Marlboro Novelty AM Radio Repair One Of The Worst

lots of problems with this one

[@easyandy1978]

"Politics is the Entertainment Department of the Military Industrial Complex." - Frank Zappa

[@pantherplatform]

I just left a Zappa comment on another channel

[@357bullfrog2]

That is a fact!

[@jakemichael8586]

you are so right! my tag line politics is a poppet show! people need to understand to change stuff they need to change local stuff! people are sheep thou!

[@kombi9648]

I want to thank you. My wife passed. And well. Your videos have really been helping me. The way you go into theory and operations. I mean deep. And your great technical knowledge. It takes me to my technical mind frame that has been helping me cope. Again. Thank you and keep it up

[@vancouverman4313]

Sorry to hear about your loss, it's always hard to lose those close to us.

[@kombi9648]

@@vancouverman4313 Thank you. His videos have really helped. They helped get me out of my head and think technically

[@mikemiller659]

Hi, I hope you are doing better now with the passage of some time.

[@sonsofthunder915]

If you want a good sounding cigarette change brands. Try Winston. Because "Winston sounds good like a cigarette should".

[@williammitchem8274]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@hestheMaster]

Best comment ever for this video!

[@nathanlewis5682]

I wonder if Virginia Slims or Kool, Lucky Strike sounds better or worse. I'm not a smoker, so I don't know brand name quality control.

[@DriveInFreak]

Or one could just enjoy the smooth refreshing sound of a Kool radio, or perhaps a Kent radio with asbestos filter caps.

[@Robert_Wolf]

Or Marlboro Menthol. Only tunes to easy listening..

[@MuscatelTom]

"These cigarettes sound like shit" i literally belly laughed

[@MrsSunshine75]

Absolutely cracked me up, I’ve never laughed that hard on any utube vid like this. 🤪

[@ukbb2632]

45:44

[@johnnytacokleinschmidt515]

Radio sounds like it's been smoking two packs of Marlboro Reds for 5 decades.

[@ELECTROMAN_MX]

lmao haha

[@diegotristen2457]

I know Im asking the wrong place but does anybody know of a tool to log back into an instagram account? I somehow lost the account password. I would love any help you can give me!

[@alanlennon3871]

@Diego Tristen instablaster :)

[@diegotristen2457]

@Alan Lennon I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and Im trying it out atm. Seems to take a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@diegotristen2457]

@Alan Lennon It worked and I actually got access to my account again. Im so happy! Thank you so much you saved my account !

[@qrplife]

I don’t know why, but I love it when shango says”Hongkoidial” 😂

[@gerardcarriera7052]

It's after your twirkulate!

[@1956kirk]

It's become my favorite term for Honk kong transistor radios.

[@TheGuitologist]

Dan, you are probably a better teacher than any of the youngsters have ever had in school anyway. Keep it up.

[@iroll]

That is, if they ever even had a chance to learn electronics in school. I was lucky enough to go to a country school in the 90s when we still had vocational classes, but we didn't have anything electrical (except auto). What little I know (and a lot of other people) I had to learn myself.

[@TurboTel68]

I’ve learnt more from Shango, Chris, Brian RTVPN, Jordan Pier and Bob Anderson than I ever learnt at school back in the 90’s. The skill these guys are passing on is the kind of things that you’d only pick up (if you were lucky) whilst doing an apprenticeship, skills learnt real time from being in the job.

[@TechTokOffical]

@@iroll I went to a private school in the inner city. Our PRIVATE school would bus us to the CITY SCHOOLS for vocational training so being a "country" school had nothing to do with it. It's called u lived in an area that cared about education so the chose to fund vocational training

[@dbrown51967]

never thought that transistor bias was political before.

[@JohnTurney]

Trump was anti-trans.

[@mycomment474]

Goes to show that experience speaks louder than virginity.

[@Madness832]

He's like, "...let's get an isolation capacitor..." I'm like, "holy s**t!"

[@jeff32276]

Really enjoy your repair videos, Shango. Really interesting one here.

[@Elfnetdesigns]

I recently got into an argument with some free energy nuts about radio and they trying to tell me that an AM radio does not need an antenna that you can just stick a wire into the grounds and receive stations from across the world, and that they can just get non russian germanium diodes and transistors like you can silicon ones... Funny stuff

[@JDSly1]

I quit smoking on the last day of January 2001. 20 years ago, almost to the day. Marlboro Reds were my brand. Seems strange that I came across this video. Enjoyed it very much and never had the urge to light up while watching it.

[@radioarchives101]

Anyone else noticed when Shango features a radio on his channel, eBay prices go up?

[@shango066]

Isn't that cool? Gives me a sense of purpose in the world. I know there were two or three of these on eBay I haven't taken a look at what's happened with them yet. If you look they had different chassis in them

[@erikj.2066]

Yup. I also found someone on eBay has a 1972 magazine ad for sale, showing the "Marlboro Beach Offer", which included this radio, along with a big Marlboro cigarette pack beach towel. You could pay Marlboro $7 ($43 adjusted for inflation) to advertise for them, while laying on the beach working on your melanoma.

[@badscrew4023]

Shango's creating wealth and propelling capitalist economy forwards!

[@bigsky1970]

"Could be an open speaker, could be an open headphone jack...." .... OR, it could be that low flying airplane sprinkling avgas on your head. Was really looking forward to this repair and glad I didn't have to wait 3 months for it. Thanks Shango for all your great content!

[@MD-Yuh]

As always, excellent premium quality electrolytic capacitors detected (not). Actually, just want to say: Thanks for your videos!

[@geoffquickfall8424]

I always check the jack with an ear bud just to see if the jack connections are not corroded prior to disassembly. Great videos as always, and I mean all of them!

[@jrs0007]

Nice job of dealing with that tough dog. I'm surprised you found so many out of tolerance resistors. Maybe the manufacturer used 'seconds' or rejects to save $$. It might be worth a complete overhaul as there are people that collect cigarette memorabilia. Thanks for the fine videos. I especially like your 'roundie' color TV and Russian radio posts.

[@force311999]

was just a cheap novelty radio never ment to last long or sound that good my sister has the Roles Royce radio car and it sounded like shit when it was new

[@hotpuppy1]

Time involved makes it not worth restoring.

[@bzert281]

It still doesn't Sound Like a Pack of Cigarettes Should - this is why i listen to you, man. that, and the training in elecxtronics troubleshooting i'm receiving. Thanks!

[@urbexandbrokenthings4806]

lucky strike means fine transistors

[@alexandermigel2272]

The cat is priceless.

[@hom2fu]

catboro radio

[@JerryEricsson]

When I was 16 I started smoking, back then it seemed like EVERYONE was smoking Marlboro's I continued with that brand till I was 18 and had to serve my country in Vietnam. The humidity there seemed to effect the taste of the smokes and I switched to KOOL'S, needed that menthol to smooth the lung action. Well in 1993 an accident killed my police career and I was sent to college to be re-trained in a new job. About then the government, in it's ultimate wisdom declared that there be a very high tobacco tax. The price of the damn coffin nails went so high I just had to quit! First damn tax increase I ever felt good about. Neither of my sisters quitk both tride but could not kick the habit. Well neither of them smoke any more, well my eldest did smoke for a few hours in the crematorium, my younger sister simply faded away in the nursing home where she worked during the last chapter of her life. Both died of cancer. Smoking is not cool, even smoking KOOLS is not cool. Here I sit, all alone, just me and my 95 year old mother are left in our family Even my wonderful wife of 51 years was taken from me by cancer, hell she quit smoking in 1972 when she was pregnant with our youngest child, who is now living with me and caring for my home and cooking for us.

[@DR-xm9ck]

Bless you sir and thank you for your service.

[@raymondleggs5508]

my late grandmother started smoking when she was 13

[@stridermt2k]

These radios seemed to be in junk drawers in everybody's house when I was growing up. ...I don't seem to recalling them working...just junk drawer fodder. Still very cool to seem these again at someone at one! You are awesome dude.

[@sarahhoward9081]

I really was thinking I gotta go get a pack of smokes. I switched to camels though. Just like santa claus and Burt Reynolds.lol

[@EngineeringVignettes]

"It certainly does not sound very good" ... It's a radio made out of Marlboro cigarettes...

[@bluepen61]

LOL! My birthday!! And President Reagan's too! Thank you for sharing this feature presentation!!! The Marlboro Man!

