'68 Silvertone AM/FM table radio

[radiotvnut]

I bought this odd looking '68 Silvertone AM/FM radio off ebay. It's a solid state line operated hot chassis set that was built by Arvin for Sears. When I got it, I had to replace the speaker; but, I think the caps are starting to go bad. Actually, the main reason I bought this is because my Mother had one just like it as a teenager.

[Reece]

That really is different. Young designer: "Why do we have to make radios that look like radios? Let's make one that looks like a Dodge Dart!"

[Sandy G]

Put new caps in it, & let it be a memorial to yr Mom..You'll appreciate it as you get older & yr Mom has gone on...

[bgadow]

I've got one of 'em, lately it's been the main radio I listen to when I'm up in the radio room. Arvin/Sears came up with some very modern designs around that time. I have the catalog entry for this set. Guess I should pull it out and scan it someday.

[ctc17]

I have run into several radios lately with bad speakers but never before what's up with that.

[Electronic M]

[in an action movie intro voice]With the worlds supply of quality speakers and amps already eaten up, audiophiles turn to junky table radios in desperation.....

[maxhifi]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

[in an action movie intro voice]With the worlds supply of quality speakers and amps already eaten up, audiophiles turn to junky table radios in desperation.....

Speaking of which, one of these days, against all better judgement, I do intend to build a "sweet sixteen"

http://homepage.mac.com/planet10/TLS...s/Sweet-16.pdf

I understand why it is technically a bad idea, but it's a project I've always wanted to do. In 2003 I almost bought a house which had one built in, in the basement - once it sunk in that I was contemplating buying a house based on a 40 year old DIY speaker project, I decided to move on.

But where on earth to get 16 speakers? I've tried ebay, and got 3 or 4 of the specified Quam speakers. I could easily take them out of radios I never use, but it seems somehow unethical.

Back on topic, I like Silvertone stuff a lot... looks like my main use AM radio, and my best old TV are both Silvertone now.

[Reece]

Don't bother building a sweet sixteen! Back around 1961 or so I helped my bro-in-law build one. It took 16 - 5" speakers wired up series/parallel in some circuit to come up with 8 or 16 ohms, I forget which. It was quite disappointing. It sounded like an enormous 5" speaker! Lots of volume but no more bass than a 5" speaker. The theory was all those cones would move a lot of air and make bass, but all it did was make volume. The speaker has to have the frequency response to do it. You could stack up sixteen AA5 radios with 4 or 5 inch speakers and see what I mean.

[maxhifi]

Originally Posted by Reece

Don't bother building a sweet sixteen! Back around 1961 or so I helped my bro-in-law build one. It took 16 - 5" speakers wired up series/parallel in some circuit to come up with 8 or 16 ohms, I forget which. It was quite disappointing. It sounded like an enormous 5" speaker! Lots of volume but no more bass than a 5" speaker. The theory was all those cones would move a lot of air and make bass, but all it did was make volume. The speaker has to have the frequency response to do it. You could stack up sixteen AA5 radios with 4 or 5 inch speakers and see what I mean.

That's cool you guys built one when the article was current! I didn't learn about the concept until about ten years ago.

I have done enough research on the topic to understand why it's a bad idea. An engineer from Jensen wrote a critique of the Sweet 16 a year or two after the original article which was published in AUDIO magazine. The engineer compared it to an inexpensive two way speaker made by Jensen, and found the Jensen speaker significantly better in almost every measurable way including size and cost. The only thing the 16 had going for it was efficiency, and midrange distortion was quite low.

My motivation behind wanting one tends more towards the experience of completing the project, than the ultimate result. That and the not so easy task of rounding up 16 close to identical 50 year old speakers.

[zenithfan1]

That's really cool! I've seen similar but never one just like that. I had a Silvertone that was more of an upright design with pointy knobs, I broke it when I was a teenager....and also stole the clock motor to fix a '63 Admiral, still have that at least.

[Reece]

Re: Sweet Sixteen: back then some of the radio supply houses ran specials on sixteen speakers for this project. They were just ordinary replacement speakers. I'll bet you could do it today using modern "fuller" range speakers available at many on-line electronic suppliers. You could use 5 or 6", but I'll bet a handful of full-range 8" speakers would sound good.