My shop bench radio just died......

[electra225]

......so I need to go upstairs and dig around for a 6SA7 tube. I may not be seen for a week. I dread the thought.

Hallicrafters SX-110. It got progressively weaker. I tinkered, it got worse. It has all the original tubes. The converter tube tests almost dead. If I lower the filament voltage to 5 volts, it tests totally dead. I know testing converter tubes is risky business, but when they test totally dead, there may be a problem. I at least need to try a different tube.

[TC Chris]

Aren't converters notorious for being finicky? They might test good and not work, or test bad and work just fine. Even if you had to buy one, a 6SA7 is useful to have on hand.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I HAVE some upstairs. FINDING it will be the chore. Nothing upstairs is close to being organized, just shoved up there and milled back for room. I have no idea where to find one. I'm looking in the radios I have to see if I can borrow one temporarily for test......

[TC Chris]

The easiest way to locate your stored one is to buy another one. Within an hour after placing the order you will find a 6SA7 staring you in the face upstairs.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

[Firedome]

I've chucked out many over the years but at least metal ones are cheap:$ 5 - $10, and work just as well.
If nothing else this gives you a chance to go up there when it's cooler out, can't imagine what it's like in August!
If pleasant enough there it also gives you a chance to organize!

[electra225]

ORGANIZE? ME? Surely you jest. My brother can organize a train wreck. My organization looks like a train wreck. I always hunt and cuss. I'll find one.

[electra225]

The little Regal N-47 console radio I have is populated with a 6SA7 tube. I robbed it and put it into the Hallicrafters. That got it to working again, but it still doesn't work like it should. Something else is wrong. I put the Hallicrafters 6SA7 into the Regal and it worked, but not very well. Weak on the lower end of the dial, with more hash and noise in the audio. The Hallicrafters is also weaker on the lower end of the dial, but better than it was.

[TC Chris]

Maybe the bench radio wants a NEW 6SA7??

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

I always said that my daughter-in-law, who takes the concept of anal-retentive-compulsive to a whole new dimension, could organize a landfill! ...believe me I think she could! Hey, my mantra is as long as you can find what you want, why bother! lol

[electra225]

I promised myself I'd be neater when the new shop got built. And I am, just not as neat as I should be. I tend to be a "piler". If you remove it from the pile, it's lost. At least now, I toss used components in the trash can, not to the back of the bench. Believe me, that's progress.

How big of a pain is it to do an alignment on a boat anchor? The alignment instructions for the SX-110 are different than I 'm used to seeing.

[Dr. Radio]

Wow, your "shop" radio is an SX-110?!

I just jury rigged a Delco am/fm/cassette unit from a 2001? Pontiac on mine.

For those following along at home:

http://www.njarc.org/manuals/Hallicraft ... ctions.pdf

[electra225]

The SX-110 followed me home from an auction in a bunch of other stuff I bid on. In rather sad condition, it was when I got it. The saving grace was that it semi-sorta worked and had the R-47 external speaker with it. "The bird poop boat anchor" is what I called it. I'm really not a boat anchor fan, and am not terribly impressed with this radio. I have regular old broadcast receivers that are more sensitive. It has a metal cabinet and I can't hurt it, so it is my bench radio. Now it is ailing and my next step that I need to consider is alignment. I have a copy of the factory manual for it, so that's a good thing. Instruction #4 says to adjust the generator to the "crystal frequency", then, on down in further steps is doesn't give where to set the generator. Like I am already supposed to know. I may need help deciphering the instructions. The drawing gives two 6SK7 IF amp tubes, the radio has a 6SG7 and a 6SK7 for IF amp tubes. The parts list says this is correct. Which one do I believe? I need to look up the tube specs and see what the differences are. This radio should be better than it is. I'd like to see if I can help it.

The link you provided shows the manual I have for it. Thanks, Doc.

Let me send you a '55 Buick radio. That may be one of the best broadcast band receivers ever built. I have a couple dozen on hand. Don't ask......

[TC Chris]

Let me send you a '55 Buick radio. That may be one of the best broadcast band receivers ever built. I have a couple dozen on hand. Don't ask......

When did Buick go from 6V to 12V? I've got a Buick radio that is 6V, going from frail memory. And the one from the '57, which is definitely 12V.

Chris Campbell

[Dr. Radio]

Let me send you a '55 Buick radio. That may be one of the best broadcast band receivers ever built. I have a couple dozen on hand. Don't ask......

When did Buick go from 6V to 12V? I've got a Buick radio that is 6V, going from frail memory. And the one from the '57, which is definitely 12V.

Chris Campbell

Chris,

All GM divisions went to 12 volts by the fall of 1954 (new for the 1955 model year). Some divisions made the switch to 12 volts earlier (Oldsmobile and Cadillac come to mind). As far as Buick---well, let's see what Mr. Electra has to say.

And I wouldn't mind a '55 Buick radio.

[electra225]

1953 V-8 models. The 1953 Straight 8 (Special series) jobs were six volt. The new-for-1953 "Fireball" V-8 was 12 volt. The radios were identical with the exception of the tubes. The 1954-'55 radios were identical with the exception of the dial pointer and the knobs. Those were arguably THE best broadcast band receivers ever built. Rugged and reliable to a fault. Great sound from a 6X9 speaker with P-P audio output. 6V6 in the 6-volt jobs, 12V6 in the 12-volt sets. The older 6-volt sets had 8" speakers.

The '57 Buick radios had the output tubes hanging upside down. They would get hot, lose their grip with the sockets, and fall down to the floor of the car. Grandpa told the story one time about a guy out with another man's wife when the tubes in his '57 Buick radio fell out on her new nylons.