Show us your radios!

[ScionPI2005]

My wife says no more radios. My problem is I don't think there was ever an ugly one produced until the mid-late 50s. So if I see one, I want to buy it lol.

I can say the same thing about hats...oh...and watches....phones....lighters...

Seems like every vintage collectible is unique...too bad we can't collect them all.

 

[PADDY]

Gents. I've just re-gilted the famous GILFILLAN motif and signature in an old 'rose gold' similar to paints used of 'that time.' There was enough original left for me to match up. So it just 'lifts' it. I'll be polishing the bakelite (boot polish no less!) and this baby will really glow. Something about playing Dorsey, Shaw, Sinatra in the dark of the summer room, with only the glow of the valves and the Christmas tree lights shining through.

For those interested, some more photos on this *link*

http://paddy-wagon.blogspot.com/2010/12/1930s-bakelite-radio-for-21st-century.html

 

[RadioWave]

At my local antique mall, there are two radios for sale if anyone's interested. One's a Philco Cathedral priced at $59, and the other is (I think) a cabinet radio manufactured by Southern Pacific(?). I'm pinning it's origins between '35 and '45, and it's current price tag isn't any higher than $120. Cosmetically, both radios seem to be in good condition. As my wallet is in a perpetual state of empty, i didn't ask about function.

 

[Mark D]

This was given to me years ago by an elderly neighbor. I believe it to be a '36 or '37. Although Stromberg-Carlson made a ton of radios I haven't had much luck finding anything about this particular model. If anyone is familiar with it I'd like to know more.

As you can see the grill cloth suffers from an unsympathetic replacement and needs repair. The speaker cone is missing about 1/3 of its paper as well. Despite these issues it still sounds great and works on all bands. I generally use it for shortwave. It's receiver is remarkably sensitive.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Hasn't stopped me yet haha, my newest one is Gone with the wind lamps.

I can say the same thing about hats...oh...and watches....phones....lighters...

Seems like every vintage collectible is unique...too bad we can't collect them all.

 

[MissMittens]

My newest, and most favorite radio

Fully electrically and cosmetically restored over many many hours

 

[BinkieBaumont]

How Fabulous is this

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Sparton-Sled...ltDomain_0&hash=item588b1b1da9#ht_1330wt_1141

 

[martinsantos]

Fairbanks Morse

One of the radios I restored, a Fairbanks Morse. Never got much information about this manufacturer, and I never knew if the gabinet was produced in USA or in Brazil.

One of the most difficult forniture restorations. It had 7 different paintings over the wood. In its life it was grey, red, pink, black and "rainbow". The last one was by spray of different colors, was it was used to make a rock videoclip. And they turned on the radio to make the filming, and the power transformer was almost carbonized. And a huge community of termites was living in it. One of the foot was lost.

There is a photo of the it when I got it:

Now it is in fully working order, and have a great sound. And the light dial is an aditional charm!!!

Martin

 

[Kahuna]

One of the radios I restored, a Fairbanks Morse. Never got much information about this manufacturer, and I never knew if the gabinet was produced in USA or in Brazil.

One of the most difficult forniture restorations. It had 7 different paintings over the wood. In its life it was grey, red, pink, black and "rainbow". The last one was by spray of different colors, was it was used to make a rock videoclip. And they turned on the radio to make the filming, and the power transformer was almost carbonized. And a huge community of termites was living in it. One of the foot was lost.

There is a photo of the it when I got it:

Now it is in fully working order, and have a great sound. And the light dial is an aditional charm!!!

Martin

Beautiful job! Great restoration and well worth all the hours of time you put into it.

 

[MissMittens]

Sweet restoration. I've never been good with wood.....passable, but nothing like the job you've done on this radio. Looks perfect

 

[martinsantos]

Roadierfl and Kahuna, thanks a lot for the kindly words!!

Wood is tricky sometimes... And usually my radios had problems with termites. Usually I got them in deposits of old forniture. But it's funny to work slowly with them. I have much more trouble about the electronics.

Merry Christmas!

Martin

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Martin, that is probably the best, most impressive restoration I've seen on a radio, especially when you consider the beginning product!

 

[Mark D]

My newest, and most favorite radio

Fully electrically and cosmetically restored over many many hours

Beautiful. Are you a Ham?

 

[martinsantos]

Thanks a lot, Tom!!

When I came home with it, everybody asked me if I started to get junk in the street - or if I started to use something illegal...

But honestly, I had a lot of work, but it wasn't difficult. It's a very well made radio, you can easilly feel the care in every detail.

The most difficult radio I worked on was a Phillips 335A. The tubes are getting too scarce, and ever by internet was very difficult to find new ones. The sockets are completely different. And the system of coils was very very different, with LOTS of coils - I think it was a way to get far from the RCA patents. And when we have no one to talk about, or no books describing what you have in your front, everything turns difficult.

Martin

Martin, that is probably the best, most impressive restoration I've seen on a radio, especially when you consider the beginning product!

 

[MissMittens]

Beautiful. Are you a Ham?

Yes Sir, it has been known. Been a ham for 20 yrs now, and I'm only in my 30's. I've ALWAYS had nothing but tube gear. I'm more of a Shortwave/Broadcast Listener now than an operating ham, except in times of emergency.

 

[Big Man]

Here's the oldest radio we have in the house. My Dad and Mom bought this in 1952 (I still have the sales receipt and the instruction booklet that came with it). It doesn't work now. The last time I turned it on (about 10 years ago) it had a short and gave me quite a shock. I'd like to get it repaired one day.

 

[Mr. Hallack]

if you need your radio repaired, www.radiodaze.com All sorts of parts and will fix radios too. You can get a free estimate forany repairs needed.

 

[Big Man]

if you need your radio repaired, www.radiodaze.com All sorts of parts and will fix radios too. You can get a free estimate forany repairs needed.

Thanks for the information. I'll check it out.

 

[Jish1969]

This was a Christmas present from my wife: an Emerson model 561. It is very nice looking but there are no knobs and I am going to have to replace the capacitors as it just hums really loud when I turn it on. This will give me something to do for the next few weeks at least!

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[AtomicEraTom]

Picked this up for cheap at Goodwill and unlike many old consoles I pick up, it works!

[video=youtube;0zkab9UTb7U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zkab9UTb7U[/video]