Tag Archives: photos

What’s On Your Workbench?

Posted on December 20, 2015 by jwk

People ask me what kind of gear I use at Retrovoltage and at Rain City Audio 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 … 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Vintage Engineering is Beautiful

Posted on September 22, 2014 by jwk

Varistor from Harmony H500 Guitar Amplifier

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Vintage Engineering is Beautiful

Posted on September 13, 2014 by jwk

1931 Radiola 82 IF Transformer. Hand-wound coils on a wooden coil form.

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Bose 901 Series II Active Equalizer #67402 Repair

Posted on August 25, 2014 by jwk

This equalizer got a full overhaul with new 1% precision resistors, electrolytic capacitors, audiophile-grade output capacitors, transistors, gold-plated RCA jacks, 4% silver solder for all connections, a thorough switch cleaning, and computerized frequency response testing and a listening burn-in to verify proper operation. It sounds just fantastic with a very dynamic and life-like presence that really draws you into the experience of the source material, just like the Bose 901 should.

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Check it out at Rain City Audio Continue reading →

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New Toy: Tektronix 575 Transistor-Curve Tracer (Restoration Project)

Posted on August 11, 2014 by jwk

I picked up a new shop toy just the other day, a Tektronix 575 Transistor-Curve Tracer. This is a piece of lab gear I’ll use to match transistors for their operating characteristics, and can also be used to analyze and … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Gadgets, Projects, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Close-Up of a Magic Eye

Posted on August 7, 2014 by jwk
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1962 Coronet 6 Transistor Shirt-Pocket Radio TRN-6

Posted on June 23, 2014 by jwk

This rare early shirt-pocket transistor radio, the Coronet TRN-6, needed a few new capacitors to sound its best. It delivers surprising performance from such a small package! Plenty of tear-down photos in this article.

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Check it out at Rain City Audio Continue reading →

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

The Speaker Spotter – Speakers of Craigslist – March 7th, 2014

Posted on March 7, 2014 by jwk

There’s always something interesting for sale on Craigslist, especially in Seattle. Here’s a selection of especially notable vintage speakers and other audio products for sale on the local Craigslist. I’m not affiliated with any of these sales, but if you’re interested, you … Continue reading →

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Big Antennas on Cars Photo Round-Up

Posted on August 21, 2012 by jwk

I liked KC3RE’s VHF rover enough, I went looking for other interesting car radio installations. There’s quite a few! This Ford Escort has a pretty inconspicuous setup. This isn’t the same vehicle, but it might be similar: Car blog Jalopnik details … Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, Collections, Photos, Radio | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments