You probably already know them, but a couple of years ago I have been in contacts with a company called triad magnetics. They make all kinds of transformers, also to specification, including output transformers for audio. That may be a remnant of the earlier radio company. If you like, I can send you the information.
@theradiomechanic96258 сағат бұрын
@@alpcns not the same firm but thank you
@OIE829 сағат бұрын
Sounds reasonable to me. I think you make a good case. BTW Happy National Radio Day.
I just finished going through the datasheet of the 6B5 - it is the most unique datasheet I've ever seen. In a way it is like a sales brochure or a handout for a sales presentation given at a trade fair. My guess would also be that the unicorn radios were made to get manufacturers to adopt the 6B5 or other parts. Regarding the engineering samples you received during your time in the semiconductor industry I have a question, if you have the time: I have a small company here in Germany specializing in retrofit electronics for automated storage systems and would like to find customers in the US and also ultimately move the company there. Since my products are somewhat complex, kind of like a specialized PLC or the ECU of a car, and about 2-3k each, I've wondered how to approach potential customers. My current approach would be to have the full documentation available online + videos on YT that cover various aspects of how to install the systems etc. and then just a simple flyer I can hand out at trade shows or send via email after an initial phone contact. As for engineering samples, I'd make them available for free for an evaluation period after which they can be returned or purchased. Do you think this would be an effective approach? I'd highly value some input from someone who has a work live worth of experience in that regard.
@lucasgibbons2841Күн бұрын
Great video, very interesting. I enjoy the overlaid commentary as well :)
@mattharvey8712Күн бұрын
Bravo.........100walt light bulb tungsten ......old school......was a 50ohm .....cheers
@lawrencelederer5060Күн бұрын
I have a 666 and it is a good tube tester. However, found the tube chart for the EICO 667 is much more accurate and cn be used with the EICO 666 with a little adaption since the first 9 pin setting are the same. Also I have the EICO 610 adapter. It allows you to test Nuvisors, Novars, 10 pin miniture and Compactrons using the 666. The Eico 667 has sockets for them but they replace some of the older tube socket types. I also have a Hickcok 800A. Having had to repair both the Eico 666 and the Hickok 800A, the EICO is better built and easier to repair. The real advantage of the Hickok is the tube chart is reliable and it has all the sockets. If you are working on really old tube equipement I can recommend my Precision 912 tube tester from the 1940's.
@CrazyfanofFootball233 күн бұрын
I could help you.
@CrazyfanofFootball233 күн бұрын
would you like to grow your KZfaq channel ??
@freelancerbyrafi4 күн бұрын
😊How are you? I hope you are very well. You are an inspiration to me, I watch every video of your channel. I think you are an inspiration name right so I think your videos should be released regularly which inspires me a lot. stay well Weren't you uploading videos to Facebook
@mikesradiorepair4 күн бұрын
I like my old military ME-26D/U VTVM's. They have a 100 Meg input impedance on DC. Other huge advantage to them is you can accurately measure AC up to 720 MHz due to the diode tube built into the AC probe. As you say though, trap for young players. If your looking at a service manual that calls for a meter that will present a 1k or 10k impedance and your using a meter with 100M impedance the readings will not match the service manual.
@solarforfuture4 күн бұрын
still running dads big weller... cracked and repaired Bakelite case.... its a beast 50 year old?
@alpcns4 күн бұрын
I found this fascinating - there are quite some traps for young players here. Documentation, videos and knowledge like this should be compulsory reading in engineering education. You moan quite a bit about old Sparky (hilarious), but I beg to differ - Sparky is doing people a great service!
@ottodydaktyk4 күн бұрын
The case looks great, Vern. I remember a friend telling me about this back in the day, but you explained it well. Cheers!
@DavidTipton1014 күн бұрын
Wow, that was an epic job Vern and it worked so well. I wonder if something like that would be used in a repair workshop, most old timers would know what is wrong with the radio and just fix it. I cannot believe you can pick up stuff like that for 5 bucks, we have nothing like that here. Good luck with your vinyl cutter 👍🙂
@theradiomechanic96254 күн бұрын
@@DavidTipton101 hi david, that was easy compared to the one that's on the bench now.
