Re: Stereo tube Sets (Delmonico aka JVC, etc.)
 

Anyone have any favorite tube sets with stereo? It seems as tube sets go these should be the rarest with the best potential for really great sound.

I purchased a Delmonico Nivico (JVC) table radio am/fm (ca.1960?) that will need to be restored, but what appealed to me the most was the fact that it was a stereo receiver. Hunting up info on Delmonico is difficult as they were apparently an large importer/retailer and not a manufacturer. I see them as somewhat of a "Sharper Image" for the fifties & sixties. JVC's website is horrific and the web doesn't provide as much Japanese tube radio information as one might hope for.

Most of the stereo table tube radios I've come across have been Japanese. Anyone have any favorite stereo table units/experiences to share? The short window of opportunity for stereo tube-based table radio production makes finding out about the models/makers that provided stereo signal separation hard.

Again any web resources, info, stories, etcetera would be welcomed. :)

I remember a Sears imitator chainstore named "Jack and Harry's" that sold Delmonico consoles back in the 60's when I was small. I remember always being impressed even at that age by how classy they looked. People seemed to buy them when they couldn't afford Zeniths or Magnavoxes, or even Silvertones!
Tom

USA-made Granco Stereo FM tube...
 

Here's a link to my Granco stereo page.

http://home.att.net/~pldexnis/granco...nion_story.htm

Nice idea for a thread.

Pete

I have a Motorola tabletop w/detachable speakers that announces to the word it is "FM STEREOPHONIC"....Works, but really oughta go see Terry DeWick to be back 100%. Looks to be early '60's. Nice wooden cabinet-it's amazing what we used to be able to make in this country...-Sandy G.

I have a Delmonico-branded AM/FM/SW two speaker table radio... not stereo though. Needs new P/S filter cap(s). All I know about it is that it happens to be in the 1964 Radio Shack catalog I have.

I have a Silvertone AM/FM stereo radio and a spare for parts. Picture (of the rougher one) and schematic on my radio page: http://www.audiophool.cjb.net/radio.html

In the early '60s (1962-63 I think), Zenith introduced its MJ1035 AM/FM stereo tube type radio. Never heard one working or even saw one up close, but having been made by the original Zenith Radio Corporation it must have been a great-sounding unit in its day. I saw one of these the other day on ebay (actually, they show up every once in a while), with the external speaker and even a cart to hold the entire system. First time I've ever seen an MJ1035 system like this with the matching cart; most I've seen are either the radio alone or the radio with the external speaker for stereo. However, they are almost always in great shape and supposedly work well. I have yet to see a basket-case MJ1035; most Zenith owners took far better care of their sets (MJ1035s and other Zenith models) than to let them fall apart; moreover, most owners kept their Zeniths for years. I would think most other early AM/FM stereo radios from companies like Sears-Silvertone, RCA, et al. (and let's don't forget those great old German sets like Grundig, etc.) are just as good as Zenith, but most older stereo radios of any major manufacturer had better sound, better FM sensitivity/selectivity, etc. than the crummy stuff coming off the lines today. They don't make them like that anymore. :no:

:-P Thought I had one of these, too! Just went downstairs to look. The Zenith I have says model X347W on the back. It too is AM/FM stereo (with phono inputs) and a separate 2nd channel speaker. It's a series set, not too high end. Found this one at the dump (imagine that) in very good shape.

EDIT: Is this the one in question?
http://ebayimages.goantiques.com/dbi...10231_1000.jpg

The radio and speaker look just like the ones I have (no cart though). I did NOT see the MJ1035 number on the back though. Is that a chassis number?

The Sams index lists two versions - MJ1035W and MJ1035W1. The latter (Sams 751-9) is also listed as the number for the X347W - so I guess they're the same, at least internally...

As I recall reading somewhere, the main radio/tuner has an 8 tube chassis and the extension speaker has a mini-map powered by two more. Correct? Isn't that a volume knob on the lower, left-hand corner of the extension speaker?

One was on eBay last week (don't remember seeing the cart though, might have been a different one) that was listed for second week because no one bid on it the fist go 'round. At $39.00 I was tempted...but forgot to check in late and give it a go. I want one!

This 'Photofact' sheet is currently listed on eBay. # 5756328010. Note the date: 8-63.

So 12 tubes, single ended outputs, transformer power supply. The Sams for the "W1" version is dated 1965. A friend of mine has one of these, though he's missing the stereo speaker.

oy, I assumed it was a series set... I'm pleased to see it's not. Mine's got some hum as I recall; guess I should re-hab it. I can post a photo of it if anyone's interested...

Some of these Zenith AM/FM sets used a power transformer as a plate transformer only or may use an autotransformer setup and have one end of the power line still connected to the chassis...double check before assuming chassis is isolated.

Why, those sadists!

EDIT: I don't think there's any electronics in the 'extension speaker' (IIRC). The "knob" you see is an emblem (again, IIRC).

I own an G.D.R. radio with stereo amplefie, called "Capri".
I don't know if those radio where ever imported to U.S.A :headscrat

delmonico jvc
 

I just bought one yesterday, it`s am, fm, mpx, what does mpx mean, its 25 inches wide, has two doors on each end that open up too heard the end speakers, model # FMS-413U, it plays but needs some tuner spray and refinished, the wood cabinet has a scratch in it, 9 inches high, may put in on ebay soon, I was looking for information on them at heres where it lead me, any help, thanks Dan

MPX means multiplex. This is the (analog) FM stereo broadcast system used to this day.

