature automotive rear-end ring and pinion!!
@Randy Rinker Meccano ?
you know I was thinking the same thing being into RC cars I've never had to look around inside of my receiver it has always worked from the day I got it and it came with the cover and everything and it still works as far as I know I haven't fired up in while
Paul- Another excellent video on this old radio. The way in which you investigated its workings made me feel as though I was there doing it myself!! Keep up the excellent work!
Thank You for your kind comment Saint Michael!
_This thing was sold for parts_
...tunes to the 5 MHz tone right on the dot.
O_O
Yeah, this one has to get saved.
Cheers,
I had one and sold it at a ham fest. Mine worked just fine
That was a trip down memory lane. I bought a BC348 complete with an external power supply back in 1978 using £15 of my first weeks wages of £25. It came from the Air Training Corp which I was a member of. They had just got a Racal RA17 from RAF Locking so the BC348 had become surplus. Looking around inside I found a date of 1946 in it. Of course that might have been when it was serviced or something. Even then I've had it over half its life. Most Sunday mornings I was at the ATC in their Radio Room operating on a country wide net. Our station, with an R210 receiver and matching transmitter (C111 ?) , did use dyno-motors so other stations recognised us before we even gave our callsign. I still have the BC348 but it has been in storage for years. Finally if you watch the film Memphis Belle you can see where the BC348 fitted in the B17.
Sacrilege to use that for parts. What was the APU voltage on a B29? 28.5V?
During WWII, my dad was a "civilian attache" to Bechtel McCone Aircraft in Birmingham Alabama, where he was a "flight radio engineer". He installed, tested and repaired these radios as well as the myriad of navigational aids and radars.
He told me he never wanted to see another piece of avionics as long as he lived. But he was a Ham, W4KVN. for many years.
I look forward to your rebuild of this one. My first radio back in the early 1960's was an R1155, very modified; any chance of finding one of those and restoring it Paul?
Hi Robert. They look a bit like the Marconi CSR5. I'm sure one will come my way.
Yes, the plane would have to stop to refuel an extra time with those onboard!
You probably already know that the R1155 was the UK equivalent to the BC348 and was used in aircraft like the Lancaster bomber.
@Jack O'Bean I still have a BC348 which I purchased from the Air Training Corps in 1978 with my first weeks wages. However, it hasn't been powered up for about twenty years. When I bought it he ATC squadron I was in had just been allocated an RA17.
A couple of years ago I was talking to someone who worked on RA17s in the RAF back when they were still classified equipment. Obviously by 1978 they were surplus to requirements and being given out to ATC squadrons, as was a lot of other Radio kit, like the R210/C111 army set that was our main station. Every Sunday I would be one of three our four cadets using that to talk to other ATC stations around the U.K.
I know on ebay people sell parts radios (even if they work) to sell them as a non returnable item. Love your channel !
Robert’s right. eBay’s rules regarding returns on electronics and other merchandise cause sellers to list equipment as “parts” so they can sell them “as-is” with no returns.
If it doesn't work now, it soon will!
Awesome! My sentiments towards old military electronics is to ALWAYS find a way to restore them and get them working again. I am very happy for you that this is a good unit. Happy restore! Hope once you have it fully restored you will share with us its abilities.
Super cool. A piece of military history. And Ham Radio history. Cheers! Chris - NI7I
I was a crew chief on the KC-97L. Which for those not familiar is the grandson of the B-29. (The B-50 was in between) The '97 was actually 2 fuselages married together to form a double deck. Re-engined to the larger P&W R-4360 and two J-47 jets hung on it too. Everything else was basically the same. Loved flying on that aircraft.
If you buy a warbird, the trick is to get one with the same engine as what was used in the Airlines, because there are still warehouses full of parts for those old radials as many saw service into the 80s domestically
It's on the healing bench, it'll get healed. Edit: You can hear the fatherly disappointment in Mister Carlson's voice as he digs deeper into the butchery. He's not mad, he's just disappointed.
I noted that exact thing myself, but one has to expect radio amateurs with surplus gear to mod mod mod.
