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Vintage Car Radio
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British heritage cars



Joined: 10 Nov 2010
Posts: 202

PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:16 pm    Post subject: Vintage Car Radio Reply with quote

Hallo Folks,

Does anyone have experiance with vintage car radio's?
I've bought this original car radio for my Austin Devon.
But I don't know where to start.

Kind regards,
Jonathan







Kind regards,
Jonathan
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traction39



Joined: 19 May 2009
Posts: 399
Location: South Wales

PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here you go:

Info from http://www.classaxe.com/wireless/data/

Make: Masteradio
Model: 700
Features:
Date: 1948


Wavebands: LW:140-350KHz
MW:520-1550KHz

IF Freq: 465KHz

Devices: 6K8GT, (12K8), 6K7GT, (12K7), 6Q7GT, 12Q7, 6V6GT, (12A6), VIB:067, (VIB:127)
Power: Car:6V / Car:12V

Notes: Car radio with 4 position selector and manual tuning and internal speaker. Type 067 vibrator for 6V, type 127 for 12V

If you can decide whether it is a pos or negative earth radio, you could wire it up with an aerial plugged in and see if it turns on /tunes.

If you are not an expert in electronics I would suggest an expert help in restoring. It will be expensive...but an expert can add FM/ipod/?DAB? without any external changes...well usually. i.e use the same tuning buttons.
I have been up this route and the radio has still not been fitted! Instead, I use a modern radio hidden away under the dash!
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British heritage cars



Joined: 10 Nov 2010
Posts: 202

PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

traction39 wrote:
Here you go:

Info from http://www.classaxe.com/wireless/data/

Make: Masteradio
Model: 700
Features:
Date: 1948


Wavebands: LW:140-350KHz
MW:520-1550KHz

IF Freq: 465KHz

Devices: 6K8GT, (12K8), 6K7GT, (12K7), 6Q7GT, 12Q7, 6V6GT, (12A6), VIB:067, (VIB:127)
Power: Car:6V / Car:12V

Notes: Car radio with 4 position selector and manual tuning and internal speaker. Type 067 vibrator for 6V, type 127 for 12V

If you can decide whether it is a pos or negative earth radio, you could wire it up with an aerial plugged in and see if it turns on /tunes.

If you are not an expert in electronics I would suggest an expert help in restoring. It will be expensive...but an expert can add FM/ipod/?DAB? without any external changes...well usually. i.e use the same tuning buttons.
I have been up this route and the radio has still not been fitted! Instead, I use a modern radio hidden away under the dash!


Thanks allot!
That will be a great help!
A friend of me (who is quit an expert) will help we.
W'll also try to make it possible to put an MP3 player on the same speaker if all goes well!
I just want to hear vintage music out if it and not modern radio, that's why w'll try to fit an MP3 conector.

Kind regards,
Jonathan
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British heritage cars



Joined: 10 Nov 2010
Posts: 202

PostPosted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hallo Folks,

Today I opend it! And it looks so complicated.
Can anyone give me some advise what to do?
And what some components are for?
It's like I opend a paondorabox Laughing






Kind regards,
Jonathan
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traction39



Joined: 19 May 2009
Posts: 399
Location: South Wales

PostPosted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As I said....maybe left to an expert Laughing

The vibrator takes the 6/12VDC power and generates a low voltage AC signal to feed the transformer, and increases the voltage. i.e. powers the tubes.
Some of the capacitors will be the old paper electrolyte and dried out causing a short.
Wiring may need replacing...and all components required to be tested for correct/weak outputs.
As I found, by the time you have searched for spare components and correctly identified what is good and bad...replaced everything that needs to be...an expert is sounding extremely tempting allbeit expensive. If you shop around, some do not charge the earth. Think of the price of a modern-day, car radio DAB/mp3/DVD player or should I call it "head", and that is about how much it may cost you for the repair!
I wouldn't know where to start and I'm not trying to put you off Smile
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's a fabulous radio, really nice, I too would be very tempted to get a professional to look at it.

RJ
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British heritage cars



Joined: 10 Nov 2010
Posts: 202

PostPosted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Guys!

I will try to find an expert here in Belgium. And I hope to find an expert that let me look while he is dooing it and give some information, I want to learn something about that!
Today in school ( I study car mechanics) I asket my teachers who gives me elektrics what he thinks about it? What to change, what to do, and if we could have a look at it..
He just answerd " just put electricity on it and see what it does'' I said are you sure, I don't want the radio to start to burn or something like that..
And He said " ow is it realy that much worth for you? I woud'nt care''... Sad Rolling Eyes
He couldn't give a more stupid answer..

