All American Five Tube Radio Resurrection AirCastle model 5050

One of the most sensitive mini 5 tube AM radios, most likely due to the antenna. nehaaaaaaaaaaa

[@hmbpnz]

That KMart reel to reel background...unbelievable...I am in complete love with your videos. I describe you to my friends as having a savant-level ability to diagnose and restore radios and TVs that anyone in their right mind would just write off as destroyed obsolete junk. "He pulls TVs out of the mud in the desert, and right before your eyes, he's tweaking the set, and suddenly there's a beautiful color picture." "He takes a radio, turns it on, watches where the smoke comes out, and before you know it you're scanning the Los Angeles AM broadcast band." I watch every minute of your videos with complete rapt attention. Thank you for doing this.

[@michaelkyrie6836]

I know Im kinda randomly asking but do anybody know of a good place to stream new movies online ?

[@andymouse]

Yeah, he's good.

[@rdsledge]

I love your sense of humor! One of the best part of your humor is you never know when it will strike!

[@LyonsArcade]

Going to need Humpty Dumpty to help put that 50b5 back in there

[@dictare]

I remember when Kmart had a huge reel to reel behind the counter. They also had a popcorn machine.

[@wrnchhead76]

And pretzels with cheese sauce, I still remember the taste!

[@billgueltig6136]

The popcorn idea they borrowed from sears . The popcorn aroma was the hallmark of sears back in the day

[@cardboardboxification]

@@billgueltig6136 sears should have been amazon.... too bad the CEO's are goofs

[@JerryEricsson]

That little radio had an air of cheap about it, but it also had something we used to call "class" about it as well. Very well thought out, nicely designed, and built with a minimal of parts. Sort or reminds me of something put together when supplies were hard to come by, perhaps the days of rationing during the second world war.

[@tonyblackmon6356]

I love old radios. I grew up with a ham operator and he showed me things that, at the time, I thought were impossible. You and Radiotvphononut are amazing at working on old radios and tv's. I really enjoy watching.

[@JerryEricsson]

You know I watched this video earlier, that Firestone Radio looked so familiar, and it got me to thinking. When I began my police career, we used to stop by this gas station every morning and enjoy a free cup of coffee with the owner, a fellow named Cliff, he sold TEXACO products and fuel. Well in his shop area where he had the lift to put cars on and change the oil, on a shelf was a radio exactly like that. I recall asking Cliff about that radio, he said that because he sold Firestone Tires, which he always did, Firestone gave him that radio back in the 1950's shortly after he purchased the gas station. I though it interesting, what tire companies would do to keep their sales people happy.

[@DavidRLocke]

You mentioned shorting whiskers in tubes. I was servicing an early GE Porta-Color back in the '80s. Picture rolling vertically and horizontally (complete sync failure) was the complaint. It would start up and work fine, then after about 3 minutes it would start spinning and rolling. I traced the culprit down as a grid to cathode short in a triode of a duodecar compactron that was not available at any price. The customer was anxious to have his set back. I got my mad up, went out to my car, popped the hood and grabbed the battery and brought it to my bench. I hooked up leads from the battery to the appropriate terminals--save the last connection, and turned on the TV and waited. When the sync broke loose I applied -12V to the grid, burning off the short. The set worked fine for years after that.

[@adid.5585]

Even though these old radios are AM only, since it's still so widely used in the Americas, it's just as good as the FM. If you can get over the sound quality, you pick up just as much stations as you would on the FM, if not more in specific areas. That's a lot compared to Europe, where you pick up an average of 3-4 stations on Medum Wave, one single national coverage station on Long Wave and the rest is all FM... or VHF as they used to call it in the 70s. :)

[@RODALCO2007]

As usual a very interesting video. Love your tube tap and smash. mind you it was faulty anyway. Awesome K mart audio. Defect in the glass ( Priceless ! ) The external 15000 uF filtercap is brilliant.

[@claudiosalvatore754]

NIce job! Always love to see old machines come "back to live" again. Try that on a smartphone after 50 years...

[@Elfnetdesigns]

+Claudio Salvatore in 50 years people may actually have the tools and knowledge to revive a smartphone.. People have the tools and knowledge to restore and rebuild on computers and even old "Brick" cell phones and people said the same thing about those devices back then..

[@claudiosalvatore754]

That's true, for sure! But personally i like the old tube radio's better, but that's another issue:-)) What i ment to say was that the old stuff was made to less (langer) and today's manufacturing is only about consuming and keep on buying the newest stuff and throw the "old" telephone (or whatever) away

[@shermanikk]

LOL when you smashed the 50B5 I bust out laughing. That was too perfect. It definitely had a “defect” in the glass when you were done with it hahaha

[@douro20]

Some of those "near" AA5 radios can be surprising. I have a GE model 401 which uses a 12SA7 pentagrid converter, and for some reason someone had extended the antenna around the back of the case; I found that this was unnecessary because after a new tube and a recapping job I found that it had exceptional sensitivity.

[@Andrewausfa]

Pride of place on your mantelpiece. Excellent video as always.

[@MrComputerfan]

Love the Music in the Background while the Tube testing :-)

[@sextonmallard3325]

What an awesome little radio. In some ways leaving the case unrestored makes it even more appealing.

[@craignehring]

A most impressive radio, I wouldn't have thought it could be so sensitive. Thanks for your videos

[@zulumax1]

9:00 LMAO crack, crack, crunch.... Well, that took care of that......

[@sevilleandcoarthouse2960]

Shango goes to the store "Yeah, I need some more sinful color yellow nail polish" Cashier looks at him "You also want to get a makeup foundation kit in 50 different shades of natural nudes?"

[@craigadam]

I love his accent, he could read a menu and make it sound sarcastic.

[@wadehicks9270]

I know it's not reel to reel but I have an old school Sony cassette/radio in my old school Ford pickup. The radio is actually one of Sony's very best it's their Mobile ES line they came out with in the 90's it's a model XR-C900 it's got a motorized fold down detachable face plate Ive got it connected to a Sony Mobile ES XDP-210EQ/DSP. I've got all that feeding all old school American Made Zed Audio car amplifiers. Autotek 7050 and a series 7 and series 8 Hifonics Pluto's and a RōDEK RA-250. That setup sounds better than anything you'll hear today. Nothing like old school.

[@javierbiaggi3072]

This is a new art form and you are a master! Thanks for all you did for that little humble radio. I just think of the service the rendered and the treatment it received. Its banged up but it is a proof of the resiliency of the later engineering vs the culture of waste we are into. Those companies progress without compromising quality and durability. That was that made American industry great until they went into the cheapabilty spiral.

[@MaximumJoy]

the juxtaposition of you working away on your own with k mart music on reminds me of buffalo bill in silence of the lambs ;)

[@wrecksandtech]

I suspect the holes in the speaker are from a bb gun

[@filter4now]

Your No-Name is a "TravLer 5050", I restored one, and have the schematic if you want it

[@dree6212]

A very clear sound from that old radio its amaze me .

[@117025]

The song after the K Mart commercial is What kind of fool am I? by the Bossa Nova Pops. I have that on the record.

[@Yldcatz]

That K Mart bit was golden.

[@Pyridox]

Sensitive little radio. 90% better after resurrecting.

[@jamesmdeluca]

Greetings: Changes from 50b5 to 50c5: Swap wiring from pin 1 & pin 2, Swap wiring from pin 5 & pin 7. You are done!

[@dallasdorrington7449]

Love the video's you do, absolutely awesome. The 50B5 tube has shorts (9.03 minutes) smack it against the table and yeah it has glass defects now. Funny as hell I laughed my head off. As other have said before, great video's you always upload and the Kmart music is way better than the choppers and small aircraft in the background. Keep up the great video's shango066.

[@MrUbiquitousTech]

Nicely done! You're right, that tube did have a defect in the glass! ;)

[@AudioMobil]

Nice little radio, seems to be a rare one too. Google only came up with photos of two other AirCastle 5050. I wish I knew more about this obsolete technology. I love old radios and have quite a lot, but repairing or even resurrecting them is something I'm not much into...but I think I already learned a lot from your videos! Thanks!

[@johnnytacokleinschmidt515]

Take your worst one and get started. You can do it...

[@garydunn3037]

I am from the UK and was employed as a trainee tv engineer back in the early 70's. What amazes me is where you Americans get your replacement tubes for these old sets. Since the invention of the transistor, those old tubes must now be virtuallynon existent. And to take apart a modern tv with IC chips and very small components, I just can't see what you could salvageto get those old radios working again.

[@Wiresgalore]

A lot of the newer electrolytics are a quarter of the size of the original cans in these old radios for the same capacitence value. Plus you can find a pretty good selection of disk and film caps, resistors, diodes, etc from old CRT TV sets. Most TVs used thru-hole components, despite the brains of the operation being just a couple ICs as you stated

[@garydunn3037]

You have some serious gadgets there for checking old tubes. Yet, when I was a trainee engineer here in the UK, we didn't have such equipment as far as I can remember back in the early 70's. Where on earth do you get replacement tubes for these pre-transistor sets from? Even here in the UK, those things were being phased out back then, and replaced by Transistors and IC (Integrated Circuit Chips) OK, I realize that the components have become smaller, but to me almost not recognizable anymore.

[@josephbeasley5193]

lots of old TV shops and warehouses that may have closed up at some point have new old stock tubes and you can still buy new tubes. you can order them online and some people make them at-home .

[@josephbeasley5193]

I believe if you have a vacuum sealer and the proper tools, you can rebuild dead tubes and even construct new plates/ filaments in them

[@KennethScharf]

50B5 was discontinued because it wasn't UL approved. Really, the base connections could cause a shock hazard or so i've been told. Don't you have ANY new parts. Always seem to cannibalize old TV's for capacitors. Was waiting for you to bridge the dead rectifier with a diode and leave the heater in place if you didn't have another tube! Wow with that .015F cap in there, you must have had pure dc! IF alignment reminds me of a radio my grandfather tried to fix by tightening all the loose screws! OMG a CLASSICAL station on AM! You guys are SO LUCKY!!!!

[@douro20]

+Kenneth Scharf There are still quite a lot of used and NOS 50B5s out there, though. I've heard the reason they went to the 50C5 is to prevent damage to the radio if the 35W4 is accidentally switched with it...a bit of a stupid reason for UL to delist radios using that tube...

[@JerryEricsson]

Is it just my hearing aide amps and decoder or can everyone hear the "buy buy buy" very low voice in the background of that music?

[@adrianames8590]

Interesting video. One of the other posters comments is very tru. Shango is like school. I learn something from each video. I resurrect a few old tube radios myself. Loved your 1936 zenith video! i look forward to your next episode.

[@MrHarveyluke]

The radio in the tan box was a war-time radio built as a cheap means for servicemen to be able to hear news and entertainment. It was marketed to parents to buy and send to their boys overseas. I saw a great video on this from one of the prominent radio restorers on here, maybe Mr.CarlsonsLab that gave details.

[@charlesmurphy1510]

it would have to be 220 volts.

[@TheFunkman]

You always remind me of my old friend **** Graf. You may know him. He had a car radio shop in Hollywood back in the 70's. I wish I had that signal generator. Great video as usual!

[@dklucas1]

Excellent job restoring that radio

[@sciencetestsubject]

Almost looks like someone did target practice with a bb gun on that speaker.

[@hannonm]

+Erik Bruijn same thing i was thinking

[@filter4now]

Basically the same thing, a 5050. 50B5 is a "Beam Power Tube" and runs the hottest in mine, it basically is the audio amp. I restored the speaker with rubber cement, it was ripped on the edges but works great. That big f***** capacitor is a combo 20uF / 40uF 150v electrolytic I replaced with 2 singles. Replaced all the sockets too, and aligned IF, osc and ant it's still a bit off, and doesn't get as good of a signal as my solid state, but works

[@jasonthejawman5442]

The Spanish radio stations is awesome great Job... I find your channel very educational and the way you teach is awesome

[@herbertsusmann986]

Nice resto. I like your style: "Gitter Done!" Those AA5 radios with the air core antenna loops are very sensitive. I wonder why they would have bothered making two tubes, 50B5 and 50C5 with only difference being the pinout? Makes no sense to me.

