gonzp Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Got my first antique shortwave radio! It is a 1942 Zenith AM shortwave radio. It was totally recapped and retubed and I think that the cabinet was touched up. Does anyone else here collect these old radios? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldenough Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Funny you should ask Patrick, i got my first one on Saturday. The local "antique" shop had it sitting there for a couple of weeks and that thing kept telling me to "buy me, buy me". It's a Marconi Model 233, battery powered, and in real nice shape... it has a couple of tubes missing...maybe i'll try to hunt some replacements, but for now it just looks real cool...That one of yours is a bit fancier,and looks to be in nice shape. I'll post some pics of mine later, maybe someone here can help me with tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 The fancy grill is shot, making it look as ugly as Army surplus, but my radio in our kitchen nook is a ancient Blaupunkt-Drucktasten-Super Sultan (2320) Super Hi Fi mono radio. It has a single 7x4oval driver, a EL84 output tube and no crossover. The tube has never been replaced and yet does not glow too bright. The previous home-owner left it in his garage for me. Vocals sound quite nice on it: every women who has ever heard it immediately comments on the sound. I just put it my girlfriends house yesterday and she loved the sound compared to the tiny boom box she had. Said it was less tinny with more low end. A vintage site said it was worth $300-400 in great shape. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> This unit makes me wish for a audiophile quality Bose Wave system; universal disc player with a tube amplifier and a full-range, horn-loaded driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 A few of us are collecters, more or less. DRBILL is one. Google Phil Nelson for a great antique radio site. Phil is very helpful. I have a couple of transistor Trans-Oceanics, the 1000 from 1959 and the Royal 7000 from c.1972. I was a SWL'er as a kid but now between multiple PCs, an aquarium more complex than a Space Shuttle main engine, and a nearby airport, we have RF interference out the wazzoo, and reception ain't great. Most of the stations, even Voice of Russia (nee Radio Moscow) sound like CNN now. Only Radio Havanna has the good old cold war rhetoric that was so entertaining back in the day. Many more religous stations also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 As a kid I listened to an old Hallicrafters from the 50's. I now hold an FCC Amateur Extra license and use a tube Kenwood ST820 from the 70's. Pauln AD5FT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Pauln, Mmmm! Nice! Never was a ham but I did work for a ham radio co. eons ago so I am familiar with the gear. One of these days I want a real communications receiver, a suitable antenna, and less RFI around my house...someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 gonzp: Nice radio! I took the liberty of re-sizing your photo and brightening it up a bit. The Zenth short waves are among my favorites. I hope to own one of their portable, backlite battery models some day. I own three nice ones myself. A 1936 Silvertone Console, a 1946 Detrola Model 571 and 1948 RCA. None of mine are short-wave. For listening to short wave and have a modern transistor-powered, Grundig Yatch-Boy 400PE from Germany. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFP Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Got my first antique shortwave radio! It is a 1942 Zenith AM shortwave radio. It was totally recapped and retubed and I think that the cabinet was touched up. Does anyone else here collect these old radios? Gonzp... What a great radio! I have been 'casually' looking around for a Zenith 'floor model' (console) radio from more or less that same time period to put back here in my "office." So far, nada! I do have a really nice old Zenith Transoceanic..... the one with genuine leather (brown) covering. It still has the "log chart' which is pristine (NOT all marked up). The old sucker still works, too... even though I do have to fiddle with the push buttons that switch between bands sometimes. I'm sure the contacts are profoundly dirty (!) Again, congrats on your excellent Zenith 'score!' Cheers, Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 I've got an early '40s Emerson AM/shortwave wooden table radio my dad restored for me years ago. My dad built this 4 tube shortwave radio for me in '03...simple, straightforward, and quite accurate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzp Posted April 11, 2007 Author Share Posted April 11, 2007 Guys, Thanks for the kind words!! I have been having a blast with the radio. picky, thanks for resizing my picture!! you are a gentleman and a scholar! What do you all use for antenna? I have heard that lamp