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
Rose Electronics you can get the vast majority of passive components from places such as Mouser and DigiKey, just make sure to buy a lot at the same time to negate the high-ish shipping cost
Mr carlson I am in need of help diagnosing a pro audio amp if you could can you msg me at jordanwtyler@gmail.com It's a behringer ep2500 amp I have a schematic but the amp has a short in it some where it trips the 15 amp breaker on the unit I am not familiar enough with reading schematic to dignosose it
Watching these videos where you bring new life to old radios is very pleasurable. It also brings back great memories of my first shortwave radio when many more countries broadcasted in shortwave.
Mr Carlson, it is incredible that you alone, said something that I learned almost 70 yrs ago. And it has to do with the outside foil of a capacitor being connected to the lower voltage (often to "ground"). It is amazing how you know so many things that MOST of the electronic technicians simply do NOT know. I am overwhelmed over it. I have no idea where you came from; nor where you got your expertise; but I want to tell you that YOU are a "cut above" for sure. Some Trivia: I have aligned 1,000's of radios and TV sets over 45 years, when I was a technician and/or electronic instructor. Thus I am envious of your shop. It is awesome. Keep it up kind Sir!
@@Bass.Player no, Paul said that the outside foil side of the capacitor is connected to the lower impedance side of the circuit it is in place. He has said this for years and I have practiced this since 2017 since I found Mr. Carlson's Lab.
@@Bass.Player Either voltage, capacitance or impedance is in essence, saying the same thing. The black line on the cap, indicates the wire that is connected to the outer foil. In MOST cases it is not necessary to do this. But in other cases it is VERY important. So long ago they decided to use the old adage: "Err on the side of caution". Where it works the best, is when one side of the cap is connected to ground. In this case, the cap is shielded completely; so that the inner foil can NOT radiate extraneous noise and signals throughout the radio. For whatever its worth.
@@pibbles-a-plenty1105 that may apply for solid state, but in high impedance circuits like valve/tube electronics then the outside foil becomes important. If you watch Paul's other videos he discusses how that shielding of the foil affects oscillator and other sensitive circuits and how some equipment just won't work if the foil is on the wrong side. Paul has also proven with actual demonstration that interference on outside foil does not always influence the other pole of the capacitor to the same extent. 🙂
Heat, and cold causing expansion, and contraction! Brings up a story we’re I was in the process of repairing a John deer riding mower for my neighbor. The head gasket had blown and was causing some blow by, and a little bit of oil burning. I told my neighbor that I wanted new head bolts, and that the shop might try, say to re use the old head bolts, and then explained this exact thing heat causes expansion, and cold causes contraction, thus the head bolts for many years as the mower wasn’t low hour, had been threw many cycles of hot, and cold weakening the head bolts i don’t re use head bolts unless they are specifically okay for it, and since the whole idea was to save cash, I specifically requested new head bolts I didn’t have the equipment to remove a snapped bolt, I was completely ignored, as the used to be mechanic stated to reuse them, once he arrived and stated the guy said to re use them, i informed him that we can do it, but the risk would put him over budget if one snapped, we’re he’d then have to buy all new head bolts, plus the tools to drill a hole for a step out plus the tool it’s self. He got quite irate, and after threatening me several times with taking it to another mechanic simply because he says fix it, and doesn’t hear anything about it till it’s done, versus someone there at your home with no parts on hand, or should I say in-stock needing parts to complete it. The next after that he came to pick me up to finish it, but came an hour early. And threaten it once again. I Just looked at him, and said I’m done with it take it to him! With all that said, pretty much no one here will understand the relationship we had, it took me some time to understand a bit, but he’s an older gentleman, that I’ve known for a very long time even before that specific date he knew me well, and my knowledge too. I’m not to sure how I still feel about this today. I have a strong passion for doing people right, kinda why I left a mower shop I was working at, as the boss would take in absolutely everything that came through the door,( stuff that’s well over 15-20+ years old and would cost more to repair than replace, literally no one had anything repaired if it was over $100). That wasn’t the only issue I left when I found out people were getting charged way more than than what should’ve been, charging people two hours of labor for one hour of actual work($65hr) parts markups way way above 20%. There was one gentleman that did lawn care for a business, came in because a idler pulley on the deck went bad, twisted , and cut his belt. New pulley on, he really needed a new belt, and he really didn’t want to buy a new one, but that belt wouldn’t have lasted, he went up stairs got a new one came back down, I asked why he didn’t want a new belt, we’re he showed me the receipt $125.00 he stated that. that same belt he can drive just literally down the road like 5 mins and get the same exact belt exmark brand for $60 plus the tax. I was disgusted at that point! Not only that she still charged him for an hours work too, took me less than 30 mins to put the new pulley, and belt. Could’ve been faster if I were given the right pulley the first time instead of a guess, and yes that belt was $60 I was really unhappy about it! sorry for the rant here, there’s is a lot more to the shop more than I’d want to type!
spent hundreds of hours from the mid 80's onward aligning/repairing VHF/UHF two way radios handheld, vehicle and base stations....then the first cell phones.....all very similar despite being all transistor none of the valve stuff.....what a great channel :D
Hi Paul, great video and amazing restoration, that piece of electronic art and amazing technology for the time. Great "show how to" align the radio. Thanks for sharing, take care Paul, you and Marie.
Dude I have repaired communication electronics for years and thought I was smart but you sir are on whole different level.. I have testing, repair and basic understanding down good, but to redesign and create new circuits and testers has my jaw dropped amazing...
You are such a great teacher and explain issues well. Love your videos . Love the old tube radios! Appreciate the alignment steps and tips . Value the old test equipment .
Very nice restoration. One of the things I haven't seen allot of discussion about, is the best type of antenna(s) to use for a given design, frequency range and receiver power, for equipment built between 1920 and 1965. I look forward to your thoughts on the subject. In fact I hope you made an entire video on the subject. For example, I often wonder how well a ferrite loopback antenna would receive compared to a traditional monopole model on older equipment. Really enjoy all of your videos. Thank you and Stay safe!
