Classic Hifi Care

OK, I couldn't help it... this was close by and the guy was willing to deal... I certainly didn't pay for what he wanted , so I patiently waited for him to cave in... I still have to pick it up, but who can inform me on a model # , it looks early 60's by the look of the radio and changer ... and of course the speakers are long gone , that is how I got him down on the price ....my first table top RCA console.... I didn't even know RCA made units like this...http://www.facebook.com/share/1APHWaMvYh/

Reminds me of the GE model that could either sit on a stand or mount on the wall.

Bill

I went and picked it up, is a model VFT-39W...here is one off of ARC..https://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=340137

Are you going to build speakers for it?

Bill

I will have to...trying to find out what it had originally , but the model , the chassis# 's etc, bring up nothing on Sam's photofact , it has single ended 6BQ5 outputs , it appears the tubes are new, found old ones in the back with bad written on them ... this seems to be pretty much a virgin , no one has messed around In it except a note from the last service guy apologizing that it took so long to get it back to the owner ... seems he could not cough up a schematic for it either... here are a couple shots of the back, and as a bonus it still has the 45 adapter with it...

searching for a schematic ... so far nothing under the model#, and the chassis numbers also give zero results?....no wonder the last guy took so long ....

Do I count 9 tubes in the tuner? Is that just a power supply on the left or are the tubes hidden there someplace?

Bill

There is a VFT-29 chassis # RS-212A.

What is your chassis number ? You didn't post it.

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rca_vft29 ... 212ar.html

I finally found a Sams that is pretty close by one of the numbers stamped on the amp chassis, it is in Sam's 749-8, not exact match but close enough , it says the tuner should be a RC-1215D/E , I have not found anything but a serial number on the tuner chassis , so I guess I have to take Sam's word for it . It is a 1964 model which was the last year before the switch over to transistor sets , I hooked some old Panasonic floor speakers up and fired it up , the FM is kinda weak, but AM is loud and has good ears , there was still a needle on the arm so I threw a old record on , and I was amazed when I pushed the switch , and it cycled flawlessly just like it was never used , no bad idler here ...I played both 33 and 45 , but then I noticed the right channel was dead, looked in the back and one of the 6BQ5 was not lit ... I tapped it... and killed it, as it gave a bright flash and never lit again, so for the heck of it I took one the tubes marked "bad" that were laying in the bottom of the set and plugged one in , it lit and the right channel came to life. the cabinet is in pretty good shape, a couple nicks on the top edge is all. One of my better buys for sure . Wish I could find some literature on them, I bet they offered a stand of some type for these as this one has the metal cleats to accept some type of rail on the back , or hang on a wall .

RCA Danny found it, I guess this was a limited distribution model... and no real literature is available , I just wonder how limited of a production these were... everyone thinks it is a home made unit....

I finished the speakers for it, I Made them to what the Sam's says was on this model , 1- 6x9 woofer, and 2- 3 1/2 tweets on each side, does not sound too bad , the cabinets will rattle on deep bass though...I don't even try to match the 60 year old finish anymore, I just pick a stain to whatever looks the closest ..

The look good, Elton, nice work. Maybe a little reinforcing on the speakers cabinets to stop the rattles??

Bill

only speaker that rattled was the right speaker... I reversed the leads and now plays great ... apparently all the speakers in one cabinet in phase will cause an oscillation