Modern Amenities: Viking 1U51 Wartime Chair-Side Radio Repair

[@hestheMaster]

I do like your style when it comes to repairing and restoring vintage electronics. Still could never understand why these asbestos sheets scare people. Prying up the staples after wetting the sheet with water and couple of drops of dish soap in a spray bottle and disposing it in a thick plastic freeze type storage bag is actually good enough. Wash your hands afterwards. It's not something to fear. Seems the radio was never meant to leave the enclosure and getting your hands inside to replace tubes may not have been an easy task. Steve from Illinois

[@Mr.BrownsBasement]

Thank you for your kind words. I want to respect a piece’s original design. I try to approach my repairs with pragmatism, trying to functionally and aesthetically refresh the piece without erasing the essential patina. On the topic of handling asbestos in the context of vintage equipment repair, it may merit a video (or “short”) of its own! I’ve dealt with asbestos pads like that before and follow a very similar process that you suggest to safely remove them. There are so many aspects of vintage tv/radio repair that sometimes I find it hard to stay on topic. It’s too easy to veer off and end up with a meandering video with no clear narrative. With this video I almost fell into this trap. I appreciate your comments and criticism and will try to improve the quality of my work.

[@dhelton40]

Looking at the phono jack, I wonder if the accessory turntable, when switched on, grounded the radio signal (white) and allowed the volume control to shunt the phono signal to ground at both ends resulting in max phone volume in the middle. Maybe not, just a thought.

[@Mr.BrownsBasement]

Possibly. But we’ll never know. 😊

[@alexinnewwest1860]

I like this channel. It’s good to see one from Canada and we get to check out our Canadian radios

[@Mr.BrownsBasement]

Thank you for your kind words. I enjoy making videos and I hope it shows. Our good neighbours to the south often don’t know much about our vintage electronics. I’m hoping to change that. Honestly, I wish I had begun making videos a long time ago before completing some of my more spectacular Canadian sets. But going forward, more electronic Canadiana coming soon!