Kind regards,
Jonathan
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4100
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

I'd agree with your teacher and "just put electricity in it".... but use this approach that was adopted by the military, who often had to commision electronic equipment that had been in stores for long periods; your school has probably got a low voltage variable power supply, rather than connecting 12v straight away set the power supply to 3v, leave it on for 10 mins, then increase it to 4v for 10 mins , and carry on until you are up to the full 12v.

This does 2 things;

1) it encourges electrolitic capacitors to self heal (old ones may just go pop with a full 12v)

2) if there is a short circuit fault in the set a lower voltage may do less futher damage.

Shame my Dad is still not around, he used to build his own valve sets, and would have had some more detailed advice.

Oh and keep your fingers out as there will be some high voltages in the set Shocked Shocked

Dave
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British heritage cars



Joined: 10 Nov 2010
Posts: 202

PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ukdave2002 wrote:
Hi

I'd agree with your teacher and "just put electricity in it".... but use this approach that was adopted by the military, who often had to commision electronic equipment that had been in stores for long periods; your school has probably got a low voltage variable power supply, rather than connecting 12v straight away set the power supply to 3v, leave it on for 10 mins, then increase it to 4v for 10 mins , and carry on until you are up to the full 12v.

This does 2 things;

1) it encourges electrolitic capacitors to self heal (old ones may just go pop with a full 12v)

2) if there is a short circuit fault in the set a lower voltage may do less futher damage.

Shame my Dad is still not around, he used to build his own valve sets, and would have had some more detailed advice.

Oh and keep your fingers out as there will be some high voltages in the set Shocked Shocked

Dave


Thanks for the tip, I will try to do it next week in school if the Theacher allows me..
Will tell you the results afterwards..

Kind regards,
Jonathan
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Churchill Johnson



Joined: 11 Jan 2011
Posts: 359
Location: Rayleigh Essex

PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you do find someone to look at it and a valve is faulty let me know i have a few new one's but they may not be the one's you want but again, you never know.
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peter scott



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 7113
Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 11:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Jonathan,

It will almost certainly be positive earth and I see that the vibrator says 12 volts on it so the set must be configured for 12 volt operation.

As has been said previously the main components that go wrong with age are the capacitors. They are the tubular things that have values marked in units of uF and will normally also have their working voltage marked on them.

Whilst just applying power to the set can be a quick way of spotting what's wrong with it, you must do it with the covers off and keep your nose and eyes alert for any overheating components. It's as well to turn it on initially just sufficient time for the valves to heat up (no more than a minute) then disconnect the power and feel around looking for hot components.

Old capacitors tend to become short circuits and when this happens they can draw excessive currents through resistors, transformers and valves that they are connected to. If you leave the set on for any length of time in this condition then you may cause irrepairable damage to components that are not easy to source.

For someone without any circuit knowledge it can be sensible just to replace all the capacitors that have units of uF. You will also see smaller capacitors with units of pF but these are not normally a problem.

I hope this helps.

Peter
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rangerover125



Joined: 26 Jun 2009
Posts: 262

PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2012 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ukdave2002 wrote:
Hi

I'd agree with your teacher and "just put electricity in it".... but use this approach that was adopted by the military, who often had to commision electronic equipment that had been in stores for long periods; your school has probably got a low voltage variable power supply, rather than connecting 12v straight away set the power supply to 3v, leave it on for 10 mins, then increase it to 4v for 10 mins , and carry on until you are up to the full 12v.

This does 2 things;

1) it encourges electrolitic capacitors to self heal (old ones may just go pop with a full 12v)

2) if there is a short circuit fault in the set a lower voltage may do less futher damage.

Shame my Dad is still not around, he used to build his own valve sets, and would have had some more detailed advice.

Oh and keep your fingers out as there will be some high voltages in the set Shocked Shocked

Dave


I agree with everything Dave said, do not apply full voltage and watch where you put your fingers. I work on car radios and similar items all day, up to 1970s so a mixture of valve stuff and transistor and always on valve stuff bring the voltage up gradually.
The lovely wax capacitors do tend to leak, the other thing that can happen is contacts burning out on the vibrator pack.
Just shout if you need any help. Steve
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Raymond



Joined: 13 May 2014
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Fri May 16, 2014 6:46 pm    Post subject: classic Radio Reply with quote

Hi jonathan. if not to late DONT PUT 12V STR8 INTO IT. CONTACT the VINTAGE CAR RADIO company they are on the web. please seek EXPERT advice. look on the web site for a company that understands these old radios. it would be a great shame if it was put beyond repair due to being to hasty....... its survived this long..give it a fighting chance. Ray
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