Atomic Era Radio Teardown, Explained With Repair

[@ve1arn]

Been a subscriber to your Patreon page for a couple of months now and worth every bit. Awesome video! Just gearing up a radio play room and have about 40 of these AA5 & 6 radios to work on. This was timely for sure. Thanks for the education on these. Wondering if you plan on doing anything that uses Telechron motors in them? Wouldn't mind learning a bit about them as well.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks Bob! When I do another radio with a clock, I will focus on the Telechron motor a little more. This motor ran so quiet, there was really nothing to do.

[@MrBrymstond]

This may sound insane, but I always wondered what went through the persons head that created these devices to begin with? I'm sure it wasn't hey I'm going to invent a radio not to mention having to invent certain parts on the fly and what went through their head when they had to do that? Having to repair or modify a device as such is one thing, but to create a finished working product is another. I always wondered if we had a advanced civilization that was wiped out to near extinction and they were the advanced elites that chose to retain these ideas and we fed off of that. Either way you're a extremely intelligent man and I thank you for sharing this incredible knowledge with random people that don't have the money, but want to know and apply so I wish you the best. Mr Carlson

[@Korey47]

ve1arn BobC mr carlson. Were you ex Navy?

[@ve1arn]

If it's me you're asking, sorry, I'm not ex service.

[@inerlogic]

looking forward to that, i have an "Esquire 550u" clock radio with a noisy motor, no idea what type of motor it has in it though.... i've been afraid to try and pull the knobs off to remove the clock from the case since they wouldn't come easily.... the clock knobs are brass... so i wonder how they're isolated...

[@BillyLapTop]

Fabulous presentation! Especially the segment dealing with silver mica disease. You make it look so easy for resolving that issue and you instinctively answer a viewer's questions in your commentary making it a fluid and coherent learning experience. You are a fabulous educator. Thank you for your good work here on KZbin.

[@tinicum54]

Nice to see the kids dealing with these issues. I regularly used solvents for 15 years that were eventually banned Look up CRC Electro-Clean. 1 16 oz clan would de-grease a car engine. 63, I do not have cancer, yet!. As a joke, give it a squirt on a styrofoam coffee cup. Watch the cup melt.

[@tommybewick]

gas will melt a styrofoam cup too, i did that as a kid and thought i had invented the next "flubber" LOL

[@anthonyshiels9273]

I never heard of Silver Mica Disease until I saw this video. I found Mr Carlson's Lab by accident 3 weeks ago and I have a lot of catch up to do.

[@mike4330]

Rebuilding IF transformers?. You're a madman! Great stuff

[@johnsimms3957]

My grandmother had one of these radios. It used to wake us up with music in the morning so I could go to school in the 1960s.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

How many times did you hit that blue button?

[@johnsimms3957]

We didn't hit the top button because we kept the radio in the kitchen. Our bedroom doors were open so we could hear it.

[@MrShobar]

This old radio shows up to 1600 kHz on the dial. Medium wave was extended in ITU Region 2 (including the U.S, Canada and Mexico) up to 1705 kHz in the mid 1990's. A great job, Mr. Carlson, as always.

[@tjoelfoster]

That's why the digital tuner in my '93 F150 only went to 1630. Around 2002 the new talk radio station in Augusta GA was at 1650. I could only listen to it on the analog tuner in the shop, but when I jumped in the truck I had to listen to the other station at 580.

[@JohnBerthoty]

What fun for us geeks! I haven't delved this deep into an all American 5 since high school! Thanks for the video. Took me back to radio-tv lab at Queens Vocational High School, Queens NY, 1965!

[@robsmith1835]

I don't know why you have 40 thumbs down? You are a brilliant teacher of electronics and have Excellent videos. Keep up the good work.

[@inerlogic]

haters gonna hate

[@QoraxAudio]

They probably thought 'atomic era' meant it's powered by an onboard nuclear power source and decided to count it as clickbait.

[@pumpkin6429]

@@QoraxAudio Wouldn't surprise me. 😑

[@Shnick]

Thumbs down is pointless. Not sure why KZbin even has it.

[@CharlesM-dp4xe]

Could be a local competitor maybe trying to boost his own rating by demeaning others in his path of self-gratified glory ... Im not sure why people do these things, we are all here to learn and Mr Carlson is well liked even loved perhaps, You can't knock what he does, even if you don't agree with everything he says. He's got to have a huge heart to give his time to us freely like he does.

[@jeannekedb]

I know nothing about electronics but I watch your videos from start to finish because your knowledge of the subject is mesmerizing and captivating to my fascination of the electronic world. Thank you.....

[@stevelacy316]

These old radios are so cool and there are surprisingly a lot of them awround yet to be had.

[@bills48321]

I'm impressed with Mr. Carlson's depth of knowledge. His soft spoken, upward inflected speaking style is also soothing and pleasant to hear, like Bob Ross, the TV painter.

[@TruthPoliceLegend]

I always learn from and enjoy your videos. I think we can always tell when a radio is from the "atomic era" by the conelrad signs on the 640 and 1240 radio dial indicator which this one bears. Started by civil defense in 1953 until maybe ten years later mainly as a warning channel for atomic radiation fallout if we were attacked. They are especially prominent on car radios of the era. Thanks always for your videos.

[@terrystearns9463]

Thank you so much for this one... My mother received this same radio as a gift when I was born in 1956. She had it on her headboard for as long as I can remember. I can remember even as a teenager see it glowing when I would come into her room a night bringing her medication. I bought one of these a couple of years back and tried to repair it myself but it was well beyond my skill level. You are so through explaining every part of your restoration I love your channel watching you fix all of the equipment...

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks for your kind words Terry!

[@jamesdenney9653]

Tube receivers of this era and through early 60's are a BLAST to repair. I had an early model of the Lloyd's TM-939 my grandfather gave me. Replaced a broken tube, all of the interstage capacitors, restrung the dial and patched up the speaker cones, but never could get rid of all the static. Now I suspect why. Anyhow, it was good enough to sit above my bench and I enjoyed it for years.

[@ao2528]

Your detailed work to restore the old electronic jewels like that radio always amazes me, I can say that now I'm a new person with some totally new information about old things I did not knew about despite fixing them for years and years when I was younger, I really appreciate your hard and extremely precise work.

[@mxskelly]

Seeing this in my subscription feed made my day. There's no better way to spend an hour than watching one of your videos, Mr. Carlson! Thanks for the amazing content!

[@edwardroberts2997]

Mr. Carlson, For many years I have been watching you do your thing I am a male 80 years old how use have a small shop In the town of Manchester Ct.when I was in my twenties some sixty years ago worked on Radio,s, and TV,s tubes so when you bring back some of the old Radio, lots of members, THANKS.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Glad you enjoyed Edward!

[@MichiganPeatMoss]

Jan 2020: I just picked up an "All American 6" today for only a few bucks and it pulled in an AM station 350 miles as the crow flies from my basement (when correctly oriented on the bench)! :) This radio stuff is growing on me! Thanks for so much great info!

[@mlbumller]

We had one if these on top of refrigerator while growing up. My dad listened to the local radio for road conditions before commuting to work. Ours was off white

[@JerryEricsson]

When I was growing up, I used to see this type of radio in the bedrooms of most of the homes I visited, they were quite popular, at the time I wished we had electric power in our house so we could listen to the radio any time we wished. As it was, we had to economize and only use the radio when OUR SHOWS were playing in the evenings and when mom had her soaps on during her morning chores around the house. Oh and when we were preparing for school, there used to be a guy on the radio who would look into his magic mirror and tell we children where our lost socks and such were as we were getting ready. It was kind of cool he would say like "Billy, you left your pencil on the kitchen table, Susie, your socks are under the bed, Bobbie, your notebook is in your bedroom on top of your dresser." Many times, of course he would be right, and we came to believe he was really looking through our radio and seeing all of these things. Of course I was in the 2nd grade at the time I would guess, so I would believe most anything an adult told me.

[@explorer1251]

I used to tinker with that kind of stuff while growing up during the '60s, but didn't know much about what I was doing. Your presentation, including the video work, was very impressive and informative...plus you're nice to listen to. Surprised I watched the whole thing, but I enjoyed it!

[@alphabeets]

Gorgeous vintage radio. And another fantastic video from Mr. Carlson.

[@germas369]

this is probably the best channel for anyone who is in the slightest interested in electronics. very informative, educational and entertaining

[@thomasrice2888]

An elderly lady that I went to church with ask me to do some repair work on her barn. When I went to her farm where she had lived most of her life, when I went inside the barn the walls were lined with antique radios of every type from ground to attic. I was so amazed at the number of radios she had that I had to ask her where she got them. She said her husband collected them until he died and she just never could bring herself to get rid of them. She passed away about five years later and I never found out what happened to the radios. I’ve always wanted to go back to that farm and see if those radios are still there!

[@coptertim]

I remember that radio and I'm surprised there are no cracks in the case. It was a nice little radio but at 5:30 in the morning it made such an obnoxious alarm noise your first thought was to toss it out the nearest window. I started working on old radios when I was about 15. After watching your videos it's safe to say I'm lucky to be alive. I would pay about $5 for an old Zenith or Philco radio at the local Goodwill store and take the tubes to a grocery store tester. (Almost every store had a tube tester back then). A $4 5Y3GT and we would be up and running. After cleaning and polishing the cabinet I was very happy to sell them for $15 dollars. I had no idea of what they would be worth today... Thank you for your videos, great fun and I appreciate your attention to work bench safety and the dangers inside all the innocent looking cabinets. BR: Tim

[@gwesco]

I also noticed the 640 and 1240 Conelrad markings on the dial. I remember them on all radios as well as having to "Duck and Cover" in grade school in the mid-fifties. Great job in bringing an all-American five back to life.

[@parsifal40002]

Mr. Carlson, your depth of knowledge of electronics is mind-boggling impressive!! I know absolutely NOTHING about electronics but I enjoy listening to your explanations! This video is amazing! I was about 5 years old when this radio was made in 1956.

[@cbranalli]

two degrees in ee didn't teach me as much practical knowledge about radio as this wonderful video. thanks very much !

[@SauvikRoy]

Loved how you opened the IFT. Still could resalvage it. I never saw one of those ever taken apart. Great work!

[@billharris6886]

