Unboxing Vintage Soviet Radios And SOKOL 404 Diagnosis

[@NickG123]

I love how he says the battery is gonna die, then it just cuts out...

[@zx8401ztv]

He is the master of humor and great sarcasm :-D

[@NickG123]

@@zx8401ztv I wonder if he did it on purpose...

[@zx8401ztv]

@@NickG123 Well yep, but it was funny :-D

[@KameraShy]

@@zx8401ztv And apparently accurate predictions.

[@sobolanul96]

These radios are the proof of an economy based on keeping stuff working until they fell apart. A printed schematic in every radio, tv or other electronic equipment. You would get it repaired easily and keep the things going for a long time. Things were meant to be repaired and not thrown away.

[@alphabeets]

Sorry, I don’t subscribe to the America bashing. How many people are trying to emigrate to Russia these days? How many are trying to come to America?

[@alphabeets]

The fact that they needed to “keep them working” is proof that the economy sucked big time and people couldn’t afford to buy even a little frikin’ radio.

[@albinklein7680]

In west Germany it was the same until the 80s. If you take the back off a tv from that era you find a nicely made pouch stapled to the case which contains a parts list and a very nicely printed schematic. In Telefunken TVs from the 70s the schematics are printed in color on very thick paper in a size more than one square meter. With voltages and waveforms and everything.

[@MisterTalkingMachine]

​@@alphabeets Funny how you equated consumerism to america.

[@MattExzy]

@@alphabeets Is it America bashing though? The entire western world also subscribes to capitalism. Modern day consumerism relies on obsolescence - which is actually a relatively recent (post-WW II) addition to western economies. Besides which, you'd be very hard pressed to find a radio or other electrical item *not* made in 'communist' China nowadays.

[@Elfnetdesigns]

I actually have a SOKOL 403 that I got back when I was a kid when I lived in Yugoslavia in the 80's. it survived the Bosnian war thru the 90's and made it to the US with me where it resides now on a shelf fully recapped and working. Some things I just cant part with, this is one of them because it kept me entertained and informed during those times especially the 90's.

[@rancherfarmerguy]

Sounds like something that you should keep close to you. Do u by any chance remember how much you paid for the radio? Just curious.

[@Elfnetdesigns]

@@rancherfarmerguy I didnt buy it, my parents gave it to me as a gift when I was a kid

[@chuffpup]

That is cool. Good for you. Respect.

[@Pawelr98]

8:48 It's an autotransformer, it's implemented because those germanium output transistors (those are Alloy-junction transistors !) cannot handle a lot of current (~20mA or so according to specs). USSR, just like any other soviet bloc country, just used whatever they had available. If high impedance speakers were not available then they would just use autotransformers to get the higher impedance.

[@waltschannel7465]

I didn't see your comment before I replied. I didn't think about the "use what's available" angle, but I thought it was actually quite elegant.

[@randomsteve4288]

I would even go as far as to say that it was planned to use an autotransformer and it was not an afterthought after they discovered they had no 32 Ohm speakers at hand. IIRC a low impedance speaker is more robust and easier to manufacture than a high impedance one. And it is not un-Sovjet bloc to go the extra mile to make something more reliable.

[@Pawelr98]

@@randomsteve4288 USSR and the soviet bloc did produce high-impedance speakers as well. The main reason here is those transistors, 20mA maximum current is pretty much nothing. The USSR at the time had silicon transistors which were far better than those and other soviet states were pretty much silicon-only for quite some time in the 1984 (when the radio was made). The other radios in the video, which use silicon, don't have the autotransformer. In Poland germanium transistors were out of production in early 1970's (silicon stuff entered production in ~1970, germanium was out about 3 years later or so).USSR kept making them, even though they were horribly outdated and there was not much need for them.They were making these things for way too long and they had to do something with them. I guess the massive stock (which even after 30 years since collapse is still there) could also mean that they were readily available all the time, unlike the silicon ones.

[@cttv90108]

The short lived Andropov / Chernenko capacitors

[@error52]

Here's a bit of information for these soviet three-digit numbers: the first digit denotes the class of the device. The range goes from the lowest class 4 to the highest class 0. The second two digits are the specific modification of the device in question. Sokol 210 = second class, first modification. Class is determined by the complexity of the device and characteristics like sensitivity, selectivity and output power. Another bit of trivia I know from experience - older soviet radios have better electrolytic caps in them. Newer stuff like the purple Sokol have a much higher chance of needing re-capping. It gets to the point where stuff from the late 80s and early 90s can be completely unusable from the box, while ancient devices from the 60s and 70s function perfectly. That little Sokol with the white dial probably just needs a date with the contact cleaner to start working again.

[@shango066]

Interesting information. They all seem to work very good

[@danmackintosh6325]

I really like that purple delicious one, might have to find one & being so sensitive might even stand a chance of pulling in some worthwhile listening in the UK.

[@5roundsrapid263]

5:22 “CB” translates to “SV”: “srednyaya volna”, literally “medium wave”. “дв” is “DV”: “dlinayya volna”, “long wave”.

[@Radiotechnika667]

yes

[@DimaVsegdaPrav]

AM в США

[@stephendeluca4479]

Remarkable! I had no idea that they have US radio stations in Russia.

[@isleifoterogarcia4478]

I have two of those Sokol PR-210 and two of a recent model of the Sokol PR 404 (304) dated 1986 both working but needs new capacitors. Model numbers refer to features of the model and not of a newer model as just I discovered. The PR-210 is old new stock and works ok. I have been impressed how different they are to any western made ones. Thanks for the video. I like to know more of Soviet radios.

[@plaidyforever8426]

Best ending ever posted on KZbin. We love you Shango.

[@AMStationEngineer]

I can't get over the neatness of the construction, and the care with which these radios were packaged. Christmas came early for shango066!

[@deepblueskyshine]

Post-soviets postulated in forums and chats that wherever you see electrolitic capacitor with a printend on the can logo resembling latin letter G it should be immediately changed. These capacitors were produced in Armenia, where they've never brought process of sealing capacitors with simple rubber like caps used everywhere else to the required standards. I'll tell you a story about Germanium mineral: what happened in 1989 happened, but unlike most of eastern european countries communists in Russia and my own Bulgaria decapitalised and stole what's rest of most of the businesses and after that came the time to sell what's left. Most of bulgarian gold mines were closed but the biggest one, mining concession of which was sold to a canadian company. Canadians decided they'll enreach the ore localy, but will process it in Canada. After first shipment of concentrate to Canada the price of Germanium dropped from over $2000 per kilogramm to under $900. The ore is far more rich in Germanium than in Gold, but the agreed tax did not mentioned it at all, so in fact most of Germanium that pored on the world market and still pores is actually tax free. Why wonder USSR and later Russian Federation used to produce germanium transistors till late 1990s? Germanium for them was also kind of tax free, and "socialism" dismounted itself, because small people could not be used as slaves after W.W. II anymore and any production of goods for the masses that required investments was considered wastefull by the leading members of communist party.

[@chuffpup]

It will be very nostalgic for old communist countries because soon the entire world will be communist with bio-security characteristics. The new communism will offer wonderful crime free smart cities... not crowded (thanks to depopulation!) and crime free (thanks to robot drones with face recognition) I think Trillionaires will live in separate communities... I hope that makes you happy...... comrade. 😒 Just like the good old days! (Seriously, I enjoyed your comment, it was very informative. Thank you! All the best from New Zealand).

[@deepblueskyshine]

@@chuffpup Greetings from Sofia. In your chain of thoughts - another story from me: after what happened in 2014 between Russia and Ukraine I've renewed my long and compleetely gone interest of their affairs and started to watch lots of russian speaking vlogers. I've stumbled upon an interesting person: when ÚSSR crumbled he graduated in low scholl (I was doing my 3rd semester), after that he did some short time as local police detective as a deal to be allowed to stay with his pregnant wife in his home town (perks of free education - 3 to 5 years work where appointed, usually somewhere very far), started own business with security and detective services that grew to over 2000 employees, after some tries of "our people" to stole his business started a political career in local parliament. In my own set of mind he is not a good person, but is very smart and a gifted analytic. In 2014 his before then YouStreams moved in KZbin and he started "Bad News" daily analytic stream in the time of evening news emission of central TV. He declared that Putin's rule will crumble on 5th of November 2017 (kind of "give slugs some target"). In 2017 russian state parliament elections he won primeries of the only allowed to participate opposing party (he was not a member of that party) only to be given time on TV debates to shout out that Putin is a criminal that should be executed after which his KZbin chanell was declared a terorist organisation, Interpol warrant issued and he was forced to escape and was given political asylum in France where he continues to make his daily evening streams, that are now officially blocked in Russia, but going around blocks was never a problem for most people. After all that history to the point: he declaired his target as a direct democracy in Russia and his philosophical ideas as anarchy. Throlls and fans often ask him about communism and anarchy and lots of his visionary analytics. He always answers: what we have now cannot function the same way for very long. It's upon us to make what will our children have - cyber direct democracy or cyber tyranny. Either every public servant will be on constant online controll by anyone and no secrets of state affairs will exist, or every person will be controlled by an anonimous tyrant. "Communism, anarchy, God's kingdom on Earth", - he says - "call it how you like, will be possible when there woun't be states and it's not what's comming next and might not even be the next after that". This might be the most boring long comment with most ridiculously long statements, but I think it's worth writing.

[@chuffpup]

@@deepblueskyshine A technocratic coup, in a very auspicious time of planetary alignment, and in the microcosm, pathogens, nanotechnology. Very entertaining... and terrifying. Thanks for your insight. Appreciated. Stay well.

[@Murcheek-n8t]

I also bought one myself sokol 404. changed 4 transistors to similar and all electrolytic. an excellent radio receiver works amazingly, little noise, a lot of useful signal. I also love vintage equipment🎶 📻😺👍

[@IrishvintageTVRadio]

These old Soviet radios are great. Well made stuff that was made to be repaired. Some of their larger table top transistor radios we're very sophisticated. They also did a radiogram in the late 60's that had quad push pull output and motorised tuning.

[@elijahwolf37]

Two videos in one week hell yah!

[@shango066]

You get one every day we're doing for a new relationship

[@janosnagyj.9540]

I really LOVE the outro of your videos, they are so short and pithy :D

[@TheManThatCan1002]

Shango, ive watched your videos for eons, and ive got to say your my favorite channel for vintage radios ever and always will be. The simplistic way you diagnose radios, and can look at a schematic and immediately determine the use of a component is something I strive for. Keep on chugging, all these commie radios will feel right at home the way California is going. I wish you well in these times and I always look forward to your diagnosis, resurrection, eol videos. Waiting to see you clean the cataract off your new console as well.

[@waltschannel7465]

-2:15 The purpose of the auto transformer appears to be a very elegant means of impedance matching the output circuit to both the speaker and earphone/headphone.

[@russellhltn1396]

Exactly. Many of the early transistor sets didn't have the current ability to drive a 8 ohm speaker directly. (I guess higher impedance speakers were too expensive.) What is different about this is they didn't use the transformer as part of the push-pull. And since there's no need for electrical isolation, they made it a autotransformer instead of a more conventional primary/secondary style.

[@michaelturner4457]

Is that last week's Pravda the radios were packed in?

[@jpolar394]

You should see how fresh mushrooms are packed and sent to me for the holidays from Slovakia. My relatives send around 1 pound and it's packed almost like the marijuana that used to be sent from Columbia years ago that you used to see on the news. It's like a solid brick.

[@joonglegamer9898]

Aw, and I was so enjoying your repair of this Russian radio, eating my snacks, enjoying your content - and your BATTERY ran out? OY! SOMEONE get this lad a new battery, asap!

[@StaryiPatefon]

greetings my friend!) Excellent video review 👍 Receivers from Russia) Sokol it was at that time a very well-known brand they were produced by the Moscow radio factory.The Sokol-404 is a class 4 receiver, but it has very good sensitivity parameters and is assembled on germanium transistors. Congratulations on your great purchase)! I am very glad to see How happy you are with these printers.Good luck!)

[@KameraShy]

Очень интересно. Спасибо.

[@MrHBSoftware]

2:25 glad i am not the only fool who hates drywall, osb and basically all the modern building materials.... yeah they are efficient and easy to install but they are just crap...like modern electronics they have a limited life expectancy...

[@johndonaldson3619]

In Soviet Union, radio hear you!

[@jamesmadison9244]

Soon, we will have our own United Soviet States of America radios...

[@percyolivas1128]

so true, remember motorola and rca

[@JohnSmith-eo5sp]

Careful what you wish for, it might just happen

[@jamesmadison9244]

@@JohnSmith-eo5sp it’s the last thing I’d wish for.

[@amrkoptan4041]

I like the SOKOL 404 not found Radio a lot

[@tnor90]

My grandparents had a Sokol 403, but it was forbidden for me to touch it :D Btw they really have that, sometimes I catched some russian longwave broadcasts with it in here, Hungary.

[@amrkoptan4041]

@@tnor90 that is interesting :D

[@Derrick6162]

That Cokoa is absolutely ravishing! Love it... 💕

[@jerrysims7900]

Love your channel, you are who I wish I was 50 years ago............

[@Steveuk405]

I agree entirely about the SOKOL 403 sets. I have one which had been plugged into the mains and dropped - and I got it going....

[@billmyke746]

I think it's time I started adding a few soviet-era radios to my collection.

[@cassandrajoiner9933]

I did. Sokol 402 is a pretty common radio, mine works pretty well.

[@rustymotor]

Love the Soviet technology, I bought a number of Elektronika made VFD digital clocks, usual problem is bad caps and sometimes pernamently illuminated display segments. Unable to get me any of the Soviet VFD driver chips to fix so just put up with the hot segments.

[@alansmith2228]

So in a couple of years we will be packing just as well.

[@sandua51]

Sokols are usually nice. "Selga" less so. Cheezy Peel & Strip circuit boards are a Selga specialty. Europeans in general and eastern Europeans in particular tend to pack things very well. And yes they frequently add a postcard or similar item.

[@hestheMaster]

Another radio that you can listen to but also it can listen to you as well!

[@giggling_boatswain]

Install an automatic translator from the video camera on your phone. When you point the camera at any foreign text, the recognized words are automatically translated. In the USSR, it was common to supply any radio equipment with a detailed repair scheme. It's so logical and natural that I wondered why they don't do it in other countries.

[@TurboTel68]

Love these radios, that you buy them and you get all the information you need to look after them, like you would buy a radio and it would last you a lifetime. Sad that consumer products are so disposable now

[@davidarnette327]

Monday morning coffee with shango again. Love the commie radios.

[@worroSfOretsevraH]

Which one is the best sokol model?

[@5roundsrapid263]

2:27 There are a few places in this country that keep their classic architecture. New Orleans comes to mind as one.

[@mattd8668]

It’s amazing how your packages from overseas are packaged no nicely. I can’t even get consistent service from usps

[@darrensmith6999]

just bought a Cokoa Pn210 new old stock dated 1992 works great , one thing that puzzles me is what are those 2 bits of slotted plastic for??

[@galaxyflyer1]

I love the those Soviet radio videos. Its like top secret discovery.

[@truthreigns7]

I do enjoy your sarcasm about the building. LOL

[@izaakbercik1899]

Impedance matching transformer?

[@retromania4213]

Where did you buy the radio from? I myself found newspapers in Russian in the video

[@steviebboy69]

The radio that had what looked to be Cokoa, it sure was a stylish rugged looking radio and you sure liked it's style as well.

[@dbrown51967]

for years in some cases i have been searching the web for schematics for various dead radio's that are shelf queens, having a supplied schematic is a godsend, think it was the 80s when i last saw a supplied schematic.

[@sng1977]

You nailed it .I wish I could give 2 thumbs up

[@stephenwilliams5201]

Da! comrade. Speseba.

[@lands1459]

i find soviet radios interesting seeing how differently they're built compared to american radios

[@electrofan7180]

Congratulations! Nice stuff. Glad you like it. Small soviet K50 electrolytic caps are 80+% dead (95+% for made in 80s), but big ones usually works fine. Also that vertical placed МБМ cap on the left at 7:56 is also crap, it is metal-paper cap and usually it have high leakage and esr. I recommend to replace it with any film cap.

[@izaakbercik1899]

Sokol means falcon.

[@kareno8634]

"All" Caps. That will make someone happy. That is The Best Test you've shown, (i remember) for capacitors. : }

[@NickG123]

Hello, Shango!

[@firecatfly]

In our recording studio my go to microphone is an Oktava. Superior design.

[@mik7713]

Nice radios!

[@masterfranco01]

The diode part on the end of the if circuit is the am detector. Nice radio's, good luck.

[@jacekburghardt2858]

What is the diifrence between sokol 304 and 404 ?

[@truthreigns7]

May i ask what website you used to purchase these items?

[@joeblow8593]

Thanks as always

[@radracer2033]

Where do you go to get stuff like this? I've been thinking of importing an old Soviet computer among other things

[@radracer2033]

@@airix10 I'd really like to get one of the PDP-11 clones, I think that would be really interesting to play with

[@airix10]

@@radracer2033 PDP clones looked pretty common over there too. They probably have an awesome scent of 1970s communist tobacco smoke baked in for the full experience.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

@@radracer2033 The BK series computers or the DVK series computers? They both use the K1801 N-MOS single chip PDP-11 cpu. The BK series seems more common. There's even a video of a guy coding in PDP-11 octal machine code on one.

[@radracer2033]

@@gregorymalchuk272 all I know is I want one, not what kind lol. I collect weird computers lol

[@50sTransistorRadios]

I've run into the same issue with electrolytic capacitors in Soviet-made radios, even relatively modern ones. They must not have been sealed properly, because they are usually all dried out and test at near-zero capacitance.

[@chetpomeroy1399]

All those Cyrillic characters look so strange to me. I did seem to notice a few *English* words on the documentation and on the radios, though.

[@albinklein7680]

Reading Cyrillic i's not that hard to learn

[@5roundsrapid263]

@@albinklein7680 It’s not that hard, especially if you know Greek letters. Saint Cyril, a Greek Orthodox missionary, invented it.

[@cptyler150]

Do you have part two coming out soon

[@shango066]

Tomorrow. It will be a bellini refurbished and they're from frahm deer stew beef freaking near from Punisher to Surf

[@kokodin5895]

i am impressed about the dark red one schematic had polish title and explanations on it

[@_wave64_]

Try to get an OKEAN / Selena 209, you will love it. I have PNP germanium Russian MP40 (audio) transistors dated 1992, from ebay, and 6F1P TV tuner tubes from 1993. The military had (and probably still has) lot of ancient equipment that used these parts so they had to be produced well into the '1990s.

[@cskippy2000]

Very cool.

[@MegaMobass]

Shango, I genuinely admire you. You’re so freaking smart when it comes to the electronic stuff. I wish I knew half of the stuff you did. I love watching your videos. I wish you made videos that were hour long specials but I know like myself you have a normal life where you make American dollars to live in the state of cancer known to cause Commiefornia, even though I live in the new state known as michcommigan. Thanks for these videos man, I genuinely do appreciate it. It really does make my day better.

[@lc46002]

The PN-210 has a crystal filter in the IF. It must be very selective. The Bose wave radio has the same setup in the IF and it is a very nice AM radio.

[@chrisingle5839]

Nice chop at the end !😈

[@twhuning6352]

Intranational shipments must be well packaged.

[@TheDboy1968]

Nice ending !

[@JacGoudsmit]

5:30 Cyrillic CB= Latin SW. The other Cyrillic letters are DW if I'm not mistaken.

[@hotpuppy1]

Build quality looks pretty good even if the parts may not have been so good.

[@ModMokkaMatti]

Parts are like Ox plowing frozen field of beet farm. Da.

[@willrobbinson]

Good find / gift ect good cond just recap electro,s nice gift

[@charlesstauffer6806]

Christmas comes early this year!

[@LakeNipissing]

5:14 . . . Russian radios are often really sparse with dial scale numbers... or they do strange things like on the Sokol RP-210, and have the dial scale numbers end in "0" on both bands, except for the numbers at the very top and very bottom of the scale. Neat characteristics of Russian stuff.

[@alexvalle3150]

Surprised those radios werent stored in cosmoline just like all the other goodies to come out of the USSR.

[@MisterTalkingMachine]

I wonder how long did they just keep using plastic moulds engraved with 'made in SSSR' after the fall of the union. After my grandpa died I found a tire pressure gauge in his hoard of stuff marked as such, and I can only guess it was imported to my country with a Lada, which began importing in 1988, leaving a rather slim margin for it to be contemporary. The gauge is graduated in kilopascal which is neat I believe.

[@LJJKD1947]

choke or autotransformer coupled in audio output

[@brownyysnoopy]

Red string in battery compartment is to remove batteries..it has to be left under them to pull them out..

[@michaelrobertson575]

That Autotransformer matching to the Loudspeaker is unusual. If it was the case that those Output Transistors couldn't stand the amount of current needed to give the required low output impedance then why bother with a complementary pair? They could have used two Output transistors of the same polarity driving a Centre-tapped Primary Output Transformer and it would still have been push-pull giving the same sort of Battery life.

[@zx8401ztv]

I like that 404 pcb, Soviet designs are always interesting. The lack of schematics with electronics i miss :-(

[@leonkiriliuk]

Next time you are looking for Soviet radios may I suggest a VEF 206? My dad was in his 20’s in the 70’s in the Soviet Union and that was the pinnacle of radios. Everyone there wanted bell bottom jeans and a VEF radio. It was the Ferrari of Soviet radios.

[@leonkiriliuk]

About a year ago I acquired one for him. Restored it and gave it to him as a gift. He was screaming like a little school girl to my mom my mom “I got a VEF!! I got a VEF!!” Followed by tears of joy.

[@jakekaywell5972]

@@leonkiriliuk A sweet gesture for your father, but wasn't Radiotechnika the best Soviet radio around and VEF just below them?

[@leonkiriliuk]

@@jakekaywell5972 I'm not sure. I was going purely based on what he told me. Maybe Radiotechnika wasn't available in his region?

[@felixcat4346]

Wow, is it this easy to fix a new old stock radio that doesn't work?

[@Sobriquet71]

On the schematic the KGB capacitor was very dangerous to touch and "they" said would never fail.

[@shango066]

Aluminum broom of Rich frahm wing and give God a Blazer replace so far from here

[@jp040759]

Delco car radios from the 60s also had an inductor in parallel with the speaker. It confused the crap out of me. I don't get it.

[@DK640OBrianYT]

"Box in a box" packaging. Using it myself and prefer it used by sellers. Packing items like the way you want to receive such things yourself. Pretty easy. Only sleezebags and beta-males doesn't care one bit.

[@DjResR]

KT315(NPN) and KT361(PNP) transistors are prone to break legs with vibration._

[@aviatordev9372]

sir i need germanium transistors in mix Can u pls provide me ??

[@willrobbinson]

good sensitive portable am/sw ect r now not very common , yes u can buy a digital thing but pure analog still A+ for me

[@piwex69]

This RP-210 is so CyberPunk style! And I see schematic description even in Polish! Edit: CB (SW) is...MW, and DB (DW) is LW. EDIT2: Point on the schematic is a winding start. EDIT3: The battery is dying....(famous last words)

[@mrb.5610]

The output is an autoformer - like a fixed variac. Strikes me as a good idea if you don't need to isolate it.

[@StillCloser]

Rant @ 2:08 Spot on...!

[@chuck0mx]

Nice radios...

[@michaelblack5011]

i have one those Sokol work prefect

[@claudiomartinez2264]

Que bonita es la tecnología antigua

[@RssutharJaisalmer]

Wow!

[@nikolt2000]

My grandma has the exact same one at 2:35 :)