-=> Roy J. Tellason said to Greg Mayman
 -=> about "*BIG* TRANSISTORS" on 02-05-04  04:06.....

 RJT> I know I remember seeing some that were pretty good-sized,  in
 RJT> addition to the ones that I mentioned,  but it was quite some time ago
 RJT> and I don't recall what the size(s) were.

I think this radio must be *at_least* 40 years old. The
transistors are all the early Philips types that I first saw in
about 1954...

 RJT> Speaking of which I ran across a chip earlier today and wondered what
 RJT> it was. Turns out it's a reversing motor control chip (not steppers, 
 RJT> just a brushed motor) with braking,  apparently intended for vcr or
 RJT> audio cassette applications.

Hmmm... why would they want the braking action? Or the
reversability? My guess is that it was for some remote or auto
control like your motorized tuning.

 RJT> The other cool thing about that radio that I just remembered was the
 RJT> EM84 tuning indicator tube.  Sorta like those "tuning
eye" tubes that
 RJT> used to be around (6E5, etc.) only those were octal and had the lit
 RJT> part on the end, while the EM84 was 9-pin miniature and had it on the
 RJT> side,  giving a nice little rectangular display area.  The vacuum

I remember them!

 RJT> flourescent displays that I've seen in more recent stuff look pretty
 RJT> clunky by comparison. 

Darn right they do :-(

 RJT> It wasn't on the volume control,  just another button among several. 

I knew what you meant ;-)

 RJT> Even that was fairly different from the US stuff that I was used to
 RJT> seeing,  which as you say typically had the switch mounted on the
 RJT> volume control. 

And they would often wear out the volume control carbon track
LOOOONG before anything else on the radio failed. Removing the
case of the pot and filling it with vaseline often made a very
effective and long lived cure, if the track wasn't too badly
worn.

Silicone grease was even better when it became available.

 RJT> I'm well aware of some of the shortcomings of a mechanical pot
 RJT> compared to other ways of doing things,  and of the relative expense of
 RJT> such compared to doing things digitally -- I have a little bitty tv I
 RJT> keep here in the office and it's got a bad one in there that prevents
 RJT> turning it down! -- but I'm also beginning to *hate* pushing little
 RJT> buttons for the same function.  

Yeah, me too. I want to be able to snap the volume up or down if
necassary, not wait while it clocks along a step at a time.

 RJT> I guess it's what they had handy.  That auto fuse was no doubt rated
 RJT> at a lower voltage,  and could've exploded quite nicely if it had
 RJT> blown.  They do put those voltage ratings on them for a reason,  not to
 RJT> mention the amperage ratings...

Yes.
 
 GM> The agents quoted about $50 to import a replacement transformer --
 GM> this was in the 70's and $50 was REAL money -- but fortunately we
 GM> were able to find one locally that was close enough in voltage and
 GM> EXACTLY the same size core size as the original!

 RJT> You got lucky,  I guess that happens sometimes.

VERY rarely in my experience. I think it was the ONLY time
everything worked out that well.

   ,-./\
  /     \ From Greg Mayman, in beautiful Adelaide, South Australia
  \_,-*_/    "Queen City of The South"    34:55 S  138:36 E
       v

... Reality-ometer:  [\........]  Hmmph!  Thought so...
___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30

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