Every time I use one of my 1920's radio I can not help but think of the original owners and the excitement they had in tuning stations. They would written down the numbers on the dials, and the antenna used, time of day. In the early TRF circuits there are capacitors, but only a few. If you go to Nostalgia Air you can look through the wiring diagram for the RCA Radiola 20. If you want to see tuning a three dialer look for my Atwater Kent 10 breadboard video.
@AllAmericanFiveRadio I checked out the wiring diagram, and it is really interesting how the radio works! This has certainly interested me more in radios of this vintage.
You're a magician...always pulling another rabbit out of the hat. I have no doubt that you'll fix this radio's problem, and can't wait to see how you do it..
Yep Rick, you definately know the drill. Let me tell you, pictures bailed me out more than a few times. I took some with flash and some with out flash and from different angles. The beuaty of digital photos is that you can take hundreds of photos and it doesn't cost a dime. If you take 4M photos you can blow them up fantastically. It's great the new techonology can help fix the old technology!
I can't imagine not taking lots of pictures anymore. It is so useful in many ways. I had a call from a customer about his console radio I had repaired. I used the pictures I took to answer his questions and solve the problem he was having. Pictures are extremely useful.
Thanks for posting this Rick. Your instructions will be great help for me to get my Radiola 20 in working condition. I still need to find decent tubes for mine and I have yet to find a UX120. Gary
Just sent you an email. It is going to be another yucky weekend here so I will continue to work on it. I will take lots of pictures. These are very nice radios and need to be restored. Glad the hear you got you Radiola 20 and some UX199 tubes.
Thanks! BTW many years back I bought a Hammond BC organ. The mechanical chorus generator would not start because the linkage of the main shaft was seperated somewhere and the start motor would not turn the run motor. I upended the generator, found that the shaft was loose in one gear, applied a bead of epoxy all the way around and fixed it. That was in 1974 and that organ is still working today. Gary
wow nice Radiola! it sure is making some creepy sounds! I can't wait to see how you will fix this, I've never had the pleasure of playing with these 1920s battery sets, so this will be interesting for me to see!
The radio is now out of the cabinet and you are right the shaft spinning freely. But I am not going to luck out the tightening mechanism is broken. So I will have to come up with a solution. I may take all the old connecting brackets off and store them and try and figure out another way of making them work.
wow AllAmerican, that radio is such a beauty, I bet you were delighted too with finding those tubes in there. I really enjoyed that tour of the inside as well. Thank you.
That did make the decision for buying it. Now that I have it out of the cabinet I will take detailed pictures of the insides. I also plan on going through the diagram too. Thanks.
It's amazing, my mom was born in 1925, her 85 birthday would be Saturday if she were still alive. Perhaps she listened to an old radio something liek this when she was a little girl during the depression.
That is very fascinating. This video has interested me in more 'antique' radios. Do they not use capacitors? I couldn't see any.
Matt
TundraWalk3r 4 days ago
Thanks TundraWalk3r
Every time I use one of my 1920's radio I can not help but think of the original owners and the excitement they had in tuning stations. They would written down the numbers on the dials, and the antenna used, time of day. In the early TRF circuits there are capacitors, but only a few. If you go to Nostalgia Air you can look through the wiring diagram for the RCA Radiola 20. If you want to see tuning a three dialer look for my Atwater Kent 10 breadboard video.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 4 days ago
@AllAmericanFiveRadio I checked out the wiring diagram, and it is really interesting how the radio works! This has certainly interested me more in radios of this vintage.
TundraWalk3r 3 days ago
Rick, I just received the same beautiful radio like this one but it needs numerous power supply hookups.
What kind of power supply are you using for this?
Al
captal100 1 year ago
This should work for you, the ARBE-III power supply.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 1 year ago
Rick, the video isn't playing today. I hope you get this radio working tip top. Seems like a challenging project from the comments below.
Lockemeister 2 years ago
Yes YouTube did have problems. Thanks.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago
Rick,
You're a magician...always pulling another rabbit out of the hat. I have no doubt that you'll fix this radio's problem, and can't wait to see how you do it..
Thanks again.
Regards,
John
joernone 2 years ago
Thanks John,
Before I do anything I will take lots of pictures.
Regards,
Rick
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago
Yep Rick, you definately know the drill. Let me tell you, pictures bailed me out more than a few times. I took some with flash and some with out flash and from different angles. The beuaty of digital photos is that you can take hundreds of photos and it doesn't cost a dime. If you take 4M photos you can blow them up fantastically. It's great the new techonology can help fix the old technology!
Lockemeister 2 years ago
I can't imagine not taking lots of pictures anymore. It is so useful in many ways. I had a call from a customer about his console radio I had repaired. I used the pictures I took to answer his questions and solve the problem he was having. Pictures are extremely useful.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago
Thanks for posting this Rick. Your instructions will be great help for me to get my Radiola 20 in working condition. I still need to find decent tubes for mine and I have yet to find a UX120. Gary
HD7100 2 years ago
Just sent you an email. It is going to be another yucky weekend here so I will continue to work on it. I will take lots of pictures. These are very nice radios and need to be restored. Glad the hear you got you Radiola 20 and some UX199 tubes.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago
Thanks! BTW many years back I bought a Hammond BC organ. The mechanical chorus generator would not start because the linkage of the main shaft was seperated somewhere and the start motor would not turn the run motor. I upended the generator, found that the shaft was loose in one gear, applied a bead of epoxy all the way around and fixed it. That was in 1974 and that organ is still working today. Gary
HD7100 2 years ago
wow nice Radiola! it sure is making some creepy sounds! I can't wait to see how you will fix this, I've never had the pleasure of playing with these 1920s battery sets, so this will be interesting for me to see!
coolbluelights 2 years ago
It would be great for a spooky movie. Well the connecting brackets are broken so this will interesting. Have to think about this one. Thanks.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago
looks like the tuning plates are spinning freely on the shaft. perhaps you can get away with just tightening them down again.
subtler1 2 years ago
The radio is now out of the cabinet and you are right the shaft spinning freely. But I am not going to luck out the tightening mechanism is broken. So I will have to come up with a solution. I may take all the old connecting brackets off and store them and try and figure out another way of making them work.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago
Woo-hoo! Spare tubes, especially 199's! T'ain't cheap ones either!
batterymaker 2 years ago
Yep, that was a surprise and the five tubes in the set seem to be good too.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago
wow AllAmerican, that radio is such a beauty, I bet you were delighted too with finding those tubes in there. I really enjoyed that tour of the inside as well. Thank you.
akouo01 2 years ago
That did make the decision for buying it. Now that I have it out of the cabinet I will take detailed pictures of the insides. I also plan on going through the diagram too. Thanks.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago
It's amazing, my mom was born in 1925, her 85 birthday would be Saturday if she were still alive. Perhaps she listened to an old radio something liek this when she was a little girl during the depression.
umajunkcollector 2 years ago
When I bought my first few early 1920s radios my mom said that only rich people had those. She is now 93. Thanks.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago
There. clicked 5 stars on this one. Hopefully it'll bump it up a bit. Sorry again!
fortiusrecords 2 years ago
Lol, I am very glad you liked the video!
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago
I feel really bad. My mouse jumped and I accidentally clicked 1 star instead of 5. Sorry! I love your videos!
jimbobg65 2 years ago
5 stars are nice to see but the important think is that you found the video interesting and useful to you. Thanks.
AllAmericanFiveRadio 2 years ago