RUSS' OLD RADIOS
  • HOME
  • FOR SALE
    • CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
    • DO IT YOURSELF SPECIALS
    • EXCEPTIONAL DEALS
    • WITH MP3 PORTS
  • RESTORATION
  • BLOG
  • BEFORE/AFTER
  • CONTACT US
  • UNIQUE RADIOS
  • 1920'S Superheterodyne

Old Radios: Vintage Faire

4/28/2014

0 Comments

 

Just a quick reminder...

Picture
Picture
Don't miss out on the fun....

It's only a couple of weeks away.....



Vintage Faire   

Saturday, May 10th  at 10:00am

Butte Creek Mill, Eagle Point, Oregon

We'll be there--on the front porch of the Antique Store.  Hope to see you there!  


Russ' Old Radio Repair LLC

0 Comments

Old Radios: Well, I'll Be A Monkey's Uncle! Guess What? Could It Be?

4/23/2014

3 Comments

 

     Susie's* Old Radio Repair

PictureHarry Radio

The big, brown, ever-logistics-lovin',  I-think-I'm-a-race-car truck, dropped off yet another parcel. I watched with interest as Russ placed the box on his work bench to open. My curiosity was piqued every time a "Russ' Old Radio Repair" box showed up.





Russ promptly dispatched of the careful, brown wrapping. Nothing unusual about this, I'd witnessed the same scene many times before. What grabbed my attention is what he said.
"It's a radio- for you- to work on."

"Me?" I pointed at myself, feeling a great deal of disbelief. "For me- to work I?" I repeated.     I must have misunderstood him.

"Yes. Harry sent you a radio to work on."

I couldn't believe my ears. I knew Harry. Harry Luginsky. He and Russ chatted frequently; they shared a love of old radios. Harry had become a good friend, and customer. "Harry sent me a radio to work on." I repeated it again, as if I heard it enough times, I'd believe it.

"Yes, he did."

I stood half stunned at the thought, that any intelligent human being, would send me a radio to work on, instead of Russ. Susie's Old Radio Repair. Had a nice ring to it. I kind of liked it. I had done a petty good job on the first radio- with Russ' help. I guess I could understand why Harry would prefer me to fix his radio. Yeah. Cool. I could feel my ego inflating to 'bout the size of a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon. A smile crept across my face. Well, I guess I'm pretty good at this stuff- for a novice. No wonder Harry wanted me to repair his radio for him, I thought.

"He doesn't want it back. Said, you can keep it."

"Oh." I felt like my big balloon suddenly encountered a long, sharp needle. KABOOM! My delusions of grandeur, promptly dumped me abruptly on the floor. Of course. That's Harry- he was just being nice. He had thoughtfully found an old radio I could continue learning on.

"That's really nice of him. Since he sent it to me, I'm going to work on it." I said it, and I meant it.  On the other hand, if Harry wouldn't have send me a radio, I think my days of radio repair would be over. It's not that I don't like working on radios, it's just that I don't particularly  like doing things I'm not good at. I prefer the creative arts to any that require technical skills. Why? Because I feel I excel in that area- and they require no math.

So, I would like to extend my gratitude to Harry for the radio and, guess I'd better get to work. The wild bird photos may have to wait.

Till next time,

Regards,

Sue

phlog's blog

* Was thinking- believe I'd prefer Suzie or Suzy. That way I'd have a Z, as in Zenith. Please send a comment to help me decide. Should it be Susie, Suzie or Suzy? Whadda think? I'll go with the variation receiving the most votes. Thanks!


3 Comments

Old Radios: May Events RORR

4/17/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
House Finch on Crabapple Tree Branch

May brings many activities to Russ' Old Radios.
Upcoming Events              


May 7th, 2014    7:00pm  Old Radio Presentation  SOAAC (Southern Oregon Antiques and Collectibles Club)  Horton Plaza, 1122 Spring Street, Medford, OR   

May 10th, 2014   10:00am- 4:00pm  Vintage Faire  Butte Creek Mill, Eagle Point, OR  (RORR will be on the Antique Store's porch.)

