Consoles Rog-Z
The first radio I ever bought was a console,
as was the one that hooked me on collecting. I was coming home from
a camping trip up on the Bruce Peninsula (during which I managed to put
my dad's new car into a swamp, but that's another story) and stopped at
a little junk dealer just outside of Wiarton. Sitting out front was
an old Stromberg Carlson 62. This had sat out in the rain for years,
it seemed. The veneer was all coming off, it had no knobs, the dial
was ruined, the tubes were all smashed out. I got it for $10.
It turned out that the thing was totally infested with spiders, including
one big fat grey one that was still hiding under the tuning capacitor days
later and took very poorly to my alcohol spray. To this day, it is
still known among our friends as 'the Spider Radio'. (This also inspired
a comic strip which is on the 'comix'
page.) What can I say? I was hooked.
Lots of the consoles listed here are no longer
in my possession. They take up too much room and don't stack well
in the basement. I've found they
make great gifts for major occasions. (Hey, Uncle Herb, that's a mighty
attractive corner over there in your living room....)
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Make: Rogers
Model: 6R632
Year: 1936
Tubes: 80, 6F6M, 6K7M (2), 6A7M, 75M
Power: 25/60-cycle
Schematic: Available
Acquired: Aberfoyle, 1997
Made in: Toronto |
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This Rogers console is the latest to
receive the choice spot in the living room corner. This is a
three-bander with a tuning indicator in the top centre (sort of an odd
one - a light behind a plastic lens that goes dimmer (?) when
the signal becomes stronger). I had thought that this was an unheard-of
Rogers set that actually used normal tubes, but in truth, the weird
tubes had just been subbed for. This
is one of the green-dial Rogers' sets (not quite a Zenith black dial,
but
I like it), which have one unfortunate tendency. Oversize replacement
dial
lamps tend to burn the surface of the dial, or cause it to crack. I
don't
think these are reparable, though the crack in this one is pretty
minimal.
I've seen much worse.
The finish on this set is original. It had
some good sized cat scratches which have come out after some good polishing,
but I may still have to try to rebuild the finish on top. The finish is
basically too good to strip off, but has blemishes that are beyond my current
ability to repair. Eventually, I'll learn how to do burn-ins, either that
or get my hands on a fairly fine lacquer sprayer. It was a pretty good
trade for the RCA, eh? (although there was some cash involved as well)
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Make: Sparton
Model: 24
Year: 1931
Tubes: 435 (4), 427 (3), 435 (2), 480
Power: 25-cycle
Schematic: Available
Acquired: Aberfoyle, 1992
Made in: London, Ont. |
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This was also a fairly major reconstruction
job. All the repwood detailing had warped and had to be flattened
out. The chassis, after years of trying, was finally convinced to
run this February. The biggest challenge of all was the fact that
the entire base was missing and we had absolutely no idea what it even
looked like. All we had to go by was the shadow left by the lacquer
when it was originally sprayed. The base it currently stands on was
fudged out of four stair bannisters and some base moulding. Set in
the context of living room furniture, it looks quite convincing (although
maybe a little tall). This set really needs another couple of coats
of finish and some better colouring on the base.
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Make: Stromberg Carlson
Model: 60
Year: 1934
Tubes: 37, 41 (2), 80, 6A7, 6B7, 6D6
Power: 25-cycle
Schematic: Available
Acquired: Yard sale, 1960's
Made in: Toronto |
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This set has been in our family longer than
I have. My dad picked it up a long way back, and it was the first
big old radio I was ever exposed to. (This passion obviously runs
in the family. It's not my fault.) Kind of odd styling on it - the
front reminds me of a cartoon character making a really horrified face.
I've always wanted to carve a pumpkin with this expression on it.
The Philco 3118, by contrast, has a really happy face, despite being stuck
in the basement. (For another one, look at the mountain in the Paramount
symbol, just when the movie starts. It's a dead ringer for the shark
in the "Jaws" poster.)
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Make: Stromberg-Carlson
Model: 62
Year: 1935
Tubes: 6SA7, 6SK7, 6SQ7, 6F6G, 5Y4G, 6AF6G
Power: 60-cycle
Schematic: Available
Acquired: Wiarton, 1990
Made in: Toronto |
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This is the Spider radio. It's really
kind of plain, given the fact that it inspired the rest of the collection.
Knowing what I know now, I really should refinish it again and do it properly.
At the very least, I could match up the colours a little better.
Those knobs are converted furniture knobs - the first step in a long line
of "cheats" I've attempted when I really have no idea what the part I'm
looking for even looks like. I think they work, though. I drew
up a comic based on
this set for Dan's birthday. (I'm the sort of neurotic-looking one.)
The set is still running, though it is now at a friend's house.
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Make: Westinghouse
Model: 512
Year: 1936
Tubes: 6Q7, 6L7, 6A8, 6F6, 5W4
Power:
Schematic: Unavailable
Acquired: Aberfoyle, 1997
Made in: Canada (Toronto?) |
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This was a really rewarding set to work on because
it came out so nicely. I did it for my cousin's wedding. I
was a little leery of it as a gift, since I realize that the radios are
my passion, and not everyone shares it with me, but they both loved it
and listen to it all the time. The drawer in the front originally
contained a little booklet which listed local broadcasters and some station
finders. I scammed one of these, and my cousin is making a copy of
it before I give it back. On the refinishing page, I will use this
set as my example.
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Make: Westinghouse
Model: 823
Year: 1936
Tubes: 6H6, 6F5, 6A8, 6K7, 6L7, 6L6, 5Z3,
6G5
Power:
Schematic: Unavailable
Repaired for boss, 1997
Made in: Canada (Toronto?) |
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Look familiar? This set is the upscale
version of the 512 above. My boss brought this into work about three
weeks after I bought the 512. It only needed a new tube and a good
cleaning to bring it to the above state. The bonus was that I was
able to steal the coarse tuning knob and make a copy of it, as well as
the booklet from inside the drawer that had all the station listings.
Not a bad turn of events, as I had been completely unable to find either
of them.
After
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Make: Westinghouse
Model: 780-Y
Year: 1940-41
Tubes: 6SK7 (2x), 6SA7, 6SQ7, 6F6G, 6U5
Power: 25/60-cycle
Schematic: Available
Acquired: Aberfoyle, 1996
Made in: Canada (Toronto?) |
Before
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I've had two of these, one of which went to
a friend's fiance. (He'd seen mine and liked it, so she asked me to hunt
for another like it.) This is the one I gave away. My version is exactly
the same, though with a less glossy finish. We had to cast a set of pushbuttons
for this one, as they were all missing, plus there was some pretty substantial
water damage to the base. It is hard to find in the finished version.
The fiance's mistake was letting his mother see this radio. It went
immediately in her living room and he still hasn't gotten it back.
I may have to get them another one.
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Make: Westinghouse
Model: 780-Y
Year: 1940-41
Tubes: 6SK7 (2x), 6SA7, 6SQ7, 6F6G, 6U5
Power: 25/60-cycle
Schematic: Available
Acquired: Aberfoyle, 1994
Made in: Canada (Toronto?) |
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This is my version of the above radio.
It had gone completely green before I got it, the chassis was rusted out,
and it was generally a hurtin' case. (No spiders, though. Serious
bonus.) This is the model that is in my room and has my CD-player hooked
into it through the phono jack. I've moved this up to Ottawa and
back a couple of times without a scratch. The only damage came when
my roommate's bunny decided it looked interesting and gave it a taste.
(Now, I loved this bunny, but there are limits....)
Consoles still to come:
-
Rogers-Magestic 8R832 - 1938
Consoles
A-RCA
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