How to install Speaker Vintage Realistic DX150 Shortwave receiver Mod

For my Grand daughter, Shortwave Girl, Emi. I was wondering what to get her for Christmas. Then it hit me, a pink shortwave radio! I needed it to be simple to operate. The Realistic line is just the ticket. Found one on a Ham swap net at a great price. Emi is a jewel. I love her very much, so this is from me to her with everlasting memory. I remember my 1st receiver that my Dad gave me. Hopefully this is a great way for Emi to remember me. Please don't bash me for changing this receiver. It is a gift that remains in my family, not going to a museum. Hope you enjoy. Thank you all for being part of the D-lab family. TD

[@robcookson4682]

In 1980 I got a Realistic DX 160 from my dad at Christmas. Loved this radio lots then sold it. I wish still had it :( 73 VE6VGS

[@bethtyler1812]

Way back in the 70s when I was just a kid my Nana gave me a transistor radio. That little radio got me hooked on late night DX and I've had a set on the night stand ever since.

[@judges69]

She is a lucky girl, hope she enjoys it and keeps it forever. Good job Grandpaw.

[@materialsguy2002]

Terry, I had a DX-150A when I was a lad. Hours of listening and fun. I am sure SWG will love it.

[@willykluppels2493]

Great radio that gives me nice memories as music and radio's were always a part of my life

[@624radicalham]

You're a great grandfather and a young and cool as heck one to boot! Rock on brother. She's always going to have that radio and this video as her treasure.

[@BrianGay57]

What a great grandpa! Your granddaughter is lucky to have you!

[@joefaz1818]

Great vid, great job on radio, nice editing, too! Very enjoyable watching, keep 'em comin'!! Thank you.

[@nor4277]

You are such a careing granpa,i bought the radio shack outdoor long wire antenna for it .worked pretty well ,i do miss mine .your grandaughter should love this.

[@jeffmitchell9214]

Wow! Nice! I grew up with my HeathKit SW Rec. as it was pretty much The center of my activities for so many years. A late 1958 model AE-2 Tube unit. I got it from my cousin as a gift I. Had a N-S and a E-W long wire antenna on the house thru a DPDT sw. I loved all of radio and went on to be a DJ for many years here in Dallas. Super gift for SW girl!! I know mine was a game changer for me.

[@davedeiler2072]

I really enjoy my Realistic 150B. Have had it for many years now . The power supply went out but was the issue or a couple of bad capacitors. A,friend replaced them and it's as good as new. The 150B, what a great radio.

[@Homer19521]

I talked to you at the Kzoo swap & mentioned the Advent repair. I have 4 grand daughters & have hope that at least one will be interested in SWL/Ham when they get older. I babysat 3 ( 2- 3YO's & one 13 months) of them yesterday!! A labor of love. - 73 Bob

[@duanetrivett750]

Great job Terry !

[@RMoribayashi]

You forgot the DX-160. Same radio as the 150B but with a LW band (not much use in US cities). I had one in the 1970's that served me well for most of the decade. I added a cheap LED frequency counter to it and got very good at adding 455. There are now microcontroller based counters that subtract the IF for you. Maybe a digital display for the 150B might be a good birthday present. By the way, if you watch the movie Apollo 13 you'll see a DX-150 speaker with the word Realistic covered by a NASA meatball. It was being used by Marilyn Lovell in the scenes where she anguishly listens to mission audio at home for news of her husband. In reality Huston used normal phone lines and a Western Electric amplified speaker. Maybe Ronnie Howard thought a real 1960's phone accessory didn't look space age enough.

[@ronalddaub7965]

I remember that speaker

[@89.8kiwifm9]

I hope she gets the radio bug like the rest of us did when we were young. Great gift Terry!

[@vonzigle]

Nice job! That receiver is a jewel....

[@duanetrivett750]

Its great SWG loves short wave i guess you are very proud ! I know i would be . 73s

[@johnbellas490]

I must say that turned out to be a real nice receiver !! My Grandmother gave me a Crosley tube radio from the late 1930's or early 40's with AM and 2 shortwave bands!! this was a tombstone style radio with either 6 or seven tubes in it. I enjoyed listening to the short wave bands and wondered about all those FAR AWAY PLACES I was listening to AND the HAM RADIO operators when they ran AM mode on 80 or 40 meters. I still have that old radio TODAY!! I envy your grand daughter Ha Ha.John Bellas KC2UVN

[@dennisperusse3837]

Awesome video Terry. She's gonna have a blast with that. 😀

[@MikeW2TB]

Terrific job! Enjoyed watching.

[@crazyuncleduke8012]

You should patent the color scheme in case Mattel come out with a Shortwave Barbie somewhere down the road. :-)

[@oldkingcole6147]

Awesome project, Looks very fine, Anyone would be proud to own SWG no exception!

[@wkaibigan]

Great job. Hope Short Wave Girl will get plenty of enjoyment from it.

[@bundylovess]

Nice job DLab she will love it

[@RobertKohut]

Nice...too cute...can't wait to see her get it.

[@d-labelectronics]

Thanks man, I appreciate your input. Also love your puns!

[@RobertKohut]

Thanks, message "received"...LOL

[@JobyP]

Beautiful Gift Terry!

[@d-labelectronics]

Thanks man, The Pink really looks great. I was surprised.

[@gaffeltroll]

Det du gjør er helt fantastisk 👏

[@nor4277]

Yeah I had the DX 160 ,wish I would have hung on to it ,

[@stridermt2k]

Beautiful work! This came out great -and the internal speaker mod was really well explained. 73 de N2NLQ

[@rciancia]

Awesome idea, and awesome radio Terry. It was also really awesome to hear the INTRO MUSIC.... thank you for adding it to your library.. very very cool Shortwave Girl is a very lucky granddaughter to have this radio. I love the speaker addition... really really nice. . Ron

[@d-labelectronics]

Yes Sir, and I appreciate your creativity producing it. I will be sending you something. I thought it fit the scene well. TD

[@rciancia]

I agree Terry - the techno vibe fit right in with the intro. Good stuff.. Thank you sir

[@stanleygerrick6053]

Great job Terry! Emi, Shortwave Girl, will be very happy! Dr. Stan KZ8G

[@bigmac965]

But, but, but.... It's PINK! :) Looks great! What a great gift for SWG! Good work!

[@alphabeets]

Nice work!

[@fabinhoosmar]

Job very well done .... !!!!

[@medhawk4885]

Beautiful job and I'm betting that she'll love it. ~N4TYX~

[@johnsimms3957]

Cool project. I was wondering did you have to put a resistor in between the speaker and the receiver to keep from putting too many watts into it?

[@theodoresears4679]

That radio is nice. How do use impeadance transformer to match to 50 ohm coax to the antenna input terminals.

[@Hammerjockeyrepair]

I woulda left the case alone, either swapped lids from a 150a, or I would have installed the speaker into the pressboard on the back, its already drilled etc! But your way is more correct and more practical, 1 its how they did it already on the 150a's so why reinvent the wheel, and 2 the sound will come out where it should incase the radio gets shoved into a wall. This is awesome! Get them interested from birth!!!!

[@robozstarrr8930]

very nice . . . another possible speaker install method would be to drill ~40 - or so "spaced" holes, ~3/16 inch diameter for the speaker sound.

[@Radionut]

Great job on putting that speaker in however I was a little bit shocked by the color of the cabinet. Just doesn’t look right. Thank you for the upload

[@d-labelectronics]

Pink for my Grand daughter

[@CH_Pechiar]

Terry, did she like the present? Did you do a followup video?

[@silvermica]

Whoa! Realistic had a shortwave receiver?

[@alengregorin8366]

Hello Mr. D, i'm still waiting for that mail if you wish to have that music. Thank you for another video.

[@tubeDude48]

Where did you get the perforated metal from?

[@NuttyforNissan]

Now there's an idea. :)

[@mikesmuseum]

Fantastic gift and great job! Did you happen to add your pi filter mod to it, to reduce noise? (Or at least an extra 470uF cap after the rectifier?) Either way, hats off to you!

[@d-labelectronics]

Haven't updated hers yet. Plan to have a battle of the DX-150B;'s video during the holiday break.

[@flatfrog69rr71]

Hi Terry Thanks - great video !! I had one of these radio's, back in the 70's I found with suitable attenuation and a fet buffer it made a great rf sig gen ! did you ever think about replacing the bulbs with pink led 's for her ?

[@d-labelectronics]

Excellent idea my friend. That would be very cool.

[@greatreset3]

Why not mount the speaker to a brkt right onto the chassis? 📡

[@migsvensurfing6310]

I guess pink is the new black :)

[@jeromegrzelak8236]

Did hey say Curcuys Board ?

[@waynehall1]

So, SWG isn't allowed to watch Grandpa's channel until after Christmas? Or is this present arriving early?? :-)

[@d-labelectronics]

This will be her big Christmas gift. In storage at this point

[@BillboardPenguin]

How did she like it?

[@d-labelectronics]

We are snowed in, so have not given her the RX yet. Soon & I will post a follow up vid. Merry Christmas!

[@jim874]

How old?

[@gbowne1]

you too? :-)

[@victorsdunek3281]

D Lab Looking for A Short Wave Radio Tube Type to Buy Got Any For Sale Victor

[@d-labelectronics]

Hello Victor, Yes Sir, several, including a National NC-183 (very heavy)

[@billyrey9679]

Heya GP, I need a Long-Wire.

[@d-labelectronics]

Yep, the antenna will be an issue. I'm thinking just a spool of wire

[@ronalddaub7965]

My 160 has a lot of slug tuneing.

[@animalcorvair]

i have 2 150bs

[@ronalddaub7965]

A 160 doesn't drift anymore than any of the others

[@tocosauce1158]

DX-160 compared to Dx-150 sucks? I have to disagree.