Replace Dial Cord

[frank21621]

nice video. Im new to fixing vintage radios and I was wondering if you can help me with a radio that someone gave me, its a grundig radio model 98u it has the same prob. a broken dial cord and I cant find any info on how to restring it. it works and tunes but and all thats left is to fix the string and to put the marker on the string, the marker is a small L shape wire aprox 1 inch long with red paint on one end and coiled on the other end.

Thanks and I hope you can help me out. Frank

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@frank21621

Found it.

[tmikeb22]

Great video! And a nice looking L600!

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks tmikeb22

[AndyDaviesByTheSea]

That's a smart looking radio Rick, is it one of your own or one for repair? I only ask as it would have been nice to see a bit more of it.

Kind Regards Andy

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@AndyDaviesByTheSea

Hey Andy,

It is a friends radio, but I do have that same model in black leatherette. Those Zenith Transoceanic are some of my favorite radios.

Regards

Rick

[BillyJimmyLee]

the problem with my aunt's radio is that the string has not snapped but rather it has got loose from the tuning knob. It has lost its turns. Should I super-glue it on the knob or tie a knot when I have maximum tension? Thanks

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

BillyJimmyLee

I would re-string or re-adjust the tension on the original. Super-glue is only to secure the knot. You maybe able to find the dial string diagram from Nostalgia Air.

[schepler2]

Hi Rick,

This is a great video. This one and a couple of the videos you did on aligning AM radios have been helpful to me. I've got a '70s Soundesign multi-band radio that's giving me fits right now, mostly because I can't understand the dial-stringing diagram!

My only question is this: what the heck is a "granny knot"? Do you have a video showing how to tie one? (I'm only half kidding, here!)

Thanks,

Aaron

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks Aaron,

Very glad that some of the videos helped.

Lol, the Web is great I just Googled granny knot tons of information. You just do the first part of the granny knot.

Rick

[L0WRYDER]

Rick its meKevin. when I was working on grand dad's radio. I had to replace the dial cord in the alignment procedure it said in the dial cord replacement to use corde by part number well we all know thats not going to happen. But it also said in an emergency 30lb fish line may be used in a way it sounds like thay want you to hear the radio while fishing lol

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Hey Kevin, that will work. I just got back from the Wal-Mart and I was looking at fishing line.

[joernone]

Rick,

Essential vid. Folks seem to have a lot of problems with dial strings.

I recently replaced one of the dial strings on a Transoceanic H-500. I used a fishing line called "Spiderwire". Twisted two lengths of it together. Very, very strong stuff. Won't ever break. And it works great.

Regards,

John

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Hey John,

Excellent tip, I am going to look that. It would be so nice to only restring a dial cord one time.

Regards,

Rick

[batterymaker]

This stringing arrangement is a cakewalk compared to the rigging on an RCA Strato-World. Step One with the RCA should be "Start Drinking...Heavily..." :-)

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

lol, I have one. As I remember it after your done restring the dial cord and everything is absolutely correct and the way it should be, it still sucks.

[maynardcat]

I have a Zenith very similar to yours, I should get it posted. I ran out of dial cord some time ago. At the flea market I found a large spool of old fashioned fishing line, and it works great. Some radio dial cords are really troublesome to put on.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

When I was thinking about doing this I was worried if I had any superglue. Turns out I had just enough dial cord. I would have done the center dial cord too but I am out of dial cord now. Fishing line probably would be an excellent substitute. Some radios are a real pain. I have marveled at the complexity of some dial cord designs. Thanks.

[maynardcat]

Actually the old style fishing line is just heavy duty radio dial cord. If you find a large spool of old fishing line, it will probably be a fraction of the cost of dial cord, and you will have enough to replace dial cord in more old radios than you will ever own. The newer nylon fishing cord is not suitable for dial cord. I found a huge spool at the flea market for only 1.00.

[Lockemeister]

Great video. the super glue is a great idea to keep the knot from comng loose.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks. That was always the hardest part, tying the second half of the knot, it would always slip. With super glue there is no need for the second half of the knot.

[umajunkcollector]

You make it look so easy, I'm all thumbs. Good vid my friend!

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Nylon may work but I wonder if it would stretch after awhile. This dial cord has a glass fiber core so it does not stretch much. Some radios are rather tricky to restring, so much so that sometimes I think the radio was constructed around the dial cord.

[umajunkcollector]

another alternative to super glue is nail polish or hot melt glue - for radio work. if it is not handy to get some dial cord, do you think kite string or bricklayer's nylon line would be OK? It's very cheap and has many uses. I hear that my TenTec Triton IV is a tuff one to do a restring on. I've only done a few, but they were easy old GEs.and our old Blaupunkt console was a tuff one too (I did it as a teen, my first).