Healing M401E Aussie Radio from 1946-47 Restoration

[@Christopher-re2hl]

I'm 61. I like the looks I get when I tell the young electronic techs what materials were used to make capacitors and resistors a long time ago.What really makes me feel old is when I show them how a record changer works.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Christopher. It's great to hear someone else who appreciates the technology of the past! 😄

[@hijmestoffels5171]

That power cord was very professionally installed indeed! Especially connecting the wrong colours to the wrong connectors is recommended.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Hijme, I was reluctant to remove it due it it's professional quality but I thought a new cord would be better 🙂

[@ibrahimkocaalioglu]

Good job. Nice to see your restoration technique improved a lot as time passed.

[@DavidTipton101]

It had to Ibrahim 😄

[@leonardbeaver2486]

i love old radios nice to see you bring them back to life. from the U.K

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Leonard, love to the UK 😘

[@maciejmanka5451]

I really like watch how you bring these radios back to life. Nice one. (from Poland)

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Maciej, Hi to Poland 👋 thank you 🙂

[@birdie399]

Very handsome and stylish cabinet. Maybe you could give us a tour of your radios one day. Thanks for the video.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks birdie399, I'll see if I can do that, thanks 👍

[@michaelmacdonald3408]

I like that grommet you used for the tuning great idea.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Michael, yes, the grommet worked great 🙂

[@tonycanning8518]

I've got one of these with a brown bakelite case ... different cct though, Rectifier is vertical on the chassis and no filter choke ... Interesting.

[@DavidTipton101]

I think the model ran from 1945 to 1949 and the final model has 9 pin miniature valves in lieu of the octals, I didn't know that at the time. Mine is unusual with the horizontal rectifier, I haven't seen another like it since. Thanks Tony 🙂

[@Pozer714]

They sure don't make radios like they used to. Beautiful!

[@DavidTipton101]

It is a nice little radio, thanks Pozer714 🙂

[@luisremigiotorresacevedo4620]

Beautiful work Mr. David. Seeing the repair and restoration of an old radio and seeing it work again in a pristine state is excellent.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi luis, It's a nice little radio and came up very well. Thank you 🙂

[@Plons0Nard]

Another beautifull restoration, David. I must say you have plenty of elbowgrease, man ! The result is astonishing. Another beauty. 👍🤝🇳🇱

[@DavidTipton101]

Yes, a nice little radio Nard, thanks 😀

[@terryblackman6217]

Thank you again for sharing your rebuild. I always enjoy your videos, and have learned a great deal from watching them. 👍

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks terry 🙂

[@lyntonprescott3412]

Great job David, done to your usual high standards. Pleasure to watch. Happy Christmas, and a great restoring new year.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Lynton, Happy Christmas and all the best for 2020 😃 (is it 2020 already, what happened to Y2K😮)

[@arthurdanielles4784]

This type of radio is one of my old time favourites. I have two similar ones. When polished and in full working order, they are real eye catchers. Typical old time parlour radio sets! Ah #nostalgia 😀I also love em cos they're not powered like the cheap and nasties!

[@DavidTipton101]

This would be considered a kitchen radio here, the lounge room would have a console or radiogram. Most of our radios had transformers power supplies. Thanks Arthur 🙂

[@amaraltimimi4106]

another great jop David thank you so much for sharing this.

[@DavidTipton101]

Glad you enjoyed it Amar 👍🙂

[@stanleycostello9610]

What a cute little radio. I saw this video about six months ago and going to sleep last night I have a scenario which I think suits. This radio would be in a high school girls room (with her bobby sox and saddle shoes!). She would come home, and she would have half an hour before she had to set the table for dinner. She would go into her room, turn the radio on and hope to hear Vaughn Monroe singing "Dance Ballerina Dance."

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Stanley, you paint a vivid picture. I think my sister wasn't old enough for bobby socks and definitely didn't have a radio in her room, but she used to help with the table, thanks Stanley 🙂

[@stanleycostello9610]

@@DavidTipton101 I sometimes like to make up stories about the things that I see. Your wife as to the whereabouts of her Chinese soup bowls. The 1953 Kriesler radiogram. Actually, my Mom was 15 years old in 1947. I remember her telling me that Vaughn Monroe was her favorite singer and that "Dance Ballerina Dance" was her favorite tune.

