2022

This is the Spring of KLH radios. In June, I completed my KLH Model Eight project—only eleven years after I started! The final touches were cosmetic: replacing the stained grille cloth and refinishing the cabinets with lacquer as they deserve.

Pop quiz—can you tell the connection between Earth Day and a KLH radio? My latest KLH Model Twenty One restoration tale answers that query, with a surprising celebrity angle.

I recently restored a pair of 1960s McIntosh audio items: a model MC240 power amplifier and a companion model C22 preamplifier. This combo sounds so great that I put it in my workshop, where I can enjoy it every day.

Another recent article describes my little GE 810 Television. I bought the set in late 2018 and finished much of the restoration in 2019. But the article remained incomplete until now. Better late than never!

I have more completed projects waiting to be described, as soon as I can finish writing their articles. Stay tuned!

2018

In August, I finished (at last!) the restoration of my Emerson Model 609 projection TV, the most complex black and white television I have ever worked on.

In April, I added an article titled, How Can I Fix My Old TV? As the name suggests, it answers many questions asked by website visitors over the years, who just got a vintage TV and want to get it working again.

In March, I added a page for my Windsor two-transistor "boy's radio," a gift from my father.

In February, I ran across a Heathkit FM-3 Tuner at a price I couldn't resist. It's a fitting companion to my W-6M amplifier and WA-P2 preamplifier, giving me a choice 1950s hi-fi system.

My first article of the new year describes the rare Stewart Warner Model R-192 radio. Produced only in Canada, it was named the "Good Companion" and has a distinctive round metal cabinet standing on chrome legs.

2017

During the summer, I began the restoration of another complex TV, a 1949 Emerson Model 609 projection set. In addition to conventional TV circuitry, it uses a Norelco Protelgram optical system to produce a big (for the time) screen image.

This year, I acquired a McIntosh MA6100 integrated amplifier. This high-fidelity amp is newer than most items in my collection and it only required minor maintenance.

A long, involved project bore fruit when I finished restoring the electronics in my 1947 DuMont RA-102 television. This rarely-seen early set combines a 12-inch TV with FM and AM radio receivers in an upright cabinet known as the "Clifton." Enjoy!

2016

In June, I added an article about a seldom-seen 1940 radio: a spherical Sonora Navigator whose cabinet takes the form of a detailed world globe.

In May, I finished restoring an RCA 14-S-7070G TV. It's the same model as the red-and-gold one that I bought nearly 20 years ago and sold a few years later. I had never forgotten that distinctive little set, so when a cheap one appeared locally, I snapped it up.

I also updated my article about the mysterious Rainier Beer solar radio visor with new info about its origin. Another new May article talks about Variacs, showing different examples of this handy device and explaining how to use it in radio/TV restoration.

In March, I acquired an HP 8660C synthesized signal generator—a much fancier device than the old EICO generator that I've used for the last twenty years. Everyone deserves a treat once in a while!

In January, I added an article to show off my new Radio/TV Display Room. After cluttering our house with collectibles for two decades, I finally created a dedicated display space, and the results are quite pleasing.

2015

My final restoration project in 2015 was my Admiral 24A12, a beautiful 1948 TV with a console cabinet made of Bakelite. Earlier in the fall, my trusty KLH Model Eight FM radio required some service—a new power switch and electrolytic capacitors. The operation was successful and my Eight is back in daily use.

I thought I had finished collecting RCA CTC-11 color TVs, but in March I found a $30 one-owner set that was just too nice to resist. You can read all about it in my newest article. I have also been chipping away at my CTC-4 restoration; that article will be updated when I have some good news to report.

In mid-February I added two new articles. The first describes the restoration of my 1939 GE F-63 tabletop radio. Moving forward about four decades in technology, I also repaired my Sony KV-4000, a delightful mini-color TV from 1980.

In early February I added an article about the Philco Mystery Control, the first wireless radio remote.

Expanding on January's catching-up theme, I restored the electronics on a radio I had owned for about twenty years, my RCA 8-X-541 Bakelite tabletop, and updated its article with restoration notes and new photos. I also wrote a new article about another long-owned item, the Philco Mystery Control, the first wireless radio remote.

I rang in the New Year by finishing a project that I had delayed for nearly five years—restoring my RCA 40X-56 "New York World's Fair" radio.

2014

During much of this year, my workshop was packed up during an extensive remodeling project, but I slowly got back into the swing of things.

