"Russ, you're never going to believe this. There is a Stratosphere for sale in this area! Local pick-up only."  As predicted, it caught Russ' attention. We contacted the owner, and made arrangements to see it; soon we were on our way. 

     As it turned out, the Stratosphere dwell within a hour's drive of our home. During the ride there--on a beautiful blue-skied, warm, sunny day--many questions rumbled in my mind. Who might owe this top-of-the-radio Zenith radio? Where did he live? How did he get it? Why was he selling it?    I would soon find out the answers to all these questions...and more.

     When given permission to write this blog, I promised not to divulge the exact location- but I can tell you, I felt honored to be granted access. A long, windy road delivered us to a forested area, fronting a rolling hillside. The sun pranced on one of the slopes, then leapt into a pond; it glistened on the water. A gaggle of geese and goslings floated peacefully underneath an arched walkway that lead to an island featuring a cedar gazebo. 

      Further back, atop a small knoll, a contemporary-style cedar home with expansive windows, sat.

    Arf, arf!  A well-groomed Sheltie Collie came bounding up, following on his heels, the owner. The sheltie then took off to explore, returning later.

    "Hello. My name is Jeff Rense. Nice to meet you." After exchanging the obligatory greetings, we were given the grand tour. Jeff told us a bit more about himself. He had relocated from Montecito, (Santa Barbara County), California- a number of years ago.  A single dad, he came here with his daughter, to escape an every increasing influx of Hollywood celebrities-which included Dennis Miller and Oprah. 

     When Jeff purchased the raw property; he had a vision, one he succeeded in bringing to fruition. He built the striking cedar house, numerous ponds, trails and is even adding a small-scale railway on the five-acre property.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co5aum87h9w  (Video of railway in action.)

The results would indicate he must have been blessed with  20/20. vision. With the eye of an artist, he painted his vision onto the acreage, will the skill of a great master putting his brush to the easel.

     And his interest in radios? It became apparent as he shared his livelihood with me. Jeff is the mastermind and founder of Rense.com. He manages, owes and operates several radio networks. He has a weekly radio program at 7:00 pm, Monday- Friday. It's an interesting site; I'd recommend talking a look and/or listen. After an extended, pleasant chat, I had one final question. I wondered why he liked old radios. His interest exceeded early electronics, "Makes me feel good, seeing them."    A smile crept across his face.

We'd like to thank Jeff for his kind hospitality and sharing his Stratosphere and interesting life with us.

Till next time,

Regards,

Sue
phlog's blog

ps.. Some people feel it is necessary to place a cat on the center bottom of the Stratosphere. If you happen to be lucky enough to owe a 1000Z, and would like to, I would recommend the Cleo-CAT-tra. Think she's one cool cat, who I believe, could pull it off. ;) Jeff mentioned, that he heard from a friend, just last week, that someone had found a white cat with Zenith stamped on the bottom. Did Zenith actually produce a cat to keep the Strat company? No one seems to know for sure. Truth or legend? The question lingers on.

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. 

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! 

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.

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.

"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.

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

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.

A few clues.

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.

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

     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.

     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.

     Oh, what fun this proved to be! I not only learned new things about old radios, but I had the opportunity to witness and help restore a discarded beauty to her former self. Perhaps the two most important lesson I learned: Nothing is junk- unless you fail to see its potential.  And, never sell  yourself short. (Uh, excuse the pun).  Never assume you can't; the only can't that stopped anyone - not trying.     As I eluded to in this month's quote on our home page, ""If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.  - Thomas Edison    Have fun.  Astound yourself.

     Thank you for all the interest in my project. I have enjoying sharing it with everyone. If anyone has a pet project they'd like to share with Russ' Old Radio Repair- we'd love to see it.

     Till next time- when, who knows what I'll be up to....Oh, by the way- the answer to the question, can you sand, finish, and re-sand a radio too many times? Is, apparently, no. ;)

Regards,

Sue

phlog's blog


ps. If you have read this--and like it--please remember to give : https://www.facebook.com/russoldradiorepair "BIG THUMBS  UP" on Facebook. We thank you.

