Finally snagged a Zenith tube radio

[mhardy6647]

Originally Posted by gearhead

Please translate!
I have several tube radios, & I'm about 1/2 scared of plugging them in.
I'd like to update them so I can use them.
Nice looking radio, Snade! Got any nudie shots, or are you keeping those under your mattress?

No power transformer; all voltages are taken directly from the AC line. Since there's no transformer in the power supply, such equipment could, in theory, be operated from a DC power source. Thus the "AC-DC" moniker.

The filaments of all the tubes are in series and add up to 120 V (more or less). Note the 35 and 19 V filament tubes in the schematic. The 7 tubes' filament voltages sum to 108V (if I am reading the top left tube as a 6V).

I have one of these radios at home, too. It's possible that there's an isolating 1:1 transformer in this set between you and the electric grid, but I don't think so...