My final 2014 restoration article chronicled the revival of my RCA CTC-4 color television. This project has been a long time brewing, and the TV needs a little more work, but you can read about the progress to date. I also added a couple of photos and some retrospective comments to the article about my Zenith T1816R TV, which I restored seventeen years ago.

In October I restored an interesting Zenith Radio-TV neon sign and hung it in my new display room. I also added an article about a unique solar-powered radio visor marketed by the old Rainier beer company.

In August, rather than sell things at the annual radio club swap meet, I donated several items to the club, including my GE S-22-X and Philips B-5-X-34A radios, a couple of Zenith TransOceanics, Hoffman 7M112 and RCA T-100 televisions, and a variety of test instruments. The club later auctioned the items to support their operations, and I'll be able to take a little write-off on my taxes for a charitable donation.

During the summer, I purchased a new 21AMP5 picture tube for my Philco Miss America TV and installed it, greatly improving the picture.

In April I restored a pair of 1957 high-fidelity audio components: a 70-watt Heathkit W-6M amplifier and a companion Heathkit WA-P2 preamplifier.

In March I restored an interesting Hoffman 7M112 TV, working on our kitchen table for lack of a better space.

2013

In August, at the annual Seattle radio club swap meet, I was there to sell rather than buy, but I did come home with a Sprague Model 16 Tel-Ohmike capacitor checker. While moving things around for a remodeling project, I also came across my Phono Trix Model 2, a charming early portable tape recorder from Germany.

In May I attended the annual Early Television Foundation convention in Hilliard Ohio. I also finished a long-delayed radio project; can you believe that I started restoring my GE S-22X tombstone in 1998?

In March I updated our venerable article about the Li'l 7, a one-tube AM transmitter that you can use to broadcast programming from a CD player or iPod to your antique radios. Fellow collector Volker, from Italy, shared photos of his unique version of the project, built with "old school" techniques on a wooden breadboard. He also provided the schematic translated into German and Italian.

February brought an exciting new construction article: Building a Tube-Powered Theremin, by guest author Craig Hanson. In this article, Craig describes in detail how he built a Theremin following the plans originally published in the July, 1961 issue of Electronics Illustrated.

In January, 2013, I built an audio/video adapter for my recently restored Admiral 24C15 TV. I added another article about building a video adapter for my RCA CT-100 color television.

2012

In December, 2012, I finished the lengthy restoration of an Admiral 24C15 console TV. The project took many hours because the TV was in rough shape when I got it. I also added a Westinghouse H-126 "refrigerator" radio to the Bakelites gallery.

In September I revived an interesting wards (Toshiba) SelectaVision CED video player that I had found in my Dad's basement, along with a bunch of SelectaVision movies.

In August I disposed of several items at the Seattle swap meet and came home with a delightful little Admiral 19A12 tabletop television, which I promptly restored.

In July, 2012, I wrote a new article, First Steps In Restoration, to cover some additional frequently asked questions. I also refinished the cabinet on my Philco 49-1240 television, whose electronics I had restored several months earlier.

In June I restored a Philco Predicta TV, a model H3412L "Siesta" that I had seen in another collection 14 years ago.

In late April, after years of procrastination, I finished my Radio Lamp Company of America set, a 1930s radio housed in a beautiful brass lamp, plus my Pilot TV-37 television. Yes, that's the TV with the tiny three-inch picture tube.

After a time-out for cabinet refinishing, I finished my RCA 721TCS television project in early April. The wait was definitely worth it!

Also in April, in response to popular demand, I added an article describing how to make a simple iPod adaptor for the Phono jack of your antique radio. Simply plug it in, and your vintage radio can play anything from your iPod, with great audio quality.

I also added brief articles about my 5AXP4 and 8XP4 test picture tubes. These handy little items speed TV restoration by subbing for the TV's big CRT when the chassis is on the workbench.

In March, 2012, I restored an interesting 14-tube Stewart Warner 1865 console with motorized tuning.

January and February were cleanup months, a time to complete some long-delayed projects. I restored a Mitchell Lumitone lamp radio, a Solar CB-1-60 capacitor analyzer, and a cute green Olympic 441 tabletop radio. I also wrote brief articles about my Panasonic TR-1030P handheld TV and HP 200CD audio generator.

2011

After the 2011/2012 holiday break, I got busy and restored a new television, the unique 1949 Philco 49-1240 "Consolette." I also acquired a rare early color set, an RCA TM-10 broadcast studio monitor using the same 15GP22 picture tube as my RCA CT-100 TV. That will be a long-term project, but I should be publishing a brief article with initial photos soon.