UPDATE 12-16-2021
We now know the the Aetna model is 252P under Walgreens. It is a 4-tube  + ballast Tuned Radio Freq receiver from 1936. Most of the radios found in this cabinet are 550s, which is a superheterodyne rather than a TRF.  The super is relatively rare. The TRF is much more unusual.

Russ

     "Wonder what it is?"

     "What?"

     "The radio. I wonder who made it. It doesn't look like any Philco or Zenith or Atwater Kent or Emerson or..."

     "I get the idea."

     "You know what though?"

     "No, what though."

     "It sort of reminds me, of the Peter Pan radio."

     "Jackson Bell."

     "Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

     "I don't."

     "Oh."

     "I'm gonna find out."

     "And, how are you going to do that? We've researched it; we couldn't find anything on it- just a schematic that resembled the chassis close enough we could fix it."

     "I'm going to ask people on Facebook. I betcha somebody will know."  So, that's what I did. I asked. By gosh, somebody did know. 

     "Russell, Russell," I went running to the shop as fast as I could. Excited, elated, on cloud 9, I nearly floated over the gravel path. "I...know...what...it...is!" I could hardly get the words out. "It's a 1936," I stopped to get a gulp of air, "...a 1936 Aetna Model 550. It's really rare and..." Pride erupted from every pore on my body. A smile the size of the piano lit up my face. I felt so great sharing the information, my ego could have inflated a hot air balloon.

     I waited. Russell took a look at the website that revealed--what I believed to be the key to solving the quandary--what radio we had. He looked carefully at the cabinet. "See! See! I told you!" He said nothing. He continued looking at the photos. I waited for his approval; for his confirmation that this fledging radio repair person had this one nailed.

     "That is not that radio."

     I felt my happiness balloon burst suddenly, as if poked by a sharp pin. "What!? How can you say that this isn't this radio?" I couldn't believe it. He must be able to see it, he's got his glasses on, I thought. "How can you say this," I pointed at the radio, "isn't that?" I motioned back to the website. Incredulous couldn't begin to express my dismay.

     "Simple." My mouth--and spirits--dropped as he continued. "I looked at the back of the  radio on the website. The Aetna 550 has two IF transformers. It's a superheterodyne." I picked my mouth up off the floor as he continued. "Yours is a TRF." 

     "Oh."

     "It's still a nice radio. It has the same cabinet as the 550, but it is a different model."

     "Hosers?"

     "No not hosers, it was made that way."

     Thus, this concluded this installment in the radio project. What did I learn? That things are not always what they seem to be. And, if in doubt, ask Russell.

Till next time, when we answer the question- is it possible to sand, refinish, sand, and refinish,. sand....a radio too many times?

Regards,

Sue

phlog's blog


Have you ever been fooled by the apparent appearance of a radio?

     Everything seemed usual around the R BAR S. The first day of spring had arrived. The meadowlark, perched on its favorite highest branch of the huge ponderosa pine, heralded the beginning of the spring equinox in song. A pair of eager bunnies played chase. The fragrant aroma of sweet hyacinths wafted by. Harbingers of new life abounded.

     But, yet another, unexpected example of new life sprung forth. Spilling out of the shop, a fussy sounding AM radio disrupted the peaceful solitude of our tree farm. That's interesting, I thought. Russ normally preferred the sound of the acorn woodpeckers chipping away at the old oaks and the ground squirrels chirping real or imaged dangers.

     I'd stopped by the shop to say hi. As we chatted, Russ kept glancing at the source of the AM signal. Wonder why he keeps looking over there?  I decided to take a look. OH, cool!! My radio project! It worked! I was thrilled beyond belief. I felt proud as a new parent.

     Here's a brief re-cap ( ;) ) of how we (Russ) got it working.

     I proved to be one of the "hosers". When I installed one of the new yellow caps, I put it in to close to one of the pins. Then, when I installed the tube, one of the pins touched it. This caused the filament to overheat and open. (Told yah I can break anything, without trying.)