May 17th, 2014  10:00am-3:00pm  Wood House Farm Festival, Wood House (just outside Eagle Point on Hwy 62.)


For more information please contact the highlighted links or us via website.

Hope to see you there!

Regards,

Russ & Sue

0 Comments

Gilfillan

4/16/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Gilfillan ??
Picture
Gilfillan 6T Below
Picture
It seems to have the same chassis as this Gilfillan 6T. The cabinet design is similar with the solid wood top and sides. Only the fronts are veneered.

It appears that the cabinet may have been designed for a 3 knob radio and was modified for the 6T/6C chassis.

Another interesting thing is that the front panel was about 1/4 of an inch too narrow. So small matching strips had to be added at the lower sides where the cabinet becomes wider. I would think that the factory would have resolved this to save time if they were going to make any quantity of these.

Notice also the inlaid bird's eye maple on the base sections. You don't see that treatment often (ever?).

The chassis is all finished. It will be a couple of weeks before it is reassembled.

SO, has anybody seen another one of these?

0 Comments

Zenith 808 Finished

4/13/2014

4 Comments

 
Picture
The 808 has 3 bands. The first short wave band includes the expanded Broadcast spectrum so you can get all of the AM stations. It has 6 tubes including an RF amp (pre IF). I had to rewind the power transformer which gave me a chance to adjust for our 125 volt mains voltage. Everything runs cool now.
Picture
Picture
Can't seem to find a vendor for original speaker cones that aren't rock-hard. So I started making them (vacuum formed). The foam surround cones actually sound better, better than the originals, but like electrolytic caps, one of these days, somebody is going to have to replace that foam suspension - again. I prefer to do things once, even if it means that somebody isn't going to pay me to do it again.


These radio have a lot of "stick  caps" in them,  a foil capacitor wound on a stick with the end terminals crimped to the stick. Ever restuffed a "stick cap'?



Picture
Every dogbone resistor needed to be replaced. Like the new bones'? They are the same size as the originals, but on the average, rated at least 4X the original wattage. Small values are wirewound, to about 1.5K ohms.
Picture
Chassis before and after
Picture

We're going to keep this one, for now, but we have a fine example of its little brother, the 807 on the for sale page.


Russ


P.S. Besides Harry L's Very rare Detrola, I am working on a Gilfillan    with a chassis like an Allwave  Super 6T. The cabinet has solid sides and top and a very unusual design. I'll get some pictures posted soon. I'd like to see if anyone has seen either of these radios.
4 Comments

Old Radios: A Day in the Life of Russ' Old Radio Repair- You're Invited!

4/13/2014

1 Comment

 
PictureA rare sighting- Russ shopping.
3:30 in the morning comes early- but, such is the life of the crack (of dawn) dedicated Russ' Old Radio Repair team, bleary-eyed Russ and Sue. Although some people may believe “Orygone” consists of only one town, there are actually two, PORTLAND and (wait for it) MEDFORD!  Quick geography lesson; Portland is at the top of the state , Medford the bottom. This provides a much needed balance--to keep the state from slipping off into the Pacific Ocean--and a political one.

As it happens, we do not dwell in the northern city, PORTLAND. We live near the state's southern city, MEDFORD. Unfortunately, since most of residents live at the northern end, many events occur there.   It's not unusual for us to raise and shine (but barely dazzle) early in the am,  to attend events or beat out ambitious Craig's Listers for radios. Such was the case yesterday when we attended, The Northwest Vintage Radio Society (NWVRS) show in Aurora, Oregon - a suburb of PORTLAND. 

Picture
Met the cutest little dog, a Maltese that weighed in at three-and-a-half pounds. His "Mom" cuddled him close to her chest. If she moved, he'd re-arrange himself, crossing the small legs that dangled beneath him. When "Mama" handed him over for a hug, he felt like a feather. I'm accustomed to hefting Fuzzy and Woolley; they challenge the vet's scale at over twenty pounds each! 

Picture
Does this ring a 'bell" with anyone? If you're interested, it's most likely going up for sale. The Old Radio Museum already has two Jacksons.
The NWVRS event is always is interesting. It's like a Almond Joy versus Mounds, "Sometimes you get a good radio, sometimes you don't." The fun is in the pursuit. On this particular occasion--thanks to an unplanned for half-an-hour gas stop due to a broken credit card machine--we arrived late. Just like with garage or estate sales, it's best to get there early 'cause the good stuff tends to sprout wings and fly. But, we got the Jackson Bell, and Russ found some thingamajigs and  several whatchamacallits. If the day ended here, we would have been happy- but it didn't.

Well, then what happened?

I'll tell you.  We hit a "sometimes you don't".  We decided to continue north to the City of Portland. A guy advertised on Craig's List he had five radios.  He e-mailed.  "Yes, I still have all five of them...The radios are in very nice shape. I don't think you'll be disappointed." We drove the sixty-mile round trip--out of our way--to take a look. There were five wood, breadbox radios; the cabinets looked to be in fair shape. Russ opened the lid of the first one. "Humm." He tried the second, then third, fourth and fifth. "That's interesting, all the globe tubes have been replaced by non-original tubes. Every single one." What an amazing  coincidence! "Think we'll pass- thanks."

Lunch, then next stop. We met a fellow at an I-5  (the major north-south freeway that connects the two "Orygone" towns) off-ramp. A nice, honest guy with a Vintage Howard radio. We chatted with him for awhile, thanked him for his time, but decided the radio would be more work than it was worth.

We proceeded southward, calling another party about a RCA Victor R-52, however we were unable to reach him.

"I've got an idea," Russ said. "Remember the guy we bought the movie-dial, tall-boy console from 'bout three years ago?" Russ had fixed it up, but we had to sell it. The Old Radio Museum bulged at the beams.

"No." I can remember what I had last night for dinner. Russ has a wonderful memory. I use it often.
Picture
1930 Radiola 80 Tall-Boy Console

"He said if we ever decided to sell it, to please let him know. Let's stop by his house, since it's on the way home."

"Okay." We did. He wasn't home, so Russ left a note and his card.

The message blinked when we arrived home. Sure enough. "Consider it sold."

Russ not only has an memory--at times I wish he didn't have--but also incredible luck. We also received an e-mail, " What is funny is that I am in the process of turning the back half of that RV Garage into a pool room.  Your note coincides with my needing cool stuff for that space and it will be a great thing to have in there." 

Such a nice fellow. How appropriate the radio would be returned to it's owner--renovated with an MP3 player adaption. "Bet it will be the only Radiola 80 to ever play MP3's," Russ noted. Bet it will. ;)

Below is a photo of the old radio's original home.
Picture
So there you have it. A day in the life of Russ' Old Radio Repair. Enjoyed sharing it with you; hope you enjoyed it too!
Till next time...

Regards,

Sue
pholog's blog

1 Comment

Old Radios: Birthday Present Update

4/11/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture

"Cat Inspected and Wife Approved"
        1924  MU-1
GREBE  EARLY SYCOPHASE 
Gold plated dials
5 - 201 Tubes
NO CHAIN DRIVE


http://www.radioblvd.com/Grebe%20Synchrophase.htm
Thanks David Dorosh, Antique Radios (FB) for sharing the website!


Thought this one of the most beautiful radios I've ever seen. I didn't think I'd ever own one.

What a surprise when it arrived!

Thanks, Russ! I have no idea have you found it, but you did.

Sue


Picture
Picture
Till next time....

Regards,

Sue

phlog's blog

0 Comments

Old Radios: Mystery Solved!

