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In March, I updated our venerable article about the
Li'l 7, a one-tube AM transmitter that
you can use to broadcast programming from a CD player or iPod to your
antique radios. Fellow collector Volker, from Italy, shared photos of his
unique version of the project, built with "old school" techniques
on a wooden breadboard. He also provided the schematic translated into
German and Italian.
February brought an exciting new construction article:
Building a Tube-Powered Theremin, by
guest author Craig Hanson. In this article, Craig describes in detail how
he built a Theremin following the plans originally published in the
July, 1961 issue of
Electronics Illustrated.
In January, 2013, I built an
audio/video adapter for
my recently restored Admiral 24C15 TV. I added another article about
building a video adapter for my
RCA CT-100
color television.
In December, 2012, I finished the lengthy restoration of an
Admiral 24C15 console
TV. The project took many hours because the TV was in rough shape
when I got it. I also added a Westinghouse
H-126 "refrigerator" radio to the Bakelites gallery.
In September I revived an interesting wards (Toshiba) SelectaVision
CED video player
that I had found in my Dad's basement, along with a bunch of
SelectaVision movies.
In August, I disposed of several items at the Seattle swap meet and came
home with a delightful little Admiral 19A12
tabletop television, which I promptly restored.
In July, 2012, I wrote a new article, First
Steps In Restoration, to cover some additional frequently asked questions.
I also refinished the cabinet on my Philco 49-1240
television, whose electronics I had restored several months earlier.
In June, I restored a Philco Predicta TV,
a model H3412L "Siesta" that I had seen in another collection 14 years
ago.
In late April, after years of procrastination, I finished my
Radio Lamp Company of America
set, a 1930s radio housed in a beautiful brass lamp, plus
my Pilot TV-37
television. Yes, that's the TV with the tiny three-inch picture tube.
After a time-out for cabinet refinishing, I finished my
RCA 721TCS television
project in early April. The wait was definitely worth it!
Also in April, in response to popular demand, I added an article describing how to
make a simple
iPod adaptor for the Phono jack of your antique radio.
Simply plug it in, and your vintage radio can play anything from your iPod,
with great audio quality.
I also added brief articles about my
5AXP4
and 8XP4 test picture tubes. These
handy little items speed TV restoration by subbing for the
TV's big CRT when the chassis is on the workbench.
In March, 2012, I restored an interesting 14-tube
Stewart Warner 1865 console
with motorized tuning.
January and February were cleanup months, a time to complete some long-delayed
projects. I restored a
Mitchell Lumitone lamp radio,
a Solar CB-1-60 capacitor analyzer,
and a cute green Olympic 441 tabletop radio.
I also wrote brief articles about my
Panasonic TR-1030P handheld TV
and HP 200CD audio generator.
After the 2011/2012 holiday break, I got busy and restored a new television,
the unique 1949 Philco 49-1240
"Consolette." I also acquired a rare early color set,
an RCA TM-10 broadcast studio monitor using the same 15GP22 picture tube
as my RCA CT-100 TV. That
will be a long-term project, but I should be publishing a brief
article with initial photos soon.
Around Thanksgiving, 2011, I finished an article about my new
Clavioline,
an early electronic keyboard instrument. That project inspired me
to update my article about the Hammond Solovox,
a similar 1940s instrument.
Also in November, 2011, I picked up a KLH Model Eight
monophonic FM radio. This is the earlier, tube version of the
KLH Model Twenty One and I have
been seeking one for a long time.
In September, 2011, I restored a 1961 Sony 8-301W,
an early transistor TV that I had bought about a year earlier.
My 2011 summer projects included a rarely-seen 10-inch console television, the 1948
Capehart-Farnsworth 661-P.
Still a work in progress is an earlier 10-inch console,
the RCA 721TCS; watch for
updates to that article after the cabinet is refinished.
A prized addition to the radio gallery is my new 1939 Emerson
"Snow White" Model Q236,
with molded figures of Snow White and the seven dwarfs painted in cheery colors.
I acquired several other radios over the summer as well, including some
Bakelite sets and an exciting Sonora Globe. I hope to finish those
restorations and accompanying articles during the next couple of months.
In May, 2011, a groovy JVC 3100R Video Capsule
joined my TV stable. After very little work, it plays like a charm. Two new European radios
are the Telefunken Jubilee and an
Arako Ingrid from Denmark.
During March and April, 2011, I updated my
Zenith 12-S-471 article with new photos
and installed a part that's been sitting in my desk drawer for 10 years.
I also added a articles about my new color television
display banners and
HP millammeter.
February 2011 was a busy month, with two new additions to my TV gallery.
The 1958 Philco Miss America console
was a 2011 Valentine's Day gift for my wife. My
RCA CTC-7 color set has been brought
to life, but it needs a few more tweaks.
My last TV project before that was a 1950 DuMont RA-113.
Still waiting for attention (and an article) is a cute Admiral 24C15.
During the 2010/2011 holiday season, I added new articles about test instruments: my RCA
WV-97A Senior VoltOhmyst,
a battery powered Western Electric
D-166852 multimeter, a
White Electrical ohmmeter from London, and an
EICO 950B capacitor tester.
The queen of my collection remains the
color RCA CT-100 Television
from 1954. As the first color set to sell in meaningful numbers,
it holds an interesting place in TV history, so I wrote a companion article
on CT-100 Electronic Design.
I delayed the refinishing work for a long time, but finally got
refurbished cabinets for my
RCA CTC-11, a
color roundie, and the black and white
DuMont RA-103.
Now that analog TV is dead, I've had fun scooping up
bargain-priced handheld televisions. Recent finds include a
Panasonic Travelvision,
Sony Watchman,
Epson Elf, and
Sony FDL-22.
The last two are color LCD sets.
Another article describes how I set up a home TV transmitter
to broadcast analog television throughout our house. A related page mentions
my TV field strength meter.
My Stromberg-Carlson 440M console
had been sitting in our entryway for years until I got around
to writing it up. Other new articles describe my
KLH Twenty One FM tabletop,
JVC Nivico early transistor,
and Stewart-Warner 102-A
cathedral.
For communications fans, I added an article with instructions for
building a replica Hallicrafters
R-12 Console Speaker.
Another major radio project was a
Zenith 12-A-58 console,
which some folks call the "Baby Stratosphere."
Another unusual radio is the 1936 Philco 444,
or English "People's set."
Other recent TV projects include my second color roundie,
the RCA CTC-11H, and
an RCA T-100 tabletop.
Don't miss the Literature area,
where I have added Radio Craft articles from
1935 and
1936 and
a 1936 piece on a modified Theremin known as the
Terpsitone. Also new are
several Short Wave Craft issues from 1933-1937,
two 1954 QST magazines, and a unique 1958 issue
of the UK publication Practical Television.
Some more notable restorations include a
1946 RCA 630TS television,
Midwest DD-18 Art Deco console radio,
1948 National TV-7W television,
and the mammoth Scott TV/radio/phono console.
Other newcomers to the gallery include
a 1957 Motorola 66T1 transistor,
a 1948 Pilot TV-37 television,
a Precision 10-12 tube tester,
a 1948 Hallicrafters T-54 TV,
some Miniature Radio/TV Replicas,
and two German propaganda radios: a Kleinempfänger
DKE 38 and a Volksempfänger
VE 301 Dyn from 1938.
If you're looking for a few more highlights, check these out:
a 1941 Trophy Baseball radio,
a rare Emerson "Snow White" Disney figural radio,
a FADA 1000 Catalin jewel,
and a red Tesla 308U Talisman.
Stay tuned!
Phil Nelson
©1995-2013 Philip I. Nelson, all rights reserved
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