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-   -   60's RCA radio muddy audio (http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=268031)

TUD1 11-12-2016 01:00 PM

60's RCA radio muddy audio
 
Got this beauty at the radio club this morning for $10. I cleaned the controls real good, but it's still having an annoying problem. It sounds excellent most of the time, but every once in a while, out of the blue, the audio will get very muddy and distorted. Most times it will fix itself after a while. Tuning doesn't help, and it's on both AM and FM when it messes up. Any ideas? Somebody at the club said it's either the discriminator or the IF needs an alignment. I think it's just the big blue filter caps.

Findm-Keepm 11-12-2016 03:52 PM

You want help. give us a model number. Many of us here have extensive libraries of Sams (and knowledge), but none are very forthcoming without a model number...

Probably R_C ## model number format...

http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=265964

TUD1 11-12-2016 04:40 PM

Rjc47w.

tom.j.fla 11-12-2016 05:12 PM

Your radio is listed as SAMS 832-7. Since the problem is on both bands, most likely in the audio stages,bad cap or transistor. All the best, Tom.J

dieseljeep 11-12-2016 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom.j.fla (Post 3173145)
Your radio is listed as SAMS 832-7. Since the problem is on both bands, most likely in the audio stages,bad cap or transistor. All the best, Tom.J

I have a couple of that model. RCA out did themselves with that model!
I found, years ago that the output transistors needed resoldering, as they ran rather hot. It's the ones with the heatsinks. Just hit the PC board connections with a little fresh solder an you should good to go. :thmbsp:

TUD1 11-12-2016 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieseljeep (Post 3173154)
I have a couple of that model. RCA out did themselves with that model!
I found, years ago that the output transistors needed resoldering, as they ran rather hot. It's the ones with the heatsinks. Just hit the PC board connections with a little fresh solder an you should good to go. :thmbsp:

Thanks, mate! That's two things I can do next Saturday, the other one is change out those two big blue filters. I found an old thread where those capacitors failed and caused problems. What do you mean RCA outdid themselves? When I saw this radio down in the storage basement where members can buy stuff, I fell in love, and did not set it down until I owned it. I even pulled the money out of my wallet with one hand.

dieseljeep 11-12-2016 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TUD1 (Post 3173156)
Thanks, mate! That's two things I can do next Saturday, the other one is change out those two big blue filters. I found an old thread where those capacitors failed and caused problems. What do you mean RCA outdid themselves? When I saw this radio down in the storage basement where members can buy stuff, I fell in love, and did not set it down until I owned it. I even pulled the money out of my wallet with one hand.

When I said they outdid themselves, I meant that I was impressed by the performance. :thmbsp:

Captainclock 11-16-2016 12:43 PM

I repaired that same exact model radio for a friend of mine who had gotten her radio from her grandfather, all it needed was a pilot bulb replaced (it was a screw-base type bulb) anyways I thought it was a really nice model I believe it dates to the mid 1960s right around the time RCA, Zenith, Magnavox and some of the others started going Solid State, Magnavox had a similar model to this radio from the same time period.

davet753 12-31-2016 08:09 AM

Nice radio, but it will never sound as good as the Zenith H845 it's sitting on top of in your picture :)

TUD1 12-31-2016 08:40 AM

The best sounding radio I own is in my avatar. That radio sounds absolutely crystal clear, with excellent tonal range. If it broke, I'd be devastated.

dieseljeep 12-31-2016 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TUD1 (Post 3175894)
The best sounding radio I own is in my avatar. That radio sounds absolutely crystal clear, with excellent tonal range. If it broke, I'd be devastated.

IIRC, that's the last model of the seven tube chassis series. A few tubes were different, a 14GT8 instead of the 19T8, a 12DT8 in the FM front end and a 12BE6 AM osc and mixer. The FM tuning assembly is a lot different and more self contained.
I have that chassis in a few plastic cabinet sets and a clock radio. Slightly different control location. :scratch2:

dieseljeep 12-31-2016 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davet753 (Post 3175893)
Nice radio, but it will never sound as good as the Zenith H845 it's sitting on top of in your picture :)

It still pretty well holds it's own. :thmbsp:

davet753 12-31-2016 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieseljeep (Post 3175898)
It still pretty well holds it's own. :thmbsp:

Absolutely. I've got that RCA in the garage, and it sounds fantastic. They're a surprisingly good performer on FM. Next to a Magnavox stereo table model I restored last year, it's the best sounding solid state radio I've came across.

The audio output circuit in the Zenith H845 is nothing special (except for the tone control circuit), and the FM tuner section is a bear to get aligned correctly, but when all is said and done they sound great. I think what helps is the combination of 2 quality speakers and the thick, wood cabinet.

I've got two of the H845's. One is a mint condition all original, and the other is one I restored to use at the office. It's been used all day, 5 days a week, since I restored it about 4 years ago. I started having some FM drift issues last month; a weak 19T8 was the culprit.

DavGoodlin 01-06-2017 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TUD1 (Post 3175894)
The best sounding radio I own is in my avatar. That radio sounds absolutely crystal clear, with excellent tonal range. If it broke, I'd be devastated.

My Aunt near York, Pa had one identical to yours, always tuned to the "beautiful music" easy-listening station. You did not notice the radio right away since it was so sweet it just added to the ambience of a farmhouse kitchen in the 1960's

dieseljeep 01-06-2017 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin (Post 3176215)
My Aunt near York, Pa had one identical to yours, always tuned to the "beautiful music" easy-listening station. You did not notice the radio right away since it was so sweet it just added to the ambience of a farmhouse kitchen in the 1960's

It's amazing how some of these threads drift off the original topic, which is great and adds to the interest and fine with me! :thmbsp:
It's getting a little dry around here! :sigh:
My question is: was the distortion corrected in the solid state RCA? :D


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