Radiola III-A 1924 Circuit and Demo

Radiola III-A 1924 Circuit and Demo WD-11 01A

[@bbugin4u]

This video is the best.. I ready to fix radio's now (ha ha) .. I'm standing by for your next one... Thanks for taking the time and showing all of us the regentive circuit.

[@metalmoto]

Please make more of these educational videos. I have a collection of antique radios that I would like to get working some day. You are a excellent teacher, and you are helping me better understand how these circuits work.

[@AndyDaviesByTheSea]

Hi Rick another lovely video, you do it so very well. I'm sure that if you bottled it you could sell it! I know you sell your books but it's great that you've made this information and knowledge free for all. I wonder for how many years this it'll stay on KZbin? Did you ever see the old movie 'The time machine' all the wisdom was contained on small spinning discs? The problem was that future generations forgot to look at them ... Kind Regards ...Andy

[@willindsay8869]

I know this video is nearly a decade old, but it's one of the best break-downs of a regen tube circuit I've seen. Thanks for your time on this!

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thank You and your welcome

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks CameramanLink The "C" is built into the coils so the tuning is accomplished by changing the "L", a movable coil. The "1st Stage" is for earphones. In a Push Pull output, each point (1,2) and (4,5) are 180 degrees out of phase. So when one point is the most positive the other point is the most negative. Push Pull gives a larger swing in voltage.

[@1fornone]

Can't thank you enough for posting all these informative radio diagrams and demonstrations. It makes me smile when you tune in a radio station on these antiques and there is an advertisement being broadcast that tells you to visit a website !

[@joernone]

Rick, Yet another interesting gem pulled from the McWhorter secret stash. Sounds good. And hearing it transmit was pretty cool. Thanks, my friend. BTW...I'm currently in the throes of a broken Sparton that's kicking my butt. It won't make a sound no matter what I do. I hate those types. Regards, John

[@briankane4453]

I saw from the video that you are using 01A tubes with an adapter. Given that the WD11s and 01A tubes run at different voltages, did you have to do any other modifications? Are you running your A battery at ~5v instead of ~1.5v? Any advice you have would be appreciated since I'm trying to get an old, beaten up, Radiola IIIa back in working order. Thank you for you expertise and videos!

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

I did use 5 V for the filaments on the 01As.

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks mrmardy The voltages I used with 01A tubes was 5V for the A battery, 20V and 90V for the B batteries, -4,5V for the C battery. If you have WD-11 tubes then it is 1V for the A battery, 20V and 80V for the B batteries, -4.5V for the C battery.

[@Thermionman]

This video is so informative and really explains the signal paths and workings of the radio! AWESOME! Gorgeous radio too!

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@CameramanLink Yes the first tube, amplifies the RF and the positive feed back RF, rectify this RF which demodulates it to an audio signal, and then amplifies this audio signal.

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks HAL4400 Yes a triode function is simular to transistors. It is a simple circuit and complex too. That regen tube is doing most of the work to make the radio receive stations.

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@WB8MHE They where going for the highest output, not fidelity. Notice that the output is across the primary coil and there is no secondary.

[@HAL4400]

Very nice video! very simple made, but to last ! interesting tubes those WD-11's they really work like single transistors more or less.

[@gadget73]

I'm guessing the various antenna taps are for different length antennas? My Atwater-Kent has a "short" and "long" antenna connection. Never seen one with 4, but I've never owned a radio quite as old as yours. My oldest is a 1926 Freshman Masterpiece with a TRF circuit.

[@jelko1258]

what type of modern bypass condenser/capacitor and value should I use for this set? the factory one in my set shows it going from one side of the audio trans to the frame which is grounded. is it supposed to go across the trans or one side to ground.

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Model Radiola III www.nostalgiaair.org/pagesbymodel/349/M0040349.pdf

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

RCA Radiola III Transformer Replacement kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIezqWybptJqkKc

[@joerosen5464]

