Airline (Montgomery Ward) GSL-1079A Battery Pinout?

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Robert Grant

I recently got a deal on an Airline GSL-1079A (a AC/DC/battery tube portable AM/shortwave radio, similar in circuitry to a Zenith Trans-Oceanic, only with two bands - AM BCB and general coverage 6-18 MC, eliminating the need for the huge coil tower) at a hamfest for $15.

I want to power it up with batteries to try it out. It uses 9V for the "A" and 90V for the "B" battery - just like a T/O.

The battery connector has three wires, which are black, green and red. The logical guess is that black is common-, green is 9V A+, and red is 90V B+. However, I don't want to leave that to chance.

Also, it does use the "unobtainium" 1L6 tube. I would like to try it out with a 1R5, which is known to be a "safe" sub on the AM BCB when one wants to try our a T/O. Would a 1R5 also be safe in the GSL-1079A?

I'll look at my Sams library to see if I have it.
The radio is made by Sonora for Wards, circa 1954/55. I still have one somewhere. I even had one with the Sonora branding.
Regarding to 1R5 sub, it didn't work in some sets, as there is two common pins on a 1R5, that the 1L6 doesn't???? Someone stated that, ages ago,I never tried it. They stated that you had to clip that pin off the tube.

[WISCOJIM]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

Regarding to 1R5 sub, it didn't work in some sets, as there is two common pins on a 1R5, that the 1L6 doesn't???? Someone stated that, ages ago,I never tried it. They stated that you had to clip that pin off the tube.

For reference:

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

I'll look at my Sams library to see if I have it.
The radio is made by Sonora for Wards, circa 1954/55. I still have one somewhere. I even had one with the Sonora branding.
Regarding to 1R5 sub, it didn't work in some sets, as there is two common pins on a 1R5, that the 1L6 doesn't???? Someone stated that, ages ago,I never tried it. They stated that you had to clip that pin off the tube.

Zenith made a plastic AM/single SW band set that used a 1L6, and it unlike the Transoceanics will NOT work with a 1R5 sub....IIRC the heater wiring is shorted with the 1R5.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Zenith made a plastic AM/single SW band set that used a 1L6, and it unlike the Transoceanics will NOT work with a 1R5 sub....IIRC the heater wiring is shorted with the 1R5.

They made an AM only radio that used a 1L6, a big five tube portable.
That's probably, the one I remember.

[Robert Grant]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

They made an AM only radio that used a 1L6, a big five tube portable.
That's probably, the one I remember.

I remember being at an old radio swap, circa 2000, and seeing a relatively small Zenith portable (smaller than a GE 637), maroon in color, that had the tube complement 1L6 -> 1U4 -> 1U5 -> 3V4, though there did not seem to be anything "special" about it.

[Robert Grant]

Well, the question about whether or not the 1R5 can be substituted for the converter has been answered, as a previous owner has done exactly that (I do have a 1L6 ready for use if the rest of the set works well).

This radio may be newer that I had thought. Four of the tubes are branded "Wards Airline" and two of them carry the codes "62-09 188-5" (Early March 1962, Ken-Rad). Interestingly, Sonora had gone out of business in 1956, so I wonder if someone else took up production of the same model to supply Ward's.

The radio seems to be put together well enough. Unlike the Zenith Trans-Oceanics, this radio has shields over the tubes (except the 3V4 audio out), which connect to chassis via flanges surrounding the tubes.

While the non-bandspread tuning is generally considered a handicap, I can "tune by ear" fairly well and I should have access to the 22m (13 MHz) band.

I have found some other radios that appear to be "clones", so it may be possible to find the battery pinout in other Sam's folders:
344-6
356-11
417-4

Guess I might make a trip to the library.

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

... They stated that you had to clip that pin off the tube.

Use a needle file to file it off. Trying to clip it off with wirecutters will likely break the tube's base, letting the vacuum out.