Doug Hanchard , The location you are in, the work or interests you wish to follow and your pocketbook all make HUGE impacts on your choice of antenna. Become a ham (amateur radio operator) and this all follows... especially if you read the American Radio Relay League's latest Handbook, or their Antenna Book. Oh, you will wish to be independently wealthy! LOL de KQ2E
@@BruceNitroxpro Well, I'm not authorized to explain my background, LOL, but suffice to say, I'm not asking Mr. Carlson to talk about a receiver antenna capable of working at Ice Station Zebra. My background in analog / vacuum radio equipment is extremely limited. I have used avionics radios worth between five grand and a quarter million that use antennas that are ridiculously overpriced because of certification requirements. I thought it would just be a fun topic for this channel. 🤓🔉🔊
I doubt the instructors at the old Zenith, Grundig, Philco, or RCA factories ever did half as good a job of explaining the alignment process as you did in this video. You should feel pretty good about this one.
Oh yes, the old Braun PSM/6 multi-meter. I do remember using them decades ago repairing "black boxes" for the military. I actually have one but it needs the unique battery which are no long made. And I haven't built a replacement power setup for it yet. I also have a couple Simpson 260's. Another great analog multi-meter...
Is that Signal generator just an old radio cabinet with some high functioning modern tech inside it Mr Carlson? Great vid! You think and have knowledge like the people who pioneered these old radios!
I've watched several of your AM radio alignments with interest. As the owner of several vintage FM tube tuners by H.H. Scott, Sherwood, and Lafayette (Trio), I'd love to see a video on the FM and FM stereo alignment procedures on a vintage HiFi tuner since I gather there are some differences.
Great format, I am enjoying your channel, my wife not so much. I learn so much from you narration. I thought I knew electronics until I saw your reasoning on the why of everything you work on and if that wasn't enough you modify/improve the circuits. Simply Wow! Too bad radio and TV programs are not good, best thing today is the weather broadcasts. Curious if you lab has that, what i think was, formaldehyde-Bakelite smell from those old devices?
I would love to see how the specs on this radio compares to a modern Communications receiver. Of course Noise Blankers, etc would not be on the old radio. Most Beautiful tabletop radio I have seen
The reason the Bass is increased at lower volumes is to compensate for the loss of low frequency response in human hearing. This is the same reason that amplifiers used to have loudness buttons that tapered the bass and highs as the volume increased.
Another example of the Carlson attention to detail. Think it's about time you bought into turntable setup and alignment...and where do I get a Mr Carlson's Lab t-shirt?
That is an amazing receiver indeed. About the only thing I'd have liked to see is one of the "magic eyes" as a signal strength meter (I know you've covered in other videos). A home hacker could just as easily hook up a volt meter like you did, but it just isn't the SAME.... 😁
@MrCarlson Have you had to service that signal generator? I have one just like it and was wondering if it could safely be used or if it needs recapping or other service since its probably not been used in 50 years or so? I havent opened mine to see inside yet to service hallicrafters s38 series radios.
Great video. I don’t believe the Jhook method is all bad as there are many ways to skin a cat. Sometimes it risks a lot of damage to valve bases and tag strips to try and remove the old wire wrapping. Ever case on the the bench has to be judged on its own merits. Still you have done amazing work as always. Regards Chris.
That certain company that held the 455 mhz sound like the gorilla on the market called RCA. David Saranof? was an absolute over any of the electronic patents they held. This includes the Vacuum tube market. The RCA conjecture is just that, a conjecture.
i have an old to me rca victor model 54b3 i don't know if it works. it needs a strange battery a 67.3 volt battery it is a rca #vs016 where can i find it or a power supply substitute?
I was about to berate you for using a metal screwdriver to adjust it, but if that plastic driver is all you have, i understand why In my set of 'twiddlers' i have one that's all hard plastic, but has a small piece of (i think) brass as the tip
I now have three vintage Australian radios to get going again, and none of them look as immaculate as yours, yours always look like they just came off the production line, why is that?
I have a degree in electronics and graduated with honors. I feel like I've learned more about repairing electronics by watching several of his videos than I did my entire time at school. This guy is brilliant. I'm so thankful I stumbled across this channel. I joined his Patreon platform. It's very inexpensive and has a ton of great stuff in there. You should consider joining it too if you're a fan like me. Tell them the Doctor sent you. P.S. I have not been compensated or coerced in any way to make this comment. This guy is simply brilliant and I want everyone who has an interest in electronics to know this. Thank You Mr. Carlson! Sincerely, Rich G. Oh yeah, F*** Cancer and F*** Covid-19!
I cannot believe anybody would give Mr Carlson a thumbs down He's by far the best electronics guy on TH-cam! Not just his knowledge but the way he presents it and helps everybody to learn, always a pleasure thank you Paul!
Yeah,,he is a very good teacher in youtube. Actually made some of his free project(before taking it to patreon) and i must say i'm very happy with it. The one i built was the super probe,and i'm using it alot on my repair job. Awesome!!!
@@MrCarlsonsLab , Heck, it's so true that the way others cavalierly throw the bull makes me cringe when I think of you actually SEEING that stuff they sling. Embarrassing!
Tesla would be impressed by this guys knowledge. I've noticed that some technicians like to belittle others with their knowledge but you try to enlighten others. One of the very few gifts to TH-cam.
Did you repair this for the owner, or buy it and repair to sell? If to sell, how much do you ask for such a beautiful radio like this? Thanks and thumbs up! 👍
Thank you for posting this video. I was able to align a 1955 Geloso 1510-C radio by following your instructions and the original Geloso circuit diagram. You made this tricky process really easy to understand. These videos are worth their weight in gold. Keep up the good work!
Carlton's Lab videos are of the highest quality both visual and audio, technical prowess is microvolts above the noise floor emanating from other similar channels. A few radio restoration blogs should be redefined as diddle-stickers or Why change that way-cap.
TIL: "numbers station is a shortwave radio station characterized by broadcasts of formatted numbers, which are believed to be addressed to intelligence officers operating in foreign countries." 😎
So, I grabbed a beer and now I"m watching and drinking. Okay, I did the simple research and found out that Armstrong sold the superheterodyne receiver patent to Westinghouse who sold it to RCA and they had it patented until 1930. Now you've invented a bug detector. Have you any bugs in yer walls?
This might seem like a dumb question, but how do the screws physically interact with the tuning capacitor, etc? In other words, what are screws twisting or pressing inside to adjust the alignment? Might need a chalkboard to explain this. Maybe not.
