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

Atwater Kent 559N

2/23/2017

2 Comments

 
The AK 559N is a 9 tube radio with an RF amp and a signal meter. Push pull 2A5s provide audio power to a single 10.5" field coil speaker. The cabinet is small by 1930s standards.
Picture
Earlier I had said that I had reached the bottom of the radio pile given to my by Jerry. Well, that was true. Of the 40 or so radios several were in such bad shape that restoration was either going to be nearly impossible or very time consuming. Several of the early AC powered "bread box" radios had both poor cabinets and failing pot-metal parts. There are some models where failure of the pot-metal castings is so common that it is unlikely that a good replacement could ever be found. These radios may still be desirable for display but if the cabinets are shot then there is no really good reason to work on them.

Some of Jerry's radios had the unfortunate luck of being exposed to moisture when a fir tree limb punctured the roof of his two-story shop. I believe that this AK 559N was among them.

As you can see from the BEFORE picture (above left) there was significant damage to the cabinet. This added to the fact that restoration of most 1934 Atwater Kent chassis is always a big job pushed this project towards the parts pile. But I also knew how nice it could be.

Anyone visiting the shop/museum has seen the "wood shed". Not used for fire wood (mostly), rather for wood and veneers used in cabinet repair and for parts chassis. The shed keeps the clutter down in the shop. There is room in the shed to keep a couple of cabinets. I usually decide right away if there is a future for most radios but sometimes a radio like the 559 gets disassembled, the speaker/chassis stored and the cabinet placed in this area. If it gets in the way, well, at least the veneer is salvaged. But sometimes (seldom) there will be a break in the demands of shop/house/tree farm and the project will be revived.
Picture
These AK chassis are outstanding for a mid-rage radio manufacture of the mid 1930s. I think that they attempted to use very good parts in the assemblies. I doubt that any consideration was given to the ability to survive a century. We are lucky that some have survived - more or less.
Picture
I really was not looking forward to working on the delaminated cabinet so I started on the chassis restoration, a good project for the cold winter months.

Above is the before and after shot of the underside of the 559 chassis. As always the objective was to repair damage/deterioration and find/replace missing original parts. The result should look like the chassis did a year or two after manufacture. (to look new most of these chassis would need to be replated, something that is done for high-end radios)
Picture
Unfortunately nearly every part and wire needed some restoration or replacement.

I usually move through a chassis like this servicing or replacing all of the parts hooked to a lug at one time. Often this will result in a lot of parts being pulled out at once. I have a good memory and schematics help a lot but it is highly advisable to take a lot of pictures before and during the process. Most radios work upon completion. Once in a while there will be a miss-wired connection but this is so seldom that upon completion I just plug the radio in and begin alignment.
Picture
Picture
This radio has a modular RF/IF section. Since all of the wire and most of the components needed to be serviced or replaced this sub-chassis must be removed.

Above is the before and after of the rf/if chassis. At this point someone should ask if I know where all of those wires go.
Picture
In addition to the point to point wiring all of the RF, IF, Power and audio transformers need to be rewired. This also includes the filter chokes in the power supply. AK liked to put tar all over most coils and windings (potted). The connections need to be located inside of the cans and housings so that all new "rubber" wire can be added.
Picture
Above is the original wire. Some techs look at this and say that this wire is serviceable. Well some of it isn't. and one day soon, none of it will be. I have never had an AK power transformer fail after it has been rewired. I believe that the general consensus that they are "weak" is derived from the likelihood that shorted rubber wire is involved in the failures.
Picture
Above is a "restuffed" AK paper capacitor. It is tough to preserve the rather flimsy paper label and barrel along with the leads that exit through the side, rather than the ends. AK did not make it any easier for the restorer/tech having used a part number rather than a value on the label. For this a schematic/parts list is necessary to assure the proper replacement.
Picture
Picture
Resistors in the chassis are a real problem. For the most part, they are all bad. To make things worse for the restoration, the construction does not lend it's self to easy reproduction/replacement.

