Repair of a 1961 Airline kid's record player
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- Here's a beat up Montgomery Ward's Airline tube-type 3-speed (33, 45, and 78 rpm) child's record player from 1961. This is what's known as a "one tube wonder" and the reason we call it that is because it only uses a power output tube directly driven by a high output (3V-4V) crystal cartridge. The same basic design was used from the late '30's until the final tube record players were built in the early '70's. Even some cheaper solid state models used the same concept, except they used transistors rather than tubes. The reason for this was because it was cheaper for companies to make record players that used a cheap high output crystal cartridge that would directly drive an audio output stage rather than spending the extra money in using a lower output better quality cartridges and having to add a suitable preamp stage to the amplifier design. The better record players, however, used better quality cartridges with a preamp stage.
The problem today is that most of the old crystal cartridges are dead and there are no current production high output crystal cartridges being made; so, our options are limited to finding a NOS cartridge that's still good, use a modern lower output cartridge and live with lower volume levels, or build a preamp circuit to compensate for the lower output of the newer cartridges.
In the case of this record player, I added a 22uf, 50V cathode bypass capacitor to the audio output tube; which, gives the tube a little more gain. For a replacement cartridge, I used an Astatic 89T; which, has an output of 1.3V. That's still a far cry from 3V; but, it's the hottest cartridge being made today and it's still hot enough to give reasonable volume without having to build a preamp circuit.
I also recapped the amp, as well as replaced the original burned up selenium rectifier with a 1N4007 silicon diode.
I've also cleaned/lubricated the mechanism; but, the idler wheel needs to be replaced. Given how beat up this player is, I'm not sure I want to spend the $30+ to have the wheel rebuilt. I've heard of people using an O-ring to replace the original rubber and I may give that a try. Spending under a dollar sounds much more attractive than spending over $30.
Really nice restoration explanation, as usual. You really should have your own radio show, your music selections always go way beyond the usual 50 song rotations you typically hear on oldies stations, when you can even find one.
Nice work and GREAT sound. Great video Thanks
That's a cute little player & you did another A+ job restoring it! I like how you try and find the RIGHT cartridge for the players you restore so it doesn't "dig in" to a styrene 45! I like Sapphire needles for that reason-they're kinder to records than diamonds are!
Being a cheaper record player in it's day That old player is still much better than a crappy cheap Crosley.
That Airline record player reminds me of the cheap "Seabreeze" brand players they sold in Canada around that time, some would use two tubes some would use one tube, but the rest of the machine like the platter, tone arm, speed control lever, and even the cabinets looked almost the same.
Not bad for a little kids record player. I like the Red RCA "Read Seal" classical 78. It all sounds good for such a small little record player.
Love watching your videos! I also like vintage electronics over new ones anyday.
Great tutorial and ressurection of a broken piece of history.
Securing a sink drain pipe gasket to the idler wheel after shaving the same thickness from it does an acceptable job.
In the past, I've added a 6AV6 tube to compensate for the lower output of modern cartridges. Soon, I'm going to experiment with transistor circuits to accomplish the same goal. Solid state designs would be better if one didn't want to heavily modify the amp or if there's not enough room for another tube socket.
this was real interesting to watch, great video, this record player looks just like the one i had when i was a little kid back in the very early 60s, my first record was called ,lonely boy lonely guitar, only difference i noticed was the color of the record player was not the same,everything else looks identical, sure brought back good memorys,thanks for that,
I see the problem at 9:00 that one of the tubes got weak and distorted.
I recently got my Revere 16mm sound projector and amplifier had no sound, except the projector works perfectly and running and the amplifier part has no sound. That might be one of the tubes got blown, but when I checked it, and it was a DuMont 12AX7 preamp tube where it doesn’t seem to warm up. It needs to find a replacement for it.
9:35 - I have the same 45, but not on the Atlantic one, but it was on the Buddah label before the song was picked up by Atlantic and it became a monster hit, it was called "Dance Dance Dance" by Chic.
I think this one was made by Esquire Radio for Wards.
Job Well Done.
I am more gassy than that tube when I have a bowl of bean soup. The odor is like a shorted selenium rectifier
They mostly come from local flea markets, junk stores, and other collectors. I also get a few things from ebay. Schematics and parts are generally not hard to find.
Hi there, I have a record player/radio almost identical to this and I would love to have it cleaned/repaired. Do you offer repairs or recommend anyone trustworthy in southern CA.? Thanks!
LOL ! I have ROOMS full of players needing exactly the same sort of restoration. Except I tend to try and collect stereo ones. The cheap ones are "2 tube wonders" - 1 per channel.
Funny how the same parts fail or need refurbishing in almost every one.
One other question, another part that seems to fail a lot and give the same symptom as your gassy tube, is the coupling capacitor. Typically that allows DC leakage and makes the output tube plate run away and plate glow. None in a 1 tube wonder?
Any idea who made these for Wards?It does beat the crap out of a Chinese Crosley any day.
Yeah, we had kiddie record players in the late 60's, early 70's like that one.
Doesn't the 25EH5 have a greater power sensitivity than the 25L6GT
? Wonder if it would be a worthwhile experiment to replace the tube socket with a 7 pin and try a 25EH5?
Lightweight is good; but, there are other factors to consider besides tonearm weight. The cartridges in these older players were designed to track heavy and if I lowered the tracking pressure, I'd probably do more damage to the record than if I left it alone. Maybe I should do a rant about that...should tick the audiophools off big time. Turntables that track under 2 grams generally are fitted with cartridges that are designed to track that light.
radiotvphononut That must be the same thing that it was used on one of the GE Show n' Tell children's record players and viewers. The original cartridge looks okay, but it plays normal records, but it would not track a 12" single or a styrene 45, because styrene 45's can damage the grooves. I tried it and it shreds away, and it cannot be played on any of the GE Show n' Tell players.
Excellent video, but I do not understand all of the complex vocabulary. I need to do the exact same with my record player but do not have the equipment/parts. Any recommendations/tips?
So far, I haven't had a problem with feedback and this player has very little bass.
From what I see on the video your 68ohm resistor looks like one of those almond colored painted film resistors, I must caution against using these for surge/input use if the diode fails (shorts) these resistors can go up in flames just like a match, I have seen this happen. These resistors MUST BE a flame proof style for your/customers protection.