Welcome to Australia's only Vintage Radio and Television discussion forums. You are not logged in. Please log in below, apply for an account or retrieve your password.
Australian Vintage Radio Forums
  Home  ·  About Us  ·  Discussion Forums  ·  Glossary  ·  Outside Links  ·  Policies  ·  Services Directory  ·  Safety Warnings  ·  Tutorials

Tech Talk

Forum home - Go back to Tech talk

 Airmaster 6 Valve Console radio circa 1930s
« Back · 1 · 2 · Next »
 Return to top of page · Post #: 1 · Written at 2:08:05 PM on 6 September 2020.
MrFixit's Gravatar
 Location: Dalby, QLD
 Member since 6 September 2020
 Member #: 2439
 Postcount: 8

Hello,

I have been gifted a Console radio in poor condition, but worth a try at some resuscitation, given vital info on the missing bits and a Schematic to track the non-connected wiring where the beasties dined in. The cabinet style is early 1930s ish. 4 control knobs, 1 of which is concentric. Similar style cabinets are displayed in on-line sources

The escutcheon on the front carries the Airmaster logo and a metal sales tag from Heindorffs Ltd of Brisbane as the only names. This checks out historically, as they were Air-Master (yes different spelling) agents as reported in local newspapers in the 1930s. The tag notes them as selling Pianos, Talking Machines and Musical Instruments

The valve line up is E452T, E445, E4???, missing, missing, 80. Rola electro dynamic reproducer with a very transparent diaphragm. (edit correction)

I can add some photos in the future, taking this inquiry as a first step in to the void of the rabbit hole.

Thanks for reading
Al (MrFixit)

Airmaster Console Radio
Airmaster Console Radio
Airmaster Console Radio
Airmaster Console Radio
Airmaster Console Radio


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 2 · Written at 3:38:15 PM on 6 September 2020.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 28 January 2011
 Member #: 823
 Postcount: 6678

Photos would probably be useful.

Is the dual concentric control the centre one of three?

Closest I can come to Airmaster is the 7 Valve Superhet from 1932:

80, E452T, E409, E445, E452T, E443N, E443N

Some Astor TRF models from 1932 had the line up: E452T E452T E452T E442S E443N 1561


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 3 · Written at 7:58:40 PM on 6 September 2020.
MrFixit's Gravatar
 Location: Dalby, QLD
 Member since 6 September 2020
 Member #: 2439
 Postcount: 8

Thanks for the response GTC.

That was the only one that popped up on my searching so far, but only seats for 6 valves on this bus. I got the order wrong the valves from left to right in order are E452T, E4??, E445, missing, missing, 80. I suspect E4?? is a second E445. These 3 are the only ones with a screw connectors on the top cap. The E452T is above the aerial input and of course the 80 is down at the mains input end.

The centre control is the concentric, outer is the tuning and inner goes to a pot. I will select some photos to show the more vital parts. The detective work is almost as intriguing as the technical aspect. I need to get in and have access to the circuit diagrams of the possibles as a further sept in the quest. This unit may be a rare surviving example of the species.

Al

(edited to correct valve types)


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 4 · Written at 8:05:43 PM on 6 September 2020.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 28 January 2011
 Member #: 823
 Postcount: 6678

The centre control is the concentric

Hard to tell from this photo without ability to download it and examine it closely, but the centre knob of this 1934 model G66 might be concentric. Is your cabinet anything like this?

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/targan_ac_air_master_g66.html


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 5 · Written at 8:22:34 PM on 6 September 2020.
MrFixit's Gravatar
 Location: Dalby, QLD
 Member since 6 September 2020
 Member #: 2439
 Postcount: 8

Hi GTC,

No, it is a floor console or should I say Lowboy model similar to some images I have just found on Vogue models. This is interesting as historically there is a mix across Airmaster, Vogue and Targan, so maybe I am closing in on the target area.

I am uploading some photos tonight, so hopefully there soon. Sorry I did not check your link, it would be similar to that one in the controls area, but the cabinet has short spindly legs.

Cheers
Al


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 6 · Written at 10:39:59 PM on 6 September 2020.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7290

Photos uploaded.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 7 · Written at 11:24:07 PM on 6 September 2020.
Marcc's avatar
 Location: Wangaratta, VIC
 Member since 21 February 2009
 Member #: 438
 Postcount: 5239

I am suspecting it could be an autodyne around 1932

First 3 valves tetrodes & 1st RF & 1st IF same with E442 Beam Tetrodes (Renodes) in Push pull. Its been got at.

Looks a bit short on components; Often they were inside the cans (Hammarlund ceramic) Do check those Mica caps; some in that era did leak badly.

Speaker may be the "Simon & Garfunkel" model & reproduces the sounds of silence?


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 8 · Written at 12:53:12 AM on 7 September 2020.
Robbbert's avatar
 Location: Hill Top, NSW
 Member since 18 September 2015
 Member #: 1801
 Postcount: 2011

I see the chassis-mounted caps have been disconnected which is no surprise. Probably "wet" caps that dried out.

But I think Marc is right, as most of the parts that I'd expect are not there.

Hopefully you can find a schematic, as I think you'll really need it.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 9 · Written at 5:34:47 AM on 7 September 2020.
MonochromeTV's avatar
 Location: Melbourne, VIC
 Member since 20 September 2011
 Member #: 1009
 Postcount: 1179

I have a schematic for a 1932 7 valve Airmaster which uses those same early Philips valves. It is 7 valves because the output is push-pull. So the rest of the circuit may be similar.

The schematic itself was drawn by the late Ray Kelly (founding member of the HRSA) & comes from a CD put out by Kevin Chant over 15 years ago. I haven’t checked to see if the same schematic is on Kevs site.

I won’t be able to upload the schematic here but I’m sure Kevin wouldn’t mind if I forward it on.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 10 · Written at 7:12:46 AM on 7 September 2020.
MrFixit's Gravatar
 Location: Dalby, QLD
 Member since 6 September 2020
 Member #: 2439
 Postcount: 8

Well what a nice surprise this morning to read the additions to the post.

Thanks to Brad for the rapid upload of photos, Marcc for the suggestions on type, Robbbert for confirming my suspicions on the caps and evidence of other work, MonochromeTV for the resource search, I do see a CD on eBay could this be Kevins product?

Hopefully I can see some similarity in cct from the 7 valve and go from there to discover more. So far 'The Sound of Silence' is the only song playing on this 'Talking Machine'.

All this help is gratefully received and all care will be taken during the future work. I would like to assure all those contributing that 50+ years in the Electrical and Electronics game should lead to neither the device or the operator going up in smoke.

Regards Al


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 11 · Written at 7:37:11 AM on 7 September 2020.
Simplex's Gravatar
 Location: Bathurst, NSW
 Member since 7 August 2008
 Member #: 336
 Postcount: 391

An interesting early radio, lot of restoration work there. Good luck with getting it up and running.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 12 · Written at 7:56:15 AM on 7 September 2020.
MonochromeTV's avatar
 Location: Melbourne, VIC
 Member since 20 September 2011
 Member #: 1009
 Postcount: 1179

The CD for sale on ebay is most likely Ray Pedri’s AORSM on disc.

This disc does not have any Airmaster schematics.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 13 · Written at 9:47:53 AM on 7 September 2020.
Jimb's Gravatar
 Location: Kanahooka, NSW
 Member since 18 November 2016
 Member #: 2012
 Postcount: 712

That looks a daunting restoration good luck.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 14 · Written at 10:03:14 AM on 7 September 2020.
Fred Lever's Gravatar
 Location: Toongabbie, NSW
 Member since 19 November 2015
 Member #: 1828
 Postcount: 1245

Hi Fixit, what a great resto project!

(Looks easy to me, bit of a tidy up of the chassis, minor repair to speaker, cabinet needs a wipe down, what could go wrong!!!)

Unless you want to make it look like a "rat rod" looks like a complete strip down to bare chassis, fix/replace/test each part and re build.
Ditto cabinet.
But at least its nearly all there.
I will cheer from the side lines with any advice!
Look in "special projects" I do all sorts of dumb thing to radios, you may find some clues there.


Cheers, Fred.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 15 · Written at 9:36:38 AM on 14 September 2020.
MrFixit's Gravatar
 Location: Dalby, QLD
 Member since 6 September 2020
 Member #: 2439
 Postcount: 8

Hi to All,

Little forward progress on the radio as yet, I bought a Paton VCT-V Valve Tester and I needed to check it for faults and make it safe to power up, so far so good on it, bar a decent cct diagram.

I have metered out the speaker coils and they seem OK, after researching the speaker type, a Rola 6K or 8K, but no examples photos on the net. Otherwise it is still a basket case, that is, its just a basket (+coils).

Stay Well
Al


 
« Back · 1 · 2 · Next »
 You need to be a member to post comments on this forum.

Sign In

Username:
Password:
 Keep me logged in.
Do not tick box on a computer with public access.