[@andymouse]

He did the Mash, he did the monster mash - Screaming Lord Such (MP)

[@johnbrown92]

Anyone else thinking Fallout when watching this? Lol love your vids thank you.

[@robot797]

HAHAHA glass defect

[@filter4now]

Did you get pissed at that Funai TV and take a sledgehammer to the CRT? There were a ton of (all solid state) CRTs left behind my apartment when I was younger. We'd go "bowling" with rocks. Man, the implosion from the 1977 Sanyo set off all the car alarms in the complex

[@daylightbigboy]

Defect in the glass, LOL! I love your videos, plug it in and turn it on; what could happen!? Keep up the good work.

[@emorris272]

a defect in the glass...haha

[@justsumguy2u]

AA5 radio....now you're speaking my language, great vid. There's a good chance that your radio is late 40's Arvin, although alot of companies rebranded Arvin sets with their own logo. The speaker is fine....all it needs is some Elmer's glue to fill those holes, and it will be as good as new. The plastic caps are not original, that would've had all paper. The one thing that amazed me about this vid is that you came across a weak 35W4---I've restored well over 200 (probably closer to 300), and I've never seen one be weak, only shorted. No surprise that the 50B5 was shorted, though. I hope you do a follow-up vid on this, because that one is definitely worth restoring. Oh, and I agree with your assessment on the Firestone; those slug-tuned IF's are probably shot.

[@marilynblessed1]

wow impressive it had picked up a good few Spanish stations my radio can't pick up.

[@robinsattahip2376]

So did the tube tester or that 50b5 come from K-mart?

[@billgueltig6136]

If you install a 50c5 wheee a 50b5 belongs, you will experience a rather dramatic short. If you look at the pinout on the 50b5, it contains at least one shunt. That set was made for spiegals by either Travler or John Meck from the cabinet design . Meck made several sets with a true “hot chassis “. Have fun.

[@markmarkofkane8167]

I just bought a Funai Blu Ray player in 2014. Lol.Btw, I really enjoy your videos!!!☺

[@helioshaul3924]

Great Video. That receiver is a great performer, keep it.

[@bemorewantless]

So many Korean stations. Great resurrection :)

[@johnschroeder6288]

By the sound of it, you must live next to the Cucamonga International Airport. LOL

[@floogulinc]

The camera you're using looks really good, and the 60 fps too!

[@buddylight2191]

The Firestone looks like an old car radio. Listening to too much of that K Mart music would make people want to jump off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

[@countryside8122]

The Firestone radio looks like a 1940 car radio in a plastic case.

[@theretrogeek2281]

Really enjoy watching all your videos,did you by any chance Id this radio? Thanks

[@mainwire254]

And more to come later. a great video.

[@gns423]

I did not know Firestone Tire & Rubber made electronics. Being from Akron, Ohio, I should know that. My mom had an AM radio/78 rpm record player made by B.F. Goodrich, so I guess it stands to reason that Firestone would've made them also. Goodyear probably did too. Love the Kmart tape too. I kinda miss the old background music in stores. These days, they just play the crappy Top 40 stuff.

[@michaeld8975]

I agree about the 70's music, it always helped out when you were shopping in the automotive department and started 'crop dusting'. I swear I still believe to this day that I invented 'turbo shopping' for the little ole' blue haired ladies.

[@KAFKUBA]

Do you have a video on hot chassis and what UL listed meant in the 40s and 50s? You don't seem worried when you touch the chassis

[@The_Studioworkshop]

Why should he be?

[@agustiana1247]

Good..mr

[@mrjohhhnnnyyy5797]

9:02 LOL Your reaction is hilarious.

[@brunomoyano8727]

25:50 VAMOOOO CON LA CUMBIA VILLERA WACHOOOOO

[@jimmyday9536]

The 50B5 had a defect in the glass. LOL .

[@HDXFH]

Lol love that cap mod good resto!!

[@albinklein7680]

Too bad you didn't short out that honkin' cap with those flimsy alligator clips. Would have been fun to watch i guess... Great vid. Love to watch you turn knobs. Loctals in that firestone?

