The Enormous CAPEHART 405-F 1938 Radiogram THE BIG RESTO! Pt1

[@NorthCentralArkansasDX]

Just discovered your channel now. This is just the type of restoration channel I've been looking for. I love vintage tech that's even older than me. Just subscribed. Be seeing you.

[@vintagetvandwireless]

Welcome aboard!

[@markpirateuk]

What a beast, this is certainly a real challenge to restore, the changer mech is a work of art, seen one of these working some years ago, fantastic to watch.

[@marksmith3489]

That's an incredible beast best of luck with it

[@billjananne]

What an incredible challenge! I look forward to following your journey through this renovation.

[@vintagetvandwireless]

Thanks so much!

[@napierlion1]

Fabulous piece of work. I would have run away screaming I think!

[@stephencopeland238]

What a wonderful set! So surprised it survived WWII yet alone the next 8 decades! You're a very respectable technician to get involved with this one - I'd run - run - run and keep running! But that said, I'm going watch very carefully through this journey! Given no diagram and interspersed with other stuff - full credit to you as I'd simply forget where I got to before when doing this over stages!!! Thankyou so very much for showing and sharing - it's really appreciated.

[@RichardHalstead-c9f]

I think the gold contacts are for speaker switching having a lower resistance. The other contacts are probably for indicator lamps? Its all down to cost at the end of the day.Most people would have taken the cover off the remote control box and run for the hills. Congratulations on the remote control restoration. You should be very proud. Thanks for a great channel.

[@lookoutleo]

I've never seen a capeheart in the UK. They are amazing units, never seen the insides of any control modules , that's realy complicated , you have great focus and what a great job you've made of the switch over module . I'll wait next video with anticipation

[@Roger.Coleman1949]

Fascinating content and a very brave challenge , the mixer unit has responded very well with a sympathetic approach.We did in fact , make our own products in this league at the end of the 1930s , albeit an Anglo-American collaboration with the little known Keates - Hacker Company , originated here by Dynatron of Maidenhead.The fascinating Audiotrope record changer was utilised .Bespoke cabinets were to customers requirements and there were often spectacular Art-Deco styles up-to-date with the period.Look forward to the next episode !.

[@ericrawson2909]

What a beauty. I love it.

[@lusitaniafilms]

You are either insane, crasy, or lost your mind. I would have a heart attack trying to tackle this Unit 😂🤣, and I am a Tech for the last 37 years :) GREAT JOB Buddy.

[@Joans20thCentury]

I have been waiting for your next video, I’m excited for this series of videos on this gramophone. Never seen before.

[@Ketrons_Radio_Service]

Good day. Thank you for posting a restoration series on this ultra rare Capehart 405 FR from 1938. Your customer contacted me for potential restoration about a year ago, although I am state side and shipping cost would have been too expensive. This Capehart was built state side in the US back in 1938. The UK importer made further modifications to address the socket power difference in the UK. An ultra rare machine indeed and likley one of a kind in the UK. Please check out my youtube channel devoted to Capehart. Let me know if I can help in any way. The customer is in great hands, and you are indeed an expert, my man. Great job on servicing the remote mixing box. Your video is the first ever documenting such Capehart component. I'm looking forward to following along! Jon Ketron

[@vintagetvandwireless]

Thanks, Jon. I've watched all of your videos. They are excellent! 👍👍 It really is a super rare beast, and I'm so grateful to be able to work on it. You can guarantee that I'll be making contact at some point...the changer is going to be a wild ride! 👍🍺

[@Ketrons_Radio_Service]

Feel free anytime. I will procure a copy of the original owners manual for you and for your customer. I also have specific 1938 16-E changer servicing notes , which is needed when the time comes. I can guide you on anything you may need. I would highly recommend not powering up the changer before first servicing. The headshell will be of the magnetic type. I know of an excellent service tech who could rebuild the head if interested. Servicing the electronics first is the same approach I take too, will be watching! Jon

[@JamesEncliffe]

An incredibly superb piece of work, which shows what can be done in the hands of a true professional. I do think that, considering the effort made to retain authenticity of the cabling, I would have restuffed the original capacitors. It would be just the finishing touch!. Amazing work, well done!

[@richardbrobeck2384]

Very Impressive radio and Phono !

[@radio-ged4626]

Wow I thought the Marconi R1155 I've took on has crispy looms. This really is a deep dive into fragile spaghetti. What an advanced gram, love it.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

I'd love to hear a guitar through that! It's an absolute beast!

[@onemat2000]

Capehart made Jukeboxes for a short while in the states. They used a turntable just like what you have there. That one is a beauty! The cabinet is really nice.

[@JohnChrysostom101]

Madness

[@Vintage-Tech]

Christ!... But what a lovely thing the golden age of radio meets the automatic telephone exchange lol. Looking forward to seeing the progress, on a note about the contacts brass and nickel, my guess would be perhaps its linked to how sensitive or noisy that switch needs to be perhaps the nickel contacts are for sound and the brass is for pilot lights or something... Anyhow good luck ;-) I did a Zenith console stereogram from the early 60s in an enormous solid cherry wood cabinet imported from the US to the UK and properly "converted" it was imported from a US military service man to the UK apparently to ship goods from personal stationed here in the UK from the US wasn't all that expencive.. if your rank was high enough of course...

[@sarbennett6316]

Oh, why did you not restuff the old capacitors?

[@NowInAus]

What a beast, and a beauty too. I feel your anxiety in tackling that spaghetti puzzle. Fabulous work so far. Curious to know what voltages the solenoids run on.

[@BrumAdam]

That's an incredible piece of work. I've watched youtube videos by Ketrons Radio Service and he specialises in Capehart radiograms - may be worth a look and/or making contact? Regards Adam

[@SwingBandHeaven]

Jon Ketron knows of this particular radiogram as I discussed it at length with him and he was very helpful and generous in providing information and guidance which I have passed on to Rob when I sent the Capehart to him for restoration. I agree Jon's videos are excellent and that Capehart 500 he has is rare and beautiful.

[@pickholder6189]

Nice job - I have some NOS mullard rectifier tubes that I need to pass onto you - I only tend to do old guitar amps and jukebox amps so they are no use to me.......

[@kevvywevvywoo]

Brave to tackle that! What a beast, probably even surpasses an RGD and that's saying something. DId capehart have their own UK factory or were they assembled under contract?

[@SwingBandHeaven]

Capehart had a factory and sales office in London. The radiograms were as far as I am aware manufactured stateside and customers here in the UK could customize it if required and capehart uk would do that work here. This capehart has significant differences electronically to the same model sold stateside. One example of this is that this capehart has four remote locations whereas the standard was three. Also USA models had push buttons instead of indicator lights for the remote locations. There are quite a few other internal differences too but things like the changer, amps, speakers and radio chassis were standard although geared to be able to run on 50 hertz. This capehart does have a number of additional metal boxes inside whose function is currently unknown. Hopefully Rob will be able to find out what they contain. So this capehart is most likely a unique in-house customized example of this model.

[@dbabyzo]

Probably take 3 men 5 days to wire that unit in the 1930s!

[@setharp]

I've worked on a few of these. They were insanely expensive in the US when new. How one got all the way over to the UK is beyond me because they are not that common here where they were made due to the high cost. These are ridiculously over-engineered with separate amps for both high and low audio. My main gripe? They are just.... so.... ugly.

[@vintagetvandwireless]

.....aaaaaahhhhh.....I like it, but then I like old brown furniture! A beast, though indeed!