GE A-66 new refurbish job - Page 12 - Videokarma.org TV - Video

Reece · #**166** 03-13-2010, 01:25 PM

So you're saying that wire from the antenna terminal to the center of S1 was not there, even though shown on both the pictorial and the schematic? So any antenna you connected to the "A" terminal did nothing, until now? That's bizarre. Somebody must have taken that out in the past. There's no way that could have got out of the factory like that.....is there???

de.facto7 · #**167** 03-13-2010, 01:48 PM

I have no idea. But the spot on the S1 is clean other than the oxidation and coating stuff. Nothing has been soldered there before. It even has kind of an ornate design on it. Maybe it were meant to have the choice of using the terminal or being clipped onto by an external antenna. Maybe the original owner or seller didn't know that. Just guessing.

Check an original picture from the un-refurbished radio. The antenna is connected to another spot. I left that one there.

de.facto7 · #**168** 03-13-2010, 02:08 PM

a better shot....

Reece · #**169** 03-13-2010, 08:00 PM

This has been a trip, hasn't it?

OK, what's your next project?

sean · #**170** 03-13-2010, 08:56 PM

So the terminal that I have circled is the one you are saying nothing was ever connected to? Is that braid that is soldered to that terminal? If so, does it go to the tuning capacitor?

de.facto7 · #**171** 03-13-2010, 09:09 PM

Well, first I'm going to refinish the rather ornate box it's housed in. I think it will be a very nice piece of furniture. Then I thought I would build a tube controlled proton accelerator

This antique radio stuff really is an interesting hobby. It is sad sometimes when I come to the end of a project like this and I just stand there looking at it and wonder what else needs to be done. I just want to keep on tweaking but there isn't anything else to do. The same thing happened after spending 2 months rebuilding my 1973 Sansui QRX-7001 which was the first time working with audio equipment. I learned so much during that period. Then afterward I didn't want to close the box. Tube radio is such a different animal that it's like a whole new technological jump. The thing is I seem to be jumping backward and it gets more interesting as I go. What would be the next thing... smoke signals?

Thanks for all the help. I hope I can come across another old radio sometime. I'll be looking I'm sure.

I'll post a picture or 2 when I dig my camera out again.

de.facto7 · #**172** 03-13-2010, 09:14 PM

Ooops, Sean just posted. Yes, it's hooked to the tuning cap on top. What I'm talking about is the terminal (ring) just below the braid (same thing). The antenna was/is connected to the other side of that bus. To my feeble logic, It doesn't seem that it would make any difference which side it was hooked to... but it sure does. Now the antenna is hooked to both sides and works better than I thought it could.

leadlike · #**173** 03-13-2010, 09:28 PM

How about a picture of the cabinet that you are going to refinish? Oh, and did the radio come with its knobs? If not, I have some GE knobs from that period that may be helpful...

de.facto7 · #**174** 03-13-2010, 09:31 PM

Thanks! It has it's knobs. I even polished them up a bit. Pictures are coming!

de.facto7 · #**175** 03-13-2010, 09:59 PM

Here's a couple of pix....

leadlike · #**176** 03-14-2010, 12:19 PM

That is a nice little set! The cabinet is especially lovely. Were you going to do a full refinish, stripping off the old and put a new coat of lacquer on; or touch up the original?

sean · #**177** 03-14-2010, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by de.facto7

Ooops, Sean just posted. Yes, it's hooked to the tuning cap on top. What I'm talking about is the terminal (ring) just below the braid (same thing). The antenna was/is connected to the other side of that bus. To my feeble logic, It doesn't seem that it would make any difference which side it was hooked to... but it sure does. Now the antenna is hooked to both sides and works better than I thought it could.

It seems that you bypassed the primaries of the antenna transformers (L1 & L3) and are connecting the antenna directly to the secondaries (L2 & L4). I'm not sure why it works better with the way you are connecting it but if it works it works.

Unless your cabinet looks much worse than it does in the photo I would suggest trying to restore the finish rather than strip it and refinish it. I use a mixture of 1 part boiled linseed oil, 1 part turpentine, and 1 part white vinegar to refresh old finishes. I usually apply with #0000 steel wool in the direction of the grain and then wipe it off with a clean rag. If you apply it two or three times it looks much better than just once. It will also help remove paint splatter. There are other products on the market for restoring finishes but I have not tried them. If you still don't like the way it looks after using a restoration solution then you can always strip and refinish.

de.facto7 · #**178** 03-14-2010, 06:55 PM

Stripping is always the last possible solution for me. I hate that. Thanks for the tips. What I was planning to do was experiment with the finish and find out what it is exactly then go from there. I usually just start with a thorough cleaning. That tells me a lot about the surface. I will probably do a little hand work in the crevasses where the oils and dirt have accumulated over the years. What looks like paint is much simpler than it looks. It's candle wax that has dripped on long ago. If anything, it has preserved it. It's an easy clean. Or I could do some '70s "antiquing" where you paint it with avocado green then beat it with a chain, paint it again with another shade then use the chain again. Whoever thought up that "antiquing" process should be shot. I have seen more ruined hardwood furniture than I want to think about. No.. I'll be careful with the surface restoration and try to make it as near original as possible.

As far as the antenna, since the original connection to the terminal is from the opposite side of that bus, maybe that side has something wrong with it. It should be the same antenna source no matter which side it's connected to. But it's not. BTW, did I say that all the other strange things such as tapping the tubes and the volume changes have also disappeared since this connection? Is bypassing the primary a bad thing or less desirable? Maybe I should be looking into why it has to be connected this way.

Thanks Sean.

sean · #**179** 03-15-2010, 07:58 AM

The only things I can think of that would cause a problem with the signal passing from the antenna through the primary and into the secondary winding are a bad or dirty connection through the band switch or bad primary windings. However your resistance measurements seem correct for these coils. I don't think GE had an issue with the antenna transformers (or coils) like Philco did but I have found fried antenna coils that had a good resistance measurement. It probably isn't worth the trouble to take the cover off of the antenna transformer to inspect the coils. Bypassing the primary could cause some issues on shortwave with the radio drifting off of a station if the antenna is moved, touched, or you come into proximity of it. I don't think it is a big deal. I like to find out why a radio does not work properly when it is wired the way it is supposed to be wired. Just my own curiosity. Please don't delve into it further just for my sake.

de.facto7 · #**180** 03-15-2010, 10:31 AM

I have inspected the all coils pretty closely. I see no over heating, breakage, or corrosion at sight with a magnifier. I'm sure there could be things I don't readily see.

Out of curiosity, what do you do if there is a problem with a coil? What kind of fixes if any are applied to various problems?