Just wanted to echo the praise of all the others here & add my 2¢ whilst I'm at it. I belong to the Ontario Vintage Radio Association here in Canada, & just recently purchased one of these babies in excellent cosmetic, & I think electrical, condition. Paid just $25CDN for it from our meeting auction; that's about $1.49 in real American $, btw...😉😏 It's a Canadian set, too. It's branded as a Westinghouse, not an RCA! But other than it was built up here (under license?🤔), it's ABSOLUTELY IDENTICAL to your RCA set other than there's a Westinghouse logo in the exact spot where the RCA logo is on yours.🧐 I appreciate that you clarified what voltages you're using for the B & C supplies, as I have very little knowledge & no experience with these pre-Superhet technology sets & I need & appreciate all the knowledge & help that I can get on the subject. The guys in our club that are into restoring these old sets just glibly say 90V RF Amp & O/P stage & 45V for the Detector/1st AF B+, & -5 to -10V for the C-. One fellow likes to use the lowest filament voltages possible to get the set to work in order to protect those ancient filaments gone brittle with old age & high mileage to extend their lives. My thought is that he's wrong & it's a false economy; insufficient voltage will poison a coated filament, likely the same thing would happen with a thoriated tungsten one, & the pure tungsten filaments of WD-11's & UX-199's(?) have such low emission that you likely won't have the luxury of doing this even though it won't damage them! What's your experience? It was nice to see you showing how to use the regeneration ("amplification") control, & that the set has enough juice to drive a horn (which I don't have). I also have enough whiz-dumb from previous electronics adventures to be hesitant about making a high value collectable in excellent condition as a first project to cut my teeth on; maybe I should experiment on another of my recent acquisitions first? I also got in the same auction a gorgeous Freed-Eisemann Neutrodyne set...but I know enough that it isn't a regenerative set but more along the lines of, or just plain is, a TRF set. Another kind of set I don't know how to operate! And not long before I also obtained a near-mint Atwater-Kent Model 30, I think it is. But perhaps my first victim will be a 1920's era kit I bought alongside the A-K, with five 01's in it. The A-K, like its model # implies, uses a half-dozen 30's. So with that background I'll get to my final point: I knew that the Radiola originally used WD-11's. I wasn't told that it could use UX-199's. Either way, I have none of the former & probably not even 4 of the latter that I'd need. I've got plenty of 01's though, although I was surprised to see you making adapters to use them in place of the WD-11's. My Radiola came with a quartet of 30's in it & no adapter sockets in sight! I'm fortunate enough to have a decent supply of these at least... I haven't looked at any Tube Data, but this suggests to me that the 30 might be a plug-in replacement for the WD-11 & if so rather less hassle than making adapters to use 01's & just plain a better alternative. 😂Opinions?

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thank you! You have acquired several nice early radios. My favorite radios are the 1920s, that is when radio was magic.When I play them I only use enough filament votage so they perform as designed. Westinghouse did make radios for RCA in the early 1920s. You may know this, here is the link for the schematic from NostalgiaAir. www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel/350/M0040350.pdf Antique Electornic Supply use to sell tube adapters. I looked up the 30 on NostalgiaAir and it does not look like a sub for a WD11. I’ll be glad to try and help, and answer questions if I can.

[@lilah66]

If you think about the progress that radio made in 11 years between this Radiola 3 -A and a pointer dial EH Scott Philharmonic from 1935 it is mind blowing. I have given a demo to a few people using my wideband AM transmitter and the Scott in a Gothic cabinet with tweeters and it sounds better than many modern units.

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Yes, Scott was the top. They were the best quality radio in those days, and still are.

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks AndyDaviesByTheSea I have wondered how long videos would remain on KZbin. I thought about reading up on it but then I thought, they can change the rules anytime they want, so why bother. Books? We have books. Regards Rick

[@WB8MHE]

Hi, Rick, A very good and informative vidio. But I have one question. I noticed that the push-pull output xfmr was not exactly ballanced. That is, the xfmr had differint resinstance from one side to the there. Is there any particular reason for this or what? Can you expound on this? Thanks for your fine videos, and for your fine info. Dick, WB8MHE

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks joernone Hey John, On radios like that, sometimes I have to remind myself that they were designed to work. Check plate voltages. Hope the oscillator is oscillating. Regards Rick

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks RetroPCDOS

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks aerofart When you decide to start replacing capacitors, take your time, and just replace one capacitor at a time and you be fine.

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks SpeakerFreak95

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks mrvesteraas

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks metalmoto

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks raddios2

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@gadget73 Yes, the antenna is part of the tuning. I like all the 1920s radios and they are getting harder find.

[@jansramek2867]

Great done, thank you

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks Thermionman1970

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks ntydk

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks 1fornone

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks bbugin4u

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks M0nk3m4n

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks tectalabyss

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks maahal lol

[@maahal]

My cats are all hiding now. Feedback scared them..........

[@chadcastagana9181]

Checkout my ARVIN four tuber breakfast-tabletop radio receiver

[@AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Sounds good