Monkey Wards Model 62-465 Dial Stringing Diagram Needed
 

Hello Everyone, I am currently working on a 6-Volt Storage Battery Radio from Montgomery Wards Model 62-465 that the dial string came unstrung (it didn't break it was just unstrung).

I'm trying to restring it and I've looked through the Riders Manual for this radio and it doesn't show a dial stringing diagram, and so I've been trying to restring it blindly without the help of a diagram and so far have not had any luck.

I can get it strung up so that it will rotate the tuning capacitor with the tuning knob but then it gets hung up halfway because the tuning string where it comes out of the main pulley off the spring it attaches to snags on the side of the tuning knob bracket.

Does anyone have access to a dial stringing diagram for this radio or have this model of radio that I could see a picture of how the dial string is strung up?

Thannks for your help.

You have to try to string the dial cord, either with the condenser fully clockwise or counterclockwise.
The set was built by Belmont! Check other Riders listings to see if there's another set that's similar.

OK, thanks, I'll try that.

I cant find that exact number in the HW Sams "dial cord stringing guide" DC-1 that shows a nice picture of several Airlines (Monkey Wards) with 62-4XX model number.

The same book shows a different set of arrangements for Belmont. Post a picture of the set to compare to one in the book.

OK, well this particular model is what I would call a "Tele-dial" radio with a tuning eye tube (the tuning dial looks like an old rotary dial telephone, except that there are no presets on here that work with the "Tele-Dial" feature like on the old Grunow units).

It only has two pulleys the tuning knob shaft pulley and the tuning capacitor drive shaft pulley, and thats it.
The tuning knob shaft is on a little bracket that screws to the tuning condenser assembly and the problem I'm having is trying to get the tuning dial string around that bracket without it rubbing against it.

See Pictures Below.

The schematic in Riders is no clue but good its there at all!

Closest match radio dial cord guide lists is an Airline 62-373 and 374, diagram 11 below.

Radioatticachives.com shows a 62-375 set that looks similar.
Attachment 202523
It looks as if an extra wrap on the dial side is needed so no string moves toward the bracket at either end of range. Dial string should be traveling past the bracket on both sides, but never unwinding off the tuner wheel to point it moves toward and contacts the bracket.

That Diagram worked, its restrung properly now!

Quick question, should this radio be able to run off of a 6V Latern Battery?

I'm asking because I've tried to hook it up to a 6V latern battery and the radio won't power on at all.

Absolutely, 100%, no, your 6V lantern battery will not provide the current (Amps) that your radio needs to run.

Ok, what should I use then to test this radio out? I currently dont have access to a 6V car battery and the 6V Sealed Lead Acid batteries are $300+ a pop which I dont have the money for, and I dont have a regulated DC Power Supply either.

You can try a 6/12 volt car battery charger, good for at least 5 amps.
You have to use a 1000mfd or more across the output of the charger. Observe polarity! The set uses a synchronous vibrator.
Anyone that has been in this game for any length of time, has a high current battery eliminator.
I had my Knight-kit battery eliminator since I first started repairing radios over 60 years ago. :thmbsp:

I saw a knight kit A battery eliminator of the 6V variety for sale on Facebook Marketplace but they wanted over $100 for it even though it wasn't in working order. :thumbsdn: :sigh:

The Knight-kit battery eliminator was $37.50 back in the early 60's. A lot of money back then. Before we had a sales tax.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/COMBO-OF-2-...0AAOSwsc5e48Qg

Here's a pair of 6V 12AH batteries, buy these and put them in parallel and you've got 6V at 24AH available to your radio for under $30 shipped.

Keeping them charged is then a simple matter of any of the multitude of cheap chargers also sold on the 'Bay ........

Where are you located? Reason being, I have a near-new DuraCell Ultra gel cell, 6V 42AH battery. Only used once for servicing a friend's '41 Buick radio. Probably will never use it again. Sucker weighs about 12 pounds (the battery, not the radio.:tongue: )

Is the fuse ok? is the power switch ok? did anything happen, like faint glow in the tubes or weak buzz from the vibrator? Seems as if a good lantern battery should power the set for at least a few minutes.

jr

Lantern battery will never cut it. All the tube heaters plus the vibrator B+ supply will look like almost a dead short to a lantern batt.

