1935 GE Model A-53 AM/SW Tombstone Radio

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

I cannot for the life of me imagine how just changing the power cord would cause a very loud 60-Hz hum as you are describing; after all, the power cord itself should not have any effect whatsoever on the audio output. If the radio had been working up to now, the only thing I can come up with is a heater-cathode short in one of the audio tubes. Given this radio is very old (pre-WWII vintage), that would not surprise me in the least. Vibration from moving the chassis could have caused such a short, especially if the tube were about to develop an H/K short eventually.

I would not operate the radio in its present condition if it does not have an AC line fuse (it is my understanding that most pre-war radios did not have such a fuse, which all too often led to very serious trouble if a tube were to develop an H/K short or a filter cap would short the same way). The house fuse might blow in case of a shorted tube or filter capacitor, but I wouldn't count on it.

I think I figured out what happened, I think the volume control pot is what's causing the radio to hum, because I think the volume control pot (which was already sketchy when I had gotten the radio going) finally went to "pots" (pun intended) when I attempted to clean the volume control pot with contact cleaner to see if I could restore the volume control's functionality again (because as I had mentioned before the volume control pot when it was working before it apparently finally failed would cut in and out depending on where the volume contol was rotated.)

Does any one on here have any known working volume controls with a built in power switch that they could send me?

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

I think I figured out what happened, I think the volume control pot is what's causing the radio to hum, because I think the volume control pot (which was already sketchy when I had gotten the radio going) finally went to "pots" (pun intended) when I attempted to clean the volume control pot with contact cleaner to see if I could restore the volume control's functionality again (because as I had mentioned before the volume control pot when it was working before it apparently finally failed would cut in and out depending on where the volume contol was rotated.)

Does any one on here have any known working volume controls with a built in power switch that they could send me?

I don't think there's too many volume controls of that value around!
Check it with all the leads disconnected and see if it reads the same.
Remove it from the chassis and look inside.
All kinds of strange goings on with that set.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

I don't think there's too many volume controls of that value around!
Check it with all the leads disconnected and see if it reads the same.
Remove it from the chassis and look inside.
All kinds of strange goings on with that set.

OK Will do.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

OK Will do.

I've seen non-AVC superhet radio circuits, but that one is a real gem.
I repaired the one I have or had, but I just replaced the bad caps and never realized that the set was that strange!

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

OK Will do.

I located that chassis in my collection. I'm not sure if I have the cabinet, so I don't want to part it out.
It sure is a strange beast!

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

I located that chassis in my collection. I'm not sure if I have the cabinet, so I don't want to part it out.
It sure is a strange beast!

how is yours wired up?

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

how is yours wired up?

I think the same, but I'll look again to look at the connection.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

I think the same, but I'll look again to look at the connection.

Here's a picture of the underside of my radio, is there anything that looks out of place here compared to yours?