1952 Westinghouse Model H-378T5

[Captainclock]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

I suspect that blown capacitor is wired across the AC power line. It's purpose is to help filter out any interference that may be riding on the power line and it's very possible for the radio to work without it. This type of capacitor is known as a bumblebee and they were supposed to be an improvement over older style capacitors; but, they are in fact worse. I've seen lots of these used across the AC line and it's very common for them to blow apart when used in this application. For maximum safety, it should be replaced with an AC safety capacitor.

I see, but when I looked at the area where the capacitor was wired in at, there wasn't any wires coming into that spot for the power cord the power cord just wires into one side of the power switch and the other side wires in to the power supply cap.

From what I saw when looking at the wiring of the capacitor again, one side of the capacitor is wired into the rectifier tube socket on either pin 2 or pin 6 (i'm not sure which pin it is as the sockets aren't marked and I don't know which way is which when counting a 7 pin tube socket from underneath) and the other side wires into a lone wiring pin that has nothing but bare wire running between it and some other wiring pins (which I suspect that these lone wiring pins are part of the grounding buss circuit since its a Bakelite chassis.) So I don't suspect that this capacitor is going across the AC Line, it must be part of the rectifier circuit some how but apparently not too critical of a part in the rectifier circuit...

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by Captainclock

From what I saw when looking at the wiring of the capacitor again, one side of the capacitor is wired into the rectifier tube socket on either pin 2 or pin 6 (i'm not sure which pin it is as the sockets aren't marked and I don't know which way is which when counting a 7 pin tube socket from underneath) and the other side wires into a lone wiring pin that has nothing but bare wire... So I don't suspect that this capacitor is going across the AC Line, ...

That's pin 6. You count tube pins clockwise, starting at the gap. As you mention that there is no pilot light, usually pin 6 of the rectifier tube goes directly to the power line. The other side of the powerline usually goes thru a switch (usually part of the volume control), and then to the negative side of the filter cap and rest of the set. So that cap is across the powerline. You could just remove it and the set will still work. Or replace it with a modern "X rated" cap designed for the purpose, being across the powerline.

[Findm-Keepm]

...and you can get an X2 cap from most junked PC power supplies. Your original is a .047uF, 400V, but all X2 caps are AC rated, either 250 or 275VAC.

Attached is the schematic for a Westy H-366T5, Sams 185. Your radio is in Sams 211 - I skip over it - 208-209-210-212...

[Captainclock]

Originally Posted by Findm-Keepm

...and you can get an X2 cap from most junked PC power supplies. Your original is a .047uF, 400V, but all X2 caps are AC rated, either 250 or 275VAC.

Attached is the schematic for a Westy H-366T5, Sams 185. Your radio is in Sams 211 - I skip over it - 208-209-210-212...

ok, thanks, so why do you skip over the Sams folder No. 211, if you know its in there? Do you just not have that one or do you have something against that folder?

[Findm-Keepm]

Originally Posted by Captainclock

ok, thanks, so why do you skip over the Sams folder No. 211, if you know its in there? Do you just not have that one or do you have something against that folder?

My Sams collection was the regional "library" of Sams. My dad, who had a shop, loaned out his older Sams to other shops and some individuals. It appears it was loaned out and not returned - 90% of the borrowers are now dead, so there's no recouping the missing stuff. Of consolation, I have two Sams 207 sets, and lots of other dupes.

[Captainclock]

Originally Posted by Findm-Keepm

My Sams collection was the regional "library" of Sams. My dad, who had a shop, loaned out his older Sams to other shops and some individuals. It appears it was loaned out and not returned - 90% of the borrowers are now dead, so there's no recouping the missing stuff. Of consolation, I have two Sams 207 sets, and lots of other dupes.

Ah, I see. well I have a small Sams collection myself but it only covers a very small variety between 1946-1959 and that's about it I don't even remember all of the volumes it has in it without looking through it but I think no. 333 and 217 and 290, are just a few of the ones I have, they for some reason got only a select few volumes over the course of 13 years they didn't get all of them for some reason. I inherited mine from a flea market friend who got them from an estate sale and knew I liked monkeying around with old radios so he just gave them to me. :-)

[old_coot88]

I would clip the blown-up cap out and toss it.
Its original purpose was (ostensibly) to reduce any RF hash coming in via the power line.
But today with the maelstrom of broadband hash already in the air, any noise on the power line would pale to insignifigance.

[Captainclock]

Originally Posted by old_coot88

I would clip the blown-up cap out and toss it.
Its original purpose was (ostensibly) to reduce any RF hash coming in via the power line.
But today with the maelstrom of broadband hash already in the air, any noise on the power line would pale to insignifigance.

Ok, so that would basically mean that without that capacitor this radio would them be a 1 capacitor equipped radios (not including the filter caps) which is kind of interesting because that's the first time I've ever come across a radio with so few capacitors in it.