Hello,

Does anyone know what I have here?

I Googled "Commodore Images" but cannot find anything which resembles this chassis. Great looking valves which predate my oldest radio in my collection, a Healing 500.

The IF cans are huge and cylindrical. There is a rheostat the like I've never seen before----instead of a wiper sweeping across the face of the wire winding, there is a spring-metal disc which is forced over the top of the winding, never seen anything like it, and it seems to have generated some heat by the look of it----discoloured metal (normal perhaps???)

Underneath the chassis is in very good condition, the tuning dial mechanism is a driven metal disc which fits into a grooved wheel, no dial chord here. It is duel-wave.

Valve line up : Osc. 6A7 A paper label wrapped around it, sadly there is that ominous milky fog inside the top glass wall.

I.F. 6D6

Det 6B7

O/P 42

Rectifier 80

There is no speaker or cabinet. The 5 pin speaker socket suggests a choke/field winding speaker configuration.

I'm pretty sure it's Australian, and I reckon I have no chance of ever finding a cabinet for it, but I'd love to see pictures of its former glory.

I will attempt to email Brad pictures; not good at this, so forgive me if I cock it up, I will keep trying.

P.S. The inline ceramic filter hanging off the grid cap wire is compliments of our wasp friends!

Photos uploaded.

Looks very similar to a chassis I'm restoring right now, except I"m not at home. The power voltage selector and dial is the giveaway. The brand escapes me but if you can wait a couple of weeks.....

I wouldnt mind betting it has EMMCO influence there. Those cans are identical to the ones on my 34 EMMCO.

Thanks Ian and Tallar, and thanks Brad for your patience with the pictures, I muddled up there a couple of times, but you got them through, thank you.

I've seen cans like that too, it's possible I have a radio with them.

Looks like a fairly standard late 30's radio.

Unfortunately there's no photos of the undersides.

Your description of the dial mechanism indicates a friction drive - they tend to wear out and slip.

Yes Robbert, in my haste I did not include an under-chassis picture, I'll do it now.

Also, there is a shot of the dial drive mechanism.

I am amazed at the wiring insulation, like brand new. The only rot is the rubber insulated dial lamp wires. The under-chassis is varnished sleeving and fabric insulation, kept very well despite the chassis lived in a bush shed.

If only Astor used the same material---.

Cheers.

Here is a Commodore radio that might be the same as yours:

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/129282685/11048219

It could be a generic home brand for Myer in Adelaide. It may have an Eclipse chassis. What brand are the paper caps under the pan?

Hi Monochrome,

The paper caps are a mix of Ducon and a brand I can't read too well----'Sol--' is all I can make out, with 'Sealdtite paper capacitor' printed below the name.

The electros are Ducon and Aerovox. There is also a "modern" poly cap (bright yellow) fitted at some later stage.

Regarding the site you directed me to, WOW! How I wish I had that cabinet to go with the chassis.

Hi, well what a nice chassis! Don't power it up like it is!!!!! There are endless topics about that on this site.
That set should clean up nicely and the alloy cans will spin up to a polish. The caps and power cord need sorting and that 6A7 might have a cracked top pinch where the wire comes out, probably need a good one.
That WW control is an upmarket one with the intermediate plate so the wiper doesn't chew through the windings as it slides around, I have a couple of them in my junk box.
The ceramic feed through device is a beauty just like the one I found in my vintage car last year on the sun visor upper surface. I flipped the visor down to keep the sun out of my eyes and the occupants were MOST UNHAPPY!!!! (I left the drivers window down in storage).
Re the cabinet just pop down to Bunnings and get a bunch of wooden sticks, some plywood and knock one up (don't tell Vintage Pete I said that). All you need to finish it is a cheapy Jaycar 12" speaker, a HT choke from somebody off the internet, a output tranny use a small power tranny, some cloth from the dress shop, some knobs and an escutcheon for the dial and you are home and hosed!
Sort of what I did for the "Vouge" set restoration you will find in the special projects forum only I did not have any chassis at all so had to fudge everything.
Cheers, Fred.

I think its a set with everyone's bits, which was fairly common. The transformer bell looks EMMC0 the gang more like Stromberg- Carlson, who made them for lots, stencil is similar to Breville, but they could also be OEM to someone who made such things.

ARTS&P may be a clue as is the valve line up AWA covered the taps with a plate like that & the tap was changed by moving a fuse of which there was often two.

Photo of the pan. That Mud capacitor is liable to attract buzz & should be removed. Strongly suggestive of a field coil speaker; Circa late 30's, or War time as they reverted back to the non octal tubes during that period. The type of resistors & caps can also be a clue. Rubber wire without cotton covering also dates it. Plenty of clues.

The size of the can could indicate 175kHz. Early EMMCO were bottom trimmers, those are top trimmers

Marc

Thanks Fred for the very practical advice.

I certainly won't be powering up, rest assured. I love this chassis so much I'm just going to look at it.

The saddest sight is a milky valve. But I love the paper wrapper, so I am keeping the 6A7 in the chassis, 'for looks only.'

Your comment about the WW is interesting,I have never seen anything like it, but the quality and workmanship throughout the entire chassis impressed me, especially when I compare my later radios with this beauty, so in that regard I am delighted to hear the WW is high quality.

Regarding the nest, I was not as unfortunate as you, the occupants had long gone.

Not sure about cabinet manufacturing. I can jump into any type of electronic repairs very easily, but I cannot cut a piece of plywood in a straight line. That doesn't mean I don't make things out of wood, I do very often, but they look like something drop-forged in a cross wind.

I promise I won't tell Pete anything, but I have a funny feeling that he already is aware.

On an entirely different subject, however, I am in the planning stages of building a radio telescope using valves. Sheer lunacy, I admit, but something I have to do to cure my 'Living In The Past' disorder. I would appreciate very much your advice in the general layout of circuitry from time to time. Would it be O.K. if I do this via this site?

Cheers for now.

Would it be O.K. if I do this via this site?

No issue with that at all. That's what forums are for.

Marcc,

Excellent point about can size V wavelength. Until now I was unaware of such an IF frequency. It makes perfect sense now, many thanks.

I restored a S-C many years ago,,, just had a look behind it and yep! the gang is almost identical. (chord driven in this case)

I haven't looked behind the selector plate yet, now I'm curious and will do ASAP.

as for the mud, it was due to be removed today outdoors, unfortunately a bloody awful squall brought snow falls mid-afternoon.

How I hate global warming-----.

Hi BBTV, a RADIO TELESCOPE? you are mad!
That's the sort of thing I would dream about but then again being completely ignorant would just press ahead and have a go, just look at all the antics I have got into with radios and stuff in the special projects forum. I'm slowly learning about valves and how to use them.
Yeah ask me anything you like I'm full of opinions and maybe some of the stuff I've done with radios could have some application but note I know NOTHING about pulse propagation, transmitting micro waves and antennas. The highest frequency I got to was making a valve FM tuner work. I know so little that I simply don't know what I don't know if you know what I mean! There are probably some guys that worked in TV transmission or ex CSRIO/Radar guys that would have some better sort of clue. You want "the dish" guys!! to tell you how far you can get.
Cheers, Fred.