I'm located near Bristol, Indiana which is about 10 minutes from the Indiana/Michigan Border, and about 2 hours from the Indiana/Ohio Border and the Illinois/Indiana Border.

Ok, I wondered about that, but wasn't sure.

I'll give those a looking at.

What am I missing here? the radio has a 4 amp fuse and a 908 lantern battery is rated at 13 amp hours. :scratch2:

https://www.grainger.com/product/DURACELL-908-5LE26

jr

I dont know, but I know it wasn't working for me, the fuse is fine, and I wasn't getting anything out of the set, not even a buzz from the vibrator. I had forgotten to mention I was working on this radio for someone and I just got off the phone with him and he said he wasn't interested in pursuing repairing the unit any further after I told him it wouldn't work on anything less than a 6V car battery.

I have a 6V golf cart battery for running my '36 Philco, it was a return or something like that so I only gave $55 for it I think. I think they are cheaper than 6V starting batteries and better suited for the job.

EDIT: I had to open the vibrator and clean something in it before it would run on that Philco, which also has a synchronous vibrator. seems like I also had to replace the capacitors around it too but I don't remember....

Offer him a few bucks for the radio. It seems like an interesting set. He's probably interested flipping it.

You're right he is interested in flipping it. I'll ask him if he'd let me have it or even just buy it off of him.

He has the grille cloth for it as well.

This unit uses a 6 pin positive ground vibrator. Which I can't even get it out of its socket to check it.

As for golf cart batteries go, I saw those over at batteries plus and thought about getting one of those, but the cheapest one they had was $150...

I have to be really desperate to go to Batteries Plus. They're nuts with their prices. :thumbsdn:

Where else am I going to find a 6 volt golf cart battery? I dont think auto zone or advanced auto or Napa is going to have those.

EDIT: They do have them but they are the same price $129 for a 6V golf cart battery.

OK So I checked over at NAPA and they had some 6V SLA Batteries there for about $45 and under.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NBPE...6+volt+battery

The link above was one of the batteries they had at NAPA.

Would that battery work with this radio?

;) .

Point taken. :o Looks like the alkalines have come a long way since the old zinc/carbon types. A fresh new one oughta at least evoke some sign of life out of the radio.

Hmm, maybe that's my problem, the lantern battery I have is an Eveready Carbon-Zinc composition 6V lantern battery, and not a Duracell Alkaline 6V Lantern Battery...:scratch2: :sigh:

Does the battery voltage drop considerably when you connect the radio?

jr

It doesn't power up at all, no dial light, no tube glow, no sound from the vibrator, nothing.

If what you posted earlier about the Duracell 6V lantern batteries being rated for 13 Ah, then couldn't I just get 4 of those Duracell 6V Lantern Batteries, parallel them together and get 52 Ah of power to juice up this radio?

What is the no-load voltage of the battery? Now, with the voltmeter still connected to the battery, connect it to the radio and turn the radio on. Does the voltage drop or stay the same?

The "no-load" voltage of the 6V Lantern Battery I have is around 5.5V and when I hooked the radio up to the battery and turned it on and measured the voltage the voltage was 1.5V on the battery so there was a voltage drop of about 4V on the battery.

Do you think the Vibrator could be bad? Also what's the purpose of those Vibrators in these old battery radios?

See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrat...r_power_supply
Typically used in rural areas lacking electrification, and universally in car radios up until transistorization around '58 or so.

A vibrator is used to convert DC to a form of square wave AC to operate the step-up transformer. It also has a set of commutating contacts to convert AC back to DC. Eliminates the need for a rectifier tube, really old technology.
The vibrator's probably stuck and will act as a dead short.
You'll go broke, fooling around with lantern batteries to power this set!

The lantern batteries are just for testing purposes, if I can get this radio functioning reliably then I'll buy those batteries that init4fun suggested, but I dont want to use rechargeable batteries on a radio that has several potential shorts in the power supply, and risk ruining them and then have $30 go down the toilet for nothing.

Tell you what - assuming you have a trickle charger or some way to keep it topped up, I will send you the near-new battery described back in post# 14, for 35 bucks, shipping included. Just glad to see it have a good home. Just PM me with shipping address and it will be on its way, the $35 on your honor.

Ok, will do. I did manage to get the vibrator out of the radio, but I'm unsure of how to open it to check the condition of the internals.