WORLD's UGLEST Vintage Valve Radio !!

[Labrat101]

Could be true . BUT you forgot 1 thing .. Sorry.
All those Nerdy scientist come up with theories that confuses there bosses into thinking they KNOW.
To keep there Jobs . Most of them would not know how to boil an egg.
We all read How NASA has found this that and the other .. BUT just ask one to prove it without
a computer emulation (That any school boy can Do))    .
They Know the public will believe those pictures and videos  are they Real . Maybe ,Maybe Not. 
They Have to justify the billions $ that they are wasting .
'E=MC2'.  was done on a blackboard and NONe of the scientist can figure it out with there quantum
computers & a cup of Luke warm tea .   
The entire Universe is Really really Small and we are just a Single Molecule In a bigger story.
So it looks Large In respective as we are very very Small .  .

  By The Way Hows the Radio .. got it working? Please post a photo when you clean it Up.

Every one Is right to they are proven wrong .. But they are still right .. The Proven was Wrong.
RNS.

[Connecteur]

Naw, it takes some genuine talent to produce a machine that conforms to all the many parameters of market success. It has to be attractive, reliable, inexpensive profitable, all at the same time.  Hats off to the geniuses who manage to pull it off.

[karamba]

In case you need another one:
http://arts.theodorebruceauctions.com.au/custom_asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=AS0399+++541+&refno=++110157&saletype=

[GlennSprigg]

In case you need another one:
http://arts.theodorebruceauctions.com.au/custom_asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=AS0399+++541+&refno=++110157&saletype=

Yep.  That's the other one I mentioned, (4 or 5 year old auction), that had 2 latches, where mine to come has 1 latch.
Which I mentioned, because some thought it was possibly a home made case. (Which it is not).
Still waiting!!!!  (Bloody Aussie Post!!)   

[vk6zgo]

What does it smell like?

Don't know yet!!!  Waiting for delivery....
Hopefully then I can find the 'magical' model number. just couldn't pass it up for the price!!
No other image on Google???  Must be rare! hahaha...

Nice Find .
 Good Luck . You maybe lucky and only need a few Caps . & love and tender care . Those old tubes will be fun .   
  I hope this wasn't the source of the Virus out break .. 

Thank you mate!, & to all other contributors.
Regarding your comment about the 'virus'... with my last few deliveries, I raise the roller-door, and
the delivery guy just throws it inside, & doesn't even want a signature!!  hahaha...!!
Yep. It will be a work of love!!....  It's the 'unknown' insides that I'm excited about!   
To 'vk6zgo'...
Obviously your no 'Spring-Chicken' either, with you interests, work, play history with 'Contacts' !! 
Years ago, I lived in Adelaide, and had a great relationship with an old Guy near Port Adelaide.  I must
have collected thousands of dollars of equip/parts over the years, which I still pine over many decades
later, as it is ALL gone now! (Divorce/house/property etc.. sigh). I had COUNTLESS pieces of old valve
based test equipment , and HUNDREDS of not just common, but very RARE tubes, military & otherwise.
Damn.  I hate 'remembering' what I once had...  All gone!!!

Hi, Glenn, .
Mate, you're only a "spring chicken"----- I'm 76, pushing 77 hard.*

I don't know if you've seen this website before, but there is a lot of interesting stuff there, although mainly UK oriented.
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/

They are a nice mob, although being Poms, they are "mad as hatters".
I fit in quite well, in fact my nickname there is "Oldmadham"-----they don't like folks using their Amateur Radio callsigns, so I had to be a little less lazy than normal.

*edited because I granted myself a year of life which I haven't yet experienced.

How it happened:- I typed "78" instead of "76" first up, so it read "78, pushing 77", which was obviously ridiculous, so "Mr Alzheimer" here swapped the numbers, not realising they were still stupid.
I think I'll blame the iPad! 

[GlennSprigg]

Tecnico 859, or something around that number I believe. Not 1940 - style is later than that; I would've said late 40's, maybe early 50's - and the 859 is from 1948.

Turns out you were right mate!!!  I just finally received it in the post, and inside the 'battery' compartment, there is a view of the chassis, and yes it's a 1948 Tecnico Aristocrat Model-859.  How did you suspect that is what it was!!! Valve lineup... 1T4, 1R5, 1T4, 1S5, 3S4.
Sorry about my 'large' (smaller than original photos)...