The FMS-413U is in Sams 645-7, which is 1963. Pretty sure I don't have that one...

I have acquired a Zenith MJ-1035 since this thread started, and I'm unhappy to report that it has series heaters and is NOT isolated from the power line! There is a version with 6V tubes, but it is also NOT isolated - it has only a filament transformer. How much more would it have cost to add a plate winding to that transformer? And to think that I ran it with a CD player plugged in... never again!

Tom, I also have an MJ-1035 and was thinking of connecting my solid-state Radio Shack SCT-11 cassette deck to it. After reading your reply to this thread, however, I've decided against it for safety reasons. (My MJ-1035 is like yours; series-string tube filaments and an unmistakable warning on the back cover, stating that the chassis is connected directly to one side of the AC line--I don't want to think of what might happen :eek: if I were to connect my SS tape deck to it.)

The external phono inputs on hot-chassis Zeniths I have seen connect the shield of the phono jack to the hot chassis with an isolation capacitor for a measure of safety, however I still would be very careful. There can be enough of a voltage difference between a truly grounded device and the phono jack shield to cause a shock if both were touched. Also there seems to be a lot of hum problems when trying to use the phono input with external equipment.

One of my neighbors found this Delmonico-Nivico AM/FM/Phono Consolette on the garbage, it was in great shape and works perfectly. It has 8 tubes total. It has 4 speakers and plays pretty loud, getting 2w per channel from a pair of 50c5 tubes. I wish I had found this one!

My MJ1035 does show the model number (MJ1035-1), stamped on the back cover. The chassis number is 11J01.

X347W? Hmmm. :scratch2: I've seen pix of those radios here on AK (I think AK member kg4cna, Allen Scofield, has one, as he shows a picture of such in his avatar), but to the best of my knowledge it's not stereo. I saw the pic of yours, however, and it definitely looks like an MJ1035.

The MJ-1035 was one of Zenith's first attempts at designing and marketing an FM stereo radio for home use (the company first introduced it in 1961 and came out with a 12-tube version, the MJ-1035W1, a few years later); for monophonic FM the reception is good in urban to near-suburban areas, but apparently the stereo reception beyond about 15 miles (read far-suburban and beyond) leaves a lot to be desired. I saw a post about the MJ1035 on the Antique Radios site (www.antiqueradios.com) the other day which addressed this problem (if one can call it a problem), but did not mention that it can be worked around by the use of an external FM antenna as opposed to the line-cord antenna. (Even a cheap pair of TV rabbit ears will probably work better in all but fringe areas than the line-cord antenna.) I live some 35 miles east of most Cleveland FM stations and can hear every one of them (in mono) very well on my MJ1035, just using the built-in antenna. Haven't tried the phono inputs yet, though, although at first I was toying with the idea of connecting my solid-state Radio Shack SCT11 tape deck to them....until I recently saw a post from Chad Hauris stating (in paraphrase) that there is a risk of shock if the blocking capacitor fails (in most of these radios in use today the capacitor probably failed years ago), and a grounded device is connected to the jacks.

Last time I was down at Terry's, he was telling me that there was a big row back in the days when FM took off-that lots of mfgers apparently purposely de-sensitised the FM sections on their radios...Why, I don't know.

There`s My Delmonico Radio

THE DELMONICO IS LISTED ON EBAY, ITEM # 200198589632, i`VE DROP THE PRICE TO $27.00. GOING TO GIVE IT ONE MORE DAY AND TAKE IT OFF TOMMORROW AND REFINISH IT AND KEEP IT, TAKE A LOOK GUYS AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK, THANKS DAN

Jvc Delmonico Victor Model Fms-413u Tube Radio Rare
 

Listed On Ebay Item # 200206353584, Check It Out, Thanks

JVC Delmonico Stereophonic Sound System Model 1125u Multiplex (Same as fdrennen's pictured above)
I just picked one of these up at goodwill. A bit of tuner cleaner and WD40 and she's running just like new.The mechanics on the turntable are classic. Very good sound. And yes, quite loud. I hooked up a Utah AS-2 to the external speaker terminals (which switches all four built in speakers to the right channel and the external speaker becomes the left channel) It really rocks...too funny, I just had to laugh. I love this little guy.

Spec's :
Principle : Superhet with RF-stage; IF-Freq. 455/10700 kHz
Wave bands : Broadcast (BC) and FM.
Details : Changer (Record changer)
Power type and voltage : Alternating Current supply (AC) / 110 - 120 Volt
Loudspeaker/pwr.out : 4 Loudspeakers
Model: 1125U Material Wooden case
Shape : Console, Highboy (legs > 50 %).
Valves / Tubes 11: 12DT8
Notes The Delmonico Model 1125U is an AC Operated 11 Tube AM/FM Receiver with Stereo Amplifier and 4-Speed Automatic Record Changer.
Literature/Schematics Photofact Folder, Howard W. SAMS (Date 9-63, Set 655, Folder