Finishing Repairs On This 1950 Westinghouse AM FM Radio - Alignment And IF Issues!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to Amateur Repair Time. We have been working on this Westinghouse radio. It seems like forever. It is a Westinghouse. Uh, let me get you the part number here. The model number. It's a Westinghouse H307 T7. It's very simple AM FM radio from probably the early 50s. Uh, and we've kind of got it running. Everything working kind of to a to an extent. >> Like I'm choking. >> Kind of like an elephant is on my chest. A little whistle sound. >> That's kind of spooky. Um, so we need to try to finish the thing up. So we need to align it. Uh, we need to clean it up and then we need to play it and have fun with it. So, I think the first thing that I'm going to do is finally address this back panel. So, there there's a back door to it that has this removable uh power cord thing that's all screwed up that plugs in here. Um, and um it seems strange to me that they designed it like that. I mean, I've got plenty of them that do that, but since the antenna is mounted to the back door as well, there's no real way to remove the back door because the antenna is permanently wired to the back door, but yet the power cord isn't. Just seems weird to me. You'd think they'd have some kind of quick disconnect on the antenna or something so you can take the back door off, but they don't. So, you're supposed to just pull the back door off about an inch cuz that's all you got. and then I guess just kind of stare in there at the chassis. So, whatever. Whatever. Hey, I didn't design it. If that's how they wanted to do it, more power to them. Far be it from me for me to criticize the good engineers at Westinghouse. They know a lot more about it than me. So, I think I need to clean that up. And I'm just going to go ahead and mount it to the back. And then you can leave it mounted to the chassis while we work on it. And you can slide it into the case. Um, but I kind of need to do that before we align it because you have to align it with the antenna in place. So, that's what we're going to do. So, I'm going to clean that up a little bit. I'm going to rewire this cord connector um and get it where it's mounted. There's one screw hole here and a screw hole here uh to permanently mount it or, you know, physically mount it. So, let me work on that a little bit. Maybe we'll uh go ahead and pull this little connector apart and see what that looks like inside. All right, so I cut the old cable off. You can see it's all What in the world are they doing to us? I mean, I know these get brittle and start falling apart, but if you if you tape them up more than once or twice, it's time for a new one, folks. Um, so it runs through there. You've got all of this kind of card material in it to protect it. And then it runs up into this has a knot tide in it so you can't just rip it out. And then this little bake light plug that plugs into it. Easy peasy. All right. So, I'm going to replicate that and put it all back together. All right. All right. So, the back of this someone has painted all over and I thought lacquer thinner might take it off and it appears that it is. So, it's we're getting it off and it's leaving the original paint at least most of it still on there. Like all of that has been uncovered. Very cool. So, I'm going to clean this up a little more and see if I can get it at least somewhat presentable. Much better. I mean, obviously it changed the color there, but um that doesn't seem to be from the uh lacquer thinner cuz I used the lacquer thinner on the rest of it, too, to just kind of clean it up. So, I guess just the paint had ate into it a little bit. But, at least you can read it now. Oh, I didn't even notice it had the model number on it. I guess I probably did. That's probably how I looked it up originally. So, let's see what it says. 117 volts DC or AC 60 cycles at 35 watts for additional AM pickup C instruction book. So, if you didn't see that, we showed that on the previous video antenna coupling method. So, it's showing you to you can just tape a a uh longer AM antenna on the back to couplet. Um, I think it tells you how to here somewhere. An external AM antenna can be coupled to the set by taping the lead end wire to the outside of the rear cover as shown in figure three. The wire should be dressed in the position shown and can be held in place with adhesive tape or other similar material. So that's what that means. Note to service tubes, remove screws at center and two bottom clips. So remove the screw. I put another screw back in. I found a nice original one. Boy, it almost looks like it's the right one, doesn't it? And then they say clips. So I guess these weren't screws. They must have been some of those little pushin things. They're long gone, folks. Blue wire, and they call that blue, is connected to left terminal for built-in antenna. Disconnect blue wire and attach a 300 ohm leadin