Satellite console?

[Nolan Woodbury]

Hope I’m not bringing up a subject that’s already been discussed, but…

I heard or read somewhere about a device that’ll allow reception of satellite transmissions on vintage consoles. After reading (and agreeing with) posts here discussing the lack of quality programming on the AM band, this would seem an ideal upgrade/modification. Imagine the possibilities! For me, I’ve dragging my feet on purchasing a black dial Zenith because I wonder just how much I’ll actually use it.

Can anyone fill me in on who makes this and how it works? Would the radio need to be heavily modified? I’d hate to hack up a perfectly good set (beyond reversal) just to install something a future owner/buyer wouldn’t agree with.

[Chad Hauris]

Do you mean adding external audio input for a satellite radio receiver...you can just tap into the volume control circuit in any radio and add a switch for radio audio or Aux...just run shielded cables and mount the switch in an inconspicuous place on the back of the cabinet and use an existing hole in the chassis to run the wires through. You can do this non-destructively.

Also a lot of old 40's radios have aux inputs already available for TV audio or FM that you can hook up a connector to.

Also you can get a little AM transmitter and use that to send the auxiliary audio into the radio.

[Nolan Woodbury]

I was surfing around, looking at vintage consoles for sale about a month ago and remember reading something about a kit. It was almost in the form of an ad; buyers praising the melding of current and vintage technology. "My grandmother’s vintage Philco has new life!" or some such, but I can't find it anywhere...

Many of the other antique radio forums are spending a lot of time lamenting the loss of long established stations (like WCBS-FM in NYC) in favor of these canned "Jack" "Mike" and "Jane" formats. This trend hasn't hit here in Phoenix yet (at least to the stations I like) but who knows. Seems like those in public broadcasting would look to improve the quality of their programming, in an effort to keep people from switching to XM or what ever, but it’s getting worse. Some even feel the end of the AM/FM bands is in sight. A bit to much doom and gloom I think. It’ll take a long while for that to happen.

But if satellite is the way it's going, fine. In fact, I hear they broadcast old time radio shows on some channels! That would be a gas to see the technology come full circle and listen on a proper tube console.

Thanks for the great advice and input Chad, as always-