4/11/2014

0 Comments

 
Our thanks to Dale Davenport of the Antique Radios group for solving the mystery presented in the last blog. He made it seem easy!     So, for the less clever of us,  the correct Jeopardy answer  ......... ... it's a diathermy machine. Your next question is answered below. ;)
Picture
Uh-oh, looks like it close to being taken apart.
Diathermy

[di´ah-ther″me] means "electrically induced heat" the use of high-frequency electromagnetic currents as a form of physical or occupational therapy and in surgical procedures. The term diathermy is derived from the Greek words dia and therma, and literally means “heating through.” adj., adj diather´mal, diather´mic.

It is commonly used for muscle relaxation. It is also a method of heating tissue electromagnetically or ultrasonically for therapeutic purposes in medicine. Diathermy is used in physical therapy and occupational therapy to deliver moderate heat directly to pathologic lesions in the deeper tissues of the body.

Diathermy, whether achieved using short-wave radio frequency (range 1–100 MHz) or microwave energy (range 434–915 MHz), exerts physical effects and elicits a spectrum of physiological responses, the two methods differing mainly for their penetration capability.[1]

Surgically, the extreme heat that can be produced by diathermy may be used to destroy neoplasms, warts, and infected tissues, and to cauterize blood vessels to prevent excessive bleeding. The technique is particularly valuable in neurosurgery and surgery of the eye.

Well, there you have it. Diathermy Apparatus. Of, course. So,  if you are ever chosen as a contestant for Jeopardy, and a picture of this puppy pops up, I'd be willing to bet, you'd be the only person to buzz in.




Time next time.........

Regards,

Sue

pholog's blog
0 Comments

Old Radios: Mayor Bob's and Debbie's- Butte Creek Mill, Eagle Point, Oregon

4/10/2014

0 Comments

 
PictureEagle Point's Mayor, Bob Russell
Eagle Point is a small, All-American town; if you check your GPS- you could miss it.. There are however, a couple of things that sets Eagle Point apart. First, it has its very own- authentic, white, wood covered bridge; and second, it has a water-powered grist mill that still works. Adjacent to the Butte Creek Mill is an antique store. Both the mill and vintage emporium are owned by Eagle Point's mayor, Bob Russell and wife, Debbie,

If you like browsing for curious vintage items, you'll love this Antique Store. Relics of history--pieces from times past--and just dog-gone interesting "stuff" abounds at Mayor Bob's place.
Russ and I stop in often. I'm not quite sure if it's because of Bob's affable personality, or the continually changing treasures. I have a sneaking suspicion- it's a bit of both.

On our most recent visit, Bob shared a true oddity--one so unusual--he wasn't quite sure what it was.  We came up with a couple of guesses, but we don't know either. Here's some photos and what's know about the mysterious object. 

Bob relayed this information. (You can almost imagine a spooky score accompanying this true story.) Woo ,woo ,woo.. This item came from the attic of an old women's house. She lived alone. One ordinary day, something extraordinary happened. A snake appeared in her home. Frightened, she managed to corral the serpent into the attic. She nailed the door shut; it remained boarded up until her death.

After her demise,  an auction took place to sell the contents of the garret-winner take all. Bob placed a winning bid, taking all the items, this unusual contraption being among them. Who was the odd woman? What else (or who else) was in the attic? Why did she have it in her home? Many questions linger. None have answers. With your help, perhaps we can solve this mystery.
Picture
Did this machine create the Bride of Frankenstein?
Picture
Two, many Russells. Russell Webb and Bob Russell
Picture
Could these two "bright" fellows figure how out how to light this thing up?
A few clues.
Picture
Picture
Picture

Picture

Picture

Errata : Mea culpa. (Clears throat.) Russ has just informed me, that I have confused a couple of facts-well actually, that I've  screwed up this story. The facts are thus: We got this from Bob.
Picture
This radio dwelleth in the boarded up room with the snake (and squirrels). The mystery device came from an attic that Bob had paid to salvage.  To make up for this blunder, I am adding a special bonus feature to this blog--and a special announcement. Here they are. Just for you. Sue

BONUS FEATURE   A slide show browse of the antique store.



