1962 Realtone Transistor Radio And Etude Soviet Transistor AM Radio Diagnosis

[@tedbell4416]

Shango works on radios and TV's like an artist might work in oils or clay, it's his true medium, a master 😁

[@christopherkise]

He is like the Bob ross of radiorepair.

[@cookingwithchefjeff]

Well played. But, what about the tapestry of obscenities? 🙃

[@tedbell4416]

@@cookingwithchefjeff haha oh fudge

[@thestoreyclan]

@@tedbell4416 Only you didn't say fudge...

[@tedbell4416]

@@thestoreyclan 😂

[@keithbrandaw7229]

I like it, please keep the transistor radios up.. thanks

[@erikdenhouter]

That Russian radio is beautiful, the colours of the different parts are a work of art.

[@bobbyk6585]

Shango does not disappoint.

[@aluminumfence]

On the first day of Christmas the Shango gave to me a Soviet Transistor Radio.

[@KeriRautenkranz]

On the second day of Christmas The Shango sent to me... Two Turrible Duds and a Soviet Transistor Radio

[@moisessan1]

You were lucky!!!

[@garp32]

Nice.. I've been waiting for another transistor radio video. Got the bonus of seeing some more Russian goodness too. ❤️ Thanks!

[@Suddenlyits1960]

Looks like you got a new phone! Neat looking radio. Case is in excellent condition. Now to finish watching the rest of the video…

[@moisessan1]

I don't know how this man..understand that things!!!❤

[@1McMurdoSilver]

Thanks Shango066

[@chuckermatinger3794]

What a beautiful big diode in the etude. I love diodes.😁😁😁

[@cap3]

Good job! Nuance - Soviet radios have an intermediate frequency of 465 kHz (LW, AM and HF bands)

[@guruoo]

Had to click after I noticed the HP427a in the thumbnail. I have one I haven't used for at least 40 years now. If my memory serves me, a friend gave it to me, but I retired it due to the cost of the proprietary battery packs required to use it. But in recent years I've been converting all kinds of devices, and tools to lipo battery packs for power, so maybe it's time to drag it back out of retirement with a fresh pack of 18650's and USB charger. If I only knew (and had) then what I know (and have) now! Real meter!

[@HarleyBadger]

You've inspired me to tackle my seemingly equally-difficult Zenith.

[@tongzhang5372]

Thanks!

[@mikefinn2101]

Nice treat this weekend love these videos make my day learn something each video

[@JCWise-sf9ww]

Shango, Your ranting comments on the garbage on FM & nothing really good on AM music wise Let Alone Talk Formats, has been one of my biggest beefs since 2000 when the last good easy listening music format disappeared along with good DJ's on the popular music stations. I agree with you on the sad state radio has become.

[@geralderdek282]

Nothing like having the schematic for the circuit your working on. I hate it when I go to the Sam's tsm index only to find that the radio I'm working on is not listed!😣 I also have to say I've only run across one open germanium detector diode in 30 plus years. Not common at all. Thanks for the tip about too much heat destroying them. Love your videos!!

[@worroSfOretsevraH]

I'm still patiently waiting for the Alpinist 321 russian radio video. Hope you dig it out eventually. It has an interesting FET input stage and an integrated filter block. There are schematics available too.

[@rdsledge]

I like your “rants”. You seem to have cut down on the political commentary, which I loved. Keep up the good work!

[@shango066]

Not much to say anymore it's all pretty much out in the open and obvious now

[@jdmccorful]

Shango at his best! Get em " Blue Gloved Devil" ! Enjoyed watching and learning.Thanks!

[@eletronicatotal9835]

Olá amigo, parabéns pelo vídeo! Exelente conteúdo, eu sou do Brasil e acompanho todos seus vídeos.

[@tonelives1023]

Love this guy

[@MarcoBragotto]

It's very funny when you Americans talk about "standard" vs "metric" 🙂

[@cool386vintagetechnology6]

Those transistor interstage and output transformers have been readily available for many years from the various Australian component suppliers (and what remains of them). For example Jaycar has the MM2534 3k:3kCT interstage transformer, and the MM2532 1kCT:8R output transformer. And should you need to replace any of the IF transformers, they have a set of those too, cat. no. LF1050.

