Radio reconditioning

[Plymouth 48]

Hi all.

Listen, I'm a little bit retired and bored to tears.

You guys think there's any market out there for vacuum-tube radio repair?

I've got a really sweet tube tester and a wee bit of the basic skills. Don't need to make any real bucks out of it, and don't want to step on anyone's toes.

I don't know about you guys, but I really enjoy listening to that old AM, specially if I can find a fifties station.

Thanks for any feedback.

[knuckleharley]

Hi all.

Listen, I'm a little bit retired and bored to tears.

You guys think there's any market out there for vacuum-tube radio repair?

I've got a really sweet tube tester and a wee bit of the basic skills. Don't need to make any real bucks out of it, and don't want to step on anyone's toes.

I don't know about you guys, but I really enjoy listening to that old AM, specially if I can find a fifties station.

Thanks for any feedback.

I don't know,but since you already have the stuff,why not try it and see?

[Tom Skinner]

Plymouth 48,

Go for it!

God Bless you for your efforts.

Tom

Huntersville, North Carolina

[BobT-47P15]

Yeah.......a lot of old radios need new vibrator, and capacitors.......such as that.  Probably a lot of the old tubes may still be OK.    The tester

can tell you that. 

 

Some guys even get into it further and make your old radio be FM also, and even may add a jack to attach an iPod player which would come

thru your original speaker system. 

 

I spoke to one fellow who rejuvenates old radios back to original......and he is NOT in favor of adding FM, etc.

 

Then, at the same swap meet, several feet down the way, was another man who says he specializes in making your old radio FM, etc......

 

So.......who knows???   

 

If you want to give the business a whirl........go for it. 

[JD luxury liner]

That is a good idea. I see old style radioes on ebay , most are not sure if they work or not . Go For IT!!!

[rb1949]

Presume you are referring to car radios? Yes there is a need. (Mine needs attention, but not a priority due to cost). Nothing wrong with competition. Google "auto radio rebuild" to find ample sources performing such services. Read them, see what they offer, and fees asked. Some don't do the really old models. Your location may save on shipping costs. On this site, go to 'Resources', then click 'Downloads'. You'll find some radio repair manuals and schematics (free download). Read those too for diagnostic techniques. Remember, radios consist of more than electronic components. Mechanical dials and buttons need attention. Cracked/faded glass. Some places restore the dial face. Figure out your expertise, and go for it.

[dale]

I talked to a Woman at a car show who had her 1947 Plymouth radio done with transistors with AM and FM for $500.  I have the old radio in mine for looks but put a new one in under the clove box fpr $20 and it sounds great with the four speakers.  Never did check to see if the old one worked.  Now that the subject got my attention I think Ill see if it just might.  Id put the odds at 100/1......

[meadowbrook]

MY dad fixed the one in my '50. He replaced all the capacitors and added an Ipod input. I can play an I pod with FM thus I get FM too, then.

 

Interestingly, he tried to replace the speaker for a new one and found the original one sounded better. Also, he swapped out the vibrator for a solid state one and again, found the original worked better.

 

Even more interstingly, the original speaker has a 'FoMoCo' label, I think because the radio is actually a Philco, which Ford owned.

 

And it is kind of cool to listen to oldies in it.