I would love to have an old radio but where to start?

[Doublegun]

I still listen to the radio and I would like to have a neat old radio in a wood cabinet but I have no idea where to start and what to look for. Other than garage sales, antique shops and flea markets where should I look and how do I avoid buying one that does not and will not ever work again?

Thanks

 

[LizzieMaine]

First question to ask yourself is "how much work am I willing to put in it?" Unless you buy one that's already been restored, you'll need to do at least some amount of repair work on it to get it operating safely -- any radio that's sat unused for thirty or forty or fifty years will have bad components that will need to be replaced.

Before you buy, make sure it's all there. Specifically, make sure no one has parted out the chassis or the speaker. If a tube or two is missing, that's not critical -- those can be easily replaced, but you'll probably hunt long and hard for a replacement speaker. *Sniff in the back before buying.* If you smell a pungent, burned-tar smell, put the radio down and walk away. The transformer's shot, and that's not a repair job for a beginner. Look also for signs of water damage, especially a lot of visible orange rust on the chassis -- a radio that's been submerged in a cellar for a few decades is likely to be a basket case.

If you see a lot of crumbly rubber-covered wiring, avoid it. Such sets can be repaired, but it's not a beginner's job -- you basically have to rewire the whole set.

You probably won't want a battery-operated radio for your first set -- so make sure it has an AC plug and not an odd sockety-looking thing.

Don't plug it in to see if it'll work. You'll need to replace -- or have someone replace for you -- the electrolytic capacitors, which will invariably be dried up and useless. If you don't replace them the radio will hum uncontrollably, and if it has a power transformer, it could burn up.

Replacing capacitors is not difficult -- if you can learn to solder and handle basic small tools, you can do it yourself. I knew nothing about electronics or electronic theory when I started -- but I couldn't afford to have anyone else do it, so I had no choice but to learn to do it myself. Anyone can. A good basic rundown of the procedure is here.

Stick with one of the common, popular makes for your first radio -- RCA Victor, Philco, Zenith. All these brands have reproduction parts for many models easily available, things like knobs and speaker cloth that would be harder if not impossible to find for one of the less-popular brands. Search around the web and you'll find plenty of companies that supply such items.

Avoid early-thirties vintage Majestic radios like the plague. They weigh a ton, and are virtually impossible to service without dismantling the entire chassis. Don't ask how I know this.

 

[dhermann1]

There are a number of good sites on the web for info, but here's one that had many properly restored stes. done by people who know what they're doing and at prices that are appropriate. I've gotten a couple here and have been very satisfied.
www.radioattic.com
One other thing I always suggest (since Lizzie did the honors with the admonition to make sure the caps are replaced, etc.), is to get an SSTran AMT3000 AM transmitter (or other similar gadget). It enables to to take any input, such as CD or your PC, and send an AM signal to your radio on a free frequency. Has about a 1/4 mile range and doesn't require a license. Then you can enjoy authentic original radio shows or music or whatever on your classy snazzy antique radio.
If you check out the "Show us your radios" thread, you'll start to realize that A., old radios are GORGEOUS, and B. it can become an addicting hobby.

 

[kpreed]

My two cents here is, follow the above advise plus get a low power transmitter too.You will enjoy it I think. I have a bunch of redone old radio's (1930s to 1950s) and do much of my music and radio shows to them via my AMT 3000 from my computer every day. I highly recommend it. The radio I use most is my 1936 Crosley 715.

 

[dhermann1]

There should be an AMT3000 users group. It's a great gadget.

 

[Doublegun]

This is exactly the direction that I was looking for. Thank you all.

On a related note, am I to assume that there are sources where old radio programs can de downloaded?

 

[J.J. Gittes]

There are tons of old radio shows for free from Itunes that are Podcasts. Some examples are I was a Communist for the FBI and Dragnet. Did I mention they are all free?lol

 

[theEpiphany]

Great advice....all the way. I'm up to my ears in 4 restores at the moment and troubleshooting is starting to wear my patience thin. But its worth it when you finally turn it on to get it working.

You should probably ask yourself what era you're looking for as well...40s? 30s? Do you want a Console radio or a table top?

If you need any help I'm sure there are a lot of others on here besides myself that can help direct you to get parts etc and how to do the repairs.


As far as radio shows. Take a visit to archive.org and do a search through their Audio>Radio Programs section. That should get you started.


Best of Luck.

 

[Radio Dazed]

One of the vey best resources for all things radio is Antique Radios
http://antiqueradios.com/

Buy, restore or build your own, forums on cabinet restoration, vintage TV's, even a photo gallery with thousands of radios. Tons of links too.

John

 

[Forgotten Man]

I still listen to the radio and I would like to have a neat old radio in a wood cabinet but I have no idea where to start and what to look for. Other than garage sales, antique shops and flea markets where should I look and how do I avoid buying one that does not and will not ever work again?

Thanks

Well, everyone has put in some golden advice! Its threads like this I can really appreciate.

Now, ask yourself this, what period of radio you feel you're gravitating for, I read you want a wood cabinet... I'd say some of the nicest cabinet designs were from around 1933-1939. A Philco would be a good set to start with, they made good radios and they aren't too hard to find.

Let me know if you're still on the search, I may have a radio I could let go of.