[@DanielGlover]

Nice old skool radios. Good video. I remember having a red little am set like the firs tone. Red plastic by then, a couple of AA cells. what we had in 1978 or so. Just about remeber the thing. Was 5

[@randyab9go188]

I looked up your HP meter. Very nice unit. Service manual on it was excellent meter was made to be repaired but then again it was an HP product! If you used all of the same model number products to calibrate the meter as the manual called out you'd spend $50,000 on just the calibration equipment back in the day. Tek and most other equipment manufacturers did the same thing. The only negative I see with the meter is it uses the unobtanium three-pin belden power cord. I'd have to change it out to a standard IEC. Next time for true 1962 flavor maybe use a Simpson 260 or a Triplett 620? Back in the day nobody but aerospace, electronics manufacturers or military contractors used HP. It was just too expensive for the average service shop to justify buying. If you're worried about blowing semiconductor junctions using the ohms function there is the Simpson 260-6XLPM Low Power VOM Multimeter. Got to buy a used one though. Amazon lists it right now for $796.60 dollars!

[@frankowalker4662]

Cool Russian radio. Looking forward to the repair video. :)

[@wackyworldofwindios3476]

cool looking radio .

[@Tony770jr]

I have that same Heathkit signal tracer. They are the best!

[@ran2wild370]

34 soviet Rubles are equal to 1/2 of the minimum monthly wage in Soviet union or 1/3 of an average wage across the country for office workers about 70-80-120 soviet rubles.

[@KeriRautenkranz]

For the sake of American viewers it is important to point out that this was largely disposable income as basic necessities were considered a human right and were free or very cheap. This concept is difficult for Americans to grasp, as everything including all necessities must be paid for "in full" in America. Upon hearing the price to wage ratio, Americans will usually assume this small radio had cost far beyond what any honest working person could afford.

[@ran2wild370]

@@KeriRautenkranz Yes, it cost too much to pay from 80-120 rubles salary. Usually daily food expenses for the family could be from 3 to 5 rubbles and more.

[@ran2wild370]

@@KeriRautenkranz Yes yes... very cheap, 🤥😵‍💫☹☹

[@KeriRautenkranz]

@@ericruud9328 Of course, in America the free or very cheap housing is living under bridges or on park benches....

[@KeriRautenkranz]

@@ericruud9328 And all 10 were made of the worst junk parts with poor design and performance if they worked at all. Contrast with the superb Etude. I had bought one of those cruddy radios at the drugstore some time after you mentioned. It had taken many weeks to save the $10 and it stopped working very quickly.

[@KennethScharf]

If you sub a Si diode for a Ge at the detector, the voltage drop difference might screw up the IF biasing in the AVC circuit. This could be fixed with a change in a resistor value though. Remove the diode and the first IF stage AGC is fsck'ed.

[@soulrobotics]

The rants are ok. What is not ok is the banning.i love the freedom we use to have in the early 70's

[@brainndamage]

Maybe the electrolytic on the 1st IF bias voltage is in backwards or shorted? Electrolytics behave like a short if reverse biased, with 200k from 9V that would be a very small current. Or maybe the transistor is leaky B-E. I think the way they take the 2nd IF bias from the audio driver it's a form of AVC.

[@ultraproject2619]

Have you thought about making or buying an external booster loop antenna for medium wave, it would be very interesting to see how well something like a pocket receiver like this would work out in the desert with such a device.

[@ronaldspencer547]

1962 radio made the year I was born!

[@55benchguy]

I remember when those radios were NEW ! We carried them in our book bag to listed to baseball at recess from 5th grade ! If you got caught with one playing in school , you lost it until the end of the week .

[@nathanmoak1515]

i agree about radio. i grew up listening to rock n roll on am, but i haven't bothered with it in 30 years. fm now sucks too. i installed a touch-screen stereo in my car and i listen to my mp3 collection 95% of the time. and no commercials!

[@MetalTrabant]

The speaker in the Etude looks like the same used in the Sokol 403, which basically everyone had in the Eastern Bloc, tons of them around. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the components were shared, even the design and the carrying bag looks similar.

[@zman4150]

I love watching your repair videos Shango066! But what im curious about is... Did people actually walk around with these while shopping, in their pocket, listening to talk or Elvis back in the day?

[@PeopleAlreadyDidThis]

Yes, but not usually in the numbers you see wearing earbuds today. You did have an earphone-the earbud of the 1950s-60s-so you could listen without bothering other people.

[@michaelturner4457]

Of course they did. "Rings on her fingers, paint on her toes She'd holler music where ever she goes On a transistor radio" Gallagher & Lyle

[@michaelturner4457]

"Going down the old man's With a transistor radio" Van Morrison

[@mjg263]

Awesome troubleshooting! I’d really like to see / hear that Russian radio, the Realtone is done though.

[@bobsemrau5311]

I worked for the Post Office in the summer of 1978 when I was in college and had a little GE AM radio in my pocket playing WILS, which was top 40 at the time, while I walked my routes. I let it play through the speaker.

[@zhaohaigaogu7821]

Good sense! ❤❤❤❤👍Will there be no more 9V batteries in the future? Germanium transistors have become naturally bad in recent times.🤔

[@mikemcmanus3918]

Shango, thank you for your informative series. I used to have a Nordmende AM/FM/SW radio as big as a cinderblock. Where is a good place to obtain old radios?

[@Electronic-101]

👍

[@Юрьич-ч7ф]

W/r to that 'Etude' speaker. I watched only cursory, but it's 0,1ГД-13 (it's stamped on its magnet over; ГД stands for 'dynamic loudspeaker'), meaning it's 0.1 W. It proved rather complicated to find info about, but it looks like it had 50 to 60 Ohms resistance. Low-power wideband-ish speakers' models had been re-labeled in 1970s to ГДШ (Ш for wideband).

[@vicmabus1532]

Those top hat transistors look more formal than the little plastic ones.

[@joseppuig925]

For the first set I'd try using the chinese radio kit transformers and see what happens. And the speaker of the second set, my bet is that is open due to corrosion on the flex wires from the terminals to the speaker cone. It is possible to repair using very fine stranded wire from and old headphones cable.

[@dedmazai9212]

Wow ..!! Blue electrical tape...)) This is a legend created by the people of the USSR. They say that blue duct tape can fix anything. And without it, it is impossible to start even an internal combustion engine. And it is used even in space technologies ..)) And in general, blue electrical tape is a universal tool for solving any problems that arise .. Even those that you just thought about ..)) 😆😆😆👍

[@williammoore2982]

Soviet transistors look like miniature flying saucers !!

[@erikdenhouter]

Absolutely flying thingies from the '60.

[@volvo09]

That pocket radio really must have beat up the kid trying to fix it... He probably thought he was overlooking a single issue, meanwhile it had many. It's kind of neat looking, very automotive styled.

[@danielleclare2938]

These things will be valuable if underground radio becomes a reality. How far can a mini home transmitter go I wonder or is there such a thing. We could have our own super short wave like CB... maybe... create our own mechanical cellular network of stations.

[@weekendwarriorweldingdiypr4604]

About an hour later the FCC shows up at your house and tells you to knock it off.

[@danielleclare2938]

@@weekendwarriorweldingdiypr4604 When they do just give them a rainbow freezie and tell them where to place it.

[@moisessan1]

Every time that you show the inside of a soviet radio..everybody wooooo 😂. What a weird things😂

[@davepike6170]

I have a couple identical Realtones to this one, mine work ok. One is white like that one, the other one is red, and I had a black one too, not sure if I have it still.

[@zx8401ztv]

For the realtone, have all the cheap china radio kits gone, the output transformer might work. For the Etude, is there a duff resistor feeding the i.f strip with power. Russian electronics is always interesting, nicely made too.

[@franciscoscaramella5603]

Hello everything is fine? Could you please tell me which transistors this radio uses? I thank.

[@ceilingfanmusic6597]

So i have a rather interesting question/idea. Could you A - replace the transformers with ones of similar inductance? B - delete the transformers an put a resistor equivalent to the windings resistance and a coupling capacitor to the next stage (this probably wouldn't work for a senter taped transformer) C - for center taped transformers you would use 2 resisters that are as close to the inpidance of the senter taped winding as possible to form a resistive devider and place a coupling capacitor in the middle of the devider to the next stage. I understand the transitor tipicly gets its power threw the secondary winding so you would have to add a resistor of equal or near equal resistance to make up for that but i think this shuld work..or at least would make for a interesting educational video D - you would pull all the comments off the audio stage an replace them with a small audio amp module. Since those are available and cheap

[@mohinderkaur6671]

use the lm386 module like he said. tapped resistors wont provide the impedance matching and phase inversion needed for a class B push pull stage

[@ceilingfanmusic6597]

@@mohinderkaur6671 that feels like the lazy an boring answer tho. No fun or challenge in that at all

[@mohinderkaur6671]

@@ceilingfanmusic6597 proper fix - transformer winding machine and rebuild those transformers. not impossible to do.

[@Seiskid]

You could create an acceptable push pull amp using around 6 transistors, 9v is as low as you can go though, and space here is VERY tight. I've actually done it for one radio, just for fun, quiescent current is around 9ma and it measures low distortion. The LM module is better in everyway other than distortion, easily better than the original amp and the small about of distortion the LM amp generates is completely inaudible in something like this radio.

[@mohinderkaur6671]

@@Seiskid 3 transistor amp with 2 pnp and 1 npn is easily possible. 2 diodes for biasing the output complementary stage.

[@christopherkise]

Is al that flux original? Not cleaned of anything?

[@bobbybeaver4423]

Everything in that Soviet radio looks alien to me... those top hat transistors, hourglass resistors, flat capacitors, just bizarre!

[@MetalTrabant]

Hey, at least you still have many stations on AM... here in Hungary you can get one Hungarian channel that's turned into state propaganda, and maybe one or two Slovakian channels, which I don't speak, and that's about it. Ah, yes, and in some remote parts of the country, there's the 'oldies' channel that's playing what our senior citizens listened to about 70 years ago... but unfortunately I can't even catch that where I live, would be cool for nostalgic radio listening.

[@mikebell2112]

RIP Alan Mendelson.

[@russellhltn1396]

7:10, that should be 0.7V not 0.1V. I know the top of the 7 in the schematic is real short, but 0.1 is too low to bias any base-emitter junction with a grounded emitter. The forward bias voltage for a transistor is the same as for a diode.

[@westelaudio943]

They are Ge transistors. The drop across a Ge junction is .3 Volt. It should not be .7 Volt then. My guess is the transistors are operating almost in Class B mode. Some distortion has been deemed acceptable for higher efficiency.

[@russellhltn1396]

@@westelaudio943 It sure looks like a short "hat" on the "1" in the schematic. at 0.1V, that amp wouldn't be AB, but a buzzy Class B. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that the finals were actually silicon and not Ge.

[@westelaudio943]

@@russellhltn1396 2sb116 is a Ge type though. ICmax 50ma... Not sure. Near Class B operation might be acceptable in a pocket radio.

[@romjone4801]

Where did you get the schematic?

[@balthromaw6305]

I am still seeing plenty of LiFePO batteries on Amazon and Ebay, they just dont come in 18650 size anymore...

[@michaelrobertson575]

Wouldn't an Eagle LT700 Audio Output Transformer and an Eagle LT44 Audio Driver Transformer do for that Realtone Radio?

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

Beautiful 😍 radio 📻. It’s the ‘57 Chevy of them. I was going to say Viscount, but it’s a Realtone. The electrolytic capacitors are bad. I see P661a on the circuit board, there, on the lower right side. The front of this radio looks really nice 👍. Ya might need to rewind ⏪ the driver transformer. You’re finally getting sound from the speaker 🔊. Ya got it!! A radio station 🚉!! Your friend, Jeff.

[@andybonneau9209]

Yup, lots of "unexplained " deaths lately.

[@MrHBSoftware]

overhere too... but we arent allowed to discuss it on social media etc

[@davidhollfelder9940]

Some of the PCB looks gone without a “trace”. I agree, music radio has lost its personality (to automation). Thanks to i(no)Heart Radio, and others …

[@raidensama1511]

Imagine Shango with a Twitter account now that Elon took over.

[@danielknepper6884]

Be careful he does have liberals that watch his channel. Liberals are not very happy with Elon right now. A year ago they thought he was a god. 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆

[@raidensama1511]

@@danielknepper6884 🤣🤣

[@redneckways1933]

I have a couple of those. Shelf Queens.

[@connorm955]

KZbin named one of the chapter titles "Dad waffles"

[@batterymakermarkii2654]

What company did Realtone become...I can't remember, was it Soundesign?

[@Suddenlyits1960]

Yep,online it says they changed the name of the company to Soundesign in 1968z

[@tedbell4416]

@@Suddenlyits1960 i remember soundesign being cheapy cheapy made

[@volvo09]

@@tedbell4416 soundesign has been engrained in my head as some of the lowest quality plastic garbage that I've ever experienced.

[@randyab9go188]

It wasn't Soundesign, it was Crapdesign!

[@erikdenhouter]

I repaired Soundesign AND Realtone in the late '70, newly imported to the Netherlands, coming from Asian countries. Soundesign as a very cheap audio and clock radio brand (but good Copal mechanical clocks), Realtone as one of the better green fluorescent digital clock radio's.

[@galaxyflyer1]

Can you get 88.7 KSPC from Claremont?

[@soulrobotics]

"Here, here, here.." Lol

[@charlesmurphy1510]

20 bucks for a schematic? Is the radio worth it?

[@matthiase.1747]

The red ceramic caps often short.

[@eletronicatotal9835]

De qual país você é?

[@mohinderkaur6671]

I would have fixed that magnavox as the convertor was still working. someone has reverse polarity it causing destruction of the class B. Lm386 is a good solution. and maybe a new if transistor

[@rotaxtwin]

That Russian radio is pretty unique, interesting internals.

[@randynelson2265]

It looks as if radio as a form of information and entertainment is dying out. Going the way of the reel to reel tape, cassette tape, phonograph, VHS, and the CD.

[@mike289homebuilt5]

we still get about 12 stations FM up north, If you had a tall antenna you get Milwaukee. AM radio you get signal skips from out of state after sundown.

[@davidbhinckley]

If the Unabomber had a KZbin channel..

[@moisessan1]

First time..that it is not necesary repair the variable condenser!!!😂

[@captlarry-3525]

Golden Screwdriver damage...

[@Christopher-re2hl]

3" reel to reel tape recorders are a good source for audio transformers. The only value they have is antique charm and most of them have bad rubber parts like the rim drive. Even when they were new they didn't sound good. They're good for mission impossible voice only. Record music and it sounds like a tweeter and distorted because its cheap DC bias. They are way overpriced on eBay. The good ones that have AC bias are worth more

[@BradRaedel]

I can smell that green Xcelite screwdriver from here....yuck!

[@kermitmawyer1743]

Yes. 1

[@EdgarsLS]

Lithium iron phosphate batteries also last much longer than other lithium batteries, but long-lasting doesn't benefit the manufacturer so they're uncommon

[@ceilingfanmusic6597]

They use them in solar outdoor lighting cause of that.

[@ViegasSilva]

"He got his booster" this man is a space-age genius alright...

[@markmarkofkane8167]

I hear you. TV and radio is garbage now. I miss the older days. Shame about the Realtone radio.

[@qrplife]

We have the same sad state of broadcast radio here. I’ve got tons of radios, but so what? theres nothing worth listening to. The KDFC tribute station is tolerable, but AM is a wasteland.

[@n2n8sda]

Beam me up scotty.

[@DanielGlover]

What I thought by the thumbnail photo. I see what you are getting at, The Star Trek communicator. That time. 1960's. has a look. 1/4 through this. long old video.

[@mglass8699]

"Big Tech is the new fascist shadow government." Um. I need that bumper sticker.

[@1990lumina]

;) mornin all!

[@tedbell4416]

Morning uncle Ned

[@azariayehezkel9064]

who knows what's shango email?

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

paused for like 8 hours.. looked back "naaaah i dunwanna watch this boring chit.. ~yeah i do..."

[@RepairRadioLab]

DO FM IF ALIGNMENT VIDEOS..

[@azariayehezkel9064]

or just something people?

[@alex1520]

baked? 🤣

[@johnlupo3919]

STOP SAYING "SO & "HERE'' '!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@williammoore2982]

Love the comments. You have transistor bias and political bias!

[@danielknepper6884]

If you're for the left then goodbye

[@tommybewick]

I'm curious why you wear medical gloves when you're working on radios? It seems like a trend lately with youtubers? I thought it might be to protect you from electrical shocks, but this is a low voltage radio, so that can't be the reason.

[@shango066]

Pb

[@briang.7206]

Shango has a high level of lead in his body I think he said its borderline high. So he wears gloves now.

[@MrBillmcminn]

Fran Blanche explained it in one of her videos about using surgical for working on electronics and lead exposure.

[@s8wc3]

They're going to kill kanye

[@shango066]

why?

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

I’d use Dura Leaks (Duracell’s) in this, in a pinch 🤏. That may give ya a more gradual battery 🔋 drainage slope, not a sudden dropoff. The faulty rechargeable batteries were probably the culprit of this radio being completely dead 💀, upon turning it on for the first time. The transistors and capacitors are also reforming, or biasing on. Your friend, Jeff.