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#1
06-20-2014, 06:51 PM
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Chance to buy a 1929 RCA R32
Got a chance to look over some items going up for auction tomorrow. A 1929 RCA Victor R32 is on the list. Radio looks like it's in great shape except for the dial face has a hole in it. I think I could copy that face and maybe replicate it but I don't know. Probably not necessary. Anyway, any issues to watch out for restoring something this age? So far, I have restored a very simple 4-tube farm radio and am now working on a little more complicated Wards Airline.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rca_vic...32_victor.html
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Looking for a dial glass and knobs for a R-30s Fisher console. 
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#2
06-20-2014, 06:53 PM
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Looking for a dial glass and knobs for a R-30s Fisher console. Last edited by Schanz; 06-20-2014 at 07:02 PM.
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#3
06-20-2014, 08:07 PM
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These sets and their brothers are great players and represent a vast improvement over sets of just a year or two before. Think of 1922 when broadcast radio took off and most folks were listening with earphones on crystal sets or one-tubers that their boys had made. Then along came sets with horn speakers (low volume and tinny) and then a few years later exposed cone speakers (not much better) and then finally sets like this with the Kellogg designed moving-coil speakers that had all kinds of volume and solid bass response. They sold like hot cakes. All that progress in seven years.
There is a lot documented on line on the restoration of these sets. Most of the work would be in the power supply area. The first thing to check would be is the power transformer OK. Often the power resistors have open sections, but they can be replaced section by section with wire wound individual resistors. The big paper caps (no electrolytics) can be cut loose and replaced under the chassis either with electrolytics or preferably with modern plastic insulated caps, which are available in the same sizes as the old papers. I would search the web and look for posts on restoring this family of radios. Here's one to start with, The RE-45 which is basically the same electronics as the R32 with the addition of a record player. http://www.radiolaguy.com/Showcase/C...CA%20RE-45.htm
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Reece Perfection is hard to reach with a screwdriver.
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#5
06-21-2014, 09:05 AM
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I usually find these old Victor Radio sets with the amplifier chassis missing.
A lot of the amps got shipped to Asia, and the amp alone would fetch $500-750 on eBay 5-10 years ago. Now they go for a more modest price: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...5+amp&_sacat=0 .
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#6
06-21-2014, 12:05 PM
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This one got in a bidding war and I had to pay $16 for it.
Did these not have a glass over the dial? A little bummed about the hole in the dial face but it's not a big deal. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
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Looking for a dial glass and knobs for a R-30s Fisher console.
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#8
06-22-2014, 11:21 AM
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Well... we'll see what I costs to get it up and running. pulled back the speaker cloth and found a little damage to the cone. Looks like someone glued and tacked it and caused a little warping. Surround is rotting off as well. Hopefully it can be refoamed? The cone still moves so I think it would play sound but I have to do something with the surround.
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Looking for a dial glass and knobs for a R-30s Fisher console.
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#10
06-23-2014, 10:53 PM
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The Victor R-32 family of radios have always been some of my favorites. I believe they are sleepers. Made by Victor at the time they were purchased by RCA in 1929, the radios were very selective and sensitive with the Micro-Synchronous tuning arrangement. The slide rule dial was new and much better in comparison to the tiny dial windows most other manufacturers were offering. That dial allowed these sets to look more modern in following years than contemporary sets with the small dial windows. I'm fortunate to have the entire '29 family of these sets in my collection. Basic restoration as has been described here will get your set going again. Looks like repro dial scales are also available to replace the damaged one your set has. Good luck, you'll have a nice playing set when it's all done!
Gilbert
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I don't know anything about ignorance and I could care less about apathy. www.galaxymoonbeamnightsite.com
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#11
06-24-2014, 08:25 AM
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Well, I can't wait to get started on it. I think I'll move it ahead of the 36 philco. The 34 airline is ready to be put back together if I decide the resistors are ok so the bench will be cleared. I found the new dial face on audiodaze last night so one of those will be on the way.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
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Looking for a dial glass and knobs for a R-30s Fisher console.
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