Category Archives: Electronics

Build Log and Review: Mable Audio VT-86PP Kit Hi-Fi Amp Project

Posted on March 30, 2012 by retrovoltage

About a year ago, someone left a comment that really looked like spam on one of my pages advertising a web store selling tube audio gear and parts for guitar and audio amplifiers. Against everything I’ve ever learned about behaving … Continue reading →

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More Strange Coiled Wires [Mailbag]

Posted on January 24, 2012 by retrovoltage

I had an interesting call the other day with a gentleman about a radio he’s working on, among other topics: That’s a Philco 46-420. They’re nice little bakelite radios with 6 tubes designed to receive the AM broadcast band. He’d come … Continue reading →

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What’s that piece of wire, some kind of gimmick? [Mailbag]

Posted on January 17, 2012 by retrovoltage

I was talking with a fellow antique radio hobbyist on the phone the other day about a repair he was working on. A TrueTone battery radio, he’d taken care of all the important steps – checking out the tubes, replacing … Continue reading →

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Unboxing my Sharp PC-4501 classic Personal Computer

Posted on January 9, 2012 by retrovoltage

It’s 1987 and I’ve been needing a new laptop. After a careful process of comparison shopping I settled on my Sharp PC-4501 from Montgomery Ward. Let’s open it up and take a look! For only $699.99, it’s a state of … Continue reading →

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1942 GE LF-116 Radio Repair Part 4 – Capacitors and Discriminator/Phase Inverter Socket

Posted on October 15, 2011 by retrovoltage

(June 2026 – Noting that this was one of my early repairs, several years before I started taking commercial work and this was truly a hobby. A few things you’ll see here don’t reflect how I’d do that work today!) … Continue reading →

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1942 GE LF-116 Radio Repair Part 3 – Capacitor Can Rebuilding

Posted on October 12, 2011 by retrovoltage

(June 2026 – Noting that this was one of my early repairs, several years before I started taking commercial work and this was truly a hobby. A few things you’ll see here don’t reflect how I’d do that work today!) … Continue reading →

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1942 GE LF-116 Radio Repair Part 2 – Tool Prep

Posted on October 9, 2011 by retrovoltage

(June 2026 – Noting that this was one of my early repairs, several years before I started taking commercial work and this was truly a hobby. A few things you’ll see here don’t reflect how I’d do that work today!) … Continue reading →

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1942 GE LF-116 Radio Repair Part 1 – History and First Looks

Posted on October 6, 2011 by retrovoltage

(June 2026 – Noting that this was one of my early repairs, several years before I started taking commercial work and this was truly a hobby. A few things you’ll see here don’t reflect how I’d do that work today!) … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Projects, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

ViewSonic VP191b Computer Monitor Repair

Posted on September 24, 2011 by retrovoltage

A little while ago, I picked up a set of seven LCD monitors in various states of not working as a fun side project. The first one was quite easy – it just needed a wire reconnected internally and works … Continue reading →

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1953 Hallicrafters 8R40 Repair

Posted on September 17, 2011 by retrovoltage

This radio came from an electronics recycler, it’s the Hallicrafters 8R40. It looked like it had been stored very well, had all the tubes, the dial strings intact, no rust to speak of and not even very much dust. This … Continue reading →

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