"Compression trimmer" is probably the term you're looking for. The screw simply forces two plates, one sprung out, towards each other with a sheet of mica between them acting as the dielectric. The tighter the screw, the more the plates are touching the mica, increasing the capacitance.
Me, I enjoy that moment they first come back to life and talk to you. Especially when it can be said it was dead....but now it lives again....especially if it had been decades after they went dark! Great job sir...as always.
He mentioned it was a very major rebuild and also said the alignment was a sensitive undertaking. I would imagine he checked one or two and found them off so they all were tested
It is known that you can occasionally get migration of the metal plate material inside a mica capacitor, leading to shorts. I ended up chasing my tail on a 1940s circuit on an issue caused by an intermittently shorting 100pF mica cap -- with only 1.7V across it. I had assumed that this cap wasn't the problem and wasted time looking elsewhere.
Question not pertaining to electronics... You have such a steady hand, have you ever tried your hand at welding or target shooting??? Both benefit greatly from a steady hand ;-) Also, how's that hotrod of yours doing??? Still passing inspection??? Always enjoy your videos sir :-)
Stagger tuning is ok, but just like everything else, there is a balance. If you widen the response pattern, you loose sensitivity "and" selectivity. This set only has 2 IF transformers, so stagger tuning will affect the sets performance.
The performance of this Westinghouse radio does not surprise me one bit... I owned to RBM five receivers built by Westinghouse. I had the high frequency, and the medium frequency receivers. They were outstanding receivers by any measure, I could zero beat either one of them onto WWV leave for 5 or 6 hours and come back to find them still tuned perfectly. And the sensitivity of them were second to none. Hats off to the engineers at Westinghouse.
I don't really work with electronics or radios but I enjoy watching your videos because your explanations are so concise and easy to understand. You are obviously very knowledgeable on this stuff and your passion is intoxicating and contagious. It's really enjoyable watching someone who is really passionate about the work they do and that's what makes your videos so enjoyable for me to watch. Plus you don't really speak down to your audience -- you clearly explain things in a way where I feel we would be work buddies having a casual conversation about shop. You're just an awesome person and I really love and respect your passion. Keep it up man!
You have so many radio stations there, that it reminds med of the medium wave back in the 60s and 70s here in Europe - when we had a small radio under the blanket and listened to the famous Radio Luxemburg after we had gone to bed.....and should sleep :) 73 LB5JG Asle
Hello Paul !! That radio is a BIG BEAUTY of a table radio !! I am working on a Zenith Table set here in the U.S. that is a BIG table set as well. Take the radio you just worked on here and lay it on its side and you get the picture of its bulk!!! My set was made for EXPORT to Europe it covers 8 bands and has 8 tubes !! This radio covers from 550 KC to 22.9 MC bands are selected by a series of 8 push buttons on the front panel, set uses an 8 inch electrodynamic speaker with 2 6K6 tubes in push pull !! My set was made shortly after WW2 some time, maybe 1948 or so.
Hey Mr. Carlson, wonderful video as always. I do have a quick question for you though. Im used to working on modern tube guitar amps, that along with guitars and guitar pedals makes up the great majority of what i normally work on. However recently i took on restoring my grandfathers old Realtone Tube radio. And as you might know Realtone (later Soundesign) were known for their Transistor/Solid State radios. Many people including myself are surprised to find out they did in fact produce some tube radios in the 60's. Their rarity is actually what is leading to my problem. The radio model is a "5233". And try as I might (along with the help of the guys over at AntiqueRadios forum) I've not been able to find any schematic for this model much less a user manual. So I have already replaced all the electrolytic capacitors and paper capacitors (yesterday i installed the last electrolytics in the form of a Hayseed Hamfest Multi Stage/Multi layer cap replacement) and im getting a reasonable signal but its still not as clean or balanced a signal as it should be (the "magic eye" shows that im getting good reception on the stations though). Its very likely it could be that the power tubes are weak and need replacing but i dont have a tube tester so ill likely replace both of the 6BM8's and the 6CA4 rectifier just to be thorough. But in the meantime id like to check the alignment but without any info (schematic or repair posts for this model online etc.) to go off of to find the frequency im kind of lost on how to proceed. Specifically my question was, what would you recommend doing in situations such as these when locating a schematic isn't possible? I thought maybe i could look into similar designs (specifically its a 6BM8 x2, 6AQ8, 6BL8 x2, 6BA6 x5 complement receiver with AM/FM, Phone Inputs and Tape input and Output). Any resources or tips would be greatly appreciated. I also thought it might be helpful to find some example schematics from the tube manufacturers? The thinking being i could deduce what the designers did based on the information they would likely be using to design the radio. Anyways, like i said before this was a great video as always! Sorry for such a long post/question!
Hi Paul. Two weeks ago I told you that, troublesoot and test without alignment was sounded like being without a leg. Now that you have continued, found and solved other problems and performed the complete alignment I can say thank you Paul, now I feel I have all three legs again ;) . As for your signal generator, you centered my thoughts on when you connected that splendid frequency meter you made, the finetune is missing ..... please, if it is possible to do,do it, but do it to the old manner, do it mechanically. Let me express my thoughts, I LOVE to follow your work on all the instruments (radios and so on) step by step from the moment you open them until the moment you close them once they are restored to their former glory and, if this means being able to see only one of your videos per month, i'll wait more than willingly. Thanks.
I bought a vintage Grundig Majestic console(PP EL95) unit and recapped the electrolyte capacitor since it had 120 cycle hum. Now, no hum but one channel is giving me less volume whereas other channel works nice. I have measure the preamp tube ECC83 voltage with out tube it comes around 215 , with tube 50 and 95 in pin plates. Any suggestion to fix it will be helpful and thankful.
Nice job, Mr. C! Yeah, sometimes receivers can be waay, way off. Sure helps to make sure that the caps and other components are in good condition so that the alignment will take and stay close to where it should. A lot of that same era of radios had beautifully crafted cabinets and used nice woods and finishes. One would think that because technology has become better, that these old radios are somehow obsolete. Nothing could be further than the truth when it comes to those old but well-built radios. They had a lot of class and performance. Besides the availability of tubes, the only real weak point they may have is their speakers. If they require a B+ supply and the speaker must be replaced or needing re-coning, it may be a bit difficult restore. But there are still some ways around that - too.
