Guest pyrodork Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) i bought a radio for my 37 plymouth, but it's only the radio and the controller/cables. no knobs, no bezel, no antenna.my questions pose around what i'm working with. so far, i have no idea what the knobs and bezel are supposed to look like. i saw a distant picture of the bezel, but to my knowledge, nobody makes them anymore. i was thinking about having something custom made for me out of wood or something. i'm not sure yet. if someone has pictures, measurements, etc... or even a source of where to find an original or remanufactured one, that would be great!i also have no idea what the knobs are supposed to look like. i'm not so concerned about being original, but i would like it to look somewhat like it should. and then there's the antenna. the plug that's on the radio itself, i've never seen before in my life. it almost looks like the female end of a BNC plug, but it's not. i don't want to modify the plug, so ideally i'd find an adapter that would plug into the standard car antenna. i also don't know what the antenna on the car is supposed to look like or where it's located. i was going to buy a hidden antenna that mounts on the windshield. on the radio itself, there's a switch to go between a standard antenna and an under-car antenna. does anyone have any information on this under-car antenna? also, does anyone know about this mystery antenna plug or where i may come across an adapter? if worse comes to worst, i'll remove the plug and wire in a female plug for a standard antenna.thanks! i can post pictures if need be.oh, and should i have any issues mounting it? i doubt the car has had a radio before, but i'd think that the mounting locations would be standard in the dash manufacture. i won't have the car until june, but i wanted to get a head start on things. Edited March 27, 2011 by pyrodork (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 i bought a radio for my 37 plymouth, but it's only the radio and the controller/cables. no knobs, no bezel, no antenna.my questions pose around what i'm working with. so far, i have no idea what the knobs and bezel are supposed to look like. i saw a distant picture of the bezel, but to my knowledge, nobody makes them anymore. i was thinking about having something custom made for me out of wood or something. i'm not sure yet. if someone has pictures, measurements, etc... or even a source of where to find an original or remanufactured one, that would be great!i also have no idea what the knobs are supposed to look like. i'm not so concerned about being original, but i would like it to look somewhat like it should. and then there's the antenna. the plug that's on the radio itself, i've never seen before in my life. it almost looks like the female end of a BNC plug, but it's not. i don't want to modify the plug, so ideally i'd find an adapter that would plug into the standard car antenna. i also don't know what the antenna on the car is supposed to look like or where it's located. i was going to buy a hidden antenna that mounts on the windshield. on the radio itself, there's a switch to go between a standard antenna and an under-car antenna. does anyone have any information on this under-car antenna? also, does anyone know about this mystery antenna plug or where i may come across an adapter? if worse comes to worst, i'll remove the plug and wire in a female plug for a standard antenna.thanks! i can post pictures if need be.oh, and should i have any issues mounting it? i doubt the car has had a radio before, but i'd think that the mounting locations would be standard in the dash manufacture. i won't have the car until june, but i wanted to get a head start on things.If it is like the '36 Dodge I had, then the radio box sits on the firewall on two hooks just above the steering column. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pyrodork Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 If it is like the '36 Dodge I had, then the radio box sits on the firewall on two hooks just above the steering column.so it's not in the center, then? ok.my box has 2 hooks on the back side and a rotating latch (like for a money box, but with a hook... sorry, best way to describe it) on the front.thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pyrodork Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 (edited) one other thing... i'm not sure how to wire it. my studebaker has a 1-wire radio, too, that has never been installed. theres 2 wires coming from the controller box (both ends were chopped off), and one wire coming from the radio box (with one end of a fuse holder on it). i assumed that the wire on the radio connected to one wire on the controller, so i bought a new fuse holder and rewired that. now, i don't know how to test it. my 6 volt battery is no good, i can't afford a new one right now, and i think my battery charger went out, too. how do i wire this in?!?!oh, and what size amp of fuse should i use? 3 amp? 5 amp? Edited March 27, 2011 by pyrodork (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broker-len Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 on a 36 plymouth and head goes in the ash tray space on the dash if you have two wires on the unit my guess one is the ground or antena open it up and see where they go-----------bobnroman@yahoo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pyrodork Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 yeah, i haven't updated this in a bit, but i got power when i grounded the positive terminal to the controller housing. not working yet. bought new parts, but haven't had time to solder them in yet.the antenna plug was obvious, but a different plug than i'd seen before. after deciding i couldn't find it, i rewired it for a standard antenna plug. and for the record (in case someone else is wondering), one wire (fused) goes to the negative power source, the other wire goes to the controller for power to the light. i don't think it matters which goes to which.thanks for your input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pyrodork Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 so i replaced the capacitors in the radio yesterday. it took a few minutes, but she did fire up. i got static for a long while (cutting in and out), then after a few more minutes, i got stations to faintly tune in. first song i recognized on this 75 year old radio was metallica- master of puppets! haha. not what i expected. anyway, the volume was pretty quiet. after letting it sit on awhile longer (after shutting it off), i couldn't tune stations in anymore, but the static was getting louder and more constant. i took off the cover and checked the vibrator. it was only vibrating in certain positions, so that may have been one problem. regardless, it's working now. the lack of volume at first, going to the loud static, going to low volume static makes me think it's a faulty tube issue. they're all lighting up; though the 78's are dim up top, but the light on the bottom end is bright. i've restored a console tube radio before, but i don't remember it taking this long to warm up, and i didn't have any issues tuning in stations. oh, i cleaned up the tuning contacts, too. ideas/suggestions? i also haven't been able to locate a schematic online. all i have is what's printed on the inside of the case telling me what tubes are what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 They were made for an electromagnetic speaker not the permanent magnet jobs we use now. This may have something to do with the faint volume.There is a site called Just Radios that sells the schematics for old radios also the caps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pyrodork Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 They were made for an electromagnetic speaker not the permanent magnet jobs we use now. This may have something to do with the faint volume.There is a site called Just Radios that sells the schematics for old radios also the caps.i'm using the stock speaker.thing is, it's -usually- quiet, but sometimes the volume perks up and gets really loud.all new caps are in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Sounds like a bad connection someplace. You might try poking around with a non metallic probe and see if you can find it. Or, there are some good tube radio and antique radio web sites. Car radios and house radios are nearly the same except for the power supply (6 volt and vibrator). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pyrodork Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 i did find the wire terminal on top of the 75 tube was barely attached and eventually broke off. looks like that will be the first step. i found some 75 tubes on ebay.there's another tube that's glowing blue on the inside... so i don't think that's normal. one thing at a time, though. good thing i'm not in a rush on this project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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