question about 1955 RCA 6-BX-63

[quaddriver]

Yes, this is a -63 and not a -6B

its a small suitcase portable using the 5 pin plug to the battery.

I got it working. On all the sets I ever did, this was the first one where the Se rectifier went on me. I replaced all the caps, a lot of wires, rewired the filament ballast, changed a lot of out of range resistors - had everything in stock. Went silicon with a 1N4007 and an additional 120ohms to drop the voltage near spec.

All along as I would test it (Im the king of jumper wires) the audio has had a fair amount of garbling.

This set is a 5 tube without a rectifier tube, making it essentially a 6 tube 'AA5', I found that the 3V4 was dark initially, so I swiped one from my bin. I found that the 1U5 had a short (hitting the test button on the tester would really make her glow) and one of the 1T4's in the RF amp had a lot of grid emission. fixed all that and it tunes across the band, I even did a poor mans alignment but cannot get rid of the garbling. I read somewhere, but cannot find out that adjusting the slug for the 1st audio (on this it would be 2nd detector/af amp) can clear this up, but im not seeing it, unless...I got the IF so far off base that there is no adjustment.

Since I could not find the sams, beitmans or rider, Im sorta going blind on this set.

anybody have a suggestion?

[tom.j.fla]

One thing this radio has a floating d.c. ground. Make sure all connections are correct. There have been much write-up in the past on the trouble that can cause. From all apperances the 6BX63 & 2BX63 are the same, using the same SAMS #193-7, BEITMANS radio guides for 1953 showing 2BX63 page 97(pdf). All the best,Tom.J

[quaddriver]

why yes it does! they just use a .01 cap to tie it to the frame. because they have the plug to be inserted a certain way when the battery is present, I didnt 'hot switch' the radio without seeing the battery schematic...

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by tom.j.fla

One thing this radio has a floating d.c. ground. Make sure all connections are correct. There have been much write-up in the past on the trouble that can cause. From all apperances the 6BX63 & 2BX63 are the same, using the same SAMS #193-7, BEITMANS radio guides for 1953 showing 2BX63 page 97(pdf). All the best,Tom.J

RCA built that radio for several years running. They called it the "Globetrotter".
I have the last tube model from 1956, that actually has the name on the dial. For four years, the circuit was the same, 1952 to 1956.
The 1956 has a rotating loopstick on the top.