My searching does not seem to pull up results like they used to.
Need info, circuit etc, SkyHawk (written on dial) Mantle wood cabinet radio.
No model number, nothing on chassis.
Valve lineup 6J8G ? , 6D6,6B7,42,80.
Hoping someone can help.
It has Australian stations marked on dial.
JJ

That's weird: 6A7 I would believe as its seven pin as is 6B7. The next morph of 6A7 was to 6A8 by just changing the base to octal. 6J8 came later mainly in SW sets. I am getting a feeling its been hacked possibly post war?

Yeh, agree with Marcc, something screwy there.

Any chance of a picture or two? I have a couple of Aussie chassis using 80's, hopefully we can spot similarities.

The sub of 6A8 with 6J8 can cause all sorts of band spreading issues. In Astor JJ it will compress the band.

Yeah, a 6A7 would be in keeping with the period of the rest of the valves.

Need photos.

Equivalences (going from memory), only the base is different.

6A7 = 6A8G
6D6 = 6U7G
6B7 = 6B8G
42 = 6F6G
80 = 5Y3G

#80 as a rectifier was the most common rectifier prior to the Octals and just about every radio was a variation on a theme, with just about every radio following essentially the same plot.

Some even transited from that same valve line up with the same circuit & the next generation of the valves that were electrically the same one e.g. # 80 to 5Y3.

So basically you pick a circuit with that combo.

Like I currently have an un-hacked Airzone 609 chassis from a 656 https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/airzone_656_ch_609.html That is the actual radio sitting on my bench. It goes 6D6, 6A7, 6D6, #75, #42 an #80. #75 is 6SQ7. But as you can see it is basically the same plot, with TRF stage.

Photos sent to Brad.
Marc, I don't need a circuit to fix/repair/restore it, just looking for info. Brand, manufacture etc.
Also looks like a possibility that the 6J8G could have been a factory modification, wired fairly neatly, or a professional job.
I may have to reverse engineer this section to see what's been done and possibly why. If no info is available.
JJ

Having a quick look through some adverts from 1930 to 39 on trove, they looked like they were sold through "The Leviathian" department store in Melbourne. I couldn't see any clues to their manufacturer unfortunately. They made some nice looking timber sets going by the advertisements.

"Skyhawk" could of been one of the house brands for "The Leviathan Ltd" which was a department store on the corner of Bourke & Swanston St's, Melbourne. It is unlikely "Leviathan" actually made these radio's though.

Advertising in Trove Newspapers (The Herald) suggests the "Skyhawk" brand was around during the late 1930's. This would account for the valve line-up mentioned.

Some info here: https://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_hersteller_detail.cfm?company_id=18299
Looks as if Skyhawk may have come after the "air king" range was wrapped up?
If you're in the HRSA, Gary Cowans might be able to help.

Regarding a factory mod, Two Astors here look identical but one of them is fitted with a 6AN7. This is a multi band SW receiver and the mod is professional. Perhaps the SkyHawk is a similar concept, where a modern valve is fitted to an older chassis as an upgrade?

Good information, Thanks, JJ

Yeh! I have fixed several hundred sets, many of those without reference to a circuit and I fix commercially. The wheels fall off when you want to write an article or, as I frequently do; archive the info.

I actually wrote an article on an EMMCO for a magazine and EMMCO circuits are like hens teeth. That had to be reverse engineered to get a circuit. Then correct the hacking. It was not until after it was published, that I was contacted via the Mag and Radio Club that I found out what it was.

Now you actually do need a schematic, or tube run, not to fix it, but narrow it down: Not withstanding that there were "Slades" and others that bought up end of run stuff & sold radios as kits.

There is a list, I believe Arthur Courtney? made up & may have been updated of 105 pages on HRSA site listing a large body of brands. That may lead you to some brand name sets, with the same tube line up. Phillips & Mullard are often just badge different (same company) & plenty of that & manufacturing under licence went on.

The Leviathan Ltd, also offered "reconditioned and repossessed " radio sets. This could explain the professional factory repairs perhaps?

EMMCO, AWA & Stromberg are just three that made bits others used, assembled Heinz 57 Varieties of radio 's including their own. That meant that the chassis could have been pressed by anybody with presses and were.

The photo useful as some may be able to see tell tale signs of "who dunnit" During the War and after, valves were chopped & changed due to demand & a lot of sets were produced with pre-octal tubes as WD tended to scarper off with the Octals. As USA made things like my Philco made BC-221-N Frequency meter with metal Octal tubes. Tasma tended to use Philips and lots were the metalised one's in the RF sections.