Hi, I live in Western Sydney and I would dearly love to find somebody to let me watch as they carry out radio repairs.
Not looking for a freebie radio restoration rather some
demonstration of what I can read in books but dosn't
sink in unless I can see it done in front of me!
I work full time but apart from that I can be flexable as to times.
Thanks for any response. Michael.

I think the best bet here is to join a radio club and attend some of their meetings throughout the year. many of these meetings are just social gatherings however others have demonstrations of basic diagnosis and repair, repairs to timber and bakelite cabinets and tuning up receivers that are out of alignment.

I'd be doing this myself if time permitted however my job as a manager and also maintaining this website take up lots of time.

Hi folks,

its an interesting subject!!
i think I once brought it up also.

i often wander what will happen in years to come when all the present and technical gurus who are now fixing these wonderful radios, will no longer be able to....... and who will do it then....? ....given ofcourse the limited learning sources we have today regarding this subject.

as far as I know there is no one out there who is prepared to pass on this knowledge and I dont know of a course one can take in order to learn the basics of fixing these radios, electronically I mean....i would be one who would love to learn the electronical side to radios (even if its the basics) as I am already doing everything I can to repair the cabinets both in timber and bakelite....

cheers
marc

Hi 32vRadio,
Agree with your comments and share your frustrations. Hence my gratitude towards those more experienced members of this Forum when they respond to my questions.
I have a reasonable to good grasp of the theory, but lack hands-on experience; that is quite a huge gap, and dangerous!! One suggestion - these old valve radios can be very dangerous unless extreme care is exercised. So ......... I 'played' with a few old transistor based radios where the voltages are only ~12volt eg. an old car radio connected up to a car battery ........and it didn't matter if I made a few mistakes. This made the transition to valve radios easier and safer.

Cheers,
Ian

The issue here I believe is that the blokes who worked for the radio and valve manufacturers will have the most intimate experience with the technology, so yes, once these generations of experts are no longer with us some of the vast knowledge base they share with us will disappear for good. The fortunate thing is that many of these people are still with us so that as much relating to the old technology can be passed on whilst there is an opportunity - for want of a better way of saying it.

There is little, if any, formal instruction available today relating to valves, how they work, who invented them, how their role in rectification and amplification of signals was discovered by pioneers like Sir John Fleming and Thomas Edison.

Collecting and restoring vintage radios has been a mainstream hobby for around 30 years and the hobby has changed so much. It started out with people scrounging and most of what they came by was theirs for free or at most a few dollars. These days I would estimate that about 70% of what is still available has been acquired by collectors who either restore and display their radios or simply participate in the horse trade, so to say - where they buy receivers and then pass them on at a later stage for a profit. It goes without saying that due to the rarity of many receivers they have become just as an important investment as shares or even real estate.

My own knowledge of vintage radios only pertains to what I have either taught myself or have been told by more experienced collectors. Whilst I do not know everything about vintage radios I make a point of passing on what I do know, when asked a question, so the next generation of collectors can gain and then build on the knowledge passed to them. To the credit of the regulars here on Vintage Radio they spend a lot of their free time here with the same attitude - be willing to learn but also be willing to educate others.

The collection of both vintage radios and televisions, along with spare parts and literature is only going to get more widespread. Whilst the growth of the vintage radio fraternity has always grown at a fairly modest rate there is no reason why that growth will not continue. Those collectors with an interest in things like electronics, electrical wiring, restoration of bakelite and timber and the application of paints and clear finishes have a distinct advantage over other collectors, who may simply be more interested in acquiring and displaying a few sets as conversation pieces.

I created this website in 2003 for only one reason. I fall into the former group, where I do have some knowledge in the electrical, electronic and engineering (metalwork) aspects. I am also a freelance web developer so I guess that along with being able to pass on knowledge where I am in a position to do so I also created this website as my contribution to enable others to join me in the sharing of knowledge. For better or worse, this will ultimately become the best way for people to gather and discuss their interests, whether it be vintage radio or any legitimate hobby. Being part of an online community is cheaper, more convenient and objectives are probably achieved a lot quicker too. The only thing we can't do here or on any website is engage in person to person contact or attend practical demonstrations of the various aspects of vintage radio repair and service though this is where the handful of vintage radio clubs and associations have an important role to play.

I am currently doing a one year course in panel beating.
its something i've always wanted to do since a young boy, amongst many other things.
it was relatively recent that tafe has introduced this course I believe, for the sole purpose to teach the art of this craft to people who are interested in doing it as a hobby and not as a proffesion....collectors of cars in other words.
i wander whether we will ever see the same in electronics come to fruition, for the collectors of valve radios .....
since I am currently 53, I wont hold my breath for too long, but I know that if it does ever happen, even when I am 100 and provided I'm in good health....i will be the first to join the queue.
i wander whether there is any scope for this course to ever take shape? even if it was done privately.....i suppose it would have to depend on the overall demand.

cheers
marc

Hi Marc (Met) .......... so what car is it you are restoring??
I have seen an old Ferris valve radio for sale on ebay, 6volt I think; and wondered as to what car it may have come from??

Cheers,
Ian

A '68 vw beetle....but not really sure where the ferris radio is originally from.

cheers
marc