Coming Soon--to the Butte Creek Mill--Vintage Fair

Vintage Faire is Saturday, May 10th. Russ' Old Radio Repair will be there! (Set up on the front porch of the Antique Store.) Be sure to stop by and say hi.


    Vintage Faire
 
   May 10, 2014 at 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Butte Creek Mill
    420 N Royal Ave
       
    Enjoy foods cooked by the Rogue Valley Dutch Oven 
    Cookers in the “Dutch Oven Cook-Off”, plus the many other artisan 
    food vendors and local wineries.



     While at the Vintage Faire, you can watch live musical performances 
    by the old time fiddlers, live wood carvings, blacksmiths, quilters, 
    tours of the Butte Creek Mill and stroll through the 100′s other
    vintage and artisan vendors that are up and down Royal Ave.

    For more information, please contact:
     http://buttecreekmill.com


Till next time...

Regards, ;)

Sue
phlog's blog

0 Comments

Old Radios: A Magical Birthday Surprise

4/1/2014

0 Comments

 
     As luck would have it, my birthday falls exactly one week after April Fool's Day. My birthday is April 8th. Has a nice ring to it. Always sort of liked being born on that date- until the year Russell figured out it rhymed with April Ape. That pretty much assures me,  I'll be getting something nice from him for my birthday. This year he really surprised me.
Picture
Dialing it in.
     We know when the UPS truck is coming. Although it's half a mile down the dirt road to the highway, the rumble of the big brown truck tearing up the hill, breaks the silence like a 900 horsepower sprint car screaming down the track.

     The arrival of the cargo van always sends us scurrying,"Come on Fuzzy and Woolley. Let's go!" The peaceful solitude of Meowpops is replaced by a mad rush to the front door. I drop whatever gardening device I'm pretending to be toiling away with,  and grab one of kitties. The other one tags behind. Depending how close the barreling beast is, Fuzz or Wool may take the lead.

     The arrival of UPS is a big deal. We live in the country; it's uneventful much of the time. The roaring rumble of the sepia savior creates an sense of anticipation that's akin to discovering a pot of gold. This is especially true around birthdays and holidays.

     Russ and I, generally greet the driver. "That is probably something for you," Russ said--as a muscular guy in brown shorts--dug through an assortment of smaller boxes, shoving them aside, then re-arranging them to get the oversized parcel out.

     "I don't think so. I didn't order anything." Then like a lightening bolt it struck me, it could be a birthday present.  Indeed. And what a birthday present it was! 
Picture
Picture
     A Grebe Synchrophase! I'd wanted one since the first time I saw it. I'm not sure what  appealed the most to me--I think it may have been a combination of the reddish finish and the numerous dials. The top dials commanded attention with their embellished metal backings; the bottom tuners seemed magical. They somehow reminded me of Aladdin's magic lamp or I Dream of Jeannie.  Perhaps, the shape of Jeannie's bottle?   

     I couldn't put on finger on it, but the Grebe had a mystical patina; it intrigued me.             

     I have no idea how Russ wrangled up this gift. One thing I am certain of though--like Aladdin and his magic carpet--he swept me off my feet.

Till next time...when I return to earth...

Regards,

Sue

phlog's blog

What was the best birthday present you ever received? We like to hear.
0 Comments

    Author

                         Russ Webb

    Picture
    Russ Webb & Fuzzy

    Best Buddy, Radio fixer







    Categories

    All
    All
    Antiques
    Electronics
    Radios
    Repair
    Restoration
    Travels
    Vintage

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    January 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

CUSTOM DESIGN BY SUE WEBB  06/2013       Redesigned by Russ Webb     Approved by Fuzzy   Updated:  Pretty much all the time, but I forget to change this date
Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from valart2008, rafeejewell