We all come to the forum for retrieving, posting or viewing information about HP calculators. The visits are for programming, wish lists, restorations and new additions be they peripherals or new calculators and etc.
What usually is not posted (but does show up) are 'off topics'. One of my recent focuses between HP restorations, the HP book, family and travel (work) are vintage radios between the mid 50's to the mid 60's although I do have some outliers.
The following are all between 1953 and 1963 and average 4.5 inches by 2.5 inches except for the toshiba and the zenith which are 5.5 aby 3.5.
All you need to restore them is a signal tracer, electrolytic capacitors, maybe a resistor or transistor, although not much.
Tools are screw drivers, contact cleaner, plastic polish, crayons for the inlay numbers, gold wax for some of the names and of all things, a vial of WD-40. A drop of this on the volume control internal variable resistor will remove all traces of "scratch" when you use the volume control/on-off rotary switch.
Enjoy the pictures and maybe post some OFF topic hobby pictures that you also do. I certainly learned at the HCC2009 that we all have many other hobbies aside from HP and work, lets get to see them!
Cheers, Geoff
Shot of a signal tracer to trace which part of the circuit fails. This combined with an electrolytic capacitor around 20 micro farads on two clipped wires is used to dtermine which capacitors have failed. The capacitors dry up and are the MAJOR reason that these radios fail as indicated by no volume, weak reception or just static. All these radios failed due to capacitors and some due to cold solder and cracked resistors. None of these except the Global were working when the arrived.
A work in progress, the electronics are done but the case has chips and requires some epoxy work to make it look good.
What to look for if collecting transistor radios (IMHO):
A before and after of an Omegas 6 transistor radio. Replaced two capacitors and restored the case on Tuesday.
The Zenith 500 D circa 1960 (or earlier):
Airline brand, colorful reverse painted and plain white with the same PCB inside.
A beautiful Viscount:
The Global 9 for nine transistor with its minty leather case and functional ear bud. The IPOD of its time and the reception is incredible! At night I get stations from Mexico as well as San Diego, not bad considering I am in Vancouver, Canada.
A no name with a Sony PCB:
My favourite as it is the one that hung from the rearview mirror of the 1958 Plymouth Station wagon we had in Germany when I was a child. Yes the car was four but the radio was from 1962. We had the car until 1968 and Dad still has his radio; and now I finally got one!
Hope you enjoyed the diversion from calculators, now back to the show.
Geoff
Edited: 7 Oct 2009, 3:57 p.m.