[@ronalddaub5049]

The no name one is a traveler I've got one just like it and I noticed the way the dial is the same thing

[@gregorymalchuk272]

Could you make a video on yours too?

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

I found a Firestone Air Chief "Rhapsody" 1947, all tubes intact.. but I only got the chassis and the 10" speaker and baffle board. a single 6v6 and like 7 other tubes? whatever, haha, I'm a true beginner, anyhow it's a console, kind of a mini one? had a record player in the front. the guts look so old I'm afraid to screw around in there w/o first screwing around on something simpler. maybe one of these old farty desktop ones would be the ticket, need to find one cheap to free.

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

sorry, not "farty" .. "artsy" lol- seeing you rarely reply -but don't think I care that you do not care. it's youtube comment land.

[@stevenking2980]

Heck yeah. I love the music. Is it on YT? Should I read the description? Love the video Mr. Shango! Steven

[@Synthematix]

Do any of these radios use 12AX7 tubes? my korg EMX uses 2 of those

[@senorverde09]

+Synthematix AA5's that use mini 7 pin tubes use a 12AV6/12AT6 for detection and first stage amplification coupled to a 50C5 power output tube.

[@dmottern1952]

Neat video!

[@rsattahip]

K Mart should fill prescriptions OTC, they'd be busier than Walmart.

[@SkazaTV]

Hy, where are you feeding the IF 455khz signal? Thanks, Simon

[@shango066]

+Slovenija12345 Antenna connection

[@SkazaTV]

Ok Cool, thanks. I also have to thank you for all you cool videos with lots of practical tips ... , which you just dont get in school. :)

[@SkazaTV]

+Sam Gates Yea :)

[@NJPurling]

The radio looks like no expense was allowed in it's construction. The dial is basically a decal. So: Was this radio so cheap back in the day it was hardly worth repairing? I haven't seen what the original purchase price would have been compared to the green sprayed Firestone radio.

[@Elfnetdesigns]

You should record the Kmart audio and upload it on here.. LOL @ Defect in the glass..

[@EverythingRetro1]

I Post Seeburg 1000 music on my channel "Fardemark" if you are interested :)

[@MrTobysmusic]

Dan, is this an actual Kmart in store tape??

[@TheFunkman]

The cabinet looks like an Emerson

[@billgueltig6136]

Rudy Rutenber Emerson? Fabric covered . I though Travler or Meck

[@Synthematix]

shango can you pick our English radio up from america?

[@Elfnetdesigns]

+Synthematix Shortwave we can.

[@Tricknologyinc]

Audio cuts out at 31:31 to 32:54. Do you still have the source footage to possibly fix it?

[@connorm955]

Probably because the music

[@drfalcon4102]

the firestone radio, may be worth a few bucks,, seems like ebay has a few on it and they bring fair money,

[@TheWarped45]

27:37 without the heaters the tubes won't draw anymore current.

[@michaelmacdonald3408]

The round holes look like some one used it for dart practice on the speaker.

[@edwardallan197]

Trav-ler made radios similar to the little one.....

[@josephtaverna1287]

Don't be shy it's a funi

[@jeffking4176]

Had to check the date of this video-K Mart no longer exists.

[@olivergodden6519]

Can you please link me to the music?

[@shango066]

+Oliver Godden No links allowed on youtube, they get auto spammed. People still havent figured that out yet. search it, it was all over facebook and twitter a month ago or so

[@olivergodden6519]

shango066 Ok Thanks, Nice Video

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

Damn sad shape that tv is in, even had dvd and vhs!

[@jakewells9403]

i sure would like to buy that for my collection. if you decide to sell it send me a message.

[@taylorc315]

Come in Monster Island

[@coolgarrett02productions42]

I hear some old commercials

[@justincase3880]

Speaker looks “darted” …

[@ravenlouis4209]

300th like

[@chalmerbasham695]

Maybe the speaker holes are from some kid target practicing with a BB gun...

[@saulomoura9402]

I watch your video and i have one equipment of this, but i do not have the mannual i like if possible you send to me one copy in pdf. I´ll think thanks a lot of much.

[@shango066]

I have no manual. All these radios are very much the same

[@northhankspin]

some brat in the 60s was poking paper-clips in ner