Hello Paul, my complements on your nice video, restoration, and detailed information regarding the addressing of problem areas, you sound exceptionally experienced for someone your age. Keep up the good work! Since this radio came out the year I was born, thought I would add my 2 cents in the way of history/trivia. I worked on a number of 5 tube radios in the early and mid 1970's and still do an occasional antique (1930's) radio restoration. That particular General Electric clock-radio was one of the higher end models. Slide-rule tuning, clock, dial light, and sleep switch, they didn't get much fancier than that. General Electric was very big into cost cutting measures in their TV's and radios then (1950's and 1960's). They were the first ones with a PC board (whereas must companies had point-to-point wiring or were converting over to a PC board), ferrite rod antenna, ceramic disk capacitors (in lieu of tubular paper), and R-C networks/hybrids (you referred to these as a "Cuplet", a term I had never heard used). I was surprised to see that your PC board even had soldermask. In the 1960's, General Electric designed a new tube set series called Compactrons in a 12 pin base for their TV's, with 2 - 4 separate sections (diodes, triode, pentodes) to minimize tube count and lower cost. Occasionally I would come across a radio where a capacitor or resistor would open up in one of those Cuplets. This part was not available because it was custom; made for a 1 or 2 year Production run. To accomplish a fix, I would add an external component to replace the open part, if that point in the circuit was accessible. If not accessible, I would have to construct the entire network from discrete parts and jury-rig it into place. In the 1970's, the number one problem with these radios was (not surprisingly) a dry (open) cardboard cased electrolytic capacitor. I had never come across a radio where the makeshift mica capacitors in the IF transformer where intermittent. I didn't realize General Electric was doing this, which is really crude. I'm not surprised there are problems with these capacitors with the packaging used. Silver in the presence of air, moisture, heat, and significant DC voltage is guaranteed to migrate. I do my receiver alignments a bit different than what you are showing. I connect the signal generator (DC blocked, 0.1uF cap) directly to the RF terminal of the tuning capacitor for the IF alignment. I short out the AGC or maintain the 455 kHz input to where the signal level is below the AGC point so the AGC won't affect the peaking process. I peak from the output to the input, which is the opposite of your method. This is the way we did it when I designed for Collins Radio but, it's not that critical. The 5 tube radio (which all used the same tube lineup, due to RCA licensing) was a low-cost refinement of an early 1930's Superhetrodyne radio. A transistorized radio using the same circuit block scheme is not quite equivalent. The 12BE6 (pentagrid converter) combines a local oscillator and mixer with gain (10 - 20 dB). The 12BA6 (remote cutoff pentode), with it's super low plate-to-grid capacitance, enabled super-high, but stable gain (60 - 80 dB). A transistorized equivalent receiver needs an additional IF amp and also results in a noticeably higher noise figure due to the converter stage. On all of these radios, I have never come across one where the antenna inductance is set properly. Since you can't really set this without destroying the antenna, the result is reduced sensitivity at the bottom end of the band.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Hi Bill. Thanks for taking the time to write, that's a great story! Also, thanks for your input as well!

[@MAURICIOFALCAOPY5MZ]

FANTASTIC Carlson!!! Congratulations!!!

[@drubradley8821]

This was not only great to watch, but perfect timing too... Thank you, again, for the all of your effort. Drew

[@williamhayden7711]

Wow, fantastic restoration Mr. Carlson! This one might just be my favorite to date.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Great William! Thanks for stopping by!

[@Hopeless_and_Forlorn]

Your designation of "Atomic Era" for this radio got me to thinking. I was born on the morning of November 16, 1942. On that same morning, in Chicago, Fermi and crew laid down the first layer of graphite blocks that would serve as the base of the first, continuously operating, man-made nuclear reactor. But I suppose that if anyone wanted to call themselves an Atomic Kid, it would be those people born on December 2, 1942, when the reactor went critical. I guess I am pre-atomic.

[@chetpomeroy1399]

AM radios that sold in the U.S. back then had little triangles at 640 kHz and 1240 kHz positions on the dial, which were frequencies set aside to warn U.S. residents of an imminent Soviet attack.

[@314Tazo]

You're talking about. CONELRAD (Control of Electromagnetic Radiation). It's a former method of emergency broadcasting to the public of the United States In 1951, Truman established this alert.

[@Motorman2112]

Why 1240 and not 1280?

[@314Tazo]

1240AM could have been defined as a clear channel where no transmission frequency existed.

[@chetpomeroy1399]

This was likely arbitrary. I guess it would seem to be easier to remember, since the last two digits match each other on the AM frequencies.

[@chetpomeroy1399]

I seem to recall that this was an act of Congress,and was in effect for about 10 years. It was replaced by the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) in 1963.

[@tommybewick]

Finally bought one these at a great price to restore. Cream version with a black face and gold knobs, a few years newer model. Thanks again for making this video it will be my guide.

[@itisonlyadream]

Very well done! I was in high school in the late fifties and I used to make pocket money by repairing tube equipment in my neighborhood. At that time, 98 percent of repairing a radio or TV set consisted of testing and replacing tubes, so it's interesting to see how different it is more than fifty years later after time has taken it's toll. I thought I knew it all, but I picked up some good tips from your video. I grew up in Texas where the "L" in solder is silent and I've never heard the "L" pronounced before.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks for taking the time to write!

[@fichambawelby2632]

As ever, excellent job. Nice, clean, and well explained. You are always doing a great contribution to the electronics knowledge. Thank you for your time and dedication.

[@wildrootsfarm1975]

There are alot of features on this radio that mimic the cars built in that era. You mentioned the knobs being made of metal. They are made from PotMetal which was very cost effective in that time. Cars used alot of pot metal for tail light/parking light bezels, trim pieces, hood ornaments and garnish trim. Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It was very informative and I always enjoy watching you work. It's an enjoyable experience.

[@SuburbanDon]

Paul, I worked in electronics for years until I was downsized 5 years ago. I never had a home electronics lab. Watching these videos has brought back the excitement to me and I'm setting up a lab now. Your videos remind me of how much i do know. Thanks for what you do. It's a skill and an art.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks for your kind comment Don!

[@bobviggiano945]

I am very impressed with your ability to replace the 100 pf capacitors in the IF cans. Whew! As a fellow Engineer I am learning and enjoying your classes. Keep up the good work, you have the awesome ability to teach and tell a story. Bob N2MDA

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks for your kind words Bob!

[@anandarochisha]

Awesome..The Robin's Egg Blue of the 50's is courtesy of Brooke Stevens, one of the original founders of the Industrial Designers Society of America in 1944. He formed Brooke Stevens Inc out of Wisconsin, and the company became a powerhouse of American Industrial Design. Designs to his credit include the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, Studebaker GT Hawk, Jeep Wagoneer, Post War Harley Davidson design (Willie G Davidson grandson of the founder worked at Brooke Stevens before taking over Harley Design in 1963) as well as such items as the Miller Beer logo as part of the 595 accounts he serviced.

[@billmoran3812]

Great tutorial on the IF can mods and basic alignment procedure.

[@slam854]

Paul, I had this very radio as a kid. Mine was Ivory. This video is helpful in that I am doing cap replacement and IF alignment on a Hallicrafters S-120 radio. Toward the end of this video you showed how to adjust sensitivity on the tuning cap. That is information I did not have. Also your section on "silver mica death" for the IF transformers is of particular interest. Keep Radiating!

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

Excellent accounting of such a great classic. We built these in high school in the 70's. All hand wired. Call me Charlie Brown but the parts kit I got had one 455khz IF trans and one at 262khz. Needless to say If I had known what was going on at the time I could have gotten an A in the class. Now they don't dare put the little munch-kins at such perilous risk.

[@telstarvision1509]

You sir, are a pure out & out genius,I have & am still learning a lot from your many videos in spite of being a fellow ham/enthusiast for a number of years.

[@RobertAhrens52]

I know that you know, but did you mention that one of the design features of these radios was that the total voltages on the filaments added up to the expected line voltage. They put the filaments in series and omitted the need for a filament transformer. You took me back to high school electric shop. Great job, and thank you very much!

[@stevefoudray487]

Great tip on rebuilding the IF cans. I'm just starting on my wife's early 50's Zenith and was happy to see it had a power transformer! Your video was very timely and helpful even though my project wasn't an American 5 but has similar If/rf tubes.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Great!

[@MrArfisher]

Thanks, Paul, for giving us some tips and tricks to aligning radios.A good confidence builder!

[@alphabeets]

A really excellent video- both in the content and the production quality.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks!

[@melvinturner2284]

Beautiful Radio and Good Job. Explained everything really well. Thanks

[@CharlieTechie]

Lots of good information on the IF transformer refurbishing. Thanks Paul.

[@edgarkuylen276]

Love your office MR. Carlson. A great video. Very detailed.

[@enceladusfox2247]

Nice work and restore on this fine old radio my friend !

[@wildrootsfarm1975]

love the 'old time' feel in audio output of the radio. Awesome.

[@fullwaverecked]

Fantastic video! I have a similar Motorola with a sticker on the bottom that states "Do not connect chassis or antenna to water pipe or radiator". Healthy advice.

[@aramboodakian9554]

Wow what a beauty! It’s in fine condition.

[@QuaaludeCharlie]

My old house has no ground , I wonder if my fuse would blow first ? These Radios are some of my first memories as an infant , I Learned some things watching this . So Thank You very Much :) QC

[@TheRangerDale]

Very Good Paul, Brought back few memories working in the Radio/Tv Shop.Yes turn out real nice, You do have a lucky Finds about your area.Thanks for the tib bits of info always nice to refresh ones memories like this Ole Man. 73's Paul

[@trainliker100]

Regarding the big and usually bad filter capacitor: I worked for a couple of years part time at the Navy Exchange TV and Radio repair shop on Midway Island (my real job was being a Navy Electronics Technician at the transmitter site). Another fellow there showed me the fast way to deal with those. And we did have many of the "5 tube" table radios come in with that as the only problem. Since the capacitors came in all shapes and sizes, we just had a box of a generic style with a long lead coming from each end. We would use electrical tape and just tape it to the old capacitor which we disconnected so it was nothing but a big mounting post. Wire up the new capacitor, and the radio was back in business in minutes. It isn't the way we repaired other things, but this was so common, and the radios were so cheap, that we could charge a repair price that was affordable AND get the radio back to the person quickly. And then they could listen to pretty much the only station they could usually receive. The KMTH AM station on the island which had a Gates 250 transmitter located at - you guessed it - the Navy's transmitter site building and I maintained that, too.

[@johnplaid648]

I do believe that the orange component is a capacitor. Long ago when I was very poor I had a similar radio and all it did was hum. I took it to a tv repair shop and was told the orange component needed replacement. So I bought one from the person running the place and borrowing a soldering iron I managed to R&R the component using the old solder present on the through holes. These days I'm up to my ears in solder or every description and electronic components and I'm grateful for this channel.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks John!

[@souta95]

I will have to remember that tip about using an NPO SMD capacitor for rebuilding IF cans. Thanks!

[@GarthGoldberg]

We had one of those. I remember those exact switches and the clock in the middle.

[@Ozymandiuus]

I've got a sibling of this old timer up on my "50's shelf". Mine's got a black background with white clock numbers. The original brittle little clock knobs were long gone so I made some stand-ins out of wood on my lathe. Would love to 3-D print some replacements, as you suggested. If only I have a 3-D printer and a template! Anyway, mine works well with the original caps, but I didn't run it for very long for fear of damaging an irreplaceable transformer or the rectifier tube. It's on the list for recapping...someday :) Thanks Paul for another jewel of a restoration video. I never fail to learn something new from you-and I've been doing electronics for 40+ years! Keep up the great work.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@richpatonai5685]

Wow! Wished I had seen this before my experience with silver mica disease. The 1206 100pf cap is a great fix. Much better than the through hole that I shoehorned into the can. Looking forward to a video on unsticking or removing iron powder core slugs. Thanks Mr. Carlson

[@terieffo8]

going into so much careful detail with an IF transformer is a reflection on your attitude to the level of your restorations.

[@kristina80ification]

god I love tube stuff, I used to work at a recycling center and brought home a nice old heathkit shortwave radio some one threw away, worked wonderfully but my mom made me return it to my work because she was afraid it would over heat and catch the house on fire or something, which I'm still some what sad about to this day even though that was back in my teenage years.

[@davidportch8837]

Excellent as always Paul. Many thanks for taking us through from start to finish... David

[@Penfold8]

48:29 "There's no bean counters here"...............I'm an accountant by trade and tinker with electronics as a hobby so there is a bean counter in your midst!! ;-)

[@DWinegarden2]

He means bean counters don’t “matter” here!

[@rickygibson3754]

stupid

[@lionelguy]

Thank you so much Bob !!! You have augmented my knowledge of IF cap replacements and final alignment. On this presentation, you did not get into tube testing, which is a part of the servicing process. Probably best left to a another video. I personally stuff the can capacitors, making a simpler job of re-install. Again, thank you !!

