Hello everyone

I just signed up and would like to say hello to everybody here. Bill Cahill should already be somewhat familiar with me since I've been a member on America's Classic Rotary Phones forum for a while now. I picked up my first tube radio project yesterday. It's a Zenith L566 5 tube AM radio with a record player. It seems to be complete and the bakelite cabinet is in good condition so it should be a good project for me. I do have one other project, but it's a major undertaking. It's a gutted Philco 48-1286 that I'm trying to find a chassis and record player for.

Hello foot,s Ill be looking for the chassi ect. Ihave a philco 48-1253 sounds great .

Hey, foots! Long time no see!
Welcome to my little forum!
Feel free to advertise the phone forum here.
Bill Cahill

Thanks guys. Bill, I had forgotten you had a forum until I was reading one of your posts over on the phone forum and saw the link. I lurked for a little while but didn't join since I didn't have a radio. Well, I got one now, not counting the "mission impossible" Philco.

Well, welcome. Know this... First, the radio will need restoration, even if it plays now.
These early tube electronics have "Paper capacitors", and, they are assured of being electronically leaky.
Also, the electrolytics don't tend to be very good anymore either.
Add to that any possible bad wiring such as bad rubber wires, rotted rubber power cord, bad off value resistors, etc., and, you may be in for a complete restoration here.

Now, don't be frightenned off. We can help you on the learning end, and, since you restore phones, you already have a beginning in electronics. That is, of course, you've already been restoring radios.
This post isn't meant to scare you. Merely to give you some important information.
I hope you have as much fun doing this as we do....
It's thrilling that when our work is all done, we have a piece to be proud of, that, I guarantee, even with all their quirks, will outlive anything you can buy new now.....
Welcome to radio repair 101.
And, we do have a beginners section as well.
I can also reccommend another good site with other collectors who are knowledgable, if interested.
Bill Cahill

Bill, I signed up to antiqueradios.com a few weeks ago after lurking for a good while and discovering they had a TV section since I have a little Zenith portable already and was considering getting a large floor model from a friend of mine. I had also discovered Phil's Old Radios, which has a good section on capacitor replacement, so I know better than to plug my radio up. I can say this much, I haven't even started on my radio and already I'm loving it.

Did you see my very long post on my RCA Victor family tv in ARF?
Modedl 6T74. This shows the worst of what can happen on a tv set.
This set was a lemon, was abused, was jury rigged, then, used until it died a horrible death in a big cloud of smoke.
As you read through the pages you can see the worst of what can happen on a tv set.
The good news is I got it playing again.
Sure, it still has some issues I''m working on, but, guess what!
This is normal old age problems now.
It will work correctly again.
I show alot of pictures on set. Showing progress, disastors, problems, even when set was working properly in it's original cabinet.
Right now I am having old age issues of a number of original carbon resistors that checked good before, but, now, with use,
have gone drastically up in their value.
I've replaced three so far.
But, you know something, while I know it will continue getting issues, the reward is when I see it playing like new, like it should have from the factory.
Bill Cahill

Was that the same TV you had made a post about over on the phone forum in the off topic area in Feb. of last year? That's a really nice set.

First things first, I need to get my "new" radio/record player done.

Yes it is. It's a 3 year project. Many people said it would never work again, and, to throw it over a cliff, burn it up, or, just plain junk it. I've proved them wrong. Sure. It broke down again. But, this time, it's normal old age issues.A couple of people pointed to others in existance, but, they were too far from here, and, would have been cost prohibitive to ship. This one, my friend huggy bear from Mi. picked it up from South Carolina on the way to Florida for me.
Even he was surprised to see it playing again, plus, how good I got it to look physically. Nearly like new, chassis wise.
Bill Cahill

Hi. I've been a member of ARF for a couple of years, and just stumbled on this forum. It looks like an interesting bunch of enthusiasts. I'm a retired EE and Radio Technician with about 65 years of formal experience. I'll be looking forward to participating in your forum

Well, a big welcome to you, Alfred. We have a good place here, and, a section to help newbies learn, as well as helping us old timeres with new ideas..
Please feel free to post your good ideas on restoring there.
Bill Cahill

Hey, Guys, Haven't seen you here in quite awhile.
Oh, and, the tv post in ARF is alive again.
Take a look at my growing post on my other Project RCA here.
Bill Cahill