My First Full Restoration of an Antique Radio!

[Electronic M]

Does your radio have an AVC stage and is it working? AVC stands for automatic volume control. It's job is to reduce RF gain on strong to moderate stations to reduce volume difference between stations... many early and or cheaper sets skipped it .

Solder joints can go bad on NOS stuff... might be worth reflowing the top cap with a high wattage iron.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Does your radio have an AVC stage and is it working? AVC stands for automatic volume control. It's job is to reduce RF gain on strong to moderate stations to reduce volume difference between stations... many early and or cheaper sets skipped it .

Solder joints can go bad on NOS stuff... might be worth reflowing the top cap with a high wattage iron.

I don't think this radio has Automatic volume control as its only a 5 tube radio and it doesn't even have an RF Stage like my WR-10 radio does and its from 1932 which was during the depression so it was meant to be cheap but still a decent unit.

I have a feeling that perhaps this Radio may need an alignment or something like that, which I tried to adjust the adjustment screws on the tuning capacitor but it didn't make much difference.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

I don't think this radio has Automatic volume control as its only a 5 tube radio and it doesn't even have an RF Stage like my WR-10 radio does and its from 1932 which was during the depression so it was meant to be cheap but still a decent unit.

I have a feeling that perhaps this Radio may need an alignment or something like that, which I tried to adjust the adjustment screws on the tuning capacitor but it didn't make much difference.

Even bottom of the barrel cheap mid-late 30's AA5s had AVC, but in the early 30's it wasn't universal yet. It was typically derived from the detector or a second diode plate in the detector tube (which was the reason why tubes like the 6AV6 and 6SQ7 had 2 extra diode plates instead of on just one).

If there is no AVC or defective AVC the volume will vary widely in step with RF carrier strength...Ever operate a working 1920's TRF circuit based receiver? TRFs almost always lack AVC and with the volume cranked to 11 they will struggle to put out enough volume to listen on a distant or low power station but blow your eardrums out on a strong local...Superhet sets can act the same without AVC.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Even bottom of the barrel cheap mid-late 30's AA5s had AVC, but in the early 30's it wasn't universal yet. It was typically derived from the detector or a second diode plate in the detector tube (which was the reason why tubes like the 6AV6 and 6SQ7 had 2 extra diode plates instead of on just one).

If there is no AVC or defective AVC the volume will vary widely in step with RF carrier strength...Ever operate a working 1920's TRF circuit based receiver? TRFs almost always lack AVC and with the volume cranked to 11 they will struggle to put out enough volume to listen on a distant or low power station but blow your eardrums out on a strong local...Superhet sets can act the same without AVC.

Let me study up on the schematic for this radio again and see if it does actually have AVC on it. If it does I would be awfully shocked that it does, and I'll have to figure out which of the 3 tubes for the tuner section is powering the AVC circuit and try subbing out tubes.