Author Archives: jwk

How to Read Capacitor Codes

Posted on January 24, 2016 by jwk

I ended up with a massive stash of mil-spec CDE Mica caps recently, and was searching for a refresher on decoding their military part numbers like “CM05FD221GP3”, since the caps came marked for their values but not their voltage ratings. … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, DIY, Electronics | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Philips High Fidelity Laboratories 673 Tuner Repair and Alignment

Posted on January 4, 2016 by jwk

This Philips 673 tuner just came through the shop for an overhaul and adjustment. It was working for the most part but the alignment had shifted and there was room for improvement on the sound quality. Philips designed this tuner … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Radio, Vintage | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

HH Scott 233 Stereo Integrated Amplifier Overhaul

Posted on December 31, 2015 by jwk

I was lucky enough to get to work on a very nice Scott 233 stereo integrated amplifier. This example was wonderfully well preserved, coming out of a storage unit looking like it had just left the showroom floor. Unfortunately, though, … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Radios and Tubes, Stereo, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Service Shortcuts December 1932

Posted on December 30, 2015 by jwk

Due to a technical problem, this post was initially published with no content on Tuesday, December 29th. Retrovoltage regrets this error. Hints for the service shop, from December 1932’s Radio Retailing: A.V.C. Accessory for Screen-Grid Sets by Joseph E. Soos A … Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas from Retrovoltage!

Posted on December 25, 2015 by jwk

Radio & Television News, December 1954

Posted in Collections, Commentary, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

What’s On Your Workbench?

Posted on December 20, 2015 by jwk

People ask me what kind of gear I use at Retrovoltage for projects. So, here we go: While it’s by no means the best-equipped workbench out there, it has a good mix of lab- and service-grade equipment which can take care … Continue reading →

Posted in Collections, Commentary, Test Equipment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Posted on December 16, 2015 by jwk

Bring the Sound of Christmas Into Your Home with RCA Victor Radio

Posted in Collections, Commentary, Vintage | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Collector or Bargain-Hunter? There are Craigslist deals out there.

Posted on December 12, 2015 by jwk

If you’re like me and have a liking for vintage electronics, you’ll know that they turn up in a lot of places. Craigslist tends to be a pretty good spot for radios and even piles of tubes from time to … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Make Christmas Special This Year with Allied Radio!

Posted on December 9, 2015 by jwk
Posted in Collections, Commentary, Vintage | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Enjoying the View

Posted on December 5, 2015 by jwk

I don’t know about you, but I think a huge satellite dish like that that would be a pretty cool, retrofuturistic yard decoration in addition to being interesting for a lot of other applications.

Posted in Collections, Projects | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments