1948 Bendix 526 AA5 Five Tube AM Radio Tuneup

vintage tube radio repair not full restoration
/ shango066

[@trillian23x]

That's my kind of salvage operation, smashing a plastic box with a digital electronic device inside to retrieve the power cord and a capacitor. 👍 Did I mention that I like making engineers cry.

[@2packs4sure]

It's incredible that the remains of that speaker sound as good as it does..

[@Desert-edDave]

I like the idea of wasting as much of telemarketers time as possible. Let them get under their quota or get paid less for harassing people at home. 👍

[@Mister_Brown]

the only problem with this is you're essentially admitting that your time is worth less than theirs

[@fredfabris7187]

I thought it was the funniest thing I heard all day! Thanks Shango!!!😂

[@agostinodibella9939]

I am surprised she dropped the F bomb!

[@Suddenlyits1960]

Neat radio. Your commentary on motorcycles and the risk involved pretty much sums up my feelings on them as well..Never been into motorcycles and don’t understand the appeal,especially given the immense risk. I bought my DeSoto from a guy who was a Quadriplegic. He told me he decided to buy a motorcycle against his wife’s protests and got hit on the freeway 4 days after owning it and now is wheelchair bound for the rest of his life and has to have a caretaker. I know a woman who’s boyfriend was also killed on the freeway driving one to work. As you said,it’s an entirely voluntary risk for the “enjoyment” of riding something where your entire body is exposed going 70-80mph down the freeway alongside cars and trucks,some weighing several tons,many piloted by idiots distracted by their smartphones.

[@superhet7281]

It’s not Bakelite - it’s Catalin! That’s what makes it so valuable.

[@Holster36]

Loved the Intro. Never saw a Bendix radio.

[@tongzhang5372]

Nothing but the best

[@akshonclip]

Real tomato ketchup Eddie?

[@Suddenlyits1960]

Shango,The outside of your radio once looked like the inside and was green marbled. Catalin unfortunately oxidizes,and is very sensitive to humidity and temperature and darkens. The case also becomes brittle when exposed to heat. You can restore it by using plastic polish.

[@Rayo_Rob_No.17]

Oooh, nice Bendix! This cabinet is technically Catalin, some have polished that up, it’s oxidized, is a beautiful green marble style. Last I saw a restored example, they had a $1500 price tag, and they got it. Great stuff!

[@SteveReevesvlogs]

Yep a $1500 radio todays prices a few years ago maybe up to $2500 to $3000. prices have really dropped.

[@Rayo_Rob_No.17]

@@SteveReevesvlogs they have! And when I first saw that model at a local antique shop, on Melrose, in Hollywood, they had a $4000 sticker on it in the late 1990s

[@BlueSkyScholar]

Looks like they're collectible enough that repro dial scales are available. I have a brown 526B (octal version) no cracks or warping on the case but the dial is roached, so I haven't put much effort into it yet.

[@TheDevice9]

Not as complex as a TV, but I really enjoy watching the Shango method applied to the kind of things I can work on too. I always pick up something useful and am always entertained. Thanks man.

[@frankowalker4662]

I never expected it to work right away. Especially with that leaky cap with the split down the center. Nice.

[@rotaxtwin]

Yeah, you tuned that up really nicely and I was impressed with the sound considering that speaker looked like it had been through the wars and just low level work. It always surprises me how old radios (when AM mattered) can do the sound justice.

[@howardoller443]

AM still matters.

[@chrisrizzo6624]

I just love the disassembly procedures with a claw hammer.

[@PilotInCommand777]

Bendix or Bendix/King were the most common brand for NAV/COM radios in light general aviation airplanes for many years.

[@deepblueskyshine]

In Bulgarian Bendix got the meaning of that mechanism that connects starter motor shaft with engine's flywheel in your car.

[@Antony_Jenner]

And other places as well. 👍👍

[@kd5byb]

Nice radio! The extremely careful disassembly of the coffee maker to get the line cap made me smile and chuckle! I've done similar myself!

[@mindaugasstankus5943]

Looks like took example, with coffee make, from electronics recyclers... ofc, done more recycling (reusing) than industry ever done.

[@kd5byb]

@@mindaugasstankus5943 Agreed! Same here - I like to do my own electronics recycling. :)

[@Ralphs-House]

Bendix also made washing machines, In the early 60s my family was the only one in the street with a gas-powered washing machine - I kid you not.

[@zx8401ztv]

You posh bugger lol :-D

[@zulumax1]

My grandparents house was built in the 1920's. It had an outside wash house for the gas powered Maytag wringer washing machine. You start it with a foot pedal.

[@nathanlewis5682]

​@zulumax1 Shango lives in the older part of Torrance. I imagine he see a lot of antique goodies.

[@RT-qd8yl]

It was neat hearing you mention Bendix Brakes. My dad was a Tool & Die Maker and then worked in Layout & Design at one of their big factories that became Allied Signal.

[@waltergabriel3694]

Just watching you mess with the telemarketer makes my day.

[@wayneheigl5549]

shango i see you found the right tool for the job , fantastic for C.B. work .

[@stevehead365]

A bit of plumbers tape wrapped around the stripped screw might be good enough. Nice radio, not seen in the UK, as a kid, I remember Bendix washing machines and of course the gear on starter motors.

[@billmcdonald2436]

Love the yanking the guts out of a coffee maker to save an antique radio lol

[@DonnyHooterHoot]

Cool! I just got a tube set for my AA5 14X by RCA. Can't wait to pop them in and see if my rework worked.

[@brainndamage]

I like your disassembly methods of cheap consumer garbage like that coffee maker

[@herbertsusmann986]

Yep grandkids, there was a time when cheap low end household goods were made in USA. In fact USA even used to export them all over the world. Not anymore grandkids!

[@tomki6asp]

The sweet sound of tubes

[@seancarroll146]

Surely did not expect to witness a EOL on coffee maker via hammer during this repair video.

[@nickb.8876]

That's a nice radio right there! At last year's SCARS radio auction, one sold for around 6-800$ if memory serves.

[@rustygoldrepairs6555]

An intact Catalin is one heck of a find! Regarding the Mica domino caps, more recently I've found while they may still work, they've usually drifted in value and become lossy. I do live in a humid climate so that may have a lot to do with it. I now test all of them in the radios I do, both for leakage, capacitance, and most importantly D value. Comparing to a new mica cap really makes you realize how bad some of them get. Replacing these aging caps(especially ones used in tuned circuits) really helps performance in a lot of cases. I always enjoy your videos, thank you for the quality edutainment!

[@zulumax1]

What is D value?

[@rustygoldrepairs6555]

@@zulumax1 Dissipation factor, or loss of the capacitor. Most LCR meters will check this. A good mica should be almost zero.

[@zulumax1]

@@rustygoldrepairs6555 Is that the ability of the dielectric to store energy? I have a Heathkit IT-28 LCR bridge and leakage meter. It has what they call power factor loss, which I understand is just a crude measure of series resistance in an electrolytic capacitor. I have an Excelvan M6013 auto-ranging capacitance meter, but it just tests capacitance only. I have two ESR meters, MESR-100 digital meter with alligator clips, and just got the Capacitor Wizard which is much easier to use and quick. The digital one measures lower resistance however, down to 0.001 ohms. Maybe I need a better LCR meter? I was thinking of one with variable frequencies. You can never have too many meters😁

[@rustygoldrepairs6555]

@@zulumax1 Yes, D value and ESR are essentially one in the same, just expressed differently. One is a measure of loss and the other is a measure of resistance which causes this loss. I have an older B&K LCR meter that shows D value instead of ESR. I check micas on the highest frequency, 1khz in my case. If your MESR-100 is good with small value caps then it should work well for these micas. I've found the LCR-T4 to do great with small value caps and its very inexpensive. The important thing is to get an idea for how a good new one tests on your equipment, then compare to the suspect ones. I agree, there is no such thing as too many meters!

[@zulumax1]

@@rustygoldrepairs6555 100kHz is what both ESR meters use. Thanks for the info. No matter how many years I have been in the electronics hobby, I always learn something new that I did not know, with Shango's channel more so. Of course the community here is very helpful in the comments section.

[@cbsolo5628]

Such finesse. Such a light touch on disassembly

[@jimmyday9536]

Nice to see something made in my home town of Baltimore! I recall working on a Bendix B&W TV that had a metal cone CRT. Of course it had gone to air.

[@defaultuserid1559]

Growing up, car mechanics always referred to the "Bendix" not engaging when having starter problems. Catalin cabinets in good shape bring big bucks, so be careful not to crack it - (it's easy to do).

[@Suddenlyits1960]

Those Bendix drive starters like the ones used on the 57-61 Chrysler products are really great starters. Never had a problem with the Bendix drive breaking,but they are super easy to repair if it happens.

[@scratchdog2216]

Been through a similar text fest with the like. Accurate research theirs before and polite response would've been mine. Had a Bendix or three over the years. World of wonders this one.

[@JohnAsquith-ey6ld]

Where are my reparations, I need my reparations! 3 million!

[@danielknepper6884]

We have 800 tears for 800 years

[@KameraShy]

Reps are now up to $5 million. At least in San Fran. Expensive city.

[@redneckways1933]

It is a small small world lol. I made a video on a Bendix radio yesterday that I am trying to bring back to life. Great video Shangoo.

[@JCWise-sf9ww]

Thanks for the tip on Spam calls. Easty typical AA5 tube AM radio repair.

[@vintageradios7790]

Very nice Bendix Catalan radio. I actually have one of these in my antique Radio collection. But what is interesting is the chassis in my Catalan radio uses octal bass tubes 50L6 35Z5, etc yours is a very nice example of a nice clean cabinet although the green mobilisation has oxidized

[@gregoryclemen1870]

the "CATLIN" case radios bring big bucks!!!!!

[@wdavem]

Had a co-worker who's pelvis was crushed in a motor cycle wreck. He was in pain every day for the rest of his life (nerve damage) and is no longer with us now for related reasons. Good man, he was an EMT. I knew him later when he was a statistician.

[@fredfabris7187]

My Schwinn bikes always had the Bendix brakes😎👍

[@fredmeyer1898]

Those scammers are a never-ending source of amusement. I will say either their accents are getting better or they're actually hiring people from North America for their boiler rooms now.

[@1marcelfilms]

One of the best intros yet

[@JerryEricsson]

Bendix used to make the brakes on most bicycles that had coaster brakes instead of hand breaks. They had the sort of lever on the back wheel that had a clamp around the frame to hold the brake in place and it was stamped BENDIX on the lever sort of dealy. Oh and back in the 50's and 60's the spring deal on a starter motor that engaged the flywheel was referred to as the "Bendix" of the starter. Ah for the good old days. Back when a smoke was a smoke and a man was a man, when if you complained of a pain, your buddy told you that you just didn't have enough whiskey that day!

[@MikeF1189]

9 out of 10 general aviation aircraft that fly over your house are carrying a at least one Bendix/King communications radio in it.

[@skuula]

If only one out of five had some sort of exhaust silencing.

[@markmarkofkane8167]

Time is money. If they're going to take up my time trying to sell me something, they need to pay me. Right on! And it's wonderful there is a new video! 👍👍

[@nathanlewis5682]

I love it when I'm talking to women on the phone and they tell me to F myself.

[@john-cm8yn]

I laughed like crazy when the lady said to go screw yourself.

[@hotpuppy1]

Looks like a transition period between regular octal and miniature tubes by the looks of the chassis holes where the sockets are mounted: big holes with small sockets. For the stripped screw on the trimmer, I wonder if you took the screw out, inserted some heavy thread and then put the screw back in if it would be tight enough to hold it.

[@phillanassa759]

Take a piece of small thin metal lead trimmed off a new cap, bend it into a 'L' shape. Put it in the stripped out hole and reinsert the trimmer screw. It will cut threads into the lead as well as the existing threads, allowing you to adjust the screw for peak. Easy Peasie.

[@redneckways1933]

Your video helped me big time. I checked my line voteage cap.and it super super bad. I believe a cap out of a microwave power supply will work fine.

[@mikefinn2101]

Another great Saturday morning video and watching and enjoying Shango. No crape erase commercials Nice scam into I get them all the time. Thanks

[@mullahviking]

That thing being plug and play almost felt like a magic trick.

[@PracticallyFixed]

Want to see what the cab looks like in minty condition? Do a search and pull up the Bendix 526-C on Radio Museum. It also makes it clear to see how the cabinet is assembled in two pieces. Really nice and unusual.

[@waynesharp1690]

Stirling, Lockheed and Bendix I remember in the UK for vehicle brakes.

[@hestheMaster]

I don't know Shango, those new electric unicycles are seemingly far more dangerous to stand on and they go fast! Some can go as fast as 55 Mph and they must wear a helmet but usually don't. Shelf queen fixed the right way, by the Shango method.

[@simonstergaard]

love the intro

[@sgath92]

I too walk around on trash day with a pair of wire cutters to save power cords.

[@One-Crazy-Cat]

I came for the carefully disassembled coffee maker.

[@mikemoyercell]

that radio has a very hot tuner now!

[@batterymakermarkii2654]

Holy crap, thats CATALIN!! Hang onto that set

[@javiermac381]

AA5 Radio never dies! 😁

[@klafong1]

"I don't want a pickle. Just want to ride on my motorsickle."

[@farpointgamingdirect]

When it comes to telemarketers, i generally answer the phone saying, "Its done-but theres blood EVERYWHERE! I'll never get it out of the carpet..." 😂

[@johnnoland4249]

That Bendix radio is not bakelite it's Catalin. If it were in more original condition it would command some serious coin.

[@a.augustin5054]

Oh man, what a hilarious start 😂

[@KC4RAE]

Telemarketers call the radio station all the time. I have to answer the phone when the light comes on. Once in a while, it'll be a listener who wants a song played for them. More often than not, it's a telemarker. I'll answer the phone with the station's branding, but they never hear it because the thing that dials the number doesn't immediately transfer the call. I'll act like it's some contest and once in a while, I'll say they've won a prize (lint in my pocket or some worthless prize). They never call the business line. It's always the listener line. As an aside, we stopped taking requests long ago. People often request songs that don't fit the format or it's a song that we would eventually play anyway. It's not listed in any publically accessible ratings publication, but it does have a good amount of listeners. We discussed the motorcycle thing once years ago. It is a huge risk now, at least around here and we are not anywhere close to the population and traffic density of the LA metro. I think we are the 46th largest metro in the US. Not a lot of people compared to LA. Yet, for the small town I live in, there's several traffic accidents a day. Sometimes two in the same spot in a day.

[@error52]

It's hammer time! Polish that cabinet and I bet the marbling will become much more obvious.

[@TananBaboo]

That scam caller swore, so now you’re demonetized.

[@johnnytacokleinschmidt515]

36:51 You're going for "Basic Driveability." 😆 Cool old radio hums sings and talks. 38:50 I dislike the backwards functioning tuning knob. Probably have to reverse the winding of the tuning string on the tuning knob shaft.

[@audubon5425]

Bendix is a family name - they came here from southern Denmark in the 1840s.

[@shango066]

Yes but I know a c Flex Vina limo by beanie niebler

[@prebenjaeger]

Er Bendix ikke et fornavn og så Bendixen efternavn? EDIT: Not sure why I wrote in danish to ya.

[@audubon5425]

@@prebenjaeger it was Bendixen initially - they shortened it 10-20 years after they settled in New Orleans

[@UHF43]

🎵 Powercord came to me... he said I'm all you need 🎶

[@earlblakley4910]

They were good radios. A lot of them are still running with not much done to them over the years. I have the cabinet type radio that I need to go through.

[@billgueltig6136]

There was a catalin version -green marbled /black”onyx”. Perhaps the most common catalin radio but still a nice radio to own..

[@billgueltig6136]

That speaker has spoken

[@mohinderkaur6671]

Haha! poor Coffee maker! The push buttons and the beeper and relays are resuable as is the pump.