wires for use with external dipole FM antenna. Okay, we're just going to use the internal one. Caution, the chassis of this receiver is connected directly to one side of the line. Remove the back cover completely before servicing. So that's a little bit of a problem. I'll show you here in a second. This apparatus use inventions of the United States patents of Westinghouse. The inventions of the United States patents licensed by Radio Corporation of America. Now see what this says. RCA. So in one of my previous videos, I had a genius on here uh in the comments telling me how wrong I am about everything. And uh I had mentioned that didn't uh I was talking about a radio and I said didn't RCA have a patent on a bunch of the stuff they were using and so the guy chided me in the RCA that's not an RCA because everybody knows so damn much whenever I'm just making a little comment. It's not that serious folks. No, if you knew a damn thing. Uh and I don't mind that people don't know. It's just why are you correcting me when you're wrong? Radio Corporation of America, that's RCA, had patents on, I believe, the uh the Super Hetradine setup. So, a lot of these companies, they used and paid a license to RCA to use their patent. That's just a fact, Jack. So, I just don't understand. I I never understood why people correct me as if it matters anyway. None of it matters, folks. It's not important. If I'm wrong, who cares? I'm wrong about all kinds of stuff. But don't correct me on crap that I'm not wrong about. At least at least find one of the hundred things that I'm wrong about. Don't correct me on the couple things that I'm right about. Come on, folks. Come on now. Uh licensed under applicable Hazeline Research Incorporated patents for use in homes for educational purposes and for private non-commercial use. If you start with that commercial stuff, they're going to get mad. They don't want you making money off of this, folks. You're going to have to pay pay more for that. Okay, so that's what the back looks like. Uh we need to figure out how to how to freaking um how to align this sucker. She's aligning. I test I did a whole video on this one time at the shop and I figured out that when you're at about 450, you're at about 455. It's off a little bit. So, we're going through and uh I think I've got step two done there. Step three, we're going to do the radiated signal at 1615 and uh adjust the AM oscillator trimmer. And then we're going to do the radiated signal at 1400 and do the AM RF trimmer and see if that gets us more stations on AM, of course. Now, you're not really supposed to do this really loud. I've got the output on that really loud. Um, you're not really supposed to do it really loud, but I'm just doing it so that you can see it on the video. Adjusting the oscillator trimmer. [Music] Also, I'm doing it by ear. It's better if you hook a meter up to it. I'm still getting some sparkies. I think there might be some silver micica trying to uh ruin our day. Um but we'll see whenever it's done. I don't know. It could just be that it's off signal.com. >> Welcome back to the sports betting network. >> The sports betting networks in Las Vegas. I'm I just can't relate to them. They're so brilliant. They're so deserving of it. >> Let's find out who they are. Let's play a little bit. It's opening day. >> So, it's a sports There is a sports uh network just above 6:30 a.m. uh which is in Nashville. I don't know if we're going to be able to get it at 6:30, though. radio.com. >> That's it. >> Very little volume on it though. I wonder if I can try to peak the antenna for 630. Come on, you sucker. That's >> all I got. Luckily, they're playing a crappy song, so I'm not missing much. >> So, it gets a little bit. It's just that antenna is not strong enough to to to grab a weak channel that far. >> I didn't not to vote in elections because I knew a Democrat was going to win. on ESPN radio and a 61 Indianapolis Colts welcome the Tennessee Titans. >> So that noise that is not silver mica disease or it would be on everything. [Music] [Laughter] [Music] is underway to prepare a package of agreements President Trump and the crown prince could sign or witness during the visit. >> The type that he was talking about now he's very, you know, highly decorated, qualified. >> So, this is our blowtorrch station. It's 4 miles away San Diego and a critical thing. most about [Applause] [Music] [Applause] heat. It's not great, folks. What the world? We got Yeah, we got a We've got an IF can. It's I think got a loose connection on it, too. [Applause] >> I wish you could just buy new IF cans, but guess what? You can't. We've got one here that's that's not happy. >> Well, hibly about you know the properties of >> the FM >> maneuvers in a you know Chinese you know >> uses different IF cans >> and you align it differently. And you do it with two 100 ohm resistors >> and you have to use a vacuum tube voltmeter which I've got one but >> we're kind of getting to the limits of amateur repair time people. That would be professional repair time. >> And I'm not a professional. I'm an amateur. So I don't know that I can do all that. >> Let's see if FM is working any better. >> Since we align the AM. How in the world that would work, I don't know, but maybe. Maybe it's working worse. >> 100.9 FM. >> 100.9. >> It's half an inch right of center. >> I better turn that down so they don't copyright strike me, folks. Boy, that sounded good, though. I can't pick that up with one hand cuz it's got a little crack in it. What' they say? 100.9 close. Alignment might be a little off. >> Uh-huh. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Hell yeah. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] >> Boy, that's some sweaty music. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Well, with all that, I got to say, you know, the FM's working really Good. So, let's put it back on A.M. Let's go back to our blowtorrch station. >> Do you think that funguses could be extra terrestrial? Thank you, Brian. >> Of course they could. >> Um, sounds like a mushroom. Go ahead. >> Of course they could. What kind of dumb question is that? >> Yeah. So, um, well, let me just say, >> okay, so my point is, with the exception of the AM, um, IF can dropping out every once in a while, but I don't know there's much I can do about, uh, the FM's working really good, and the AM's working okay on the channels that are close by. Let's, just to humor us, let me go see if I can get 630 in one more time. If I can tune that sucker in each time with it just sitting here, I mean, I think that's pretty impressive. [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] So that's it. the the low volume we had was because of the IF can. All right. [Applause] [Applause] >> I don't know, folks. Um, I know you can take them apart and replace the micica in them and that fixes it, but I think that's going to have to be a job for another day. I don't think I'm good enough to do that. Maybe the day will come when I get more used to that. Maybe I'll get one that don't work at all all and I have to do that. Maybe Shango will move in next door and I can talk him into doing that. But I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to clean this thing up a little bit. I'm going to fix this thing that's moving around. I'm going to clean up the case. I'm going to put the thing back together. And I'm going to use it as an FM radio. What do you think about I think that'd be that that sounds like the perfect thing for me. Okay. So, the first thing I'm going to fix is this. I already did, but this this I don't even understand this. So, there's this burgundy kind of uh felt piece on here. This radio does not have a pilot light. So, there's no light at all in it. And so, they have designed it where there is a piece of red felt and an orange indicator. I don't understand why they would do that. That seems weird. And there's there's no light. So, why would they make it orange in front of red? That's weird. Maybe this was like more of a brown originally to kind of match the cabinet. So, I looked at another one online that somebody was messing with. Same thing. So, that's just how they all look. So, I mean, I guess you can see the orange in front of it. Decent. I don't know how well you're going to be able to see it through that lens when it's all dark in there. Yeah. I just I don't uh I don't get what they're doing with that, but that's what they did. So, uh I glued it back on with this glue stick. Check these out. This is a big one. Look at that big old glue stick. This is some good stuff. This is my favorite. You know, I'm obsessed with things not being made in China. Let's see if this one uh I think I'm all right. Let's see here. Yoohoo. Made in Germany. Yeah, baby. So, what size is it? 40 g. Is that I guess that's the size. 40 g something something. I don't use grams much. All right. Yeah. So, my yohoo stick comes in use again. Comes in handy again. All right. So, I got to let that dry and then uh let's see what the best way to clean the case is. That thing's freaking horrible. Look how pitiful this thing is. So, I read of a few people online, everybody seems to agree that Novvice uh is the consensus um best thing to use. And I have Novvice because we use it on pinball machines. Um, I will say I have never been able to use this number one and have it do anything. However, it does say clean and shine. So, I wonder if we can clean this up with just number one or do we have to start with the number two? This doesn't really have fine scratches on it. It's just filthy. So, I wonder if I finally have a use for my Novas number one. I've got a ton of this stuff. What happens is um we'll buy a pinball machine and somebody's had it in their house and everybody knows that you're supposed to clean everything with Novvice or that it, you know, it works good on pinball machines. It's, you know, everybody always recommends it whenever you buy pinball parts. You're you're bound to have somebody tell you that you should use Novvice on it, blah blah blah. So about every ninth or tenth pinball machine I buy has a bunch of novas inside of I if you remember that Frankenstein pinball that we did, the guy had um quarts of it. He had like jugs of it in it and he had multiples. So, I think this like this bottle, it could have been like this bottle and this bottle. And there was also a quart of the number two and a quart of the number one. Just wild. Okay, so uh let's just just while you're watching here now, some of this is paint. It's probably not going to take that off. I might have to use my lacquer thinner on again. There's also a a little crack in it right there. You can barely feel it. So, I got to be careful. Let's spray some Novas on there and just see how it see if it does anything for us. What you think? Now, I went cray cray like that because I've already used it before, so I know that it's safe. What do you think? Do we need to let it work a little bit? Might have went too far with it. Might have used too much novas. The world is that. Let's just see if we can. It's hard to do this with one hand. I can't hold it. Let's just see if it like obviously is giving us something. It doesn't have any weight to it. And this name plate here is broken. We're not really buffing anything. I'm just lightly using it to clean. You can see that crack a little better. I don't know, folks. Um I mean, obviously it cleaned it up, but it it just looks wet. Once it dries, it's probably going to look the same. Okay, let me see what I can do. Okay, so true to form, the the Novous One didn't really do much. Um it cleaned it up a little bit. So now I'm using Windex to clean up clean it up even more. You can and a brush. So you can see that's like the dirt that was pretty prevalent before. And then this is of course after it's clean. I haven't been able to get it all out yet, but I'm still working it. This is about the fourth coat. Oh, some of that, by the way, is just where you can see through it, but some of it isn't. Um, this about the fourth cleaning. Um, so the top I actually just used Novvice number two on, which is just uh more aggressive, you know, and uh I got a little bit of a shine out of that. That's been my experience on pinballs, too. Novvice number one, I can't get it to do anything. Novvice number two, you see a little bit of effect. I've got novice number three as well, but that's pretty aggressive stuff, so I don't really want to mess with it. And also I had to be very careful in this top because it's got that crack. Okay, so that's about as clean as I can get it. So what I got the most use out of was the Novvice number two and then I used the Novas number one after that. I think the Novous number one didn't do a damn thing. The Novous number two did all the work. Um I've got a nice little shine on it. It's one of those things though where you clean it and clean it and clean it and clean it and then clean it again and clean it again and clean it again. Every time you clean it, it gets a little bit cleaner and I'm just if I use the Novvice, I'm getting brown stuff off of it constantly and I can't tell if it's dirt or if it's taking away a layer of the um the plastic that's brown or what the deal is. Also, I cannot get the dust or the dirt or whatever it is behind the numbering. I can't get that quite. Um, I did clean up the logo a little bit that's missing the W. Um, I think what would help it is if I put some paint on it. It's got a it's got a uh there was supposed to be like some yellow trim around it and yellow lettering. um which I actually may be able to do with some with some um some uh acrylic paint if I've got any here at the house. Um I think I do have some yellow that I've had for a long time. Um I don't know if I want to do that. I don't have a brush here, I don't think. Do I have a brush? I might have a brush. Hm. What do you think? Should I do it? Should I try it? Should I Should I make it pop like people do with them leads? Yeah, I think I might try to paint it. Um, let me see if I've got any paint. If I've got paint, I might try it. If I don't, because it actually it wouldn't whenever they're raised. It's hard to paint on something, but this is all raised. There's different levels. So, for instance, this part in here that's inside is what's painted. If you were to just paint yellow paint on all of that and then wipe the top of it off, it would only leave the paint that's down inside of it. If you were to uh take something like a a brush, like a foam brush would be perfect, and just dab this, it would only paint the raised part. Um, so it actually works pretty quickly whenever it's raised and lowered like that. Um, I don't have gold paint, but I've got yellow paint that would probably make it look better. Let me look at some pictures of them online and see what it's supposed to look like. So, here's a picture I found online of one at the radio museum.org. You can see that it's actually, now that I look at it, if I paint that yellow, it's going to be pretty obvious because the knobs are gold. So, I kind of need gold paint to do it. Um, so that's that one. And here's another one. It's actually a quite an attractive little radio. Um, once it's cleaned up, you can also kind of tell in this picture that that felt thing is red back there with the Well, I guess that's like an orang-ish red indicator. Uh, this this one's obviously in very nice shape compared to mine. You can't really tell what the background is on this one, but you can see that it's an orange indicator. So, I think what I'll do is I'll just leave it how it is for now. Um, whenever I get some gold paint, maybe down the road I'll touch it up better. But, um, I think we're to the point we're just going to put it back together. If you look here too, this is a very nice one. You can see the reflection of the Coke bottle in it that he's showing off or she's showing off, whoever it is. I shouldn't assume. Um, and we've got about that sheen on ours, too. So, I think I've got it about as clean um as the other ones that I'm seeing online. It's just theirs is in a little nicer shape. Right now, it's more access. [Music] >> It actually gets pretty good reception. And that's A.M. >> I've got the uh I've got the uh alignment of the dial off a little bit, the oscillator adjustment. Um so this is 650 and it you know it's I mean I know you can't see with the lights off, but yeah, we're at more like 605 instead of 650. And I can't play the music too much because you know they will take this off YouTube. >> No recognition that maybe the anger and the vitrial has gone too far. And by the way, please don't tell me that it's both sides. >> Okay. 49ers plus two and a half to Texas. Do you do you are you open? >> Welcome back to Coast to Coast A.M. I'm your host this evening, filling in for the great George Nory. My name is Rich Bara and hanging out with us a little bit on open lines for the next break or so is futurist. >> Wow. I'm getting France. Damn. >> I think this one's good for the shelf, people. I'm about to make a spot for it. You know, you got to hang out with the right people in the right circles because if not, you never know who these people are connected to. So, a lot of education I think needs to take place and let them know, you know, you crossed this line uh that you're not really not even supposed to be near. You know, you can end up kind of like me. I lost my job. I lost my family and I lost my freedom. I'm very fortunate that, you know, all my daughters are happy and healthy and with me now, but you know, for, you know, a time period, I I spent 15 months in a federal prison. So, uh, you know, >> those two elements of a fair detention rate were deemed appropriate by most of Overdrive's audience. Almost here. [Applause] [Music] There's only $1,395 services always charges less for veterans burials, church services, green burial, funeral arrangements. When you choose to have a special and personal funeral service and you absolutely want to spend thousands less, >> what channel is this? >> 800 314189 or visit our website casper funeralervices.com. Let our family help your family. But whenever I got through the window, I tried to pick him up, but his body was still the maker podcast is the story of a prestigious Missouri. >> I don't I think it's getting decent reception really. So many of the mainstream media, >> right? So this is going to be 1110. It's going to be super strong conversation about it, but I think it's an opportunity about how complicated our solar system is and how our technology is helping us to better understand our place in I don't think it's a worthwhile [Music] Oh, wow. I'm picking up uh should I say their name? It'll mess up the uh the the um identification software. We'll find it easier. Good college rock band there. [Music] That's all she wrote on the AM. [Music] [Music] to take the baby's [Music] best country. Interstate 107. >> Interstate 107. [Music] It's lined up pretty decent. [Music] >> Trying to watch your radio. [Music] Oh yeah. >> Oh yeah. [Music] >> To your eyes. God and all the time to take a speeding down 65. [Music] Put my trust in you. Push that far. [Applause] [Music] By the way, you can also do a kamicazi mission where you fly space junk into it and punt it off course. on the beach. >> What I don't get is how come all the rappers sound like u uh Rihanna. Have you noticed that? Like all of the rappers at some point they got a Barbados accent. If anybody's kept up with this, let me know down below if you agree with me. Originally, you had you had um like the first person I heard do stuff like that was like Snoop Dogg would rap as if he was Jamaican, but they completely abandoned that after just a little while. But somewhere after Rihanna, who is from Barbados, somewhere