[@DavidTipton101]

@@stanleycostello9610 You have an agile mind Stanley 👍🙂

[@sincerelyyours7538]

I enjoyed this restoration, David, thanks. Good idea to cover the speaker cone to keep it from magnetically attracting errant screwdriver blades. Also, I didn't realize that reducing the IF by just one hertz could eliminate squeal. Back in the late 40s a "properly tuned" freq gen on a well equipped radio man's workbench could be off by at least that much. I guess variances were expected so tolerances were looser back then. Will have to remember that one.

[@DavidTipton101]

It did work but it probably covered up the problem more than fix it. Thanks Sincerely Yours 🙂

[@andyreid5543]

Love your work David

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Andy 😀

[@derkater2744]

The man with the golden fingers...

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha, Golden Voice... golden fingers, good one Der 😁

[@derkater2744]

@@DavidTipton101 Fascinating, your oldtimer, I only have problems with the frequency bands. Everything sounds like AM. With us, the radioscale looks different, according to the Copenhagen plan. But technically - all delicacies.

[@mikejohansson6711]

Sweet! nice job, it's amazing what other country's do or did, with just 4 tubes. I have a tiny tiny Emerson radio with 5 tubes and oh my gosh! talk about shoe horned in all the components!

[@DavidTipton101]

Some of them a really tight mike, I agree 😄

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

Great radio 📻. Great 👍 videos to fall asleep 😴 to. 💤. Great 👍 for an insomniac, especially if restoration is their forte. Sort of like “Radio Theater”, for the sleepless person. The songs, the sounds, dial lights, dial cords. Watch until you become increasingly sleepy 😴 💤. I notice you only take interest in small radios 📻, which is fine. I’ve never seen ya do a 1947 Firestone Airchief radio, or the like. These are actually furniture with function. Could have one ☝️ as your nightstand, or any other purpose ya like. These are sure beautiful radios 📻, and they’re tube type. Brown wooden cabinet and glass dial face. Yes, it’s lighted, my favorite. The 1947 Firestone Airchief has a field coil speaker 🔊. They are not permanent magnet, but can be retrofitted for one, temporarily. This could require a little work, such as if you need your field coil speaker repaired. If a These radios were made by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. I don’t know 🤔 if they were a promotion, as to perpetuate the sales of tires, or a special offer to people. Even for the 1940’s, a Firestone Airchief and similar radios 📻 were pretty expensive. I’m going to guess in the neighborhood of the $500.00 range. Without inflation, that was a LOT!! Please tell me about the Firestone Airchief radio, and how it came about in the way it did.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Jeffery, we didn't have the Firestone radio in Australia.

[@tonycanning8518]

I've got one of these, in brown ... Loved it. But I had the same f'back problem you had too 🙂

[@DavidTipton101]

I was interested to see this one was red'ish. Unusual at the time. The feedback taught me something 👍🙂

[@tyronevanleyen9880]

That's a beauty Dave! It looks like it has never been worked on. Must have been in storage. There was a lot of dust in there. Could that be because there was no backing. Make a backing! You can do it! No pressure, I'm just being an ass! By the way I shook my keyboard, and I still can't get a question mark.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Tyrone, thanks. I think it is a bit faded but good condition over all. They didn't have backs, I don't remember if it had provision to mount one either. I can make the backs with my laser cutter now 🙂 Here is question mark (?) you can cut and paste 😉

[@Sibbe2560]

Just sold my television set. This is much more fun to watch...👍👍

[@DavidTipton101]

Who needs TV when you have KZbin 👍😄

[@ronbetts5133]

just one more comment battery restore was well done more transistor radios please regards ron

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Ron, I'm not too good with transistor radios but I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the feedback 🙂

[@neilforbes416]

The radio announcer at 22:08 was mentioning talking to teenagers about "The Birds & Bees" and the oscillation noise from the radio would've summed up a teenager's reaction to that talk! LOL

[@DavidTipton101]

Nailed it!

[@neilforbes416]

@@DavidTipton101 😄

[@ottodydaktyk]

Hello David. I'm going through your older videos now, you don't disappoint. Another wonderful restoration. I have a question: on the back of the radio, it looks like there was probably a thick paper or pressed wood cover. If I were to perform a similar restoration, what would you suggest? Yes, I know, the back isn't necessarily required and probably allows the radio to run cooler, but I'm just curious about what you would suggest. Best regards. Dave

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi David, thank you. I just checked, there was no back on this one. The mount points are there but not drilled out. I haven't had to make a back yet so don't know what I would use, it would be difficult to cut accurately. There must be some heavy duty thin cardboard out there but I just can't imagine cutting it without a poor edge. Thin MDF might be better 🤔

[@ottodydaktyk]

@@DavidTipton101 no worries, I was just curious. I hope that you and yours are doing well. Cheers!

[@johnc7642]

that is very cool. Love it. Keep up the great work.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you John 😀

[@cogitoergosumsc5717]

Goodness. You have a lot of radio stations in Australia that broadcast various music on MW. I don't live in a big city, so all I get are talk radio, one religious music, and one country and western...

[@DavidTipton101]

Yes we still have some good AM stations here CogitoErgoSum SC, I don't know how long it will last 🙂

[@tubeDude48]

As always...WELL DONE!

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you pi-duino 👍😀

[@vicmabus1532]

Hey, David! I noticed few of your projects have a rear cover. Is that typical? All US radios have a cover, usually including a wire loop antenna. Thank you for detailed and instructive vids! Cheers!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Vic, I would say most radios built before 1950 in Australia didn't have backs. Most Aussie radio have a transformer so shock proofing isn't so important. From the 50s radios started having covers with an antenna coil on the back though 👍🙂

[@mikepasko7493]

Nice job

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Mike 🙂

[@waynethompson8416]

Another good video! I noticed the green sticker on the back of the chassis looked kinda "ratty" and it reminded me of another of your videos where you made one like that and attached it to the chassis of the radio in that video. Any particular reason why you didn't do it on this one? Thanks for sharing the link to Carl's Capacitors.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Wayne, that's the ARTS&P sticker which covered the patent requirements for Australian and NZ radios. If I'm trying to keep the radio original I leave the original sticker if the radio isn't worth anything and just doing it for show I will replace it. Yep I can't recommend Carl enough and I get no kickback from him but I appreciate good service.

[@waynethompson8416]

@@DavidTipton101 , I noticed his prices are in Australian dollars....do you know if he sells to the U.S.A. ? He has some very good deals...shipping might be a bit more here too...not sure about tariffs on Australian products. I still think it might be worth purchasing from him though. One kit he has comes up to about 25¢ per capacitor which I think is a good deal. Have you had a chance to check out my website yet? If so, did you notice the link to your KZbin Channel on the left? Wayne

[@pattyeverett2826]

In the US and Canada, try justradios.com. He has a good selection of capacitors and resistors. He also has safety caps for American AA5 radios.

[@jonka1]

The set designers certainly extracted good performance from just 3 active valves. This might explain that instability. Interesting fix to tune the IF away from 455. I wonder if tuning the oscillator away from its "as found" setting would have had the same effect.

[@DavidTipton101]

Interesting thought jonka1, I don't see how though, it would just move the tuning point 🤔

[@jonka1]

@@DavidTipton101 True. I was just musing as to the reason why your fix actually worked. Maybe the circuit is slightly unstable in order to wring out the last bit of gain.

[@DavidTipton101]

@@jonka1 I agree, these 4 valve sets live on the edge.

[@moodyga40]

beautiful wireless

[@DavidTipton101]

Yes, it's a cutie alright

[@demus8757]

Again I am watching an older video and since you were asking for comments in it I thought I do so. Maybe it isn't really necessary but isn't it better to use gloves when you start opening the case and taking the radio out of it? I mean regarding all the dirt, dust, spider webs and who knows what else might be in there, just to protect you. Once you cleaned it it is safe to work without of course. As always a nice result, thanks for showing what and how you did it.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi De Mus, maybe I should, might be wise to wear a mask but I can't talk with a mask on. I don't think there is too much to worry about really 🤔

[@demus8757]

@@DavidTipton101 Well, I didn't write masks, I wrote gloves. You never know what's in these old radio's.

[@DavidTipton101]

@@demus8757 Sorry, poorly written on my part. I meant it would be prudent to wear a mask more than worry about gloves, the dust could contain anything but I expect it is mainly dust. Are you concerned about something alive in there that may be dangerous?

[@demus8757]

@@DavidTipton101 Well, not really something alive , you can see that and take action, but more something which came out of something alive. I still think it is wise to wear gloves as long as the radio is covered in dirt. But of course this is totally up to you. Hope you will continue for a long time cause I really like your videos.

[@DavidTipton101]

@@demus8757 Ahh, got it. thank you 👍

[@lu9da]

Nice works, I find you channel a couple of days ago... I think, have you any complication on mount new electr. condensers inside the old ones? Regards from Argentina, the other country in the world with the same 220 volts 3 pins plugs.... haha

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi lu9da, I do sometimes mount the electrolytics in the old can if I can get a capacitor small enough to fit. I did two in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gorZZKBumbadja8 I did not know Argentina used the same plug as us 😲 Hi Argentina 👋

[@CraneofBoulogne]

I hope this is not a joke of a question for you David but, do newer Australian radios also have this same type of dial? If a radio has a digital indicator does it have these initials that most of your older ones have or is that display just a thing of the past now? In the USA our radios of course never had such a dial as yours in Australia have on them. Is this type unique to Australia or did other countries use such a system? thanks for your trouble.

[@DavidTipton101]

I think most Australian valve radios did but when small transistor radios appeared they went to frequency markings. Japanese radios of course just had the frequency and Aussie manufacturing died out and that was the end of printed station numbers. There may have been exceptions of course. NEW Zealand used the same system and European Radios had stations and cities printed on theirs, their dials are amazing.

[@billharris6886]

Hi Dave, as with all of your restorations; you do nice work! I have an observation. Being in the US, I have never seen dial markings like these Aussie radios have. I am used to seeing frequency markings and sometimes wavelength markings. Your radios seem to lack any type of frequency marking and instead, have callsign or country markings (or at least that is what I make of it). There may be dial frequency notation in the background but, if there is, I am not seeing it in the videos. Anyway, just curious how you would go about aligning the dial or tuning in a station where you have frequency information but, no callsign or country code? I am also assuming that, if country codes or callsigns are listed on the dial, that information is likely obsolete.

[@DavidTipton101]

You pretty much nailed it Bill. Our dials are usually broken into the 6 states and the radio identifier or call-sign for the stations for each individual state are listed therein, the 2 Territories stations are tacked in there somewhere. Sometimes the frequency in kc/s is printed on the dial either in or out of sight when the dial is installed. Otherwise sometimes little marks are along the bottom or top of the dial denoting the 600 and 1400 or 1500 kc/s positions and maybe a cursor park position if you are lucky. If there are no markings, you align to known station frequencies, 7ZL is 600 kc and 3XY is 1420 kc for example. You are correct, the stations move, appear and disappear so the call signs of 70 years ago may not be in the same place today 😃

[@billharris6886]

@@DavidTipton101 Thank you for that insight, that would be (in effect) learning a new language from what I am used to here in the US. The only hint of the dial station identifiers I have come across is with the German mantle radios that were imported in the 1960's. The dials on these radios gave frequency and wavelength notations, along with some countries listings. The only other radio importer to successfully import into the US in the 1960's, was Japan and they used only dial frequency notation.

[@DavidTipton101]

I have 3 English radios with similar markings to your German ones, they are in metres as well. I am working on a 1931 Australian radio at the moment and that's marked in metres.

[@erin19030]

Can you tell us more about that three step plastic polishing technique.

[@DavidTipton101]

I just use car cut and polish from an auto store Cosimo, I started with a medium grade cutting compound then a light grade and usually finish with Brasso. If it's a Bakelite case I have a brown furniture wax with carnauba which brings back the shine to dull Bakelite. Just using Brasso is usually enough I find. Someone in the comments suggested boot polish works well.

[@ronbetts5133]

Hi Dave interesting videos saw in your last video you using your de soldering pump seems to work well ! could you tell me the brand and were you found it ?keep up the good work regards ron

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Ron, I bought it on eBay., Search for desoldering gun and you should find them. A bit under $40AU delivered . Cheers, Dave

[@tommyn.j3628]

That bakelite are so nice you have museum ??