@theradiomechanic96254 күн бұрын
Hit the wrong button I hate using my phone for this stuff. Those were marketed to the repairman back in the day. I repaired it just for the fun of fixing it.
@freelancerbyrafi4 күн бұрын
How are you? I hope you are very well. You are an inspiration to me, I watch every video of your channel. I think you are an inspiration name right so I think your videos should be released regularly which inspires me a lot. stay well Weren't you uploading videos to Facebook😊? ❤
@jordanh95205 күн бұрын
I live near an air force base. This might be fun.
@jeffreyyoung41046 күн бұрын
That sure is better than the tube extenders with connections for a voltmeter, but they allow the use of a scope to check signal flow.
@robharley98387 күн бұрын
Nice effort to repair the canned ohm resistors! Very interesting piece of kit. Thanks! - JRH
@greggsvintageworkshop89748 күн бұрын
Awesome repairs on a pretty cool old piece of equipment!
@FireandFrostHVAC8 күн бұрын
This video was horrendously long, and it was completely excellent too. Please don’t apologize for your in depth videos, people who can’t watch this video in its entirety wouldn’t watch it anyway, the rest of us love this content. Just scored two Genrad decade boxes in cherry condition for my bench, grab those units if you can, they’re fantastic. Thanks!
@HAMRADIO-SOTA-POTA-BOTA8 күн бұрын
Thank you for this. You're a life saver...well...a money saver.
@hestheMaster8 күн бұрын
They probably should have called them cantdome instead of candome resistors. That was a great dive into it's particulars Vern. You really know your stuff! Steve from IL
@johnlehman21578 күн бұрын
DC meters from thar era were at best 3%. AC meters were in the 5% to 8%. range. The sensitive would be 1000 ohms /volt. A 20,000 ohm/ volt dc meter would have been very expensive in the 20s and 30s. I cut my teeth on 4, 5, 6, and 7 pin tubes. 01a, 45 ,6c6, 6d6 , 27, 24 80 just to name a few. The first transmitter I built was with a 01A tube. My regen receiver also used a 01A. I will be 87 years old this Tuesday.
@FireandFrostHVAC8 күн бұрын
@johnlehman2157 Happy Birthday!
@johnlehman21577 күн бұрын
@@FireandFrostHVAC Thank you
@alpcns8 күн бұрын
Actually that device somehow looks military to me, very well built. Also very well messed up… you do have the patience of a Saint. Amazing stuff. And the result were amazingly accurate meter readings. Interesting device. Thanks for sharing!
@dans82878 күн бұрын
Great work untangling that rats nest of messed up modifications. It probably is more accurate now than it ever was from the factory. Also thanks for the autopsy of the candohm. There is no question why they fail anymore.
@derstrom88 күн бұрын
I think part of the color issues in-camera are due to your white balance being off. I am assuming the "plain printer paper" you were holding was white, but it looks very blue.
@gadasavideos85649 күн бұрын
Should point out that shaft must have grease applied before putting bevel gears onto it to prevent cold weld.
@DavidTipton1019 күн бұрын
Fantastic review. Thanks Vern 😊
@gadasavideos85649 күн бұрын
Input pulley will be turning clockwise viewed from top as per engine rotation
@explorekentucky86899 күн бұрын
Great video, been waiting on a good one comparing the two. I am new to GMRS and radios. For 2 weeks i have been racking my brain between these. After watching this, I believe i will be purchasing the UV-5G Plus. Really just looking for a good truck radio for emergencies as I spend alot of time fishing, hiking, and camping out in the Daniel Boone National Forest here in Kentucky without cell service. We have a repeater covering approximately 75 miles here so hopefully this connects to it no problem.
@theradiomechanic96259 күн бұрын
Glad we could help. The ability to charge from a vehicle USB port sold me.