The styles of resistors used are either an early "dog-bone" or various wire wound types. In many radios the wire wound resistors, built on some form of substrate, have survived. AK built their WW resistors in the form of a flexible attachment that looks like a heavy gauge wire (right above). Many of these have not survived or have become intermittent. Unlike the types built with visible wire these corrode badly.

The dog-bone style types rely on a carbon rod inside of a ceramic holder with lead ends that make a mechanical contact with the carbon rod. This connection becomes intermittent over time.

The two examples above have been rebuilt. In the case of the WW resistor 4 or 5W modern resistors are hidden in the ends - usually in both ends - and the original cloth cover is slipped over a new wire connected to the new components. The old dog bones need to be drilled. A hole in the center of both ends allows the carbon rod and the ceramic to be driven out of the end. Care must be exercised so as to not damage the soft metal ends. A new 2 or 3 W resistor is covered with high temp spaghetti and soldered to the ends.


Picture
The AK all wave is what most collectors call a robot dial or shutter dial (as with Zenith). The dial displays slide up and down allowing only the selected band to be displayed. There is also a shadow meter used to display signal strength. These shadow meters often become less sensitive due to  depolarization of the needle (movement).
Picture
Well, with the chassis completed I needed to roundup my glue and brushes. While the grill cloth is intact, the baffle board it is mounted on is just a pile of delaminated plywood.
Picture
Most of the veneers is still present though much of it is loose.

Here we have a piece of elm burl that can be used for replacement (not bird's eye maple).
Picture
Above is the brother of the 559, the 7 tube 447 table model. It's construction is very similar as are is the veneers used in the cabinet.
Picture
I'm glad the 559 did not become spare parts.
2 Comments
John Mutziger
6/22/2017 08:55:27 am

Hello Russ,

I enjoyed reading your A-K 559 story. I own one also that I'm interested in restoring. It was revived in the '50's & I'm not sure all of the original parts are in place. The question is, how much will it detract from the value if modern parts are used in the restoration, in your opinion? One way of thinking about this is that restoration of optimum performance may be acceptable, especially if the appearance in while looking into the cabinet rear appears original.

The other question I have is, do you have the tube voltage values for all of the little black box notations on the schematic? I have most of the values, but not all. The Internet was searched for all of the 559 schematics that could be located to compile a list. I have a spreadsheet of sorts that I can e-mail to you if you might be able to fill in a few blanks & are interested. I realize that the voltage values are a starting point & the final value will not be the listed value.

You mentioned the shadow meter needle can become de-magnetized. Have you been able to restore the original sensivity to the shadowmeter?

I guess that is three questions. Better stop & hope I haven't worn out my welcome.

Best Regards,
John

Reply
Ken Noone
10/16/2020 08:39:15 am

Hello Russ, I recently came across your site and have enjoyed your post on the AK 559 restoration. I've been working on a 559 myself for some time. The cabinet is complete and I now just need to finish up a few items with the chassis. I can truly relate to your story and pics of the chassis. As an amateur restorer I debated on taking on a project this complex but I'm now glad I did. Its been a real learning curve and lots of fun. My one problem with this project is that I don't have a speaker. The person who sold me the unit promised me he had the speaker and make sure I got it. Long story short, he has now disappeared and I'm looking for a speaker. As you already know i 'm sure that this isn't an easy speaker to find.
I've been asking everyone I know but no luck as of yet. I would greatly appreciate any info on one that might be for sale.
(AK part number 36500)
Thanks for any help you can pass my way and I look forward to reading more stories of your restoration projects.
Ken

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

                         Russ Webb

    Picture
    Russ Webb & Fuzzy

    Best Buddy, Radio fixer







    Categories

    All
    All
    Antiques
    Electronics
    Radios
    Repair
    Restoration
    Travels
    Vintage

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    July 2022
    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