MrRadioGypsy , I agree, however... BIG however: The radios of that era didn't HAVE good speakers such as modern technology has shown. If you wish to listen to better fidelity, I remember my father's first HiFi by in 1948. It used an RCA LC-1A, 15" coaxial cone which did a grand job. That was gilding the lily then, it is like somebody using a clock radio with a Linn speaker on it. Using old speakers is a HARD job. One that more than one video could be made about, along with tools and techniques of rebuilding and measuring speakers and their many, many ways of installing them.
Hi.Help I'm stuck Have a Ferguson 3R05 Transistor Radio(Thorn Electronics) with no schematic.Cleaned all switches and co-roded terminals from water damage and replaced rotted speaker cone. I Pulled off speaker wires and battery wires from pcb. Would appreciate some guidance where wires came from and where to ideally look. Love your attention to detail in your videos Ss.Uk
"I'm going to attach an isolation capacitor..." How do we know what size/capacity to use for this purpose? In the video it looks like it is a 0.02 uF 600V ceramic capacitor but I cannot sure.
Out of all the a.m. radios I can’t believe you don’t come across one Spanish-speaking station because here in New York that’s all there are there are no more English-speaking stations on a.m. oh wait a minute maybe one🤷🏻♂️ 😂😂😂
WAY off topic reply here, but, I'll do it any way......There are many guys out here that are DIY types that use a plasma cutter in many of their projects.....Almost All of them have a short electrical life because the designs are brute force with little or mostly NO power sharing circuits.....There is scant to No wiring diagrams in circulation.....Seems like a ripe project for your circuit diagnostic skills and how to make it better, teaching.....What do you think?
Mr Carlson. I have a Sentlinal 72A radio, I have had an issue with two schematics showing the coupling and decoupling capacitors. One shows 1 and the other shows .1 micro F. Which do you think is correct?
I learn something new with each video Mr Carlson puts on TH-cam. I signed up for Patreon with him as I can't wait to learn more. He provides great background as to why he's doing a procedure, unlike a lot of other "electronics" videos where it's mainly snip and solder components. His trouble shooting steps and explanations are superb.
I'm just starting my life's promise to myself, grandma and family some 52 years ago (at the age of 11) of restoring our family's 8S463 Zenith. It was heard that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor on this set, and as late as the 1960's it was condemned by a local radio shoppe as being "not worth the expense". Now after three generations it's on my bench and when finished in my sons living room. Thanks to Mr. Carlson's lab and others like Chango66, Thattubesound, Tvradiophononut, Bandersentv, radiorepair and several others ....this now retired IC Electronic Instrumentation Major is going forward. Thank God and thank you Mr. Carlson.
So, I assume you are using the AC probe on the Sentinel 26 D/U with the probe ground lead on the chassis and the alligator clip from the tip to the grid of the output tube? Thanks.
I have a nice old GEC radio to align but most of the numbers have rubbed off the dial... makes it a bit tricky! maybe i should just make up some arbitrary spots at each end of the range to tune to? :(
That is a very efficient way of aligning that radio and it shows what you can really do when you have the proper equipment to do it with. And you think that radio is fun, try a Philco 116X radio sometime and that set has five bands and also a RME 69 radio and that set has six bands. That set is not easy to find and it also has a preselector set which makes the radio really sensitive. The six band sets really make short wave listening a lot more fun once you get the set working. This guy is very bright and I wish the best for him.
In another video with this radio you said you have to do the alignment with the metal cover on or it would throw things out. I didn't really understand that comment, but I also see you are not making adjustments with the lid on, so now I'm more confused! (I have worked on tube amps but not tube radio/receivers).
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
How do I get the components for the projects?
Rose Electronics you can get the vast majority of passive components from places such as Mouser and DigiKey, just make sure to buy a lot at the same time to negate the high-ish shipping cost
@@sneugler Thanks a lot. I'm particularly interested in doing projects of Mr. Carlson.
As always Paul, perfect material, explanations and production quality. I enjoyed every bit of it, both the two times 😁
Greetings from The Netherlands
Mr carlson I am in need of help diagnosing a pro audio amp if you could can you msg me at jordanwtyler@gmail.com
It's a behringer ep2500 amp I have a schematic but the amp has a short in it some where it trips the 15 amp breaker on the unit I am not familiar enough with reading schematic to dignosose it
Watching these videos where you bring new life to old radios is very pleasurable. It also brings back great memories of my first shortwave radio when many more countries broadcasted in shortwave.
Mr Carlson, it is incredible that you alone, said something that I learned almost 70 yrs ago. And it has to do with the outside foil of a capacitor being connected to the lower voltage (often to "ground"). It is amazing how you know so many things that MOST of the electronic technicians simply do NOT know. I am overwhelmed over it.
I have no idea where you came from; nor where you got your expertise; but I want to tell you that YOU are a "cut above" for sure.
Some Trivia: I have aligned 1,000's of radios and TV sets over 45 years, when I was a technician and/or electronic instructor. Thus I am envious of your shop. It is awesome. Keep it up kind Sir!
I think he said lower capacitance...
@@Bass.Player no, Paul said that the outside foil side of the capacitor is connected to the lower impedance side of the circuit it is in place. He has said this for years and I have practiced this since 2017 since I found Mr. Carlson's Lab.
@@Bass.Player Either voltage, capacitance or impedance is in essence, saying the same thing. The black line on the cap, indicates the wire that is connected to the outer foil. In MOST cases it is not necessary to do this. But in other cases it is VERY important. So long ago they decided to use the old adage: "Err on the side of caution".
Where it works the best, is when one side of the cap is connected to ground. In this case, the cap is shielded completely; so that the inner foil can NOT radiate extraneous noise and signals throughout the radio.
For whatever its worth.
@@MrPatdeeee I understand how it works...
@@pibbles-a-plenty1105 that may apply for solid state, but in high impedance circuits like valve/tube electronics then the outside foil becomes important. If you watch Paul's other videos he discusses how that shielding of the foil affects oscillator and other sensitive circuits and how some equipment just won't work if the foil is on the wrong side.
