50s HMV valve radio - possible CBG amp

You can just see some of the valves glowing (+ on the right the light or the frequency display, only one of which works). Complete with authentic 50s (and 60s and 70s.......) dust. First thing is to try to stop it making loud crackling sounds. If I can fix that then I will try to make an amp from this. No previous experience of that sort of thing so it may explode taking me with it. If I go silent, well you know what happened.By the way, it's almost 50cms (20") wide.
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  • Hi Andres.

    Oh yes. I am still here. In spite of some seriously dangerous bits of design (they didn't know the meaning of health and safety in the 50s) I managed not to electrocute myself. I will make a soundcheck at some stage. It has a really sweet tone, although it needs an preamp to boost the signal going to it in order to get decent volume.

    All the best.

    John

  • John? Still alive? Yoy better be..i would really love to hear sound of that.

  • Hi John.

    I have just given the pots and valve sockets a dose of switch cleaner, so I will see if that makes a difference. The valve pins look remarkably good for something of that age. Fingers crossed.

    Al the best.

    John

  • bet you're glad you didn't throw that out a couple of years ago..good luck, the speakers in those old radios are very good..

     

  • Hi Juju and Hollowbelly.

    I will give the volume/on/off and tone pots a good dose of switch cleaner. I plan to take the valves out and clean the pins. Don't think I can do much about the sockets they go into (more switch cleaner possibly) Then I will see how it sounds.

    Thanks.

    John

  • lovely.

  • it's a good sign that the valves are glowing maybe the Loud Crack is due to a dirty pot , a faulty Capacitor or a valve on it's way out all of which can be replaced if you can pin point the cause - should make a nice amp

  • Hi Bruce.

    And not so sweet if they have to peel me off the ceiling (think Tom and Jerry cartoon sequence).

    All the best.

    John

  • Yes, please do be careful. Looks like a lot of opportunities for things to go bad! Will be sweet if you pull it off though!

  • Great. Turn that into a CBG amp as well.

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