Posted by Wayne Parham [ 66.137.59.113 ] on November 05, 2003 at 12:31:58:
In Reply to: Re: Rider CD's posted by Neo on November 05, 2003 at 11:31:27:
Sometimes dating is difficult unless the model is popular. Let me know the model number and I'll look it up and see if I have any more information. Most old radios used speakers with a field coil, that was popular in most tube radios prior to the 1950's. The tube compliment is a good clue, that helps indicate date of manufacture, at least within a decade or so. I find that many of the radios with two-digit part number tubes are late twenties and thirties models. I've seen them used in radios through the 1940's. Tubes with part numbers that indicate filament voltage - like 6EU7 - are generally in radios from the 1940's up.
I almost always swap all the capacitors in old tube radios. Seems those old capacitors are usually bad or at least weak. Wires with cloth insulation are usually still good but those with plastic should probably be replaced. The plastic becomes brittle and cracks off, exposing the conductor. It's a pain but worth it to get a spool of cloth-insulated wire and replace all the wiring, one section at a time. Same thing on the power cord, replace it if frayed. I've fixed a bunch of old tube radios, and sometimes every tube is good, it just needs capacitors and TLC.
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