Paul has also proven with actual demonstration that interference on outside foil does not always influence the other pole of the capacitor to the same extent. 🙂
Very cool project and that cabinet is just beautiful.
great job on a beautiful old radio. Definitely not 90 day junk sold told today.
Heat, and cold causing expansion, and contraction! Brings up a story we’re I was in the process of repairing a John deer riding mower for my neighbor. The head gasket had blown and was causing some blow by, and a little bit of oil burning. I told my neighbor that I wanted new head bolts, and that the shop might try, say to re use the old head bolts, and then explained this exact thing heat causes expansion, and cold causes contraction, thus the head bolts for many years as the mower wasn’t low hour, had been threw many cycles of hot, and cold weakening the head bolts i don’t re use head bolts unless they are specifically okay for it, and since the whole idea was to save cash, I specifically requested new head bolts I didn’t have the equipment to remove a snapped bolt, I was completely ignored, as the used to be mechanic stated to reuse them, once he arrived and stated the guy said to re use them, i informed him that we can do it, but the risk would put him over budget if one snapped, we’re he’d then have to buy all new head bolts, plus the tools to drill a hole for a step out plus the tool it’s self. He got quite irate, and after threatening me several times with taking it to another mechanic simply because he says fix it, and doesn’t hear anything about it till it’s done, versus someone there at your home with no parts on hand, or should I say in-stock needing parts to complete it. The next after that he came to pick me up to finish it, but came an hour early. And threaten it once again. I Just looked at him, and said I’m done with it take it to him! With all that said, pretty much no one here will understand the relationship we had, it took me some time to understand a bit, but he’s an older gentleman, that I’ve known for a very long time even before that specific date he knew me well, and my knowledge too. I’m not to sure how I still feel about this today. I have a strong passion for doing people right, kinda why I left a mower shop I was working at, as the boss would take in absolutely everything that came through the door,( stuff that’s well over 15-20+ years old and would cost more to repair than replace, literally no one had anything repaired if it was over $100). That wasn’t the only issue I left when I found out people were getting charged way more than than what should’ve been, charging people two hours of labor for one hour of actual work($65hr) parts markups way way above 20%. There was one gentleman that did lawn care for a business, came in because a idler pulley on the deck went bad, twisted , and cut his belt. New pulley on, he really needed a new belt, and he really didn’t want to buy a new one, but that belt wouldn’t have lasted, he went up stairs got a new one came back down, I asked why he didn’t want a new belt, we’re he showed me the receipt $125.00 he stated that. that same belt he can drive just literally down the road like 5 mins and get the same exact belt exmark brand for $60 plus the tax. I was disgusted at that point! Not only that she still charged him for an hours work too, took me less than 30 mins to put the new pulley, and belt. Could’ve been faster if I were given the right pulley the first time instead of a guess, and yes that belt was $60 I was really unhappy about it! sorry for the rant here, there’s is a lot more to the shop more than I’d want to type!
That is a Unbelievably Beautiful Radio, Totally Awesome!
Thanks Jeff! It sure performs well.
Awesome radio and an awesome alignment!!
Thanks John!
spent hundreds of hours from the mid 80's onward aligning/repairing VHF/UHF two way radios handheld, vehicle and base stations....then the first cell phones.....all very similar despite being all transistor none of the valve stuff.....what a great channel :D
Hi Paul, great video and amazing restoration, that piece of electronic art and amazing technology for the time. Great "show how to" align the radio. Thanks for sharing, take care Paul, you and Marie.
Dude I have repaired communication electronics for years and thought I was smart but you sir are on whole different level.. I have testing, repair and basic understanding down good, but to redesign and create new circuits and testers has my jaw dropped amazing...
You are such a great teacher and explain issues well. Love your videos . Love the old tube radios! Appreciate the alignment steps and tips . Value the old test equipment .
Carlson, you really are the Stradivari of (radio) repair technicians.
Very nice restoration.
One of the things I haven't seen allot of discussion about, is the best type of antenna(s) to use for a given design, frequency range and receiver power, for equipment built between 1920 and 1965.
I look forward to your thoughts on the subject. In fact I hope you made an entire video on the subject.
For example, I often wonder how well a ferrite loopback antenna would receive compared to a traditional monopole model on older equipment.
Really enjoy all of your videos.
Thank you and Stay safe!
Doug Hanchard , The location you are in, the work or interests you wish to follow and your pocketbook all make HUGE impacts on your choice of antenna. Become a ham (amateur radio operator) and this all follows... especially if you read the American Radio Relay League's latest Handbook, or their Antenna Book. Oh, you will wish to be independently wealthy! LOL de KQ2E
@@BruceNitroxpro Well, I'm not authorized to explain my background, LOL, but suffice to say, I'm not asking Mr. Carlson to talk about a receiver antenna capable of working at Ice Station Zebra.
My background in analog / vacuum radio equipment is extremely limited. I have used avionics radios worth between five grand and a quarter million that use antennas that are ridiculously overpriced because of certification requirements.
I thought it would just be a fun topic for this channel. 🤓🔉🔊
That is so sensitive, Well done Mr Carlson. I also love the old equipment you use to align these radios with.
I doubt the instructors at the old Zenith, Grundig, Philco, or RCA factories ever did half as good a job of explaining the alignment process as you did in this video. You should feel pretty good about this one.
That wood cabinet has a very rich sound.
Lol when Carlson says "this thing has crazy sensitivity when I hook an antenna up to this thing I should be able to hear the bugs in my wall"
Once again another fascinating video. Thank you Mr. Carlson.
Oh yes, the old Braun PSM/6 multi-meter. I do remember using them decades ago repairing "black boxes" for the military. I actually have one but it needs the unique battery which are no long made. And I haven't built a replacement power setup for it yet. I also have a couple Simpson 260's. Another great analog multi-meter...
Is that Signal generator just an old radio cabinet with some high functioning modern tech inside it Mr Carlson?
Great vid! You think and have knowledge like the people who pioneered these old radios!
I've watched several of your AM radio alignments with interest. As the owner of several vintage FM tube tuners by H.H. Scott, Sherwood, and Lafayette (Trio), I'd love to see a video on the FM and FM stereo alignment procedures on a vintage HiFi tuner since I gather there are some differences.