     Second problem involved the filter capacitors. There were only three legs--the one installed used a common ground. It needed four legs because the ground needed to go to two different places. (Common mistake of novice repairers.) One to the chassis, the other to the power supply negative. By tying the negatives together to the chassis- a loud hum resulted. Russ installed two separate filter capicators, taking the voltage from 28v to 141v, thus reducing the hum and improving the performance. (He found it surprising that it worked at 28v.)

    The third major problem--among various other minor difficulties-- a 1/4 watt, 100 ohm resistor in the return leg of the power supply;  this caused a voltage drop; Russ took it out. 
 A 380 ohm filter choke  already existed in the return line, Whew!

     Needless to say "my" radio would not be working without Russ' assistance. Nor, will I get a job writing technical manuals anytime soon,

     I have now began the final step- the cabinet renovation. Here I am getting down to work.

Till next time....when you find out if I can successfully complete the conversion of "my" ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.

Regards,

Sue.

phlog's blog

      After standing and looking with distain at the radio for a few minutes, we’re onto the next task- filter caps. Filter caps are not a generic item. We searched through a manual, a huge set of big green books, and the Internet, before we found the correct filter caps. Russ determined the radio had one ballast, and four tubes. More math! (YEECH.) Micro-ferrets? Sounded like some kind of itty-bitty, little critter to me. Wrong again. Russ figured we needed one @ 24 (450 volts), and one @10 (450 volts). Oh yeah, polarized.

     Got those installed; had to use the solder sucker to clean out the thrus on a couple. (See, told you I’m learning the jargon.) 

     Final and last step (phew). Install a new line cord (the thing that plugs into the wall). Russ pulled the line cord in half.

   “Are you getting frustrated with me?” He didn’t answer, he merely proceeded.

    “One end goes to the on/off switch, the other to the ballast. Only on an AC/DC radio.”

      I (for real) put the tubes back in, and the tube shields back on. The moment of truth had arrived.  We were ready to plug it in. “Is this the point we could get electrocuted?”

     “Not really. It’s safe. Because if it were really messed up, it’ll blow the circuit breaker.” 

     Now he tells me. 

     He pushes the plug into the outlet. FLASH. “Hosed.” That was it.  Just goes to prove- 
 I don’t have to touch anything to break it; I can just look at it.

     Till next time…when we (Russ) tries to figure out what went wrong. Can we get it working? Find out next time. Till then...


Regards,

Sue
Phlog’s blog

 
      If perfectionists were awarded medals, Russ would have stole the gold.

My hub's talent for fixing things is amazing. In the thirty-plus years we have been wed--I find it unbelievable that only on an extremely rare occasion have I ever been able to break something, he couldn't fix. This is outstanding for one simple reason: I can break almost anything. I don't even need to touch it, I can just look at it. Computers, toasters, microwaves, cars, boats, you name it. I can break it. No brag, just fact. With this knowledge, I'm sure you'll understand why I can recommend his work, If it's broke--if anyone can fix it--he can.

     This is particularly true in the field of electronics. He has dazzled me with his ability to "Breathe New Life Into Old Radios"  many times; that's what inspired our catch phrase. Rarely, does he deem any grande dame beyond hope. A bit of plastic surgery here, a rewound cap there. What sets him apart from nearly all others: He can not only fix the electronics of the old radios (every radio in the Old Radio Museum works because of his efforts); but he can renovate the cabinetry with the eye of an artist.

On this website, we have a Before and After page, It isn't a page that gets many hits, but I would highly recommend clicking on this link. (It's a slide show.)
http://www.russoldradiorepair.com/beforeafter.html
(It's noteworthy: Not only did Russ restore these old radios, he made every one work!)

So......there it is. I wanted everyone to know what an excellent job Russ does. (He wouldn't tell you; he's too shy.) But, I'm not! 

Hope you'll think of Russ' Old Radio Repair the next time you need/or want an old radio repaired, restored or perhaps would like to purchase one. There.

Till next time,

Regards (with a wink),

Best,

Sue
phlog's blog

ps. Too funny, When Russ discovered I blogged about him--told you he was shy-- he came up with an idea for a blog. Isn't that something? Soon to follow, I'll be blogging about an American Beauty--it truly is. Also, something made my day today.. more about that later.    Best, Sue