Heck some of us do stuff to brand new gear, but none of MY stuff is going to be on a bench years from now I'm pretty certain.
@@stridermt2k , I said that about my 1984 Icom 751... modded with a new ram board. Yikes... Now I have a new Icom 7300! LOL KQ2E
I can imagine someone having and modifying this while dreaming of affording a Barlow Wadley XCR30.
If it isn't broke. Fix it until it is. Then sell at a radio meet for parts 25 years later.
A good find, Paul. No, a fantastic one. Despite the "parts" classification and the power supply mods (plus speaker and a small power amp.), the front is quite clean and not too much damage has been done.
I have restored a Marconi R1155 including its direction finder (RAF Bomber Command plus some other uses), various "Command" sets and a National HRO Sr (1937). However I did replace the by-pass capacitors before switching them on (and "hid" the new caps in the original cans or paper cylinders). I also provided an external power supply and 6V6 power amp for the R1155.
Look forward to seeing your BC-348 in the future. Great vid.
And still the wonder grows how one small head holds all he knows.
Great to see you being so enthusiastic about these rock solid electronics. Once I got my hands on a old radio that had two scales (I mean one with a lot receiving bands on top of the radio (30 by 80 cm wide glass plate) and one under the huge speaker that was a bit smaller) for air, sea, river, traffic, police, fire brigade and you name it, I guess it was from before 1930 cause it had such a huge range receiving signals. Unfortunately back in the eighties, when I picked this bad ass up from the streets, it had missing one big old paint covered tube and one that was broken (cause all them tubes were red painted) and the one time I tried to get life out of it, the mains cable that was maybe copper (it did not look like it) wrapped in some cloth with a sort of wax in it, and those two wires were also wrapped in some cloth looking cover that had a tar-ish smell, especially when it started to smoke, lol lol.... Sadly I could not find the tubes, they were not available at that time, even contacted philips for it, but no way that they were found, then... Nowadays all those tubes are coming back, pity I had to scrap that radio, I saved over the years the condensator that, as you described going from microfarad to picofarad, the 'tuning block' Unfortunately there was a leaking in this old shed, in a box where it was wrapped in cotton but other steel material in the box got rusty and it jumped over to the tuning block, destroying it completely....
Everytime I see an ad, link or reference to old radio's, I can't ignore and have to see if I see that bad boy again, I would love to see that one running somewhere somehow....
Lovely to see your vids.....
I wonder if we'll ever see him restore an old tube TV.
As a kid (1970's) I remember they sold TV tubes at grocery stores.
@@uclajd I remember those days as well. How about the tube testers in Walgreens and Radio Shack? How about Radio Shack "Life Time" tubes? God, those tubes weren't the best things out there -- and then some! I really, really miss my old SX-101 and Apache transmitter. Guess I'll see if I can find those again and restore my novice setup in a 2nd ham shack or something.
I'd love to see him restore an old TV as well. If you don't subscribe already, check out shango066, right here on TH-cam. He's very entertaining and a fantastic trouble-shooter. A lot of folks could learn a *LOT* about basic trouble-shooting from his videos.
In these times of restrictions I've been thinking about my next restoration project and a few days before this video was released I decided make a start on my Dad's BC-348!
What a thing of beauty! I imagine only the military could have afforded to buy something of that quality. Please do more of this Paul. Proud Patreon supporter.
A really great site. Kudos! (proud owner of a BC348)
it is insane that any radio would work inside a massive lumbering shaking flying machine, these were built better than anything available today, your knowledge is incredible
As always Mr. Carlson, I loved your video. I have an old Canadian Marconi AM radio. Or at least it is one part of a radio set. It looks to be some sort of military or maritime radio, as the insides are all metal pipes and geared shafts to change what ever is inside the enclosed boxes. There are no wires, tubes, or boards to be seen when taking the case apart. Really dam cool looking and looks like it cost a bundle when it was new. I bought it years ago and haven't seen inside it since I bought it. It is fascinating enough that I would like to take a picture of the insides and make a poster of it. It is probably only useful as an anchor, and with it being as heavy as it is it would work well as one, it must weight at least 15 pounds and quite possibly more.