Thanks for a very informative video
Great format, I am enjoying your channel, my wife not so much. I learn so much from you narration.
I thought I knew electronics until I saw your reasoning on the why of everything you work on and if that wasn't enough you modify/improve the circuits. Simply Wow!
Too bad radio and TV programs are not good, best thing today is the weather broadcasts.
Curious if you lab has that, what i think was, formaldehyde-Bakelite smell from those old devices?
Thanks for this, I found it fascinating and learnt a lot.
This is a radio for the 2022 calendar!
That radio is so beautiful that I would pay to polish it. :)
I would love to see how the specs on this radio compares to a modern Communications receiver. Of course Noise Blankers, etc would not be on the old radio. Most Beautiful tabletop radio I have seen
Great video mr. C keep them coning.
The reason the Bass is increased at lower volumes is to compensate for the loss of low frequency response in human hearing. This is the same reason that amplifiers used to have loudness buttons that tapered the bass and highs as the volume increased.
Another example of the Carlson attention to detail. Think it's about time you bought into turntable setup and alignment...and where do I get a Mr Carlson's Lab t-shirt?
That is an amazing receiver indeed. About the only thing I'd have liked to see is one of the "magic eyes" as a signal strength meter (I know you've covered in other videos). A home hacker could just as easily hook up a volt meter like you did, but it just isn't the SAME.... 😁
Could you use ceramic screwdrivers in place of plastic ones for the added strength without interference of metal?
Ceramic alignment tools will shatter like glass in an alignment like this.
You can (or at least used to be able to) get plastic trimmer tools with small metal blades for working on kit like this.
@MrCarlson
Have you had to service that signal generator? I have one just like it and was wondering if it could safely be used or if it needs recapping or other service since its probably not been used in 50 years or so? I havent opened mine to see inside yet to service hallicrafters s38 series radios.
Great video. I don’t believe the Jhook method is all bad as there are many ways to skin a cat. Sometimes it risks a lot of damage to valve bases and tag strips to try and remove the old wire wrapping. Ever case on the the bench has to be judged on its own merits. Still you have done amazing work as always. Regards Chris.
I love it. I'll be able to here the bugs in my walls. LOL
I would love to see you do a RCA-Victor Strato-World 3 BX 671. They are boogers to align.
Any chance you'll be working on your National NC-46 soon? I have mine on my work bench right now.
That certain company that held the 455 mhz sound like the gorilla on the market called RCA. David Saranof? was an absolute over any of the electronic patents they held. This includes the Vacuum tube market. The RCA conjecture is just that, a conjecture.
i have an old to me rca victor model 54b3 i don't know if it works. it needs a strange battery a 67.3 volt battery it is a rca #vs016 where can i find it or a power supply substitute?
Good grief ! I haven't seen a nixie tube freq counter since I was in college.
Next job: Install a blue tooth module.
Hi Paul, where do you buy those woven line cords? Thanks
That reciever is HOT!
I was about to berate you for using a metal screwdriver to adjust it, but if that plastic driver is all you have, i understand why
In my set of 'twiddlers' i have one that's all hard plastic, but has a small piece of (i think) brass as the tip
Sir
o7
Clowns
@@richmondmcgill2927 :-(
@@gecko6484 Pff
@@thatredkite8310 selber
I now have three vintage Australian radios to get going again, and none of them look as immaculate as yours, yours always look like they just came off the production line, why is that?
When you work on devices, they aren't restored, they're "Carlsonized" -- not just rendered working, but made better than new!
Those gear were incarlsonrated prior! Now they are free!
How true
This is the most relaxing channel on TH-cam. Thanks for what you do Mr Carlson!
You are very welcome!
I have a degree in electronics and graduated with honors. I feel like I've learned more about repairing electronics by watching several of his videos than I did my entire time at school. This guy is brilliant. I'm so thankful I stumbled across this channel. I joined his Patreon platform. It's very inexpensive and has a ton of great stuff in there. You should consider joining it too if you're a fan like me. Tell them the Doctor sent you.
P.S. I have not been compensated or coerced in any way to make this comment. This guy is simply brilliant and I want everyone who has an interest in electronics to know this.
Thank You Mr. Carlson!
Sincerely,
Rich G.
Oh yeah,
F*** Cancer and F*** Covid-19!
Easily the most satisfying TH-cam channel i have ever found. Thanks Mr. Carlson!
p.s. Long live analog.
I cannot believe anybody would give Mr Carlson a thumbs down He's by far the best electronics guy on TH-cam! Not just his knowledge but the way he presents it and helps everybody to learn, always a pleasure thank you Paul!
I appreciate that!
Yeah,,he is a very good teacher in youtube. Actually made some of his free project(before taking it to patreon) and i must say i'm very happy with it. The one i built was the super probe,and i'm using it alot on my repair job. Awesome!!!
@@MrCarlsonsLab , Heck, it's so true that the way others cavalierly throw the bull makes me cringe when I think of you actually SEEING that stuff they sling. Embarrassing!
That Radio works so well for being as old as it is the engineer that designed it should be proud of the job they did.
Tesla would be impressed by this guys knowledge. I've noticed that some technicians like to belittle others with their knowledge but you try to enlighten others. One of the very few gifts to TH-cam.
Did you repair this for the owner, or buy it and repair to sell? If to sell, how much do you ask for such a beautiful radio like this?
Thanks and thumbs up! 👍
Thank you for posting this video. I was able to align a 1955 Geloso 1510-C radio by following your instructions and the original Geloso circuit diagram. You made this tricky process really easy to understand. These videos are worth their weight in gold. Keep up the good work!
Carlton's Lab videos are of the highest quality both visual and audio, technical prowess is microvolts above the noise floor emanating from other similar channels. A few radio restoration blogs should be redefined as diddle-stickers or Why change that way-cap.
Mack Fisher , There are always duds among the live ones.
You picked up a couple of "number stations"...
No...that was no Spy...that was Brother Stair giving out his phone number....
51:10 for sure
50:32 sounds like one also
TIL: "numbers station is a shortwave radio station characterized by broadcasts of formatted numbers, which are believed to be addressed to intelligence officers operating in foreign countries." 😎
Yep, just handing out an address or phone number, not a 'numbers station'. But he did get some CODAR.
