Hi guys I have been given a Reliance Skyraider console which I am going to do a full restoration on. It has a chassis number 3886 on it. Do any of you have any info on Skyraider consoles at all like schematics and pictures that may help me with the colour of the wood. Please.
Cheers Carl Tallar

What a stroke of luck. I have a radio repair man that lives not far from me. I gave him a call and asked him if he could have a look at my old radio . When I told him the Brand he said to me ( to my utter surprise ) that he used to work as a technician for reliance. he told me that they were not making anymore radios at that time but were running a shop in sydney like retravision. His job was service repairman. wow I have been looking all over the web for information about reliance with no luck only to find him literally a few ks away from my front door. He said he has only seen two of these in the last few years and mine is no 2,

Well guys I am proud of my self today. As the wife was sleeping I pulled the old radio out of the shed and diligently went to work giving the chassis a good clean, if she wasn't sleeping she would have been nagging me about making a mess in her kitchen, Like I don't nag her when she cleans my man cave hey lol . Now here are the before and after shots. I will say before you comment that no water was used. all I used was a sparingly amount of wd40 , a electric toothbrush ( my wife has bought me a new one lol ) a sponge scourer ( no heavy scrubbing ) . I felt that I had to give it a clean as turning up with a chassis full of bird crap wasn't doing anyone any favours . I didn't rub any markings off the chassis or the valves. Now for a relax after all that cleaning lol. Take a look at the pics I'm having uploaded.

I'm glad you have posted some chassis pics.

One thing the pictures have revealed is that the 2nd valve (the one in the metal can with VR91 10E/92 stamped on it) is a EF50. The EF50 was used in WW2 radar equipment, and after the war squillions were released into the war surplus market. Some smaller manufacturers such as Reliance took advantage of using EF50 valves in their models, which would of virtually cost them nothing.

Little is known about Reliance, apart from them making multi-valve deluxe models & their Sky-Raider models They even made a brief foray into TV in the late 1950's. Their TV model was a 21" Sky-Vista console, which no doubt probably used war-surplus EF50's & 6H6's!!

Reliance Radio were based in Barrack St., Sydney, and had branches in Parramatta & Rockdale.

So do you think this one should be easily restored. I believe there is a actually lot of work.

Depending on your experience of vintage radio restoration and valve technology this one shouldn't be too hard.

First you need to check the condition of the power transformer, filter choke, speaker & speaker transformer. These are the most expensive items which could determine the viability of a restoration. The presence of a filter choke will mean the speaker is a permanent magnet type - which is good.

Once you've determined that the above items are ok then you replace all the electrolytic & wax paper capacitors. I also sometimes replace mica capacitors, especially the ones in the HT line. Resistors need to be checked to see if they are within spec. And most importantly the wiring needs to be checked, as old wire insulation material often perishes.

Can you please take a good res photo of underneath the chassis? I've worked out 2 of the valves - that is EF50 (VR91 10E/92) & 6V6GT. Can you also supply the type numbers of the other 3 valves? Is the radio AM only or does it have short wave as well? All this information may help in finding a circuit diagram - or at least something you can work from.

I have just sent a photo of the chassis and yes it has shortwave as well.

The under chassis I meant

The valve line-up would be helpful as well.

Photo is upskies.

It is clear that the set has been worked on before, so it is a case of ensuring the components are correct, often they are not and I have found quite a few like that.The potentiometer is a tapped one:There is nothing on the tap... why? If it does not need it, lots are looking for good pots like that.

The electrolytics will need replacing along with those black caps. Often they shear of at the ends & I have seen the early encapsulated polyesters do it as well. If the white one is not polyester, or is an unknown, replace it as well.

It would pay to measure the resistance from chassis to the plate terminals of the rectifier, to ensure the windings are continuous.

Make sure that cable is OK, or use another before applying mains. That setup is illegal, and I normally use a gland & a three wire cable. Do not measure the AC voltage across the plate pins unless the meter can handle a minimum of 1KV. The voltage of the High voltage secondary should be measured plate to chassis and with the rectifier valve removed.

I am suspecting as it is SW, 6J8; EF50; 6B6; 6V6. Rectifier 5Y3GT & it will not be the only one with that combination.

This job is going to be a total restoration job I will have the valve lineup as soon as I can find the time . But yes I won't leave any stone unturned

Hey guys I have finally been able to send pics of the valves if you could have a look and advise me if possible it would be appreciated. I also have sent a pic of the speaker which is in surprisingly good order but some one has had his monkey do some mods on it

I do think the monkey may have been at this. 5AS4 is a fairly hefty rectifier, that this set does not need. It burns more filament current than 5Y3 and may damage the transformer if it is wrong.

6B8 is a double diode Pentode and common as the detector first audio

EF50 Remote cut off Pentode (Loctal) will be the first IF amplifier.

The GT Package valve looks like a 6V6 Beam Pentode output valve. Its cathode resistor or the backbias will be another clue and it should be labeled that, if it is.

This leaves us with the missing label on the remaining valve. The halo at the top (inside) is consistent with 6J8. The other confirmation is to hold it up in front of strong light & rotate it, Below the main body of the Heptode you should see the Triode. 6A8 does not have that.

If you do that with the 6B8 you will see similar, with the Diode plates below the Pentode.

That line up of valve types is common, now who's circuit did they use? I have fixed one with this valve set & I think I know who has it.

Marc