I recently repaired one of these radios on my channel. I don't see or hear any mention of the model number here, so those of you wondering, or looking for one, it's a GEC BC505 - made in around 1960. They are one of my favourite old sets to work with, and to listen to. Quality see - they don't make it anymore, so we have to preserve it.
I like these guys, they tackle everything, not just electronics. Id love to get in a group like this. In 1960’s I was the chief tech in an RCA TV shop. I directed 23 in the field techs and two other bench techs. Getting into work on Monday was exciting and enjoyable. Then GE destroyed RCA and I had to start all over again from the bottom up. A 56 year old TV tech was no longer of any real value and competing with techs half my age was challenging. I managed to survive it, by teaching basic electronics, computing and Printed board fabrication to college physics sophomores.
I love playing around with how things work since I was a little. Now older and been an electrician 30+ years, got an old wind up meg ohm tester which I found. Self taught with computer from 3-11 to win 7-8-10-11. 10 11 still getting my head around. Love fixing things, but modern stuff you need micro magnifier, and my hand shakes too much for soldering.
Hi Mark,hope your well,I’m a regular looker to the repair shop,and was hoping you can give me advice.I’m refurbing a 60s Regentone record player,The 3 potentiometers are cream crackered,But on the pots they have the 3 lugs going onto the board,but also 3 lugs which have soldered wires on them ( on 1 pot) which is connected to the mains wiring,then to the pot,but on a modern equivelant 250 k pot.there are only 3 lugs which are soldered onto the board!Is there a way I can use a new modern pot,or Must I search for old type pots with lugs for the wiring?i have some knowledge but baffled by this problem.thanks
Old volume control pots had a seperate section with a switch to turn the power on. The switch had a small finger that would catch on the volume pot as it rotated from the off position, which was at the lowest volume. As you turned the volume pot around, it turned on the radio, and increased the volume. The back of the pot is held on with metal clips that just fold over. If you are very lucky, you might be able to swap that back with the switch part across, and hope the old and new parts work together. More likely you will have to find a pot with an original pot with a power switch on the back. And of the the correct resistance, or close enough. Or you could have a separate switch to turn the power on to the unit.
Not sure that Mark has a well or what you hoped about it, but in any event the pots you are talking about are the old style with a switch attached to the rear. They were commonly used on radios, TVs and radiograms in the 1950s and 1960s. Modern pots rarely come with a switch fitted. Your best bet is to try to find an old radio ham in the community or someone who used to fix the old CRT TVs. They are likely to have boxes of the old pots with switches attached. if you can't locate any, you can just use a modern pot and a separate switch for the power.
I recently repaired one of these radios on my channel. I don't see or hear any mention of the model number here, so those of you wondering, or looking for one, it's a GEC BC505 - made in around 1960.
They are one of my favourite old sets to work with, and to listen to. Quality see - they don't make it anymore, so we have to preserve it.
I could watch these fine people all day , talented people taking time and talent to repair things of a quality we'll be unlikely to see again .
I like these guys, they tackle everything, not just electronics. Id love to get in a group like this. In 1960’s I was the chief tech in an RCA TV shop. I directed 23 in the field techs and two other bench techs. Getting into work on Monday was exciting and enjoyable. Then GE destroyed RCA and I had to start all over again from the bottom up. A 56 year old TV tech was no longer of any real value and competing with techs half my age was challenging. I managed to survive it, by teaching basic electronics, computing and Printed board fabrication to college physics sophomores.
I love playing around with how things work since I was a little. Now older and been an electrician 30+ years, got an old wind up meg ohm tester which I found. Self taught with computer from 3-11 to win 7-8-10-11. 10 11 still getting my head around. Love fixing things, but modern stuff you need micro magnifier, and my hand shakes too much for soldering.
That is a nice and LONG ferrite rod antenna! Makes for really good MW DXing at nice. That is if the circuit does include an RF amp ahead of the mixer.
Replaced for safety? In a battery set?
"We call them capacitors" 🤣
We do too. Haha
Anyone over 120 calls them "condens0rs".
Fantastic.
Those TCC electrolyitics should be replaced on sight.
Perfect
send the antenna over to MI6 and Q will fix it 😎 thanks
Hi Mark,hope your well,I’m a regular looker to the repair shop,and was hoping you can give me advice.I’m refurbing a 60s Regentone record player,The 3 potentiometers are cream crackered,But on the pots they have the 3 lugs going onto the board,but also 3 lugs which have soldered wires on them ( on 1 pot) which is connected to the mains wiring,then to the pot,but on a modern equivelant 250 k pot.there are only 3 lugs which are soldered onto the board!Is there a way I can use a new modern pot,or Must I search for old type pots with lugs for the wiring?i have some knowledge but baffled by this problem.thanks
Old volume control pots had a seperate section with a switch to turn the power on.
The switch had a small finger that would catch on the volume pot as it rotated from the off position, which was at the lowest volume.
As you turned the volume pot around, it turned on the radio, and increased the volume.
The back of the pot is held on with metal clips that just fold over.
If you are very lucky, you might be able to swap that back with the switch part across, and hope the old and new parts work together.
More likely you will have to find a pot with an original pot with a power switch on the back. And of the the correct resistance, or close enough.
Or you could have a separate switch to turn the power on to the unit.
Not sure that Mark has a well or what you hoped about it, but in any event the pots you are talking about are the old style with a switch attached to the rear. They were commonly used on radios, TVs and radiograms in the 1950s and 1960s. Modern pots rarely come with a switch fitted. Your best bet is to try to find an old radio ham in the community or someone who used to fix the old CRT TVs. They are likely to have boxes of the old pots with switches attached. if you can't locate any, you can just use a modern pot and a separate switch for the power.
A pf is a fraction of a farad. Say that quickly three times. Ready...begin!
"replace for safety"...? Its powered by a PP9 😆 .
"100,000 puff " .... its Picofarads 🙄
beautiful voltmeter!
AVO Minor.
Nothing particularly difficult really.
It's available for sale?
Is Mark A HAM
I bet he is.
73.G7HFS
...not sure if he's a HAM but he's definitely a legend!