Jackson Bell Model 556 - I.F. Transformer Troubleshooting & Repair Attempt
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Restoration continues on the Jackson Bell model 556 from 1936/1937. In addition to the open/shorted power transformer, I have since discovered the 2nd I.F. transformer primary winding to be open; most likely occurred at the time of the power transformer failure. Join me as I break down the transformer and try to isolate the root cause of the failure followed by my repair efforts.
The playlist for the series:
• Jackson Bell Model 556
Thanks for watching and subscribing to my channel on vintage radio repair and other related circuits.
#RestoreOldRadios
I wish other electronic content creators would make very good edited videos like this
Thank you John, much appreciated. Best, Don
You are so casual in repairing the coil of an IF transformer I almost believe I can do it! Steve
Steve, I’m confident you can as well. These things in the past intimidated the heck out of me, but nothing to fear and only knowledge and skill to gain even when you’re not successful. All the best. Don
That radio has the worst problems to fix, you did a great job on the IF primary coil Don.
Thank you Jim. Hopefully it will work out, if not I have a landfill close by. LOL Best, Don
Oh my goodness, what a radio with these coil issues. I hope brighter findings looks better down the road Don.
Thank you Tony, that makes 2+ of us. Best, Don
Great video Don! Im going to have to build one of those coil winders! Im waiting on you to rewind the transformer ….lol…the last transformer I rewound was 45 years ago😬. Thanks for sharing…Take Care-Larry
Thank you Larry. I’m designIng a new coil winder on paper (and in my head) now; not sure when I will try building a prototype, but it leverages some of my stepper motors and Arduino. Best, Don
Another helpful video. I had a open coil on the 2nd IF. After watching your video, I reflowed the solder and noticed one coil wire in the lug appeared to be loose. I found that is was actually broken. Luckily I got the Litz wire to eventually hold and the radio is up and running. Thanks again !
That’s great! I’m glad you were successful and gave it a try. Thanks for reaching out and sharing your experience. Best, Don
Such detailed detective work on that coil Don, great repair! It should perform as good as new sir!
Hope it does Gregg, time will tell once I get the PT in place. Best, Don
I am in the midst of restoring a Zenith 6D510 and discovered your channel while researching I.F. transformer issues. Then I spotted some eye candy in this one. You actually rewind those crazy I.F. coils! You "da man" behind the curtain for sure! I can hardly solder that litz wire let alone rewind a coil! Do you have a video where we can see more of your homebrew device? Excuse me while I go find my jaw, I dropped it here somewhere!
Hi Jim - thanks for watching and reaching out. Check out the link below to my playlist on the coil winders I’ve built. The Honeycomb winder is included in the playlist. Feel free to reach out if you need anything. Best, Don
Coil Winder for Making Custom Coils
th-cam.com/play/PLjLu4V-71S1LDUBVU7zud_XtGxagnTzoU.html
Very nice, I can’t wait to see if it works.
Phillip, that makes two of us. Thanks for following the series. Best, Don
I think others have said it for me. Brilliant.
Thank you Terry, much appreciated. Best, Don
Don, your patience and love for restoring these things always impresses me and inspires me. Well done my friend - your videos alway serve to teach us.. love it
Thank you Ron. It’s a good test of my patience and definitely stretches my skills and knowledge. Thanks again for your encouraging words. Best, Don
I am amazed how you are able to fix blown transformers, speakers and field coils and recreate missing and damaged cabinet parts for these old radios. You restore sets I would have considered parts donors and make them look and work like new. The zenith 707 is a perfect example of that. I'm sure this one will turn out just as well. Thanks for putting in the time and effort to make these videos. They push me to go beyond the typical recap job.
He is amazing. I don't think anyone else on TH-cam can pull off what Don does in a casual manner. He has made me a little braver as well.
Thank you Dan. It’s been a rewarding hobby for me and definitely pushed my skill levels to the edge. Again, I truly appreciate your kind words and taking time to watch my content. All the best. Don
Impressive rewinding skills. I've seen guys modify fishing reels to do that job. Not sure I have the patience for that. I'll go as far as to wind a few turns around a power transformer to create an isolated, low voltage supply for a blue-tooth adapter, but that's about as far as I go with that kind of thing. If I can't get a replacement transformer I would probably give up, but I suppose it depends on if I really want the set to work bad enough.
Thanks for watching and reaching out. I’ve seen some very clever, but simple winding jigs. It does test my patience at times, but being only a hobby as time permits makes it less stressful and therapeutic, or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. Best, Don
This is fairly awesome.
Thank you Dan, I appreciate you watching. Best, Don
Nice job, enjoyed the video....Leo
Thank you Leo. Happy New Year. Best, Don
Thanks Don. That is your usual very clever repair. I have always wondered what would happen if the IF was out of phase. Do you know or can you predict?
Thank you Ian. In most cases an out of phase I.F. Transformer is not a game changer. You may see a reduction in gain and or distortion, so I try to be mindful of this when rewiring/reinstalling. For years, I never gave this any thought nor validated until I ran across the distortion issue that got me looking. Best, Don
In winding a coil to match a schematic, which is more important to match - the inductance or the DC resistance?
Wendell - the inductance to create a LC circuit that resonants at the desired frequency, for this receiver 456 kHz. The low DC resistance of the coil has no impact on the B+. Thanks for reaching out and watching. Best, Don
As always, a very good job...
By the way, soldering litz wire, to me, is a boring task.
Bests.
Valdir - the Litz wire can be frustrating to work with for sure. I usually squeeze (ever so lightly) the Litz wire between some 400 grit sandpaper and make a few passes, clean with Alcohol then twist the conductors together and apply a few drops of CircuitWorks CW 3220 liquid rosin on the wire before soldering. Thanks again for reaching out. Best, Don
I think most people would've turned this radio into a parts chassis congratulations going two steps beyond.
Thank you Mack. It definitely keeps my mind working. LOL Again, I appreciate you reaching out and watching. Best, Don