Pocket AM Transistor Radio Repair

Troubleshooting cheap pocket transistor radio. Basic simple fun repair video.

[@chuckermatinger3794]

It's GREAT to see people interested in old transistor radios, regardless of how cheap the make and model. Thanks for these great vids.

[@gartmorn]

Great tips for checking out the various stages of the radios. We're not all experts to begin with so these tricks are really useful!

[@wildbilltexas]

Nice repair. When I was a kid in the 70's, I had a TG&Y radio that looked just like that. They must have made billions of them.

[@Robert-fy1wh]

They did! I still have mine with box and instructions. I loved TG&Y:)

[@wildbilltexas]

@@Robert-fy1wh I miss TG&Y they went out of business in the mid 80's.

[@AMStationEngineer]

This was the most interesting topic on televison today, 25 December 2015!

[@johnyoung4039]

I had a radio like that except it was red. The reception wasn't that great. It is what it is. I'm impressed how your radio is working since you fixed it. Mine never worked as good as that!

[@tomwold8269]

Great fix. Sometimes it's amazing what replacing 1 59 cent transistor can do.

[@MsCori76]

I use to have heaps of these little radios growing up as a kid.

[@SoddingaboutSi]

Yep me too

[@JerryEricsson]

Actually AM Can go that far even during the day on clear channels. I live in South Dakota, we listen to KFYR out of Bismarck for most of our radio news and such. When we were snow-birding it, and going to Arizona for the winter, my Jeep had the AM radio button still set for Bismarck. One afternoon, while my wife was in the Dollar General in Topock, I turned on the radio that was still set to Bismarck, and damned if the radio didn't play Bismarck. I listened for over 30 minutes while the wife was buying food, the next trip I tried and it still worked a week later. Then we drove over to Bullhead City, still worked, and at Lake Havasu City, same thing still worked while parked in the Walmart Parking lot, and at the London Bridge. 550 on your Radio Dial, KFYR Bismarck ND

[@jeffking4176]

I’m one of those “ new guys “. Started collecting a couple of years ago, know absolutely nothing. It will take me some years before I can attempt anything. But I will learn🙂

[@ArlenMoulton2]

@@daleburrell6273 Radios maybe?

[@ArlenMoulton2]

@@daleburrell6273 Indeed I do!

[@erguy6319]

The lighter fluid can soft the dial glue, I use it to remove the camera body leather covers.

[@labiadh_chokri]

Nice repair I hope that all governments keep am and fm broadcasting without introduction of digital transmission.

[@knarf802]

Excellent! I love brown through hole boards the most! Oscillator trick I honestly didn't know (younger)!

[@ldchappell1]

I'm always amazed by all the diagnosing equipment these guys have. Especially shango066 and radiotvphononut. I probably have six portable radios and none of them have batteries. I also live in earthquake country. I have one of those hand crank radios if I really get into an emergency.

[@Pyridox]

I had a similar one, made by STEWART, many years ago. I think I got it at one of the drug store chains, or maybe Kmart. I like your method of using another (known good) radio to see if it picks up the oscillator frequency, thanks for the tips. The 2N3904 seemed to work well. You are correct about those dome topped transistors, I had a couple of HH Scott receivers that had those in them, luckily HH Scott used transistor sockets in some of their receivers so replacing them was easy. Thanks Shango66 for all of your videos, I love all of the tips. Hope you have a Healthy & Happy New Year.

[@MisterTalkingMachine]

Glad to see the radio test for the local oscillator. I remember doing that when I was younger and having no clue what was going on. Hope you had a nice Xmas, Shango.

[@claudiosalvatore754]

I had the same radio when i was a kid in the 80's, i think it was under the brand of Goldstar, but i'm not shure. It sounded good for it's size! :-) love your video's, keep up the good work!!

[@markmarkofkane8167]

When I couldn't get to the screw to remove a knob, I drilled a hole . I had to, the knob was loose, and the label was welded on.

[@skycarl]

Good fix Shango,,,you followed your diagnosis and it worked with the probable transistor problem. Carl

[@wierpkevin]

Stewart and a 9volt Duracell , that’s the combo I want to rely on when the SHTF situation comes !

[@mohinderkaur6671]

Duracell 9v maybe ok. All others sizes leak like bydan's diaper

[@hadireg]

Thank you Sir for sharing !! since I was a kid, I'm a big fan of these receivers!

