Came over here to share these pictures of my Atwater Kent 55 - Videokarma.org TV - Video

similost · #1 10-19-2009, 11:37 AM

I posted this over on the main AK site, but wasn't sure how many of you don't venture there now days.

Here's a really sweet looking Model 55 I picked up yesterday, complete with the warranty cards still inside.

The condition is pretty amazing. Paint in really great shape, no rust, and very few scratches and no dents. The power cord and speaker cord are in super condition, still flexible and not brittle, and only one small spot it's worn through where the cable goes through the box.

I can't wait to start cleaning it up and getting it working. I've found all the instructions and paper work I'll need. I have been surprised though, I haven't been able to find very many examples like this one out there on the net..

sean · #2 10-19-2009, 12:35 PM

I used to have one just like yours except having a red panel and speaker grille that I sold fully restored. Since then I have restored another 55 for a customer. Last year I bought a model 60 (same chassis but with one more RF amplifier) in the Kiel table. The 55 chassis was a very good performer. You don't see very many of them in the metal "coffin" cabinet, most are in a wooden floor model cabinet.

similost · #3 10-19-2009, 01:02 PM

Cool info Sean. Can you tell me exactly what you had to replace to restore the 55 to working condition? I've been reading all I can find, and it pretty much sounds like a couple resistors, and a couple caps, two of those being in one of the tranny cans?

Also, would you mind me asking what the value of a restored unit would be along with the speaker? I keep looking for others that have sold, but can't find that nor any for sale..

sean · #4 10-19-2009, 02:22 PM

One of the large cans in the back is a capacitor bank. It contains 5 or 6 wax paper capacitors. Under the chassis there are two capacitors that contain 2 wax paper capacitors each, IIRC. There are a number of tubular ceramic resistors that are almost always bad. What I have done (and plan to do on the 60) is take the lead ends off of the resistors if they will come off easily. I drill a hole thorough the lead to install the lead of a new resistor. I cut a piece of plastic tubing to house the new resistor and and put the whole thing together. I paint a stripe the same color as the original and put the replica unit back into the chassis. The capacitor packs have plenty of room to install new capacitors. Other than that about all that's left is some cleaning and lubrication of the tuning capacitors.

It's been a few years since I sold mine but I might have gotten about $250 for it.

similost · #5 10-19-2009, 02:35 PM

Thanks sean... I had read about restuffing the old resistors. I will probably end up doing that myself. I didn't realize though that cap can had so many caps in it. So do you leave the can, and just remove the wires and run those to new caps, or do you melt out the tar from the can and replace the caps inside the can then put the tar back?

That sounds cool.. around the value I was thinking in clean and working order. I don't intend to pain mine, but I do intend to try touching up some of the bad spots in the black paint. I know most of them should wax out. Inside though everything is in as new condition.. just dirty as hell.

DENNYDOG · #6 10-19-2009, 11:03 PM

I finally decided to try out my Atwater Kent this fall. She works pretty good. I'll have to hook my table lamp up to it once I replace the cap in it. They should be a good match.

Kind of fun playing with these old radios. Their surely not high fidelity but amazing the time and effort they put into them. Very high quality.

sean · #7 10-20-2009, 08:00 AM

I just remembered that the capacitor pack is the one that has a round bakelite base sticking through the chassis with several solder terminals on it. Once you remove the brown outer can you will find a rectangular tin can with the top and bottom covers soldered on. You can heat the solder on either cover (the bottom one would give better access to the terminals) and pry the cover off. The capacitor pack is held in place with wax and you can just heat the whole can with a hairdryer or heat gun to soften the wax enough to pull the guts out. Disconnect the leads going to the terminals and install the new capacitors. I have just used the leads of the capacitors soldered to the terminals to support the capacitors. I would have to look at a schematic but I think these caps are on the order of 0.5uF, 1uF, and 2uF. I buy yellow axial metal film capacitors to replace these although you can use electrolytics. To me it just does not seem right to use an electrolytic to replace a paper capacitor. I should have photos that I took during the last 55 restoration I performed. I intended to make a web page with them but never got around to it. I'll try to remember to look at these photos and see if there is anything that would be useful to you.

similost · #8 10-20-2009, 08:23 AM

Thanks so much sean. VERY helpful info.. Now I'm wanting to bypass my other projects and get started on this one first, especially with all this fresh in my mind.

Sounds like it would be a pretty easy project, and I know it would make my wife happy to see me get this done since she kinda said something about OH GREAT, something else to just sit around...

Any pictures would be GREATLY appreciated. I'd hate to do something that would be detrimental to this...

sanford12 · #9 10-27-2009, 09:26 PM

Have you tried to power it up yet. Almost everyone of the Atwaters I've owed has worked and very well with nothing done. I brought one just like yours to my old tech(75 years old) and to my horror he plugged it straight into the socket and fired it up. To my astonishment after a very short warm up it played and played great. That was at least 10 years and about 12 Atwater Kents ago and I really don't remember a AK that didn't work even the ones that looked like hell. The components along with the amazing quality control and simplicity made for in my opinion the most reliable tube radios ever made. Thats a really nice one enjoy it. Mark

Phlogiston · #10 02-21-2010, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean

I used to have one just like yours except having a red panel and speaker grille that I sold fully restored. Since then I have restored another 55 for a customer. Last year I bought a model 60 (same chassis but with one more RF amplifier) in the Kiel table. The 55 chassis was a very good performer. You don't see very many of them in the metal "coffin" cabinet, most are in a wooden floor model cabinet.

Is there any chance that you can give me a tip on where you can get the green or red paint color for the top and/ or the brownish grey for the body color? I can't seem to find a good match. Something that I could thin and spray would be great.

Thanks

Reece · #11 02-21-2010, 10:28 AM

It's good that the phosphor-bronze belts that link the tuning caps are OK and not popped. Your set must have the brass pulleys on it. Some earlier ones (like my model 30) had potmetal pulleys which swelled over the years and pop the bands. New pulleys are available but I think I'm going to make mine "when I get around to it...."

Sandy G · #12 02-21-2010, 12:17 PM

AK breadboxes are cool, relatively common, & decent enuff performers for what they are.... Kinda neat to "show off" a WORKING 80-some odd-year old radio to yr friends...