cord or speaker wire laid on the floor next to the walls will bring the short wave radio better reception. I am also going to want to try to pick up an AM station in Detroit that carries the Red Wings broadcasts. Any reccomondations Glenn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Hope you enjoy your latest antique radio, gonzp. They're fun to listen to, especially at night when radio waves are easier to receive due to reduced atmospheric conditions. My dad recommends about 25' of either stranded/braided or solid 14 to 16 (or smaller) guage wire for a shortwave antenna. Usually mounted higher for better reception, but you can lay it along the floorboard and then up along a window up to the curtain rod or blinds housing. If you have any technical questions concerning your antique radio that others cannot answer, you can e-mail my dad (see my profile page for his radio restoration website). Enjoy![] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 I've got a very defunct Hallicrafters SX62 out in my storage barn. That thing is very, very complex inside. I just don't have the will to get it working. It has a single 6V6 audio amplifier stage in it. More metal in it than my car, too. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 They don't refer to 'em as "boatanchors" for nuthin', Bruce![8-)] My dad also has a few '40s to '50s US military shortwave receivers from Hammarlund, Collins, and National (don't recall the models). They probably weigh in at over 50 lbs. each and are 3 rack spaces...the epitome of vacuum tube shortwave receivers. He'd like to add a Murphy B40 receiver to his collection, but since they were built for the British Navy, they're extremely rare in this country (and would cost a small fortune to ship over here). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 My dad was also commissioned by our very own Erik Mandaville to build him a custom 6-tube multi-band regenerative shortwave receiver. Maybe Erik will chime in here and describe it (I've never seen it in person, but it looks to be a full-blown version of mine).[Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Guys, Thanks for the kind words!! I have been having a blast with the radio. picky, thanks for resizing my picture!! you are a gentleman and a scholar! What do you all use for antenna? I have heard that lamp cord or speaker wire laid on the floor next to the walls will bring the short wave radio better reception. I am also going to want to try to pick up an AM station in Detroit that carries the Red Wings broadcasts. Any reccomondations Glenn? gonzp: Patrick - You are quite welcome. My radios seem to work fine on their internal loop or iron core antennas. The Big Silvertone Console (shown below) just has a length of 18 gauge bell wire conntected to the antenna terminals. It hangs down to the floor and works fine. Sometimes you get great reception just by running 20 or 30 feet of wire across the inside of your attic. It's not even a loop. Just connect one end to the raido and leave the other end loose. The Wings games are currently aired on on WXYT 1270 kHz AM a Sports/Talk station. They broadcast at 50,000 Watts and you may be able to pick them up at night by what they call "DX"ing (Distance Listening). You might also be able to listen to the Wings games via web or pod cast. Their URL is: http://www.wxyt.com/ The site has a Wings game broadcast schedule, too. RFP: Rob - That transoceanic is one of the radios I'd eventually like to have. Yours looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Here's my 1948 RCA Victor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Sorry: Duplicate Post [8o|] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzp Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 Hope you enjoy your latest antique radio, gonzp. They're fun to listen to, especially at night when radio waves are easier to receive due to reduced atmospheric conditions. My dad recommends about 25' of either stranded/braided or solid 14 to 16 (or smaller) guage wire for a shortwave antenna. Usually mounted higher for better reception, but you can lay it along the floorboard and then up along a window up to the curtain rod or blinds housing. If you have any technical questions concerning your antique radio that others cannot answer, you can e-mail my dad (see my profile page for his radio restoration website). Enjoy![] Jim, Thanks for the link to your fathers website, and his antenna reccomondations. It is bookmarked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzp Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 Glenn, Very nice looking radios Amigo! Just what I need, another hobby! I will look for WXYT tonight GO WINGS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Collins 51J4, 75A4, Hammarlund SP600, TMC GPR-90, maybe an R-390, R391. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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