Tag Archives: vacuum tube

1937 Grunow 588 Radio Repair

Posted on March 3, 2012 by jwk

I finally had a free day with no major commitments and was able to finally get some work done on my projects – it’s been a productive day. I picked up this nice example of a Grunow 588 “Teledial” radio … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

First Look: 1937 Grunow 588 Radio Repair Project

Posted on March 2, 2012 by jwk

Keeping my word about actually trying to accomplish projects in March, I started tearing into the 1937 Grunow 588. It’s vastly similar to the Grunow 589s that I’ve repaired in the past, the main difference being that it’s a table … Continue reading →

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Antique Car Radio Repair: the 1951 Firestone 4-B-31 “Roamer” Vibrator Radio

Posted on February 5, 2012 by jwk

A local friend is building a rat rod out of 1920s-1950s parts, a custom collection that ultimately will turn into a very fast car powered by a huge V8. He found a vintage car radio to go with it, the … Continue reading →

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Grunow 589 Radio Repair Redux

Posted on December 29, 2011 by jwk

A client came to me with another Grunow 589 needing repair. I’ve seen this model radio before in my shop and it was pretty exciting to work on another identical one. This particular one came in excellent shape – it … Continue reading →

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Repaired: 1960 Hornyphon Attache 61 German Antique Radio

Posted on September 30, 2011 by jwk

I’ve been working on this Hornyphon Attache 61 model W 360 A radio for a customer this month. He brought the radio over from his mother’s estate in the 1970s and it’s been sitting ever since, and came to me to … Continue reading →

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1953 Hallicrafters 8R40 Repair

Posted on September 17, 2011 by jwk

Back in May, I dug up a Hallicrafters 8R40 from one of Seattle’s local electronics recyclers, 3R Technologies. It looked like it had been stored very well, had all the tubes, the dial strings intact, no rust to speak of and not … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Projects, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

New Project Idea: Oddball Tube Hi-Fi Amplifier

Posted on July 12, 2011 by jwk

I’m looking for a new summer project, and think I’m going to branch off from repairing radios to building some of my own gear. I’m interested in making a tube hi-fi stereo amplifier to go with my old speakers – … Continue reading →

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Repairing Antique Radio Electrics from Start to Finish (1) – Grunow 589

Posted on April 20, 2011 by jwk

Update: The series is complete. For more articles and information, visit these other posts: Part 1: Identification and Task List Part 2: Intake Checks Part 3: Capacitor Replacement Part 4: Resistors and Controls Part 5: First Power-Up Part 6: Socket … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Showcase: Homemade 1930s-Style AM Radio Transmitter

Posted on April 5, 2011 by jwk

Radio hobbyist Jon the Grimm built this beautiful “homebrew” AM transmitter using tube technology, in the style of an original 1930s radio transmitter. Operating under Part 15 regulations, his transmitter has achieved a short range – perfect for feeding modern … Continue reading →

Posted in Collections, Commentary, Radios and Tubes | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Project Idea: Digital Vacuum Tube Tester

Posted on February 15, 2011 by jwk

I’m in the early stages of brainstorming another project idea that will combine vacuum tubes with modern microelectronics in a useful and innovative way: a computerized vacuum tube tester. Tube testers themselves aren’t very complicated devices – the simple ones, … Continue reading →

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