[@PlasmaHH]

Regarding thermal decoupling and not soldering off the other end of a free hanging wire: I have various clamps (and also a few that are basically small surgical clamp scissors thingies) that I put between both points for such cases. This will act as a heat sink, and unless I am soldering for hours at the one side, the heat will never make it to the other side of the clamp since the majority of the energy gets sucked up by the big clamps body. btw. thumbs up for the scope trace PiP !

[@JerryEricsson]

When I got my Drivers License, my dad (who didn't make a lot of money pumping gas) bought me a car. It was a 1950 Ford Custom 2 door that belonged to an old man who had worn out the drivers seat, then crashed into a phone pole. So I had to replace the front clip, hood, grill, radiator and two water pumps on the old flat head V8 engine. It was easy to do back then as the dump grounds had piles of old cars and most recent junk cars were sitting on the ground. My buddy and I drove his dads pickup out here and salvaged all the parts. Within a week I had the old rig up and running. At any rate the dash had a clock in the very middle, and just below was the AM radio. It looked very much like that radio! I even got the clock working, but I wanted a better radio, I found one out of an old Chrysler with electric motor tuning that I hacked into the dash, then added a rear speaker since it was supported. I replaced the front seat with one from a 62 Rambler Station Wagon that had reclining seat backs, luckily they would fold all the way down and I had a full size bed in that old Ford. It was very handy for learning all about sex from the girl next door and a few of her girl friends who learned that I was well read when it came to foreplay and well the act itself. That old car had steamed up windows quite often and KOMA in Oklahoma City played the sound track for my growing up, it was far away but a strong station that played the wonderful new sound of ROCK AND ROLL!

[@davekimball3610]

Most impressed that so many AM stations are still broadcasting.

[@100Transistors]

In Australia not many stations still broadcast on AM only sporting stations 693khz (3AW) and 1116khz (SEN). soon we will kill AM like we did with shortwave this year.

[@rosshollinger8097]

1955. A great year. Nice work!

[@oscarwylder]

Top vid - Love the Keep It Simple interlock - Pull off the case and the mains supply goes away - Brutally simple and genius. Regards.

[@tpcdude]

Great video, you did a great job on explaining the deepest darkest recesses of the AA-5

[@robinsattahip2376]

You are thorough, I've never seen anyone change the IF can capacitors before even hearing the static. Great video. One thing is certain, there won't be anyone working on the crap Apple sells 60 years from now even for the nostalgia.

[@TroySleepwalker22]

Man that IC blended in so well with all that fuzz, I had to do a double take.. Awesome content, very interesting and educational/informative. You got yourself a new subscriber!

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

[@danishnative9555]

I have a couple of these in the beige or white version. They were easy to repair. Enjoy that bold 50C5 audio and the dials really glow great in the dark after a day in sunlight. Clocks never worked and I didn't investigate.

[@BoboLaTuque]

Great video. I really enjoy that type of radio; the look, the sound, etc. Thanks for this.

[@minkorrh]

I'll bet Mr Carlson gives off particles. No one could have that type of knowledge without some level of radioactivity lol. Love the fascination with old stuff. Same here.

[@TheRealSmithFamily]

Mid Century Modern! That’s the style of the furniture you speak of at the beginning.

[@steveomusicman6645]

I wish I would have had you as a teacher in electronics in school You are awesome...I love your videos : )

[@tallperson9422]

Loved this teardown as it helps me understand more about electronics. Great job!

[@chocolategourmand]

It would have been great to test and hear the alarm. That sound probably brings back some memories for some viewers.

[@jjl6519]

Thanks for another great video, I learn something every time I watch one of your videos..

[@paul7195]

interesting seeing you pull apart the IF transformers, as they are very delicate and easily destroyed by many not as careful as you were in the video.

[@jeromewysocki8809]

Paul, that's because we have no choice but to fix these ourselves, because replacement IF transformers have not been made in decades. I first noticed the problem in radios I've repaired as early as the 1960s. If I couldn't find replacements, I fixed them myself, even then.

