Just acquired a late 1940s Magnavox AM/SW/Phono Console Today!

[vortalexfan]

Hello everyone, today I just got from a buddy at a local antique shop a late 1940s (maybe 1948 or so) Magnavox Model 134H AM/SW/Phono Console that is in near mint condition except for a little damage to the top left hand corner of the cabinet by the lid for the record player compartment, and a bad power cord, the guy is holding it for me until I get a spot cleared out for it in my apartment for it, so unfortunately I don't have any pictures yet, I only had to give $5 for it.

I was curious as to what some of you think of this radio as far as performance goes and if its a unit worth restoring and how does it perform once its been restored, also the record changer in the unit has a 33 1/3 RPM setting on it, is it actually able to play modern LPs on it?

[zeno]

The radio should work better than almost anything new. Possably a LOT better!
You can play LP's. It may have a flip over needle so be sure its set to 33.
I would not play any records of value on it.
BTW if you look for manuals you need chassis numbers. They are on
major assy's TT, radio, amp etc. Newer ones on little tags stuck anywhere.
Dont loose them, they love to jump off.

73 Zeno
LFOD !

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by zeno

The radio should work better than almost anything new. Possably a LOT better!
You can play LP's. It may have a flip over needle so be sure its set to 33.
I would not play any records of value on it.
BTW if you look for manuals you need chassis numbers. They are on
major assy's TT, radio, amp etc. Newer ones on little tags stuck anywhere.
Dont loose them, they love to jump off.

73 Zeno
LFOD !

Thanks! I know I had a relative that used to work for Magnavox in Fort Wayne years ago.

[Electronic M]

Up until the 60s a large portion of monophonic cartridges lacked vertical compliance badly enough to damage stereo records...

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Up until the 60s a large portion of monophonic cartridges lacked vertical compliance badly enough to damage stereo records...

Well most of the records I would be playing on this unit would be old Columbia 10" LPs from the late 1940s and early to mid 1950s that were designed to be played on a record changer like this, and or mono LPs going clear up to the 1980s.

[vortalexfan]

I picked up the unit yesterday, I have some pictures below so you can see what I have including of the model number tag and the chassis number for the radio, this unit has a place for an optional FM Tuner (which I've seen some of the radios like this online that came from the factory with the FM Tuner installed that would of went in the spot where the blank brass plate above the main tuner is on mine) and I was wondering how easy it would be to located that FM Tuner Module, because I tried searching ebay and I couldn't find anything (although maybe I wasn't using the right search terms.)

For some reason someone in this radio's past replaced the original audio cable for the record player and plugged it into the FM Tuner Audio hookup jack on the back of this unit, rather than plugging it into the Phono Audio hookup on the back, plus the power cord has a small section in it with some missing insulation.

Thanks for your help with this radio, as this will be my first time working on a Magnavox radio this old, as most of the Magnavox Radios I've worked on up until this point were late 1950s or early 1960s vintage.

[vortalexfan]

I tried to remove the chassis out of the cabinet but I can't seem to figure out how to get the chassis out of the cabinet, I'm assuming that by the way the chassis is put together in reference to the cabinet that the chassis is meant to slide out the front of the cabinet but I can't seem to get the mounting nuts on the bottom of the cabinet to budge.

[Electronic M]

Penetrating oil like PBlaster may help if the fasteners are ceased. If you rounded the nuts go to an auto parts store and look for a set of sockets designed to grip rounded fasteners...I had to buy one a few years ago for a stuck rounded exhaust manifold bold on my Lincoln and it did its job.

May also be it's designed to come out the back. I've got a different chassis Maggie from the late 40s and the front of the chassis has hooks to hold it down and those hooks only allow it to be removed from the back.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Penetrating oil like PBlaster may help if the fasteners are ceased. If you rounded the nuts go to an auto parts store and look for a set of sockets designed to grip rounded fasteners...I had to buy one a few years ago for a stuck rounded exhaust manifold bold on my Lincoln and it did its job.

May also be it's designed to come out the back. I've got a different chassis Maggie from the late 40s and the front of the chassis has hooks to hold it down and those hooks only allow it to be removed from the back.

Ok, I'll see if I can get a look at the mounting bolts more carefully and see if it's mounted like yours was with hooks or if it was just screws holding it in from underneath.

[vortalexfan]

I got the chassis out, it was held into place by the two bolts on top of the back and the chassis slid out the back.

the chassis has never had any work done to it except for having the record changer's audio output plug changed at one point in time, in fact this is probably one of the most original looking radio chassis I've seen in a long time.

See picture below

[vortalexfan]

I tested a couple of the original paper caps inside the radio chassis and the caps still tested good yet, no leakage or anything.

The only thing that seems to be wrong with it is that I needed to replace the original power cord because it had some spots with broken insulation and exposed wire.