@ouijim9 күн бұрын
unsubscribed
@sw61888 күн бұрын
This is not an airport. You don't have to announce your departure. 🙄
@alpcns9 күн бұрын
Thanks again for a very thorough and fair comparison and review. I am amazed at the great functionality of these little radios. Personally, I have no use for them - I'm not well-versed in this particular technology, and I doubt any of it is allowed in Europe - but they're certainly little marvels, that's for sure. And somehow it's sad that they'll never be repaired if anything goes wrong.
@frankdomingo19110 күн бұрын
Radio Mechanic do you ever say your name? I watch radio restoration videos and two- way radio reviews for entertainment after spending 35 years in the two-way industry. And I need a name when I talk back to you during the video. Just to myself sane. BTW keep up the videos I find you very entertaining.
@theradiomechanic96259 күн бұрын
@@frankdomingo191 hi Frank thank you for watching the name is Vern
@hamradio371610 күн бұрын
What about actual spectral purity? Some of the earlier modes had 3rd harmonic issues. I have the smaller unit and the battery won’t last very long on high power.
@theradiomechanic962510 күн бұрын
@@hamradio3716 if you watch the video to the end, I put up a spectral picture of both of them 2 megahertz wide
@hamradio371610 күн бұрын
@@theradiomechanic9625Sorry, I missed that last part with the spectrum analyzer 😮
@theradiomechanic962510 күн бұрын
@@hamradio3716 no worries, I did the tri-band or about a year ago it was horrible.
@kholt27510 күн бұрын
Tariffs help, but when the politicians are on the pocket of the big C, it makes things hard.
@jamesmdeluca11 күн бұрын
Greetings: The two detector diodes are usually connected together before being connected to the top of the second IF transformer secondary or one of the diodes is connected directly to ground. I do recall seeing the second diode contributing to the AVC signal but not in he way shown here. I seem to recall that the detected signal exiting the bottom of the transformer going to the 455khz filter (low value caps) then to the volume control and first audio amp was separate from the negative DC that becomes the AVC signal (but I could be wrong)..
@robturner306511 күн бұрын
What a beauty! These simple looking cheap radios have stood the test of time much better than the big ugly overblown things the rich folks were buying
@CXensation11 күн бұрын
Being a PC "man" for the last 50 years - besides being an electronics guy - I have a hard time understanding why people are abandoning their trusty Win10 PC. There is nothing that goes pop when the support discontinues for Win10. And your anti-virus system "Windows Defender" built in - is still going strong with the usual updates over time - no changes here. It's the kernel - the central portion of the Win10 operating system - that is no longer updated with latest inventions and minor bugs found. This CAN and MAY be a threat in the future. Exactly these words have scared the heck out of users thinking their Win10 PC would go pop or at least be riddled with all kinds of virus programs. Microsoft has done a very good job scaring people to buy new computers this way. Think about it: If you are satisfied with the your Win10 functionality, and dont need any AI or 3D functions - keep your Win10 PC. It wont pop !
@armandcorpolongo11 күн бұрын
Great restoration! Looks and sounds superb.
@DavidTipton10111 күн бұрын
Hi Vern, that came up great. A nice radio for your collection. Regarding the waterslide paper, the backing with the print on it is discarded when the printed waterslide part is slid off, you shouldn't see the printing. Looking at the first dial it did look better in the camera, very strange. Very nice project 👍🙂
@theradiomechanic962511 күн бұрын
Hi David, Yes, I know they slide off. The first one shown in the radio is mounted on a white plastic sheet as a diffuser. The color changed when the backing was removed. There is a yellowish tint on the sheet, likely the adhesive. What I was alluding to was I wanted to leave it on the sheet and use the paper sheet as the diffuser. The white paper is transparent enough to let the light through. In fact, the final one in the video is simply photo paper laminated for protection. Light passes through just fine. I played with the Gamma and Color adjustments for hours but what you see on the computer vs what prints is very different. I think I will print another one on the Waterslide Decal paper, but position is such that the printing is behind the lower part of the dial where the light doesn't shine through. Just finished watching your last video. How you get so lucky with some of these repairs is amazing. I think they are staged 🤣 You really got me thinking when you changed out those caps in the crossover network. I have a set of Kenwood speakers I bought in the 70's for a considerable sum back then, I thought my hearing was getting bad, Guess I will open them up and check the crossover networks. Never even considered looking at them before. You woke me up on that one. Cheers.
