I just made a trade and got ths radiola 18 most of the tubes test bad, the on off switch looks sheared off, the tuning capacitor is bound up, and the pilot light hood is missing. How difficult is it to source the missing items?
Has a blank raffle ticket inside dated april 11th 1925, and a little brass tag on the inside R.Prescott and Sons Keeseville, NY, the tubes also have replace with stickers on the bad ones dated 9-23-39, and I need a speaker and one flat head brass screw for the lid hinge
Thanks,
Jason

The switch and tubes are easy to come buy in the radio classified forum . The tunning cap mostlikely can be realigned . The lamp hood is near imposible to find an oridgenal .

Im surprised it was still in use in 1939.

Carl

Surprised? From what I've seen, the majority of these radios will have tubes dated into the mid or late 30's. Are you just as surprised at the people that are still hanging on to their 10+ year old CRT TVs?

If all the tubes test bad, I'd wonder about the tester.

I would deal with the tuning cap issue before all else.
It's usually caused by pot metal expansion of the tuning drum (fatal) not gummy shafts or bent plates (simple).
Supposedly the tuning drum issue can be dealt with but most folks experience heartbreak in their attempt.

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/References/ ... la18-1.htm

How easy or hard should it be to turn? Once I tightened the set screw it rotates but it's like always having had a car with power steering an going to a classic vehical with manual steering. It moves but nothing like the Hallicrafters s-38 I have. When I took chassis out, the pilot lite hood was in there , it has two pins looks like it just pushes into the wood?

The tubes marked bad were testing between 50-60 on a jackson 648r.


jason

I have touched three tuners.....One turned with somewhat more effort as that of most wooden antique radios that use a dial string.
Two turned with more effort like dragging a knife thru a jar of peanut butter.
If yours turns with one hand and doesn't want to turn you instead.....it's good enough!

The dial hood tabs fit thru the metal trim plate and fold behind it.
The hood alone is worth $ 50.00 to some people.

Don't worry about the tube test results just yet.
You have lots more major internal parts to confirm are working.
Radiola 17s are cheap to buy---expensive to fix.

Haven't plugged it in yet, but to be sure I should pull the tube power on with a dim bulb tester, if Transformer is good put in rectifier bulb and test voltage and then on down the line, correct?

But not having a speaker for this yet how should I address this?

Thanks,
Jason

Also it was mentions this should be in elctro mechanical restoration instead of discussions, how do you move it ask a Mod?

There is a hood on ebay right now:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RCA-RADIOLA-18- ... 2320b9e906

As mentioned these do not come up often so I wouldn't wait to long. I had to buy another whole Radiola 17 to get a hood for my 17. Your cabinet seems to be in good condition. There are some 27 and 80 tubes in the classified section for a resonable price right now as well.

Since youre still a teenager or close how many TRF radios have you actually seen and know the continuous history of? Anybody can put any date tube in a socket when selling and keep the good ones....thats a common stunt at radio meets, Fleabay, etc.

Carl

I just thought it was neat as I had never seen bad stickers on tubes before and the raffle ticket was interesting also. Anyone know if the store chain still survived or not?

jason

The stickers were put on when the tubes were tested but the owner didn't want to spring for new ones. The shop would hope for a future sale. The tubes may not have been quite as bad as the shop wanted the owner to think they were. He may have opted to replace only one.

The raffle ticket is unique but is three years too early for that set, so must have been for a different one. Still worth displaying with the set.

The tubes w stickers tested about 50 to 60. On a jackson 648r. Still in red range. But somewhere I read these tubes were not pushed hard by the circuit so bad tubes might possibly still work in this radio.

What other things should I check before Power up on a dim bulb tester? All wires look to be in good shape. No components look burned.

Thanks. Jason

I haven't seen tons, but I can still extrapolate:

These sets came just before the Depression, so it would be plenty logical to assume many of these sets were kept and used years after they were bought. These also weren't the throwaway days of "It's 5 years old... ancient! Let's toss it, honey."

Translation: ASS U ME with minimal input.



However the discussion is about 1939 tubes. The Radiola 18 was 11 years old then, has poor selectivity in ever more crowded frequency space, the BCB allotment has changed, and the poor audio remains the same. The Depression was almost over, auto sales were high, manufacturing was gearing up for war material for the UK and others and the cost of a small table radio was at an all time low. I cant picture many except the elderly and the very poor hanging on and/or tolerating one that long. By 40-41 many were buying a new radio as well as vehicles knowing that war was certain and production would cease for the duration.

I use mine very sparingly and just to listen to a ballgame in order to keep it exercised and can tolerate the audio enough to turn up for the good parts. There are many much better sounding TRF's.

Carl

Just to let you know another member StrombergMike has a Radiola 18 dial light hood for sale. You can PM him to work out the details. Good Luck.

those old triodes are usually good if they have filament continuity. if the filament is good the tube is usually as good as it gets

PS: maybe this guy can help unles you are building a museum piece
http://www.radiolaguy.com/RadiolaLampHood.htm

When I opened it and took chassis out the hood fell out. So I just need to get a on/off switch and some free time.


jason

You have no idea how lucky that was!