OK Peter, Can I have your email address please?


Cheers, Graham

Sorry Graham, I'm quite up with how every thing works on this group as yet. My email address is: leeinv66hotmail.com

Marc, I'm not 100% sure about what your are saying here:

" Unless it is an ISO (insulated in can) look out..... don't touch it. It may be insulated from the chassis, in other words ....... very alive!"

But if you are talking about the large can capacitor, that bit me twice First when I disconnected it and replaced it with three 33μF 450v caps (it was leaking badly) and the second time when I fitted the 2.5K 5W resistor as one end connected to that can. Both times it was my own fault as I neglected to discharge the caps in my rush to see if I could get the set to run.

All the best
Peter

It is noted on the circuit that there is a HT wire clearly indicated as being attached to the core of the audio transformer.

The audio transformer may be in the pan of the chassis.

If there is an open type audio transformer sitting on an insulating block. then that is a "bighty". It will have around 315VDC sitting on it.

The ISO (Insulated Shielded Output) transformer will be covered and you cannot be bitten by the jacket., it may be on the speaker?

Would prefer 6U7's, make sure they are shielded, there will be no end of odd ball happenings if the second one IF amp, is not shielded.

Would agree that if its loud per method above, IF section is where to look.

Marc

Hi Marc, yes the audio transformer is under the chassis and yes, it is the open type. Thanks for the warning as it is wired as you thought.

The first and second tubes are shielded, but the third is not. Should it be?

It is acting a little strange at the moment. I can pick up a lot of stations on SW (non English, may be Indonesian), but none on AM. I have a single tube AM transmitter and it will pick up the signal from that. I am hoping changing the tube I think is soft will fix it. If not, I'll have many more questions. We no longer have a local AM station here in Launceston, so the only Am I can receive is from the mainland and normally only at night.

I am now armed with a circuit thanks to Graham and will be checking all the resistors.

Cheers
Peter

Peter,

Changing the converter (6J8) will not fix it. Converters run out of Shortwave when they die not the other way.

If there is any fault it is only in the Antenna & Oscillator section of the BC coils. That limits it to a minimal amount of suspects.

It is normal for the day time reception to be worse that night.

The principal suspects lay in adjustment of the BC band aerial trimmers. This is particularly touchy with three gangs. Note one is the oscillator & will throw it off frequency.

Next is dirty switches, followed by AGC faults, caused by leaky caps & out of spec. resistors ( quite often).

6AV6 and its cousins tended to be a horror valve, for microphonics especially. It would have most likely have been shielded (the last one I worked on was) That is normally a piece of metal surrounding the valve & earthed.

Marc

Thanks Marc! I have tried to avoid adjusting any of the trimmers as they are stuck fast (some sort of glue on all of them). Sounds like I am going to have to fix that!

Thanks
Peter

The red stuff is fairly brittle & will release fairly easily.

Antenna trimmers are normally adjusted at around 1500 kHz 1495 nearest 2AY Albury NSW is one on that.

Things do wander in time & changing the caps sometimes, can move things as well.

Marc

Hi Marc, I was just wondering if you knew of somewhere in Australia to buy parts for these old radios? I am now in need of a four tag IF coil as I damaged one of mine while I was freeing up the slug. I normally buy this sort of stuff from the States as you can order it online, but I would love to find somewhere local. I know of a couple of local tube suppliers and can get caps and resistors, but where can I get switches, coils and the like?

My experience is that if its not a standard component, you see little advertised locally.

What sort of switch?

Explain damaged.... what broke? I have some 2nd hand ones.

If you only broke wires & they did not break flush with the coil thats fixable, albiet the wire is like hair. The only hassle may be detirmining which post they belong to if the core rotated. or the primary & secondary.

Marc

No switch in particular Marc, I was just looking for somewhere local to buy bits when I need them. Yes, the wire broke of the coil flush on the inside and I am unable to find it. I have my eye on an earlier Astor chassis at the moment that has the same IF cans on it. I'll try to land that one before I start annoying anyone for parts. While I’m not happy I damaged the coil, I am happy that I now know a bit more about how they work and will treat them with much more respect next time.

Cheers
Peter

If all else fails, one could take a commercial risk & mail it to me and I can try & spot it.

No guarantees but I have been able to mend a couple.

One of the guys in the Radio Club may also have one? See if tubesandmore.com have the cores listed?

Marc

Just an up date to say thanks for all the help you guys provided for this radio. I finally found a donor chassis with a useable IF coil and the set is now working great. I fitted the two new 6K7Gs I purchased and they are doing the job, so in this set they work as direct replacements for the 6U7Gs. Someone might find this information of use Now on to the next one, a little Healing 401E that is in a very sad state.

Thanks again guys!

Peter

Hi All, just thought I would try posting links to this radio.

Image Link

Image Link

Cheers
Peter

Hello, I have an Astor GN bakelite case brown. It has these valves/vacuumtubes in it.5Y3GT ,6AQ5, 6AV6, 6N8, 6AN7. Are these tubes the right ones for an Astor GN radio? Should they be in there? I keep getting that the tubes should be this,5Y3GT, 6J8GA, 6AU7, 6B6G, 6V6GT. That is what my research keeps telling. So what is the right one. For the Astor GN radio, which tubes. and where can I get a service manual spair parts list for the astor gn radio. I now know there is an Astor CNK chassis wooden case with the same tube 6AN7, 6N8, 6AV6, 6AQ5, 5Y3GT. Now that has a wooden case. The one I have has a bakelite case and the same tubes as the CNK chassis wooden case. What is right? Please. Thankyou all.

Hello. Looking for a service repair manual download or copy for Astor CNK chassis wooden case record player. I think with tubes 6AN7, 6N8, 6AV6, 6AQ5, and 5Y3GT. I have this Astor CNK not working need to fix it up. Where can I get a service manual and parts list from. Please.