So, I grabbed a beer and now I"m watching and drinking. Okay, I did the simple research and found out that Armstrong sold the superheterodyne receiver patent to Westinghouse who sold it to RCA and they had it patented until 1930. Now you've invented a bug detector. Have you any bugs in yer walls?
According to the detector...Yes!
This might seem like a dumb question, but how do the screws physically interact with the tuning capacitor, etc? In other words, what are screws twisting or pressing inside to adjust the alignment? Might need a chalkboard to explain this. Maybe not.
"Compression trimmer" is probably the term you're looking for. The screw simply forces two plates, one sprung out, towards each other with a sheet of mica between them acting as the dielectric. The tighter the screw, the more the plates are touching the mica, increasing the capacitance.
Excellent work yet again! VK6LB
How much difference did the bottom plate make to the alignment?
Substantial, but not as bad as the original alignment. The most affected was the oscillator at high frequencies.
Me, I enjoy that moment they first come back to life and talk to you. Especially when it can be said it was dead....but now it lives again....especially if it had been decades after they went dark! Great job sir...as always.
Since mica caps rarely leak, how did you get the idea to check them?
Or do you always check everything as a matter of course?
Loukas Hareangas , GREAT question! In ANOTHER video, perhaps??
He mentioned it was a very major rebuild and also said the alignment was a sensitive undertaking. I would imagine he checked one or two and found them off so they all were tested
It is known that you can occasionally get migration of the metal plate material inside a mica capacitor, leading to shorts. I ended up chasing my tail on a 1940s circuit on an issue caused by an intermittently shorting 100pF mica cap -- with only 1.7V across it. I had assumed that this cap wasn't the problem and wasted time looking elsewhere.
Mr Carlsson your westinghouse shortwave receiver is cool
Question not pertaining to electronics... You have such a steady hand, have you ever tried your hand at welding or target shooting??? Both benefit greatly from a steady hand ;-) Also, how's that hotrod of yours doing??? Still passing inspection??? Always enjoy your videos sir :-)
Picks up several numbers stations broadcasting vital information for spies around the world but quickly moves on. Can't reveal any secrets. HAHAHAHA!
TH-cam doesn't allow ANY chance of violating some copyright. So Paul makes sure no recognisable sounds are there to hear.
Mr. Carlson is a spy for the Vancouver Canuks. There, he's been outed.
Amazing radio. Super sensitive, beautiful cabinet. Notice the decagon surrounding the dial? Fantastic work, as always, Mr C!
You always seem to tune all the IF stages to the same peak. Would you get better audio quality using a slightly wider, flatter response?
Stagger tuning is ok, but just like everything else, there is a balance. If you widen the response pattern, you loose sensitivity "and" selectivity. This set only has 2 IF transformers, so stagger tuning will affect the sets performance.
Mr Carlson's voice should be on those soothing audio cd's.
The performance of this Westinghouse radio does not surprise me one bit... I owned to RBM five receivers built by Westinghouse.
I had the high frequency, and the medium frequency receivers.
They were outstanding receivers by any measure, I could zero beat either one of them onto WWV leave for 5 or 6 hours and come back to find them still tuned perfectly.
And the sensitivity of them were second to none.
Hats off to the engineers at Westinghouse.
I don't really work with electronics or radios but I enjoy watching your videos because your explanations are so concise and easy to understand. You are obviously very knowledgeable on this stuff and your passion is intoxicating and contagious.
It's really enjoyable watching someone who is really passionate about the work they do and that's what makes your videos so enjoyable for me to watch. Plus you don't really speak down to your audience -- you clearly explain things in a way where I feel we would be work buddies having a casual conversation about shop.
You're just an awesome person and I really love and respect your passion. Keep it up man!
the changes in technology are amazing really, When one sees how much smaller a cap is for the same rating as the leaky wax cap it replaced.
Simply beautiful work Mr. Carlson. Gorgeous job!
You have so many radio stations there, that it reminds med of the medium wave back in the 60s and 70s here in Europe - when we had a small radio under the blanket and listened to the famous Radio Luxemburg after we had gone to bed.....and should sleep :) 73 LB5JG Asle
I think Mr. Carlson is related to Mr Tesla.
Hello Paul !! That radio is a BIG BEAUTY of a table radio !! I am working on a Zenith Table set here in the U.S. that is a BIG table set as well. Take the radio you just worked on here and lay it on its side and you get the picture of its bulk!!! My set was made for EXPORT to Europe it covers 8 bands and has 8 tubes !! This radio covers from 550 KC to 22.9 MC bands are selected by a series of 8
push buttons on the front panel, set uses an 8 inch electrodynamic speaker with 2 6K6 tubes in push pull !! My set was made shortly after WW2 some time, maybe 1948 or so.
John Bellas , Good luck with that resurrection!
Hey Mr. Carlson, wonderful video as always. I do have a quick question for you though. Im used to working on modern tube guitar amps, that along with guitars and guitar pedals makes up the great majority of what i normally work on. However recently i took on restoring my grandfathers old Realtone Tube radio. And as you might know Realtone (later Soundesign) were known for their Transistor/Solid State radios. Many people including myself are surprised to find out they did in fact produce some tube radios in the 60's. Their rarity is actually what is leading to my problem. The radio model is a "5233". And try as I might (along with the help of the guys over at AntiqueRadios forum) I've not been able to find any schematic for this model much less a user manual. So I have already replaced all the electrolytic capacitors and paper capacitors (yesterday i installed the last electrolytics in the form of a Hayseed Hamfest Multi Stage/Multi layer cap replacement) and im getting a reasonable signal but its still not as clean or balanced a signal as it should be (the "magic eye" shows that im getting good reception on the stations though). Its very likely it could be that the power tubes are weak and need replacing but i dont have a tube tester so ill likely replace both of the 6BM8's and the 6CA4 rectifier just to be thorough. But in the meantime id like to check the alignment but without any info (schematic or repair posts for this model online etc.) to go off of to find the frequency im kind of lost on how to proceed. Specifically my question was, what would you recommend doing in situations such as these when locating a schematic isn't possible? I thought maybe i could look into similar designs (specifically its a 6BM8 x2, 6AQ8, 6BL8 x2, 6BA6 x5 complement receiver with AM/FM, Phone Inputs and Tape input and Output). Any resources or tips would be greatly appreciated. I also thought it might be helpful to find some example schematics from the tube manufacturers? The thinking being i could deduce what the designers did based on the information they would likely be using to design the radio. Anyways, like i said before this was a great video as always! Sorry for such a long post/question!
