Tag Archives: radio

Assembling Transistor Radios in 1955

Posted on December 18, 2015 by jwk

Here’s a great documentary short from 1955 showing how portable transistor radios were assembled. It’s super retro! (2:35) Want to learn more about transistors? Just a few years later the US Information Agency produced an 8-minute short film about the … Continue reading →

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Vintage Documentary: How Stereo Turntables Work

Posted on September 2, 2015 by jwk

Documentary Tube on YouTube has digitized an excellent early video documentary discussing the newest hi-fi invention of the time: stereo! In this 4-minute video, the narrator compares mono with stereo recordings on vinyl. Worth checking out!

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The New Stewart-Warner Series 900 Radio

Posted on May 15, 2015 by jwk

This Consolette Ensemble combining Stewart-Warner Table Cabinet Receiver with the New Stewart-Warner Dyphonic Reproducer, an arresting value at $113 (less tubes). Radio Retailing, April 1929

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1931 Westinghouse WR-8 Columaire Antique Radio Repair

Posted on April 14, 2014 by jwk

I recently got to work on another beautifully reconditioned Westinghouse WR-8 Columaire radio all the way from Bellingham. It was originally in for service with the SPARK Museum, but the repair technician reportedly suffered some health complications and was unable to … Continue reading →

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1946 Zenith 6-D-029 Consoltone Antique Radio Repair

Posted on April 7, 2014 by jwk

A local client just brought in a very interesting Zenith tabletop radio from just after WW2, the 1946 Zenith 6-D-029 Consoltone mantle radio. This is one of the iconic “boomerang” dials Zenith produced for a couple of years after the … Continue reading →

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1940 Philco 40-185XF Antique Radio Restoration

Posted on April 2, 2014 by jwk

I had the privilege of working on a very well preserved Philco 40-185XF recently. These are top performing pre-war sets featuring 8 tubes, an RF amplifier front-end and push-pull audio output into a 12″ speaker. Definitely worth fixing up! This … Continue reading →

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Craigslist and eBay Antique Radios – Be Careful!

Posted on March 19, 2014 by jwk

It’s not uncommon to run across antique or vintage radios on Craigslist, eBay and other sales site which are advertised as “working”, “repaired” or “restored”. Many times these are in fact professionally reconditioned items – just like you read about … Continue reading →

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1945 Westinghouse Little Jewel “Refrigerator” H-126 Radio Repair

Posted on February 18, 2014 by jwk

A local client brought me a radio which was in the family for many years, a cute little “fridge radio” made by Westinghouse from 1945-1947. The same year Westinghouse released this new model of home refrigerator, they also released this Little … Continue reading →

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1962 Zenith MK2670 Classic Tube Hi-Fi Console Stereo Repaired

Posted on February 15, 2014 by jwk

A version of this article appears in the October 2014 issue of Nuts and Volts magazine. I recently got to work on something a little bit different – a tube hi-fi stereo console! This particular one, a 1962 Zenith MK2670, was a very high-end … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Projects, Radios and Tubes, Stereo, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

1936 Zenith 5-S-29 Repair with Dial Face Replacement

Posted on December 12, 2013 by jwk

I recently had the privilege of working on this beautiful 1936 Zenith 5-S-29 tabletop radio. It’s a beautiful 5-tube table radio with a 6-inch speaker and the iconic black Zenith dial and lightning bolt Z pointer. This one is special, … Continue reading →

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