[@KennethScharf]

I thought that by the time those rice ball radios had migrated from Ge to Si transistors, they also had gone to OTL audio output stages using complementary transistors. I checked in my junk box and I have so many of those 455khz If transformers salvaged from junker radios and a drawer full of Ge RF and AF transistors (two different part numbers that will work in the converter, if, pre driver and output stages of any BCB Ge transistor radio. I really need to just build one of these things from scratch, just for the hell of it. I do have an old Zenith "Owl Eye" 8 transistor set that works fine. It has an rf stage, mix/osc (TWO transistors), 2 IFstages, af driver and p-p output. All NPN Ge transistors IIRC.

[@shyammohabir8283]

Thanks for this Video! Radios are peaking my interest now!

[@marty-fh1rw]

I had a Precor for Christmas in the 70s in the uk.Looked the same.Thanks.

[@MarkCox-uy6lx]

Greetings there, Mr. Shango I have a radio just like that one I enjoy fixing vintage transistor radios I have a radio just like that one. The one I have has all metal transistors except one it works quite well AGC capacitor does need to be replaced. I do enjoy restoring vintage transistor radios. I am the one that sent you some comments sometime ago growing up in Pasadena Texas grew up playing with transistor radios even vintage TVs dot myself no schematics just taught myself. Just wanted to share some thoughts with you hope to meet you sometime maybe on the phone as well. I have a very fun phrase. Everyone who knows me loves so well. It is woofers and tweeters. Yes, that was funny. Looking things that vibrate in your radio. Talk to you later.

[@dc2daylight1]

Merry Christmas. Love your vids. Reminds me of doing things when I was younger. What transpired to make you put your name in your vids now. The other thing I love about your videos is that it makes me remember what it was like living out west. I got my engineering license in SoCal a long time ago.

[@thomasfrancis5747]

Had one the same in the early 70's - Teleton branded? Used it at school to listen to the pop chart run down on a Tuesday. It packed up and IIRC we ended up playing cricket with it....

[@martinoliver9017]

Everyone should have one lol....l started collecting vintage pocket radios in lockdown and now have about forty of them

[@jerrycarriera8648]

I have that radio in cherry red under the Amisonic brand. Got it for Christmas in 1973. It's 42 years old, works fine but a mediocre performer. I also have that old GE in turquoise from 1959. It's 56 years old, works fine, made in USA, no SMD and a great performer.Got it for 99 cents at a Salvation Army store. The only problem was corroded battery terminals. A little sand paper and WD-40 got it up and running.

[@nor4277]

Radio.shack.sold this one.too,nice repair.

[@stighenningjohansen]

Had one of these, in -74? Exactly the same, but a different colour and name, very high sensitivity and good sound for the size. Nice find Listened to Radio Luxemburg at the time, they thei transmitted at 1MW or something..

[@ArndroidInc]

I saw a radio that looks very similar to this at a thrift store today. The color was blue and the brand was Dyn.

[@Evan420]

I have a similar radio, it's a Victory, completely different cabinet, but same chassis. It even shares the same back cover as these generic radios.Probably same volume knob, tuning knob is different. Kinda has an army feel to it, army style in a dark green cabinet. This video gave me an idea of how to fix mine, it had low volume. I took it apart and jumped a capacitor across one on the board and the volume jumped up and stayed jumped up. Just like radiotvphononut's video of where he fixed 3 pocket transistor radios where he jumped the capacitor onto one on the board and the volume jumped up.

[@runardamnes6359]

Nice little radio! Since i don't have one, I just ordered a kit on ebay. It's complete with a cute little red case and everything. Old style transistor superhet. AM only. Merry Christmas and all that stuff..

[@daylightbigboy]

@0:17 Amen to that. I always carry a transistor set with me. I get a few funny looks when I'm carrying the Realistic Patrolman 4 but idc, it'll come in handy one of these days.