[vortalexfan]

I got the record changer repaired and it works as it should, I have no idea about the cartridge as the original audio cable plug that connected to the phono input on the back of the chassis was cut off and modified so it don't plug into the correct audio input jack on the back (it was plugged into the FM tuner audio jack on the back rather than the Phono input jack.)

The plug I need to get the record changer's audio jack functional again is a two pin version of the plug pictured below, but so far I have not been able to find a plug like it nor have I been able to figure out what the plug is called (e. g. Molex, Cinch/Jones, Switchcraft etc.) and I would like to know if there's a specific name for this style of plug and if so, what it is, and if I can still get some NOS plugs like that yet?

Any help would be appreciated.

[DavGoodlin]

You have the 1947 model called the Berkeley. That AM and SW receiver has a sharp tune function that varies the bandpass by a significantly usable amount. This is a rare feature and makes this a superior SW receiver, while delivering better sound on AM stations allowing the filter (treble) to be varied.

Output tubes 6L6G in push pull will drive those two 12" speakers with 15 watts, according to the sales info I had. It is built like a proverbial brick Scheiss-haus, putting it in league with Fisher and other high-end players.

CR-198B is your chassis - The presets are solid mechanical adjustable like a car radio. An optional CR-206 FM tuner (with its own tuning eye tube) can be installed in a delete plate above the AM-SW escutcheon, though I don't recommend looking for one. The DXing on the AM-SW far outshines the early FM tuner

I know - I have one where I recapped the entire chassis and FM chassis as well, that has its own power supply. It is one awesome radio when connected to just a 15 foot antenna, the filter really makes a difference I had to rebuild the bottom of the cabinet, it was in a flooded basement, then put concealed casters on so I can roll it out on my porch.

Your stock record player may be only 78 rpm, the original in my Berkeley was replaced by a newer Magnavox Custom that played all four speeds. I use a stereo ceramic cartridge that is available from V-M as Pfanstiehl P228-DS73. If you play only 78, this can also replace your Webcor's original crystal cartridge if its shot.

First get the schematic from Riders, or have a good look at all of those cap values, order a replacement of EVERY wax capacitor and EVERY electrolytic. Don't save anything and check the resistors, Magnavox used crappy ones just like RCA that drift high blueprint this worthy set by changing out-of-tolerance and wax-bomb caps and you will be very impressed.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

You have the 1947 model called the Berkeley. That AM and SW receiver has a sharp tune function that varies the bandpass by a significantly usable amount. This is a rare feature and makes this a superior SW receiver, while delivering better sound on AM stations allowing the filter (treble) to be varied.

Output tubes 6L6G in push pull will drive those two 12" speakers with 15 watts, according to the sales info I had. It is built like a proverbial brick Scheiss-haus, putting it in league with Fisher and other high-end players.

CR-198B is your chassis - The presets are solid mechanical adjustable like a car radio. An optional CR-206 FM tuner (with its own tuning eye tube) can be installed in a delete plate above the AM-SW escutcheon, though I don't recommend looking for one. The DXing on the AM-SW far outshines the early FM tuner

I know - I have one where I recapped the entire chassis and FM chassis as well, that has its own power supply. It is one awesome radio when connected to just a 15 foot antenna, the filter really makes a difference I had to rebuild the bottom of the cabinet, it was in a flooded basement, then put concealed casters on so I can roll it out on my porch.

Your stock record player may be only 78 rpm, the original in my Berkeley was replaced by a newer Magnavox Custom that played all four speeds. I use a stereo ceramic cartridge that is available from V-M as Pfanstiehl P228-DS73. If you play only 78, this can also replace your Webcor's original crystal cartridge if its shot.

First get the schematic from Riders, or have a good look at all of those cap values, order a replacement of EVERY wax capacitor and EVERY electrolytic. Don't save anything and check the resistors, Magnavox used crappy ones just like RCA that drift high blueprint this worthy set by changing out-of-tolerance and wax-bomb caps and you will be very impressed.

Interesting, mine though has a stamp on the back of the chassis that says CR-198 E on it, which I'm not sure what that indicates but I think mine is a slightly later version than yours, also the changer on mine is definitely original to it, and its a 33 1/3 (LP) and 78 RPM only model, its definitely not a later replacement model, from what I can see.

Also This radio has from what I can tell all of its original tubes in it (RCA and Ken-Rad rebadged GE tubes) that all have date codes from 1947 and 1948, which seems to place my unit's manufacture date to 1948 or so.

Anyways I do plan on recapping the radio I was just trying to get a baseline functionality of the unit, because the original cord was bad so I had to replace that, and so far the radio seems to be functioning well with its original capacitors in it right now, but I will definitely replace them.

[DavGoodlin]

I think mine is CR-198 E. Both original 6L6 are Ken-Rad (GE). I'm not surprised its playing on original caps either. No RCA or Philco of that vintage would work as found.

That record player is awesome, fine candidate for stereo ceramic cartridge, so you can play stereo records. I think my 48 Windsor has that same RP.