Author Archives: jwk

The Speaker Spotter – February 14th, 2016

Posted on February 14, 2016 by jwk

Another installment of the occasional series “The Speaker Spotter”, showcasing interesting speakers for sale right now on the local Seattle Craigslist. As always, I am not affiliated with any of these postings. If the linked ad doesn’t load, it’s likely … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Collections, Speakers | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

ARCANE RADIO TRIVIA: Electric Banana

Posted on February 13, 2016 by jwk

Arcane Radio Trivia found a really cool banana-inspired portable record player, allegedly from the Andy Warhol era. Plays in any position…even upside down! I’d love to see one of these in person. I wonder how many were ever manufactured in … Continue reading →

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Like Classic Receivers? Check Out This Blog

Posted on February 3, 2016 by jwk

If you’re reading this, you’re probably at least somewhat interested in vintage stereo gear, since that’s a huge amount of what I work on. There’s a lot of it out there! I just discovered a great new blog that showcases … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Internet | Tagged , | 2 Comments

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

Bose® 901 Series IV Active Equalizer #501554 Overhaul and Upgrade

Posted on January 20, 2016 by jwk

From the Rain City Audio Repair Blog: This Bose® 901 Series IV Active Equalizer, serial #501554, came into the shop with the owner reporting that it loses output on one channel and the sound degrades the longer it is powered … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Bose, Electronics, Projects | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Bose® 901 Series II Active Equalizer #107915 Repaired

Posted on January 6, 2016 by jwk

From the Rain City Audio Repair Blog: This Bose® 901 Series II Active Equalizer, serial #107915, came through the shop for a repair. The owner reported it was developing the typical age-related problems, so it was time for an overhaul! … Continue reading →

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Philips High Fidelity Laboratories 673 Tuner Repair and Alignment

Posted on January 4, 2016 by jwk

From the Rain City Audio Repair Blog: 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 … Continue reading →

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

Bose® 901 Series IV Active Equalizer #219533 Overhaul

Posted on January 2, 2016 by jwk

From the Rain City Audio Repair Blog: This Bose® 901 Series IV Active Equalizer, serial #219533, came through the shop for an overhaul. The owner was reporting the left channel went out, so it’s clearly time for an overhaul! A … Continue reading →

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HH Scott 233 Stereo Integrated Amplifier Overhaul

Posted on December 31, 2015 by jwk

From the Rain City Audio repair blog: 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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Radios and Tubes, Stereo, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 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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