Zenith 10-S-153 Radio
 

My parents have this exact radio...My dad bought it at some point in the early 70s and refinished the cabinet, looks real good--he trimmed out some of it black and it looks IMO better than original, and about ten years ago we replaced the speaker grill cloth and it is NOT original (original was torn & nasty) but it looks very good--I should get a picture...it has never worked as long as I have been around it...what would be needed to get one of these up & running? It is all there...probably needs what? New dial strings and some or all new tubes, can new tubes be purchased for these? Arent there old capacitors in these that would need replacing? Obviously new wiring and probably new light bulbs for the dial...did they use fuse type bulbs or what? Anybody have any info on this particular model?

http://radioatticarchives.com/images..._Armstrong.jpg

thanx!

Earl

Okay, you would need to replace the capicatatoirs, mabye some wiring... a professional job to make it safe, i think they would have used fuse bulbs-i think- DO NOT PLUG IT IN you could blow up tubes that are probably still good. i don't imagine more than one tube wpold be bad, I would get a professional to do this if you don't have much experience... good luck with your project keep us updated

That's really too beautiful of a radio to use for your first electrical restoration project! If it has not been plugged in recently, the tubes are probably fine. The wax-paper capacitors and electrolytics will need to be replaced, switches and controls cleaned, and possibly other repairs. Hopefully someone in your area familiar with old radio restoration will chime in and help out.

Don't plug it in!!! :no: The old capacitors will be electrically leaky, insulation will have deteriorated, etc. At best you'll wreck something expensive in the set like a transformer, at worst you'll have a serious fire and shock hazard. After replacing the paper and electrolytic capacitors, you'll want to bring the power up slowly with a series lamp or Variac to check for other problems.

I don't want to scare you off, the radio is very nice and making it play again is certainly something you should do. But you need to enlist the help of someone who has a bit of experience with these things, preferably local to you so as not to damage things by shipping the chassis.

You WILL need to replace all of the old paper & electrolytic capacitors before turning it on, whether or not it seems to "work" at the moment. See the article at:

http://antiqueradio.org/recap.htm

Cleaning the controls with DeOxit is another must-do.

You can download a free schematic from:

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/

Click on Resources, then look it up by manufacturer and model number.

As others have noted, don't waste money replacing the tubes for now. Wiring does not have to be replaced, either, unless it's the old rubber-coated variety in which all the insulation is falling off. In any case, that is not a job I would recommend to any beginner. Too many opportunities for making a little mistake that could result in a big problem.

Forget about dial bulbs and dial strings for now. They're the least of your worries.

I recommend that you contact a nearby radio collector club. There is a list of clubs at:

http://www.antiqueradio.com/clublist.html

Ask for a recommendation for a repairman within driving distance. Or perhaps someone in the club would be willing to do the work. It's obviously safer (and cheaper!) to find someone within driving distance, rather than ship this heavy radio long-distance for repairs.

Or, if you feel like tackling it yourself, there might be a club member willing to stand behind your shoulder for an hour and help you get started on the project.

If you end up shipping the radio off for service, remove the heavy chassis and speaker and ship them in two boxes. Your cabinet has been redone, so there's no need to ship that. And shipping it all as one piece might mean that it arrives as a bunch of smashed junk.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

Yep, what he (Jukin Jay) said! :yes:

Just want to add/emphasize another reason not to mess with this if you are inexperienced: the "shock hazard" on these can be LETHAL. Grounding on a lot of these old things was not like modern gear. Touch the wrong thing and its easy to send high currents (higher than the wall-socket current) through you. Most people who work on these do so iwth one hand behind their back or in a pocket, just to minimize the risk of heart failure if they do accidentally touch the wrong things. Play it safe and let an expert tackle this beauty. That way you'll not only have it working, but you'll also have the peace of mind that it was done right. If you want to learn to repair these, learn first from books (and threads online) and perhaps building a kit or two, then try restoring a less-special radio first. Just a suggestion.