Around Thanksgiving, 2011, I finished an article about my new Clavioline, an early electronic keyboard instrument. That project inspired me to update my article about the Hammond Solovox, a similar 1940s instrument.

Also in November, 2011, I picked up a KLH Model Eight monophonic FM radio. This is the earlier, tube version of the KLH Model Twenty One and I have been seeking one for a long time.

In September, 2011, I restored a 1961 Sony 8-301W, an early transistor TV that I had bought about a year earlier.

My 2011 summer projects included a rarely-seen 10-inch console television, the 1948 Capehart-Farnsworth 661-P. Still a work in progress is an earlier 10-inch console, the RCA 721TCS; watch for updates to that article after the cabinet is refinished.

A prized addition to the radio gallery is my new 1939 Emerson "Snow White" Model Q236, with molded figures of Snow White and the seven dwarfs painted in cheery colors.

I acquired several other radios over the summer as well, including some Bakelite sets and an exciting Sonora Globe. I hope to finish those restorations and accompanying articles during the next couple of months.

In May, 2011, a groovy JVC 3100R Video Capsule joined my TV stable. After very little work, it plays like a charm. Two new European radios are the Telefunken Jubilee and an Arako Ingrid from Denmark.

During March and April, 2011, I updated my Zenith 12-S-471 article with new photos and installed a part that's been sitting in my desk drawer for 10 years. I also added a articles about my new color television display banners and HP millammeter.

February 2011 was a busy month, with two new additions to my TV gallery. The 1958 Philco Miss America console was a 2011 Valentine's Day gift for my wife. My RCA CTC-7 color set has been brought to life, but it needs a few more tweaks.

My last TV project before that was a 1950 DuMont RA-113. Still waiting for attention (and an article) is a cute Admiral 24C15.

2010

During the 2010/2011 holiday season, I added new articles about test instruments: my RCA WV-97A Senior VoltOhmyst, a battery powered Western Electric D-166852 multimeter, a White Electrical ohmmeter from London, and an EICO 950B capacitor tester.

The queen of my collection remains the color RCA CT-100 Television from 1954. As the first color set to sell in meaningful numbers, it holds an interesting place in TV history, so I wrote a companion article on CT-100 Electronic Design.

I delayed the refinishing work for a long time, but finally got refurbished cabinets for my RCA CTC-11, a color roundie, and the black and white DuMont RA-103.

Now that analog TV is dead, I've had fun scooping up bargain-priced handheld televisions. Recent finds include a Panasonic Travelvision, Sony Watchman, Epson Elf, and Sony FDL-22. The last two are color LCD sets.

Another article describes how I set up a home TV transmitter to broadcast analog television throughout our house. A related page mentions my TV field strength meter.

My Stromberg-Carlson 440M console had been sitting in our entryway for years until I got around to writing it up. Other new articles describe my KLH Twenty One FM tabletop, JVC Nivico early transistor, and Stewart-Warner 102-A cathedral.

For communications fans, I added an article with instructions for building a replica Hallicrafters R-12 Console Speaker.

Another major radio project was a Zenith 12-A-58 console, which some folks call the "Baby Stratosphere." Another unusual radio is the 1936 Philco 444, or English "People's set."

Other recent TV projects include my second color roundie, the RCA CTC-11H, and an RCA T-100 tabletop.

Don't miss the Literature area, where I have added Radio Craft articles from 1935 and 1936 and a 1936 piece on a modified Theremin known as the Terpsitone. Also new are several Short Wave Craft issues from 1933-1937, two 1954 QST magazines, and a unique 1958 issue of the UK publication Practical Television.

Some more notable restorations include a 1946 RCA 630TS television, Midwest DD-18 Art Deco console radio, 1948 National TV-7W television, and the mammoth Scott TV/radio/phono console.

Other newcomers to the gallery include a 1957 Motorola 66T1 transistor, a 1948 Pilot TV-37 television, a Precision 10-12 tube tester, a 1948 Hallicrafters T-54 TV, some Miniature Radio/TV Replicas, and two German propaganda radios: a Kleinempfänger DKE 38 and a Volksempfänger VE 301 Dyn from 1938.

If you're looking for a few more highlights, check these out: a 1941 Trophy Baseball radio, a rare Emerson "Snow White" Disney figural radio, a FADA 1000 Catalin jewel, and a red Tesla 308U Talisman.

Stay tuned!

Phil Nelson

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