@DavidTipton10111 күн бұрын
@@theradiomechanic9625 I see what you meant about the printed back, I misunderstood. I wonder what the waterslide or paper would look like stuck to a piece of diffuser from a LED TV would look like.
@RadioWhisperer12 күн бұрын
A damn fine job sir! The sound is amazing, even through the camera. Gee, getting 610 AM as a strong signal, huh lol well done!!)))
@Valerifon112 күн бұрын
I just purchased a Triplett 630-PLK Type 7 now after watching this and hearing Ron talk about how these meters are useful for measuring high megohms in capacitors. I'd like to ask about your meters. They look new! I'm assuming that's not by chance based on the meters I've seen for sale so far. Would you mind talking about how you go about getting them in this condition please? Even the straps look new! Thanks in advance - love the channel! Cheers - Luther
@theradiomechanic962511 күн бұрын
Hi Luther, I keep my eyes open at all the Electronic flea markets. I have never paid more than $20 for one. In fact I bought a lot of 8 damaged ones for $10 once and put together 3 good ones from the parts. Clay bar and Turtle wax cleans up the cases nicely. Be wary when you buy one. Always open it first and look for battery leakage damage. I usually have a battery with me to test and make sure the movement isn't blown. And to make sure the needle moves smoothly. Have been looking for a 621 but these are few and far between. The 621 is a VOM/VTVM combination. Looks exactly the same outside, but has a tube and works as a VTVM for DC measurements. E-bay has a couple for sale, but I don't trust the "untested" nonsense". And they never show the inside. Likely damaged from leakage.
@Valerifon18 күн бұрын
Thanks for the response! I got lucky on my meter. The seller's photos were blurry and from a couple of feet away. For $29 I took a chance forgetting to ask for interior photos. I received it today. It had a D-cell and a 30-volt battery. I changed out the D-cell and all of the battery contacts look good. I could maybe hit them with fine sandpaper but no corrosion. It has one small hole on the bottom of the cabinet and I'll maybe patch that with epoxy. It has one issue I need to look at. In ohm setting, all ranges deflect the pointer to the right except for the 100K setting - it wants to deflect to the left. Any ideas? I'll look for a schematic and get a clay bar. Thanks! Cheers - Luther
@theradiomechanic96257 күн бұрын
@@Valerifon1 sounds like you have the 30 volt battery installed backwards. It's only used for the 100k range.
@Valerifon17 күн бұрын
Yes, pride dictates I remove my comments but I will leave them for future reference. 😂 The 30V is so much higher than the 1.5 D-Cell that I didn't put it together that the 30-volt cell is meant specifically for the Rx100000 range. Its working perfectly now. Lesson learned. 😎👍 Thank you very much! Cheers - Luther
@vicmabus153212 күн бұрын
Nice job, Vern!
@hestheMaster12 күн бұрын
It is the modern restorations that color the bottom feet or base black. Most if having a two tone finish the color would be as close to the center of the face color and here the top. I always thought the radio dial color was the same as a manila envelope in color. That's a pretty darn nice looking and sounding radio after all that work. Great job Vern.
@WOFFY-qc9te12 күн бұрын
Looks good and I like the light feet to give contrast and lift the set of the bench. As for the dial colour if is is an image file of scanned file then select your colour hue and tweak the saturation for the colour and the gamma for the contrast and mid tone. I think doing it with the printer setting you call on preset stock paper settings and there are so many variables you will chase your tail. Hope this is of some help Sounds sweet. Standard paper will bleed ink on a laser jet so less ink and more dithering is used giving a weaker contrast, photo paper is more resistant to bleed but if you use this setting on standard paper the print will look soft. Try switching ink / toner saving or Eco off, then have another crack with standard paper setting but print on photo paper. Not sure what image software you use but if it is MS paint the colour pallet is rather crude try MS photo editor or similar working with a jpg or photo file.
@alpcns12 күн бұрын
That’s a beautiful finish, and the radio looks and sounds just great. A restoration project to be proud of.