Author Archives: jwk

Play Quake 1 on an Oscilloscope

Posted on December 29, 2014 by jwk

Pekka Väänänen must have been bored over the holidays, as he came up with a fantastic and fascinating new use for an oscilloscope and a laptop: playing a round of Quake on his Hitachi V-422 scope in X-Y mode.   After … Continue reading →

Posted in Computers, DIY, Electronics, Gadgets | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Watch a McIntosh Tube Amp Come to Life

Posted on December 27, 2014 by jwk

Discovery’s How It’s Made shows us how a McIntosh vacuum tube audio amplifier comes to life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HgS6gvokEI Definitely worth watching!

Posted in Audio, Commentary, Hi-Fi, Radios and Tubes, Stereo | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Merry Christmas from Retrovoltage!

Posted on December 25, 2014 by jwk

Season’s Greetings!

Posted in Collections, Commentary, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sony TA-5650 VFET Integrated Stereo Amplifier Overhaul

Posted on December 18, 2014 by jwk

Cross-posted from the Rain City Audio Repair Blog: I recently got to work on a very interesting piece of vintage stereo gear from the golden age of hi-fi in the ’70s, the Sony TA-5650 VFET Integrated Stereo Amplifier. It’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Hi-Fi, Projects, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Philco 42-365 Antique Radio Repair

Posted on December 15, 2014 by jwk

This Philco 42-365 came to the shop in need of major repairs. It was missing its dial string, lamps, and the power transformer had melted down due to a failure in the main electrolytic capacitors. It’s melted and run everywhere, … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Radio, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How Speakers Make Sound

Posted on December 3, 2014 by jwk

If you’re looking for a great visual primer on how speakers convert electricity into the music you hear, check out this fantastic animated infographic by Jacob O’Neil at Animagraffs  How Speakers Make Sound

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Ideas, Resources, Speakers | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Boxed Kit Amps’ Gobo Stereo Amplifier Build and Review

Posted on November 26, 2014 by jwk

If you’re a subscriber to Nuts and Volts Magazine, check out my article in the December 2014 issue where I build, test and review the Boxed Kit Amps Gobo Stereo Amplifier, a great little desktop reference amp for any skill … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Commentary, DIY, Electronics, Gadgets, Hi-Fi, Projects, Stereo | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

VD-1221 Replacement Substitute Diodes

Posted on November 25, 2014 by jwk

We’re lucky that these days you don’t need to stock very many diodes in the parts drawers for refurbishing most vintage gear – pretty much everything except for the main power supply rectifiers can usually be replaced with some combination … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, DIY, Electronics, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Vintage Schematic Mistakes

Posted on November 21, 2014 by jwk

Every once in a while, you run into places where a drafting tech made some mistakes on the schematics. This one was a Philco 42-360 radio, which has the wrong tube called out in the tube line-up vs. the schematic. The … Continue reading →

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Harman/Kardon Control Amplifier A-401 Restoration

Posted on November 19, 2014 by jwk

This little Harman/Kardon Control Amplifier, model A-401, just came through the shop for a full overhaul. It was in a pretty sorry state to begin with – one channel distorted, one barely gasping for air, and a world of scratchy … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Hi-Fi, Projects, Stereo, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments