Tarheel Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Had to dig the Truetone AM Radio and Turntable out of the attic after reading Marty's story. Dusted it off and plugged it in and dialed in a station. A little hum but okay sound. The turntable does not seem to work upon first attempt. Then went to ebay and found a bunch of Truetones and Philcos for sale. My unit was sold by Western Auto whom I believe was owned by Sears. I am guessing these radios were mass produced and rebranded for many stores. I can see I could get very carried away collecting these babies....if only I had some tech skills! Thanks Marty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Maynard, Marty definitely got me fired up again. When that baby was warm, glowing, and the magic eye responding to signals I would kneel in front slowly moving through the frequencies and traveling in time. Even though I never recieved the news Pearl Harbor or anything, those tubes and that big 'ol speakers seemed to put a patina of time on even the latest music and news. Few understand. As to the 01As, I have at least 12 of them, including the ones in the Radiodyne. They all look visibly minty, but that doesn't mean they are good. I've an old Lafayette tube tester, but it's a 50s or so model and doesn't do those old 4 pin jobs. I suppose Dale's might be able to check them. I am quite certain that the Radiodyne would work fine as there isn't anything in it that wears except the tubes. However, 90v power supplies are rare and expensive. Dave I'm sure Dale can take care of everything for you. If not, let me know. Something which I mentioned to Marty, which you may also enjoy, is to pick up a little AM transmitter kit from Ramsey or others. For a few dollars you will be able to actually broadcast your own programming to the radios using any cd player, mobile source, etc. If you want a real trip, see if your library has any audio cds of old broadcasts like War of the Worlds and transmit that! Talk about going back in time!!! With the room lights off, and your eyes closed (unless you want to be mesmerized by that nice 6U5 eye tube!), you can almost believe that you are back in that era. Maynard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Man, I wish I'd kept the AM transmitter I came by somehow in high school. Allied 5 watt tube. I could get it out miles. Ran a pirate station at my house, then at college for a while. No clue what I did with it... Those Ramsey transmitters are awesome. I built one of the FM ones that I use in the house. Quality is incredible, better than the best broadcast signal and our NPR stations here are really excellent, so that is saying something. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Heck, Mark. Marty is worth at least a tenspot. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted November 5, 2013 Author Share Posted November 5, 2013 Leave town for a couple of days and the topic takes off. Dave I'd love to visit someday, just not right now. It would be fund to see, you, Travis and all the other Forum folks scattered around that itty bitty little state you call home. Could probably visit all your quaint villages in a day or two, since I understand its about the size of Rhode Island. JaksonBart, the first pic I did take is out of focus, but it's a before. By the way, with the new Forum software yoo can click on any photos and they really expand in size. Tres Cool. Tarheel, the basics aren't that hard. I do caution you , though, since you radio has not been restored, please do not leave the house with it on, and indeed, pull the plug when not in use. If you had seen the crumbly state of the wiring in the one I restored, you'd understand what I'm saying. Very kind words Dean and Mark. Mark, even though I have no idea where such things as commas should go, am prone to runon sentences and unsure of what verbs, adverbs and predicates are all about, I really do enjoy kicking out a little tale every now and then. My fans here seem to be very forgiving of the fractured and tortured sentences. I do have two concepts for novels, one of course, will be called "The Audiophile" . The other involves the alien mind in my head, er I mean the protagonist's head, the gift of longevity, the perils of being able to gift longevity and sex with multiple partners. I'm more excited about "The Audiophile" (TM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Yeah Martin you should definitely get a warning point for leaving town in the midst of an active thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 >"...since I understand its about the size of Rhode Island." Indeed. Houston is just about a fit for Rhode Island, and is, in fact, a Road Island. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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