Hi Paul.
Two weeks ago I told you that, troublesoot and test without alignment was sounded like being without a leg.
Now that you have continued, found and solved other problems and performed the complete alignment I can say thank you Paul, now I feel I have all three legs again ;) .
As for your signal generator, you centered my thoughts on when you connected that splendid frequency meter you made, the finetune is missing ..... please, if it is possible to do,do it, but do it to the old manner, do it mechanically.
Let me express my thoughts, I LOVE to follow your work on all the instruments (radios and so on) step by step from the moment you open them until the moment you close them once they are restored to their former glory and, if this means being able to see only one of your videos per month, i'll wait more than willingly.
Thanks.
Easily one of the most valuable places on the internet
I bought a vintage Grundig Majestic console(PP EL95) unit and recapped the electrolyte capacitor since it had 120 cycle hum. Now, no hum but one channel is giving me less volume whereas other channel works nice. I have measure the preamp tube ECC83 voltage with out tube it comes around 215 , with tube 50 and 95 in pin plates. Any suggestion to fix it will be helpful and thankful.
Nice job, Mr. C!
Yeah, sometimes receivers can be waay, way off. Sure helps to make sure that the caps and other components are in good condition so that the alignment will take and stay close to where it should.
A lot of that same era of radios had beautifully crafted cabinets and used nice woods and finishes. One would think that because technology has become better, that these old radios are somehow obsolete. Nothing could be further than the truth when it comes to those old but well-built radios. They had a lot of class and performance.
Besides the availability of tubes, the only real weak point they may have is their speakers. If they require a B+ supply and the speaker must be replaced or needing re-coning, it may be a bit difficult restore. But there are still some ways around that - too.
MrRadioGypsy , I agree, however... BIG however: The radios of that era didn't HAVE good speakers such as modern technology has shown. If you wish to listen to better fidelity, I remember my father's first HiFi by in 1948. It used an RCA LC-1A, 15" coaxial cone which did a grand job. That was gilding the lily then, it is like somebody using a clock radio with a Linn speaker on it. Using old speakers is a HARD job. One that more than one video could be made about, along with tools and techniques of rebuilding and measuring speakers and their many, many ways of installing them.
Hi.Help I'm stuck Have a Ferguson 3R05 Transistor Radio(Thorn Electronics) with no schematic.Cleaned all switches and co-roded terminals from water damage and replaced rotted speaker cone. I Pulled off speaker wires and battery wires from pcb. Would appreciate some guidance where wires came from and where to ideally look.
Love your attention to detail in your videos
Ss.Uk
"I'm going to attach an isolation capacitor..." How do we know what size/capacity to use for this purpose? In the video it looks like it is a 0.02 uF 600V ceramic capacitor but I cannot sure.
Out of all the a.m. radios I can’t believe you don’t come across one Spanish-speaking station because here in New York that’s all there are there are no more English-speaking stations on a.m. oh wait a minute maybe one🤷🏻♂️ 😂😂😂
nixie tubes look amazing)
WAY off topic reply here, but, I'll do it any way......There are many guys out here that are DIY types that use a plasma cutter
in many of their projects.....Almost All of them have a short electrical life because the designs are brute force with little
or mostly NO power sharing circuits.....There is scant to No wiring diagrams in circulation.....Seems like a ripe project
for your circuit diagnostic skills and how to make it better, teaching.....What do you think?
Watching Mr Carlson's videos is therapy for me.
I was imagining the process of building these radios back in the day.
Mr Carlson. I have a Sentlinal 72A radio, I have had an issue with two schematics showing the coupling and decoupling capacitors. One shows 1 and the other shows .1 micro F. Which do you think is correct?
I learn something new with each video Mr Carlson puts on TH-cam. I signed up for Patreon with him as I can't wait to learn more. He provides great background as to why he's doing a procedure, unlike a lot of other "electronics" videos where it's mainly snip and solder components. His trouble shooting steps and explanations are superb.
I'm just starting my life's promise to myself, grandma and family some 52 years ago (at the age of 11) of restoring our family's 8S463 Zenith. It was heard that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor on this set, and as late as the 1960's it was condemned by a local radio shoppe as being "not worth the expense". Now after three generations it's on my bench and when finished in my sons living room. Thanks to Mr. Carlson's lab and others like Chango66, Thattubesound, Tvradiophononut, Bandersentv, radiorepair and several others ....this now retired IC Electronic Instrumentation Major is going forward. Thank God and thank you Mr. Carlson.
Thanks for your very kind comment! I'm glad to be a part of your journey.
So, I assume you are using the AC probe on the Sentinel 26 D/U with the probe ground lead on the chassis and the alligator clip from the tip to the grid of the output tube? Thanks.
Mr Carlson you have instresing information on shortwave receivers 👍👍👍👍👍👍😎😎👍👍😎👍
Anyone interested in buying a working Strobotac? Type 1531 made by general Radio Company.
It’s out of alignment because of the changes in components. It’s that way on all radios with changes. Always perform an alignment after such changes.
I have a nice old GEC radio to align but most of the numbers have rubbed off the dial... makes it a bit tricky! maybe i should just make up some arbitrary spots at each end of the range to tune to? :(
That is a very efficient way of aligning that radio and it shows what you can really do when you have the proper equipment to do it with. And you think that radio is fun, try a Philco 116X radio sometime and that set has five bands and also a RME 69 radio and that set has six bands. That set is not easy to find and it also has a preselector set which makes the radio really sensitive.
The six band sets really make short wave listening a lot more fun once you get the set working. This guy is very bright and I wish the best for him.
Aah, the sound of tuning in for channels! All that squeeling and screetching...
Digital radio is simply boring.
In another video with this radio you said you have to do the alignment with the metal cover on or it would throw things out. I didn't really understand that comment, but I also see you are not making adjustments with the lid on, so now I'm more confused! (I have worked on tube amps but not tube radio/receivers).