[@uvman6648]

Just subscribed! Absolutely wonderful presentation...very detailed, methodical, and easy to understand. Excellent! The Atomic Era radio clean-up/restoration looks way better than it probably ever did when it was in the original GE factory. Nice work.

[@MrCarlsonsLab]

Thanks!

[@leonardpeters3266]

One of the reasons why people woke up and went to work back in those days is because having the radio slowly warm up, start soft then get louder didn't prompt the person awoken to slam the sleep button over and over. Waking up slowly causes you to be in a good mood for the rest of the day. When the buzzer goes off on my alarm clock, I want to crush it and sweep up the pieces.

[@Frankowillo]

I remember in the 1960's they made men's shoes in that colour. It was called 'Powder Blue'. They also made them in 'Off White'. "From way back when"! Gee, thanks!

[@fuzileiro1974]

Always a pleasure to ear you, thanks !

Wonderful restoration job, as usual. This was a nice unit to begin with. One comment to add, since I don't think you mentioned it (am I right?). The reason why the chassis is potentially 'hot" is the absence of power transformer. Cheaper to build like that! Thanks!

[@greggaieck4808]

Mr Carlson the chassis is in good shape its looks like a new

[@outthereassociates7155]

Thanks Paul, Most enjoyable. Happy to see a new one.

[@aaronliddell5564]

Just wanted to say your videos are great! to say i have limited knowledge of electronics would be a very generous description of my knowledge. I have, in the last few months, been learning a bit. I actually fixed a Joe Meek Three Q a few weeks back. It wasn't much of an issue just had to replace a potentiometer, but I was still pretty excited, and i got a nice little piece of gear for the cost of about 3 bucks. Anyway, just wanted to say your videos are great. As i already stated, i have no experience in this field, yet i find myself watching your videos from start to finish every time. Thank you

[@cindylawrence1515]

My brother and his friends used to take 5 & 6 tube super hets and add multi bands to them. It was a amazing how just jumping the variable tuning cap would make different frequencies. But to make other whole bands, or to make variable bandwidths you needed somewhat more elaborate modification. But working on these sets was always relatively simple.....

[@swinde]

The "silver" shiny spots on tubes are caused by a device known as a "getter" . It normally looks like a "ring on a stick" inside the tube. This device was used to make the vacuum in the tube better. When it is fired it deposited this silvery coating on the tube walls or top. These turn white when the tube is exposed to air.

[@georgiatack6945]

Great Video. I am not a great fan of "plastic" radios, but after watching your video, if I see one will try to grab it.

[@richardvg7670]

This is one of my favorite models of radios and in fact the same model that started me on my career and interest more Hobby and interest though I'm collecting and repairing old radios like these I had gotten it from my uncle's garage sale when I was 10 years old and we had taken the tubes out and check them on a tube Checker at the local drugstore and found out the v o c v audio output tube was bad put a new tube in and it played just fine and I love that dial beam where the light follows the pointer back and forth I used to love looking down at the tubes at night when I had the radio in the cubby hole in my little twin bunk bed and I used to listen to Wolfman Jack when he was on the radio in 1974

[@paulstubbs7678]

Interesting, especially where they hid the caps in the IF cans. I usually avoid live chassis sets, I'm in Australia, and 240V on a chassis is just asking for trouble.

[@100Transistors]

the only problem with a live chassis is if the power point was incorrectly wired but no non polarised plugs in aus, a great design.

[@trainliker100]

On the "integrated circuit", it might be more accurate to call it an early "hybrid circuit". Most had just resistors and capacitors and were not active devices. I once repaired a Kenwood TK-140 with a bad one that was used as a filter and it had only resistors and capacitors in it. But they were also made sometimes involving diodes and/or inductors. They tended to be custom made for manufacturers (mainly by Centralab, Sprague, and some others) and VERY hard to find a replacement once a product gets a little old.

[@carlrudd1858]

So I have this radio, altho a later version C-433, that has the silver-mica disease. Your video is very helpful in this regard. Thank YOU.