Author Archives: retrovoltage

Repairing Antique Radio Electrics from Start to Finish (3) – Grunow 589

Posted on April 26, 2011 by retrovoltage

Update: The series is complete. For more articles and information, visit these other posts: Part 1: Identification and Task List Part 2: Intake Checks Part 3: Capacitor Replacement Part 4: Resistors and Controls Part 5: First Power-Up Part 6: Socket … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Repairing Antique Radio Electrics from Start to Finish (2) – Grunow 589

Posted on April 22, 2011 by retrovoltage

Update: The series is complete. For more articles and information, visit these other posts: Part 1: Identification and Task List Part 2: Intake Checks Part 3: Capacitor Replacement Part 4: Resistors and Controls Part 5: First Power-Up Part 6: Socket … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Repairing Antique Radio Electrics from Start to Finish (1) – Grunow 589

Posted on April 20, 2011 by retrovoltage

Update: The series is complete. For more articles and information, visit these other posts: Part 1: Identification and Task List Part 2: Intake Checks Part 3: Capacitor Replacement Part 4: Resistors and Controls Part 5: First Power-Up Part 6: Socket … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Stromberg-Carlson 520-PG: After Action Report

Posted on April 18, 2011 by retrovoltage

My Stromberg-Carlson 520-PG (previous parts 1 2) is finally finished! The radio came out ahead of my expectations, even, and was delivered to its new home yesterday where I expect it will continue to serve for years to come. See … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Stromberg-Carlson 520-PG Nearing Completion

Posted on April 13, 2011 by retrovoltage

My current main project, refurbishing my Stromberg-Carlson 520-PG radio (which has been a fair amount of fun so far) is nearing completion. I’ve just completed an IF alignment, which greatly improved the sound quality and volume and general performance. Radios … Continue reading →

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EICO 221 VTVM Dial Scale

Posted on April 7, 2011 by retrovoltage

In a fit of clumsiness, I sent my EICO 221 VTVM flying off my bench and it struck the ground pretty hard. Not bad for its first major accident since 1959. Everything survived…except the sensitive meter movement, which snapped a … Continue reading →

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Refurbishing Vintage Sansui SP2500 Speakers (Crossover Repair)

Posted on April 5, 2011 by retrovoltage

I’m always keeping my eyes out for interesting vintage hi-fi speakers from the ’60s-’70s, and found a nice set of Sansui SP2500s on Craigslist. Produced between 1960 and 1974, these beautiful walnut speakers are solid and very heavy – definitely … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Projects, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

Showcase: Homemade 1930s-Style AM Radio Transmitter

Posted on April 5, 2011 by retrovoltage

Radio hobbyist Jon the Grimm built this beautiful “homebrew” AM transmitter using tube technology, in the style of an original 1930s radio transmitter. Operating under Part 15 regulations, his transmitter has achieved a short range – perfect for feeding modern … Continue reading →

Posted in Collections, Commentary, Radios and Tubes | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Old Radio Detective Work

Posted on March 25, 2011 by retrovoltage

I’m still working on my 1941 Stromberg-Carlson 520-PG and am running into a few new problems I’ve never come across before. Back in the era of tube radios, everything was serviceable on a component level and most people had enough aptitude and … Continue reading →

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Review of Victor 3165 Frequency Counter

Posted on March 14, 2011 by retrovoltage

A frequency counter is an important part of any electronics service bench where it’s necessary to deal with unknown signals. I used them to verify the operation of my RF signal generator while performing alignments on tube radios, because I’m … Continue reading →

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