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi retro man, I have a collection of radios but not a museum 🙂

[@tommyn.j3628]

Nice Brown color 👍

[@DavidTipton101]

Agreed 🙂

[@JayNewberyy]

14:38 will teach me not to watch these videos while falling to sleep.

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha.. sorry about that Jared 😄

[@984francis]

Thanks for the warning!

[@estpst]

Do you have the Healing Scales Moderne radio?

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi itsjustme, no I don't 😕

[@Dutchamp]

David the date must be April 22nd 1947 as your speaker date says I noticed. Not 1946 😉

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Martin, didn't I pick that up? Thanks, it is a 46-47 model so the date fits 👍😀

[@Dutchamp]

@@DavidTipton101 hahaha your right other parts had 46 dates too.

[@alastairbarkley6572]

Hi David,. You didn't get any answers about the HT+ being connected to the chassis. I didn't entirely get your explanation - something about reducing 'electrolyisis' between the case and the windings. Why was there this 1950s craze for 'positive earth'? Radios, TVs, cars... I'm puzzling over a 1960s amateur bands receiver transistor front end/pre-selector I picked up at a car boot sale which uses +12v positive chassis. It's not quite as easy as 'just connecting the power the other way round' when you need to take a signal to a 0v chassis receiver. To add insult to injury, the transistors - which need to be replaced with modern high frequency ones - are all PNP. Hmm.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Alastair, Yes the choke housing was connected to the B+ (HT) but was isolated from the chassis and as far as I know it was to reduce the potential between the choke housing and the windings in the choke to reduce the chance of electrolysis eating through the choke winding. I don't know what you do with your positive ground receiver. is it for a car, a lot of British cars used positive ground into the 60's 🤔

[@fabinhoosmar]

Lindo trabalho colega....Parabéns...!!!!!!

[@DavidTipton101]

Obrigada voce é muito gentil

[@carlosdent]

Hi, I wanted to tell you that I could clean the speaker with a brush 2:34

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Carlos, thanks for the comment and will do in future 😀

[@Latuernich09]

Like the red tubes Like the "turntable" too, needs a "handbrake" Like the speaker protection

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha... yes it does need a brake 😄

[@edgarallanpoe1822]

Had seen better days 🤣👍🏾

[@DavidTipton101]

It's best days maybe ahead EAP 😃

[@ksnstechtopics8650]

Interesting video and a great restoration David. I wonder if you test the capacitors that you replace to find out which end is foil side out? Modern capacitors do not indicate which end is the outside foil and I was wondering if this may have been the cause of the radio's instability when the IF was correctly aligned. Mr Carlson's Lab did a video on this kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJ-1kHeCmZaDeqs Kind Regards, Adrian

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Adrian, I'm familiar with Paul Carlson's interest in capacitor orientation and I did do it for a while using the oscilloscope but found it hard to determine the foil end most times and so don't really buy into it all that much. If it was so much of an issue I think manufacturers would mark the capacitors. It did occur to me when I was having trouble though 🤔🙂

[@arthurdanielles4784]

Oh and we found the SKELETON of a dead mouse in one of ours (Regentone) Yep the SKELETON!! 👀🤣 Anatomically perfect in every detail ... 😀 Not forgetting of course the opening of the back and as you move it out runs one of the biggest dammed spiders you've ever seen 👀😗🤣🤣 Though prob not so funny for the Aussies re poisonous spiders et

[@DavidTipton101]

I guess a mouse skeleton is better than a live mouse 🙂 We only have a few poisonous spiders and most stay outside, besides, the snakes eat them 😄

[@aboassamAno]

ياسلام عليك على هاذا الراديو

[@DavidTipton101]

السلام عليكم يا aboassam2244 آنو 😃

[@aboassamAno]

من اين تاءتي بهم

[@DavidTipton101]

هذا واحد حصلت عليه من Facebook Marketplace

[@عبدالرزاقالجلبي-ي3ص]

Hi davad 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹😪📻.... Abdul

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha... thanks Abdul 😄