[@ricardosalesdemello4130]

Ohhh hallo friend shango Good night

[@ricardosalesdemello4130]

Ohh Hello shango good night my friend

[@ShadowsOnTheScreen]

Thank you for making us this video!

[@connorm955]

Good intro.

[@JacGoudsmit]

I still think you should ask the scammers for help on whatever project you're working on. Is this Quentin? No this is Shango and I'm trying to reach Apple customer support on this 1946 Bendix All American 5 radio.

[@nathanlewis5682]

If someone calls trying to sell 12:10 extended warranty for your car, ask them if they sell warranty for a 1927 Dusenberg Model X

[@prebenjaeger]

0:41 Thats one of the angriest "excuse me?"' I've heard.

[@a587g]

Definitely a catalin set, though one of the more common ones despite still being desirable and collectable. Can be polished to have the original green color though that takes a lot of work and easy to mess it up! Green catalin fades to brown, white fades to yellow/orange, blue also fades to brown. I've got the same set with octal tubes, yours must've been right at the end of the production where they switched to miniature. Interesting it uses a 50B5, not many used that tube before they came out with the 50C5. I believe it was something to do with the initial reliability of it... And the pinouts are different and very much NOT compatible!

[@wayneheigl5549]

shango you should have sold her some DECK La TAY cream because her chest was very wrinkled. instead of asking for a refund . after what she told you to do i don't think you are getting your refund .

[@thomashowe855]

12:08 here its always a tractor trailer in mass

[@enginecrzy]

Have a 2spd Bendix kickback hub on my 63 Schwinn typhoon 😛

[@trevorhaddox6884]

I wonder if they are often out of alighnment since they often have bodges. If the people at the shop tried to do an alignment, they would have likely used a cheap signal gen that itself was out of alignment, since a little mom and pop local radio repairman would not have had a frequency meter to check their own equipment. EDIT: The stripped tuning screw supports my theory. They charged the customer for a "tune up" and while they may have gotten it working by changing bad caps, they gave the IF a screw up.

[@nmccw3245]

As a private pilot I’m very familiar with Bendix Magnetos.

[@joekaplowitz2719]

Wow, telemarketer was havin' a bad day

[@linuspoindexter106]

20:22 Claw hammer for the win! A much underutilized tool on the repair bench.

[@chetpomeroy1399]

That receiver likely originally had war-surplus parts in it. AA5's in good working order are *excellent* AM radios -- just don't play them anywhere near the kitchen or bathroom -- or by the pool. You'd likely get an unpleasant surprise.

[@stephenmusch56]

Nice!!! 2 for 1 video!!! Radio repair and coffee maker EOL.😂

[@rocket625]

some guy on twitter wanted to pay off my credit cards. all he needed was the number and exp date.

[@edwardallan197]

The one IF slug looked like it was touching the can.

[@teacfan1080]

Like it! Great performer.

[@andygozzo72]

that 470k going that high in theory wont make any difference, but output valves/tubes are more prone to developing grid current after many years use than lower power valves and higher the grid resistance, more it will show up, and faster ! it's a big problem in 240v ish ht/b+ sets as more prevalent due to higher ht pulling more electrons and faster, UL84s and UCL82 very notorious for it!

[@bountyhunter4885]

I would never answer numbers I don't recognize, but she was SO vulgar.

[@atrainradio929]

Guy who originally repaired this was singlehandedly keeping Cornell Dublier in business

[@overbuiltautomotive1299]

Love it intro great

[@BlueSkyScholar]

The chassis is punched for octal tubes... wonder if they used it for more than 1 model :) EDIT, Thanks a lot I just spent the evening getting my 526B up and running, had a obviously bad 35Z5, the speaker is frozen have to work out some mounting for a new one and the transformer. The radio its self dead because of an open 220K plate resistor to the 12SQ7.

[@bro.weaver1282]

Shango, can you show us how to do a dial cord right?

[@monkeyboy4746]

The carnage! Put LEDs inside the case to impress the burglars.