after her whenever she did like that that song Umbrella, right? And the sunshine will shine together. She's got kind of this beautiful accent. Um, all of the rappers started doing that and it's it's kind of like this mix of like a Barbados accent and like a lazy kind of style and they all do it now. Blows my mind. We're at a We're at a place where even the old rap used to be better than [Music] What is this? [Music] Sure. I will take $1,000 off of your bill. >> There's usually not a lot low on the Dow. >> The BBC World Service connects audiences to the world news to science, sports, arts, and culture programing. entertain and engage audiences everywhere. >> The BBC comes in twice. >> Well, there you go, folks. >> That's WSM. Let's see if uh I can't leave it on it too long though. Um, >> I'm getting a little bit of >> wine. That might be lights and things people are always saying. >> We're celebrating the arrival of a new country music TV show on network television. The road premiered on CBS last Sunday and so far it seems like it's going to be a really fun and unique singing competition show. >> All right, folks. Well, there you go. I think it came out pretty good, actually. >> Time for some positive visualisation. >> I mean, what do you expect? >> Picture this. Your wallet stuck to the brim with big, beautiful bills. $1,000 could be yours. Keep listening for your next chance to win. Listen weekdays from 9:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. after the top of the hour news for the keyword and enter it at whjs.com for your chance to win $1,000 with the big beautiful bills contest on News Radio840. WHJ >> ABC News, I'm James Packer. Five people were shot near Howard University's campus in DC. Thousands were there for homecoming activities. That from Metropolitan Police Chief >> I don't like listening to the news. They never tell you the good news. >> And there is good news, people. >> I am certainly not the head coach at my own house. And I'm more than happy to >> I mean, I can't expect more AM reception than that out of a little tabletop radio. I think that's great. I think we're getting damn good reception on AM and FM. I guess that that if can decided to cooperate and it's it's fine. Maybe it didn't like the way I was poking it, but now that we got it all buckled up in there, uh it's cooperating. So, there you go, folks. I hope you enjoyed it. I know it took uh like five videos or something for such a simple little radio, but it just takes a while to go through them and where you know that you've you've done it right, you know? So, I got to take my time on it. Um, and we still not completely finished. I still, you know, needed to paint it in the gold and stuff. Um, and we could have took the IF cans apart and tried to replace the micica capacitors in them and all of that, but um, so this is the best that I can do in five videos. It just takes a while. Um, there's a channel here on YouTube called My 1925 World. Um he he's re he's one of our viewers and he's restoring um he's done several radios, but he's doing one right now. And he made a comment a few videos back where he said uh I can't fix a radio in one video. It takes me, you know, months and months to do one. And he's right to do it right. It really it kind of takes a while. This one was pretty beat up when I started with it. All the tubes were missing. Uh it was incredibly filthy. Um, and you know, we've went completely through it and got a nice working little radio now. So, I'm very happy with it. I'm going to keep it, put it on my shelf, and treasure it. If you didn't see in the past, we did one on this one, this one, this one was all screwed up. Uh, this one, this one, and this one. I think I don't think we did that one yet. Uh, so we've done some of these and we've done this one and this one and this one. This was a gift. We messed with this one. Uh, so we've done quite a few. So on to the next one. So we'll see you on the next video. I hope you enjoyed it. Play the music. Oh, I should tune it in. Let me see if I can see if I can find it. Maybe they're broadcasting. >> Try to work his wonders. >> Maybe I can find my theme song. There it is. Ladies and gentlemen, [Music] sitting [Music] in schematics [Music] and thrifting [Music] last [Music] boards tracing faded traces vacuum to blows. Get it back to working by the end of a show. Bringing broken gadgets back to life. Turning silence into stories one at a time. We fixing to fix some easy as can be. amateur at bedtime for you and me. [Music] Little machine, you carried history. Time to trace your patter from open to singing presets. [Music] Tangled up [Music] clocking. [Music] Take [Music] a ging tracing faded traces back into it by the end of the show. Bringing broken gadgets back to life. Turn silence into stories one at a time. We're fixing to fix some. Easy as can be. I'm sure your repair time for you and me. [Music] It's time. [Music] time. [Music] It's [Music]