[@westelaudio943]

"I smoke them ol' nasty cigarettes, smoked them all my life I ain't dead yet!" Interestingly I took apart a cheap novelty radio similar to this today just out of curiosity... It has a date code of November '96 however it still has the same PCB layout for the ferrite rod, pot/switch, plastic condenser and three coils/IF cans as the Hongkoidial 70s sets... It also has FM and no AF transformers or even a discrete transistor in sight. All the amplification is done by a Scrapsung branded SMD IC on the other side of the board.

[@tarstarkusz]

If this radio is official, it is likely worth a few bucks. 100 at minimum. Marlboro miles crap sells for a fairly large premium and that's all from the 90s.

[@bansheemania1692]

@@tarstarkusz my dad has almost everything from the catalog except the pool table.. Back pack,tent, sleeping bag, lantern, blanket,cooler's, . That stuff is worth a Good Buck

[@tarstarkusz]

@@bansheemania1692 Yeah, I got a bunch of it too.

[@n5wsu]

I love compound level repair. Thanks for the video.

[@bruceferrero8178]

Thanks for the info Shango. Neighbor gave me an old Royal, not zenith, Japanese radio. This video helped me get it running!

[@charleswillsonpeale5739]

Shango, we see your Marlboro, now show us your Lark.

[@Amicus-fp6dy]

Weller soldering iron's are very good !! i have had my one for years ! Really enjoy watching your video's !!!

[@johnnytacokleinschmidt515]

"Smoker's choice!" That popped into my head when the notification popped up. Not sure why..... 😆

[@sonyajones]

Loved the token cat insert at the end. Great video!

[@1McMurdoSilver]

Keep up the good videos Shango!

[@clairmorrill8660]

When I took an electronics class while in highschool in the early 80's we built an AM Radio from a kit, it was a Marcraft model SE-1007, it used silicon transistors, it also used interstage and output transistors too. I thought that it sounded good at that time, so if an audio coupled transformer is properly designed it can sound quite good. One of my friends built a Graymark AM radio model 536 from a kit too, but it used a class AB push pull output transformer less audio power amplifier (discreet) using transistors

[@SpinStar1956]

Your "doting" masses demand a transformer re-wind (with specific turn-number on where the open took place)-- LOL!! Great video, but from the looks of things, you aren't going to "kick" the habit...

[@scharkalvin]

KNX, reminds me of a comment from a radio column in Electronics Illustrated back in the 70's. A crystal set will drive a small speaker with that one, and if you lived any closer it might drive a small car. IIRC there were some germanium transistor radios that had complementary output stages, but it wasn't common till Silicon. Actually those small transformers were just as crapy audio wise as the 2 x nothing speakers they were driving. So much for a single point of failure on this one! I don't see AM radio going away either. I could image that certain stations whose news casting was equal to crying fire in a theatre (that WASN'T on fire), might lose their licenses.

[@jeffadams5510]

Cigarette glaze/plaque psoriasis-lol!!! Hey, you mentioned a ffdp video a while back and while I was never a fan I went looking and believe I found what you were tlaking about-thank you! Were all living the dream!!!!!

[@allthegearnoidea6752]

It’s always an education watch you. I’m hoping to do some work on my vintage television as it’s taking me three weeks to do what you do in three minutes.

[@cskippy2000]

Oh man I've been looking forward to this one.

[@seangorry]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us :)

[@dindog22]

I don't know why I find these videos so fascinating

[@bigsky1970]

21:08 I remember when you got that MTester and you demonstrated it in a video a ways back and you were testing a batch of Russian NPN and PNP transistors, and at the time you mentioned you got it on Banggood out of China and commented on how long it took to ship, like 3 weeks or something like that. But for what it does you got a lot of bang for your Yuan. BTW Dennis Prager is on AM 870 The Answer, which is Salem Radio Networks owned station KRLA. All of Salem's talk stations identify either as "The Answer" or "The Patriot".

[@tiporari]

Nice repair. Always good to start with a thorough visual inspection. Of course we can look right at a fault and our tiny brains filter it out.

[@leegilbert9780]

I still think you should have used cigarette butts for the capacitor replacements. Great video!

[@bobdoily7653]

What. No more conservative AM talk radio ? Bob Dole says, " I'll look into this, hold my beer".

[@jimw7ry]

This was recorded just 18 days before Rush died. RIP Elrushbo... We miss you greatly!

[@gerardcarriera7052]

I call that a Murphy's Law radio! Nice kitty at the end.

[@wrappeda]

Glad I saw this. I've been feeling embarassed that I still use my 15W Antex iron that I've been usung since the 70's.... So now I can continue repairs with ToolTech Nullification. Thought my life was over for a minute there.

[@chetpomeroy1399]

That's a cool looking pocket transistor radio! I used to smoke Marlboros, but they got too expensive when they went up to 90 cents a pack.

[@robertriley1569]

90cts a pack that must have been about 1978

[@clairmorrill8660]

In some of the the early transformer coupled amplifiers they used a varasistor to control the transistor bias, but today they use a silicon diode to control the bias point

[@davidjames666]

I wish they would bring back classic toys like this

[@jasonb4370]

What size capacitor is that and Voltage for the frequency generator.

[@joesmoe71]

That little thing reminds me of an AM radio I picked up at a yard sale for 10 cents when I was a kid, that too was as dead as a door nail. Using kid logic I decided maybe it needed more voltage so I stripped the 9v battery wires and plugged it directly into a wall socket... well it was interesting, needless to say, it literally exploded.

[@DR-xm9ck]

Hilarious. Sometimes "we just need more power" is not the answer.

[@Radiowild]

Cute kitty at the end! Looks like our cat Berwyn!

[@LakeNipissing]

As Shango brings in a soda can of a capacitor for DC isolation for the signal generator!! LOL

[@ianliston-smith7921]

Top tip: start with a good visual inspection then I think I'd go over the soldering!

[@evankolar8957]

Video coming out with super bowl playing on the radio/on the screen?

[@danmackintosh6325]

As per the others, the cat featuring in the video is always a welcome sight... Seemed to enjoy the cigarette radio too, has he/she requested to keep it as a trophy?

[@rubenproost2552]

Dip that iron in flux when hot. I use the stuff for copper pipes. Makes it like new instantly.

[@vancouverman4313]

You don't want to use plumbing flux on electronic equipment, it eventually oxidizes the solder joints causing bad connections. To clean a soldering iron tip, you can use steel wool that has no additives like soap and once you have gently scraped the tip with the steel wool, you tin it with some rosin core electronics solder. 60/40 is best.

[@albinklein7680]

I wonder if a "Kool" branded novelty radio would play Barry White and Isaac Hayes on every frequency.

[@nathanlewis5682]

Virginia slims play old women music

[@357bullfrog2]

The camel one plays middle eastern music only

[@jerrysims7900]

I may be wrong, but 30 or 40 years ago this was a job but now it'a a fun hobby. Am I right? I enjoy your channel...

[@Synthematix]

Shango why don’t you fit that capacitor inside your signal tracer? And add a switch to turn it off and on.

[@TheGuitologist]

That soldering iron is not nearly large enough.

[@Benzene265]

Got the anti-vaping PSA, lol.

[@peterconrad8416]

Nice Gruen branded meter! Came out of some sort of watch repair device?

[@cat-lw6kq]

Get one of those cheap little generator kits. I use it to test my radios..connect it across the volume control and adjust it. This tells you the volume control..speaker and output stage is working.

[@davidmaddison2628]

Great video. I think you should try and fix the original transformer or find an exact replacement.

[@tomhoehler3284]

Those TEN transistors are hanging tough! Everything else has gone to hell, but the TEN's soldier on!

[@Brandonrockz]

I was in LA and came across an abandoned tv on the curb , tried looking here and on mine explorers page for some contact info but no luck, is there any way to reach you about stuff like that? Or are you not interested at the moment

[@shango066]

It's on the mine explorers

[@Musicradio77Network]

BTW, I checked the iHeartRadio and Radio Disney is still on the air after January 31st, and today is February 6th and Radio Disney is still on the air. What is up with that?! I’m not sure if this station might be go off or not, maybe on a later date when the station gets sold.

[@shango066]

Yep it's still on. It was posted in the comments here that it would be gone by a certain date just like they analog output on DirecTV that's still going

[@artaim2000]

Hey, do you have any TVs for sale? I’d by any set that you don’t want. eBay doesn’t have what I’m looking for. Thanks!

[@davidraezer5937]

Great instructional video. Shango’s commentary completes the video circuit:)

[@donaldhoot7741]

As long as you say solder correctly you are cool! Some misguided souls say "soulder"! Great video!