[@stephenwilliams5201]

Barely a superhet, the " pop" tells me it's a class a amp. The noise is a "dirty, worn pot. Cleaner/lube helps. Get radios from good will all the time. I take polka dots from craft shop to cover dial damage. Always room for learning. De kv4li tks

[@jwl9286]

Way to go! You are awesome and I enjoy everyone of your videos! It's fun to see all the techniques used to repair equipment. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[@NJPurling]

I have a new in box example of this pocket radio. It has TO1 cased devices and works properly. I got it because another example was my first ever radio. They don't sound too good, but it is amazing how you forget such things. I do have a Hong Kong made portable that has these wayward black transistors. It had low volume and a lot of hiss. The converter was OK, so I swopped the unmarked 1st IF transistor for a 2N3904. Bullseye. Volume pot is a bit noisy, but contact cleaner ought to cure that. The radio is as scuffed as some old trainers & looks like garbage. I had to replace a trace on the circuit board with some wire.

[@MrTobysmusic]

Happy Holidays, Dan. Thanks for all the vids! Joe

[@philipbarry9209]

I just did a repair on this model. It was just a speaker replacement, re cap. Good to go.

[@danielletendre9439]

Very interesting video. Great job. Thanks

[@manuelvillanueva3753]

A versatile and useful gadget, a must have all!

[@michaelrobertson575]

You say that there is nothing much to these radios more than once in this video but I have never been able to make a Self oscillating mixer stage (you call it a Converter) using home wound coils.There are at least two configurations for these stages one of which is called Reinartz.While Ferrite rod aerials can be home wound fairly easily for Medium wave (although shop bought ones tend to have Litz wire to reduce skin effect) and I.F.T.s can be improvised it would seem that it's the Local oscillator coil (red slug) that is the hard part to make.I wonder if it would be possible for you to set up one of these Self oscillating mixer stages or Front ends on a bread board using a home wound Local oscillator coil and connect it temporarily in the place of the existing Front end in a working radio to prove that it can be done.Seeing this and hearing it function (with schematic and winding details) would be of huge educational benefit to myself and I guess many others.

[@JerryEricsson]

OH I do have a small transistor radio for such use, however it is AM/FM/Shortwave by Grundig, wonderful little digital tuned radio runs off 3 AA batteries and pulls in stations extremely well. Not much bigger then the pocket radios, in fact it will fit in my pants pocket, even better in cargo pants.

[@gibbywankenobi66]

We had one when I was a kid that looked just like that except it was a KMart brand.

[@michaelturner4457]

I had one of these radios with same symptoms, local oscillator was working, but nothing in the IF. And it was the IF transformer was open in the primary.

[@Pwaak]

Loved this video! Merry Christmas!

[@berwynrogers1450]

Hi wonder if you can help me iv got a steeple tone SAB9 m2 from the early 90s and it seem to have a week reception iv tried to find an alignment procedure on line but no luck can you help plz

[@radiotvphononut]

Looks like a '74 date code on the speaker.

[@2davydo]

+radiotvphononut Merry Christmas radiotvphononut

[@michaelrobertson575]

Further to my previous comment on these radios I thought I'd try a little bit of experimentation.I wondered if a 470KHz I.F.T. with it's fixed tuning capacitor removed could be used as an M.W. Oscillator coil in a self-oscillating frequency-changer or autodyne-converter as you like to call it.Well this didn't work at all and I guess that's because the tap on the primary is too near to the nearest end of this winding to get it to oscillate.What did work as an oscillator coil however is a ( shorter than the aerial one) ferrite rod with three homemade coils of 38 S.W.G. E.C.W. with one similar to the aerial tuning winding (say 100 turns) and two 5 turn coupling windings all on separate movable formers.The oscillator rod should be at 90 degrees to the aerial one to avoid unwanted magnetic coupling.This would have to be altered for the Reinartz version as the two coupling windings need to be different although I've not tried this.Here in Britain our now sadly gone Maplin shops used to sell a ready made oscillator coil for the Reinartz version and I think that it was called the TOCC1.

[@decaguaspalmundo]

Good job.

[@JohnSmith-eo5sp]

2:34 This sounds like a very cheap radio from the early 1970's, The xsistor with the yellow dot is called the "autodyne converter stage". Only one IF stage? Even in the 1950s they had at least two IF xsistor stages

[@mohinderkaur6671]

Higher gain of silicon transistors and they went to just 1 IF amp. Higher gain due to higher Ft

[@jeffking4176]

Very cool.

[@allthegearnoidea6752]

I had something like this as my first radio as a kid. I broke it taking it apart. I still break most radio I take apart.

