I'm looking for my first tube shortwave radio. I'm not too good with repairs
besides simple soldering. I want the radio to actually work well and be usable
to hear far away stations as well as look cool. For an inexperienced person
like myself that wants a working vintage shortwave without too much in depth
repairs, does this look like it could be ok? I read that a lot of you have this
model. So it seems to be well-loved.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...fromMakeTra c
k=true

Doc Gorpon wrote:

I'm looking for my first tube shortwave radio. I'm not too good with repairs
besides simple soldering. I want the radio to actually work well and be usable
to hear far away stations as well as look cool. For an inexperienced person
like myself that wants a working vintage shortwave without too much in depth
repairs, does this look like it could be ok? I read that a lot of you have this
model. So it seems to be well-loved.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...fromMakeTra c
k=true

A concern I should have mentioned in my reply in the other thread is
tube radios often need to have the capacitors replaced for safety reasons.

Since any tube radio is probably going to need recapping,
and the OP is inexperienced at this, a better choice to start
might be a Halli S-38 or the comparable National. These radios
have a lot more room under the hood and the inevitable re-capping
job will be much easier. After getting some experience, he'll be
ready for something like a T/O.


Mark S. Holden wrote:
Doc Gorpon wrote:

I'm looking for my first tube shortwave radio. I'm not too good with
repairs
besides simple soldering. I want the radio to actually work well and
be usable
to hear far away stations as well as look cool. For an inexperienced
person
like myself that wants a working vintage shortwave without too much in
depth
repairs, does this look like it could be ok? I read that a lot of you
have this
model. So it seems to be well-loved.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...fromMakeTra c

k=true


A concern I should have mentioned in my reply in the other thread is
tube radios often need to have the capacitors replaced for safety reasons.

On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 14:05:37 -0500, Larry Ozarow wrote
(in article 5sg9d.3650$Ua.1899@trndny01):

Since any tube radio is probably going to need recapping,
and the OP is inexperienced at this, a better choice to start
might be a Halli S-38 or the comparable National. These radios
have a lot more room under the hood and the inevitable re-capping
job will be much easier. After getting some experience, he'll be
ready for something like a T/O.


You're recommending /starting/ with 5-tube AC/DC's?

Do you really think that's a good idea? I started with a S-38B and
added a Heath Q-1 and I would /never/ recommend starting there ('course
I was 12 years old and invincible).



Gray Shockley
--------------------------
Entropy Maintenance Technician
Tao Chemical Company
--------------------------

http://www.compcomm.com/
Vicksburg, Mississippi US

My impression was that this was for a first "tube"
radio, not first radio of any kind. My recommendation
was not based on ease-of-use of course, but on
"ease-of-getting-into-decent-working-order." A fellow
with very little radio repair experience will have
a much harder time getting the average e-bay T/O
up to snuff.

Obvously there are better choices than either
a T/O or an S-38 out there, but they require more
dough to purchase and more skill to maintain.

Oz




Gray Shockley wrote:
On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 14:05:37 -0500, Larry Ozarow wrote
(in article 5sg9d.3650$Ua.1899@trndny01):


Since any tube radio is probably going to need recapping,
and the OP is inexperienced at this, a better choice to start
might be a Halli S-38 or the comparable National. These radios
have a lot more room under the hood and the inevitable re-capping
job will be much easier. After getting some experience, he'll be
ready for something like a T/O.



You're recommending /starting/ with 5-tube AC/DC's?

Do you really think that's a good idea? I started with a S-38B and
added a Heath Q-1 and I would /never/ recommend starting there ('course
I was 12 years old and invincible).



Gray Shockley
--------------------------
Entropy Maintenance Technician
Tao Chemical Company
--------------------------

http://www.compcomm.com/
Vicksburg, Mississippi US

On Fri, 8 Oct 2004 06:57:28 -0500, Larry Ozarow wrote
(in article Igv9d.2785$Ua.169@trndny04):


My impression was that this was for a first "tube"
radio, not first radio of any kind.

I wasn't specific enough.

The 5-tube/valve AC/DC's are probably the
most dangerous radios ever made.

You might wanta take a look:

http://antiqueradio.org/safety.htm


gray

My recommendation
was not based on ease-of-use of course, but on
"ease-of-getting-into-decent-working-order." A fellow
with very little radio repair experience will have
a much harder time getting the average e-bay T/O
up to snuff.

Obvously there are better choices than either
a T/O or an S-38 out there, but they require more
dough to purchase and more skill to maintain.

Oz




Gray Shockley wrote:
On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 14:05:37 -0500, Larry Ozarow wrote
(in article 5sg9d.3650$Ua.1899@trndny01):


Since any tube radio is probably going to need recapping,
and the OP is inexperienced at this, a better choice to start
might be a Halli S-38 or the comparable National. These radios
have a lot more room under the hood and the inevitable re-capping
job will be much easier. After getting some experience, he'll be
ready for something like a T/O.



You're recommending /starting/ with 5-tube AC/DC's?

Do you really think that's a good idea? I started with a S-38B and
added a Heath Q-1 and I would /never/ recommend starting there ('course
I was 12 years old and invincible).



Gray Shockley
--------------------------
Entropy Maintenance Technician
Tao Chemical Company
--------------------------

http://www.compcomm.com/
Vicksburg, Mississippi US