We have been unable to receive shortwave on a
Airline Console Model 04WG-1108A.

I had thought it was because of my location and no external
antenna strung - although apparently, the tinfoil shortwave
antenna on the left inside of cabinet is supposed to work well(?)
After getting it over to my friends place,we couldn't pick up
anything on shortwave there also. He too is hemmed in by hills.

What should I look at now?

Thanks, Michael

Any shortwave at nite?
If not then you need to start an switches inspection and cleaning. You could have a coil thats bad or disconnected.

"Any shortwave at nite?" OH GEEZE! "AT NIGHT"!
OF Course...I know that...(I think the brain is going...)

What would be the best time at night here on the West Coast?
(you can tell I rarely listen to shortwave).

Try sparking up Radio Australia at about 2 AM PDT on 9580 khz. Other good candidates are Radio Havana Cuba at around 6010-6090 (moves around but always in that area). And don't dismiss good old reliable WWV/WWVH. 15000 during the afternoon usually works very well.

I would also consider firing up a signal generator and sweeping it around the various bands, just to see if it's working at all.


Brett

Thanks, Brett - I'll try those stations.
AM band is working fine.

I meant working at all on shortwave - there's a lot of parts that would allow BC to work and not the other bands.

Brett

I wonder if your set could have been owned at one time by a Japanese, Italian, or German national during WW II.

During the war, the Roosevelt administration dictated that the foreign nationals, who were decendants of the axis powers had to take their multiband radios to a radio shop, and have the short wave bands disabled. The original intent was to totally destroy the short wave components in the set, by whatever means they deemed necessary.

This took the form of simply disconnecting the coils at one terminal, to removing the coils completely, and/or soldering the bandswitch contacts together. There are still sets in the Detroit area that pop up occasionally with the short wave circuits disabled.

You might want to check to see if you have one of those "spayed" sets. Looks like the set you have is a Wells-Gardner, and normally an outstanding performer on all bands.

I would agree that the set may have been deliberately nobbled. Also consider that there are very few parts that can stop SW if the rest of the set is fine.

Wires on coils can break at the teminals when changing parts. One method of killing the set, on Gram that I have seen, is to switch the plate of the oscillator: No power no go. They may have done that, or that could be the problem. Sometimes a weak tube, or one deprived of voltage (high resistors) will die (stops oscillating) at high frequency. Which is normal behavior. As mentioned dirty and non contacting switch contacts, switch mis-wired.

Marc

Didn't see schematic for 1108A so here is 1100 from Nostalgiaair. Both use a 6J5 as oscillator.

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByMode ... 011003.pdf

As said broadcast uses the same circuits as short wave. Difference will be band switch contacts and coils. Since short wave coils have fewer turns and heavier wire they are usually good. Should be able to visually check band switch and coils.

This radio uses a 6J5GT as oscillator. Tubes usually stop operating on short wave first before the broadcast band. Might try another 6J5GT? Also check voltages on pin3, 5 and 8 of this tube. Voltages are more critical for oscillation on short wave than broadcast band.

Missed one that is critical: The SW should have its own set of trimmer caps. Wafers can break and they short.
Marc

Hmmm...Yes, I was somewhat aware of the hobbling of SW
during WW2 ...I will have to ask it's owner if her "Grandpa"
was one of those nationalities. Thanks.

Ohhh...

AHH...Thanks, Norm. I do have the schematic (1108A)...just not
the best reader of them !

Ohhhh...OK.

*************************
Thanks for all the Tips and Info, Gents.
I will check them all out as soon as I can get back to it.

If that set is shown in BC position and I am looking at the right one? When switched to SW C5 (20pF) is then connected to the control grid of the first det. Should that one be leaking, a quick glance says it feeds b+ to the grid. That will bring things to a grinding halt.

Marc

Thanks...do you need a pic?

Norm posted a link to a circuit. If yours is the same as that. We can work from it and that is the one I am basing my comment on.

If you do not have a capacitor leakage tester (I scored one recently... still needs terminals but does go ... overhauled) an insulation tester at the rated voltage of the cap, is most effective.

Marc