[@patburnsent]

Is it possible that this radio never worked from day one, got put away somewhere and that explains the pristine condition?

[@2006chame]

please link to buy one of those anti static towels

[@electronicsvintage]

I certainly do enjoy your vid's. Listen to em' while I play poker, online. Wish we had an electronics store here in Kansas City. Glad I don't live in California. That place sounds like a chit-hole gone bad.

[@edisone1]

Still the most sardonic voice on YT, with the best birdsongs in the background. Your persistence is an inspiration.

[@electrofan7180]

This radio is perfect example of what happens with you if smoking too much☻

[@jeffshaw4039]

Looks really good I would keep it

[@jeffdavis6739]

Love radios. My son got me this exact novelty radio for Christmas. Sez it worked when he got it. Makes only static now. Do you offer paid TeleRadio support?

[@horseathalt7308]

Id be interested in seein shango rewind that old transformer

[@JacGoudsmit]

I'm Batman and I approve this fake pack of cigarettes. Smelling the glue that you liberated from those screws can't be worse than smoking a pack of cigarettes.

[@bauertime]

Why do solder irons have the whole shaft exposed and getting hot? Just so you accidentally touch it and get burned.

[@BudTheDrummer]

What's the rating on the anti backfeed capacitor? I'd like to try some of the things I've learned from you.

[@shango066]

A few uf not critical

[@BudTheDrummer]

@@shango066 Thank you!

[@Tall_Order]

I wonder if Marlboro would be able to cell merch like this today. Its a different world now, and not in a good way.

[@Budro4764]

It's kinda funny that in certain areas, a pack of cigs are 10 bux......That's more than the radio costed in the 60's or early 70's ......

[@thedude8046]

I remember these, they were cool.

[@InsideOfMyOwnMind]

How ironic that the first thing to come out of the speaker sounded like a guy with a battery operated voice box.

[@simonmorris3964]

A few older people watching an learning as well.

[@dougmcartin3881]

The Conelrad markings on the dial went away after 1963.

[@babumanikuttan2258]

Very good job bro

[@LiquidRadio]

“These cigarettes sound like shit” 😆

[@barryfleischer6553]

What causes these components to fail? Is it not being used for many years?Being dropped? If this radio were in constant use, would the electrolyics have not opened? Do geranium transistors fail when not used for long periods? I know you said the transformers are unreliable to begin with but does lack of use have an effect? I'm asking because my transistor radios are all in constant use, and work great with all original parts.

[@danieldaniels7571]

I’m curious too. I have an AM transistor radio from the early ‘60s that’s never been worked on that works great. I use it a lot.

[@nickfrench7372]

I like the cat listening to the cigarette pack radio,,,at the end of the video.

[@jamesatkinson6480]

An interesting examination where a radio of such age would have 'dried up' electrolytic capacitors with the occasional transistor failing, but this one seems to be an issue of manufacturing with faulty components, and that one IF stage was assembled, but extraneous.. Perhaps it was a taste of "Marlboro Country. Come to where the flavor is... "

[@clairmorrill8660]

Output transformers were initially used in vacuum tube radio audio amplifiers to step down the high voltage to drive a speaker, but in the early days of transistors they had very low current ratings, so they needed impedance matching to make up for the low collector current, this is my theory about why they used interstage and output transformers

[@carmac1652]

That's cool I want one 👍🇨🇦

[@JurassicJenkins]

Hi Shango066 I really enjoy watching your videos and have learned a lot of new techniques. 20:42 you mentioned that the tester your using is a M tool. To the new, inexperienced and perhaps future resurrection peeps that tool is a magical device that deserves a bit more explanation. After all it detects the component seemingly plugged in to a IC chip holder and details much information. It’s quite incredible, inexpensive and worthy of space on any bench or lab. I got one from Amazon, it gives you confidence when in doubt. I consider it a must have tool for troubleshooting and discrete component identification. 👍🏻

[@hamandcheese25]

I wonder how many cartons had to be smoked to get this gem

[@CommodoreFan64]

I can say from experience from my late father who died from smoking Marlboro lites way too many. I think it was like 1,000 Marlboro miles just to get a crappy t-shirt.

[@hamandcheese25]

@@CommodoreFan64 for sure, I knew I guy who had the fly/spinning fishing rod combo in the case and that thing was like 300,000 miles