[@jeffking4176]

I’m not a technician, but looking at a couple of NOS pocket radios. Both state “ high sensitivity “. One[“claims”] 15 transistors. The other,10. Do you (or “y’all “) have any tips or advice concerning buying these old radios? Would love to find one that receives good AM. How can I determine when a Radio is not worth working on or blowing money on? [i know there are a lot of variables]. Thanks And I really enjoy these posts.👍🙂📻

[@guglielmomarconi9942]

This little AM radio seems to run just fine with one IF stage. What then is the point of having a second IF stage in a radio such as the HX 108-2 Chinese radio which was also covered?

[@luisreyes1963]

If you ever get a hold of a faulty Radio Shack "Flavor Radio", please make a video of it's repair. 📻

[@nicksix71]

Flavor Radios are are almost identical. The old model 166's are 5 transistors without transformers.

[@RODALCO2007]

I got one of those in yellow.

[@ralphglatt2058]

I have a similar radio that I'd like to restore. It's red, doesn't have a headphone jack and the parts are in a different configuration. One of the wires to the speaker was disconnected, but I have a pretty good idea of where it goes. My biggest problem is that the radio has no battery clip, and even if I got one, I'd have no idea where to solder it to. I can supply pictures, if you're willing to help.

[@KorAllRBare]

If-n yo need to remove that Aluminium from the dial, Yo could try to apply a little heat "Hot air station" or Hair dryer" to it before trying to pry it off..

[@jmcgatkinson]

I would say a great proportion of these little items would be trash with this symptom.. ..at the time very affordable as a child's gift..

[@tonyp7779]

get info on AM Ha. my local AM switched to a spanish sports format. last time of severe weather they sure didnt broadcast any reports in english.

[@iaagg]

You could heat the dial label with heat gun or blow dryer and that would soften the glue and that should make it easy for it to come off.

[@guglielmomarconi9942]

Probably melt the dial at the same time too.

[@Philbytronic]

I used to have one of these....I bought it from K-Mart back in the day.

[@jmcgatkinson]

The Kmart standard; appeared in their 'specials' catalogue (Australia) for $2.98, normally $3.78. Heard ABBA's 'SOS' tune on one at the time (1976)...

[@jetson213]

i love it when you SHOVE YOUR DAMN NAME IN EVERY VIDEO SHANGO066. for the last time its CALLED A STARMATE ST1 same size as the AM RADIO but no static and alll 100% commercial free music (LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTION ON IT) SO it may help put the AM-FM radio stations out of business!!!!

[@billmyke746]

Um, no satellite radio is dying. I subscribed from 2005 to 2015, I stopped the service because so many other choices were becoming/ had been available. Better sound quality better choices and much lower pricing. All available on hardware that I already owned.

[@jetson213]

bye bye AM/FM radios!! and all the worthless stations that know nothing more then TO SHOVE AS MANY COMMERCIALS AS THEY CAN IN YOUR EARS!! I will use my STARMATE ST1 hardly no talking and HAS CLASSICAL CLEAR UP TO TODAY!! thank you shango for making it possible for me to listen to SATELLITE RADIO by paying all the ROYALTY FEES & TAXES FOR ME!!!!!

[@NJPurling]

Those transistors are TO106. They are a ceramic material around the lead in wires with epoxy over the top. This is why they are shiny on top. I don't know if they fail because of micro-cracks allowing moisture to penetrate to the sliver of silicon. I also wonder if using completely un-marked devices denotes the use of out-of-spec transistors that'd otherwise go into the manufacturers trash.

[@boggy7665]

I was a teenager when this stuff was new. Stewart brand devices were definitely 2nd tier quality. Not bad, usually, just not as solid as Sony, Panasonic.

[@michaelturner4457]

That's exactly what the unmarked transistors are, they're out of spec manufacturer rejects. Sometimes they're marked with coloured dots, that's where someone in the HK radio factory, as gone through and tested them before been put in the cheap radios. They're out of spec for computers, or guidance systems, or whatever, but work well enough for cheap radios. I believe these dome top TO105 and TO106 types were made by Fairchild.

[@Kennynva]

Just cut the transistor from the top side or cut the leads off the transistor...and solder the new leads to the old from above..

[@Synthematix]

mERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

[@2davydo]

Merry Christmas Shango, Nice fix, No if alignment?

[@avioncamper]

We has a red one just like that.

[@declercqmichel2990]

Tank you for Nice vidéo On4kmc Best 73

[@charlieb.4273]

Since the Panasonic r-1077 is a germanium radio and this one is silicon they are not the same. Does anyone know where I can get the schematic of this radio?

[@rajendrachopra3000]

Nice

[@orange70383]

Looks like the mirror image of a Panasonic R-1077.

[@boggy7665]

Yep, a classic of design, I'd say

[@MrLuvOldies]

Thanks.

[@siskokidd]

What was that station playing the 50's Christmas tune around 12:30? I suspect we live in the same general region, but I know of no music station in that frequency range.

[@umajunkcollector]

Shango066 fixes a POS radidio! So how much would a tech cost for 1/2 hour labor to repair this radio? LOL. Hmmm, EOL, have an elephant step on it. Merry junkmas Shangomeister, thanks again for some great vids. Don

[@stevenking2980]

Merry Junkmas Don!

[@umajunkcollector]

So Steven, labor pains yet?

[@umajunkcollector]

like a POS pen...

[@umajunkcollector]

MADE IN VACHINA

[@stevenking2980]

Don it's gonna be a couple days. Happy New Years to you!

[@conanthemodeler858]

Merry Christmas.

[@mikeholland2346]

thanks for the video! i have an look a like radio in red outside similar branded vanica stamp on the speaker says made in taiwan. works ok but useless since the am (mw) transmitters are suspended. It has no earphone jack and a different print configuration.

[@mohinderkaur6671]

CDIL India also made crap transistors like this, SG102 . BF194b clones work very well if you can get them.

[@rkmklz7562]

That Radio can be used as a SSB mode receiver....I use mine on the HF air and ham bands!!!

[@maxwelsh6121]

Ive got a red , different branded , one of these.

[@EngineeringVignettes]

This comment is a bit late... But try heating the metal cover plate a bit with a hot air gun to loosen the glue. Too much heat will melt or distort the dial wheel though... Cheers,

[@HDXFH]

Handy device

[@boggy7665]

The case design is an obvious classic (imo). Was a knockoff of a popular Panasonic model. Panasonic stuff cost a fair percentage more than Stewart but was worth it; was always excellent quality for the device's type and price point.

[@colintodd222]

Saved from land fill

[@redfelipe6565]

Good job!

[@williamhelms9942]

Really Bad Ass, shango066!

[@randyc8171]

It takes a signal generator to repair a transistor radio ???

[@michaelturner4457]

Yes, it's part of basic troubleshooting techniques.

[@dondesnoo1771]

When tv went digital the tv sw. Am fm could be had 10-15$ I bought one always take on vacation so I can tell if the world is ending 😀

[@stephenwilliams5201]

Mine would be to get a dremmel and eat away at the plate"center"to get the screw. Then get a marker gold color. To dummy up. And dial is not marked up.

[@michaelturner4457]

I've always found hot air is very good at loosening glue, and is non destructive. Obviously not so hot that you don't melt the plastic.

[@nyki7fykxtjxyi]

Mines blue branded arrow don't have the dome top transistors.

[@milesmoore5422]

Are you in the Los Angeles area ?

Just fix the typo in the title > Pocket AM *Ttansistor* Radio Repair ;)

[@Hunter-xy6qq]

I know Shango can fix it.

[@muhammadrafique3903]

Nice video RAFIQUE MASTOI DG Khan Pakistan 🏝🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰

[@stephenwilliams5201]

Dirty pot! For one. Ps Chinese radios. Put to gether. ended in my bed. In the cold wx. The expensive rigs were not of much INTREST. As the Chinese kit rigs ran cheep. Tks Fer good shows on Chinese kits. Kv4li

[@attilarivera]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@jp040759]

Great vid. Great tips. Are their color codes to know as far as those IF transformers are concerned???

[@criticalshareholder6626]

I don't like to say this, but you can probably find a new pocket radio for €2.99, imported from China, battery not included. The time you spend on repairing this doesn't make sense, other than for entertaining and educational purposes. Still, I like the video :)

[@rspurgeon7804]

do you do customer repair. I have a Panasonic AM transistor from the 60's. thanks/Ron

[@shango066]

Yes occasionally