The Tube-Lineup is interesting, due to the '3S4' tube, having a 3v heater, as opposed to the 1.5 v heater in the other tubes. Just after WWII, there was a shortage of 1.5v tubes, so they used this instead. That valve had 2 1.5v heaters that were connected in parallel with 1.5v across them.  You could easily modify the circuit to use the originally wanted '1S4' rectifier. (EDIT: Oops... "Audio-Output!")

This Radio is 'totally' original, with NO modifications or repairs evident. Here are a few internal photos...


And zooming in to the various left/centre/right internal chassis areas...




I'm sure in the USA, it is SOO much easier to find info. THIS Radio is from Australia, and as such is
100 times harder to find info!!!! (Yes, I know all the Aussie Sites!).  'radiomuseum.org' shows the
tube line-up, but has no photos or schematics. NO other sites have any info???
I don't mind reverse-engineering this radio & supplying the data for free, (as I'm going to make
it work!), but in the interim, I found out that there is an Article in a Periodical from the H.R.S.A.
(Historical Radio Society of Australia), who has an article in their "Radio Waves" periodical,
   Radio Waves    Issue 73,  July 2000 Page 12
   Tecnico   859   The Tecnico Aristocrat Five-valve battery radio (Steven Kandiliotis)
Would love to know what it said!!! haha...

In the mean time, I will make this poor thing look like new!!

[Circlotron]

Tuned RF stage! Woot!

[Cyberdragon]

Rectifier?

You mean output driver...

[Pinkus]

Just by looking at the photos of the electronics I can smell it. 
I will probably never forget this smell of >60 years old electronics even if I haven't opened such old treasures for ages.

[Lamé Üsernåmê]

Tecnico 859, or something around that number I believe. Not 1940 - style is later than that; I would've said late 40's, maybe early 50's - and the 859 is from 1948.

Turns out you were right mate!!!  I just finally received it in the post, and inside the 'battery' compartment, there is a view of the chassis, and yes it's a 1948 Tecnico Aristocrat Model-859.  How did you suspect that is what it was!!! Valve lineup... 1T4, 1R5, 1T4, 1S5, 3S4.

• I've seen one before, so I knew the make was correct & that the cabinet was original. Couldn't remember the model though.
• Most Australian radios are pretty easy to date from outside, so I knew it wasn't 1940, but late 40's - maybe early 50's at the latest.
• It's the only Tecnico on any of the lists - HRSA, Radiomuseum, etc - of that era that has a canvas-covered wood cabinet.

Schematic etc can be found in AORSM '48. Otherwise, it should be very close to sets with similar valve lineup (give or take some minor details e.g. how the bias V is derived in some of the Astors e.g. KQ).

[GlennSprigg]

Tuned RF stage! Woot!

Yep!!... I was surprised to see the Triple-Gang tuner in this Broadcast only unit. 

[GlennSprigg]

Rectifier?

You mean output driver...

Oops. Corrected now.. Don't know what I was thinking!, thanks... 

[GlennSprigg]

Just by looking at the photos of the electronics I can smell it. 
I will probably never forget this smell of >60 years old electronics even if I haven't opened such old treasures for ages.

Yea... I touched on that aspect recently, in answering another post.  It never goes away!! 

[GlennSprigg]

Tecnico 859, or something around that number I believe. Not 1940 - style is later than that; I would've said late 40's, maybe early 50's - and the 859 is from 1948.

Turns out you were right mate!!!  I just finally received it in the post, and inside the 'battery' compartment, there is a view of the chassis, and yes it's a 1948 Tecnico Aristocrat Model-859.  How did you suspect that is what it was!!! Valve lineup... 1T4, 1R5, 1T4, 1S5, 3S4.

• I've seen one before, so I knew the make was correct & that the cabinet was original. Couldn't remember the model though.
• Most Australian radios are pretty easy to date from outside, so I knew it wasn't 1940, but late 40's - maybe early 50's at the latest.
• It's the only Tecnico on any of the lists - HRSA, Radiomuseum, etc - of that era that has a canvas-covered wood cabinet.

Schematic etc can be found in AORSM '48. Otherwise, it should be very close to sets with similar valve lineup (give or take some minor details e.g. how the bias V is derived in some of the Astors e.g. KQ).

Thanks for that info mate!!   

[SpecialK]

Any sneak peeks of your restoration progress?

[TerraHertz]

That is certainly one ugly-arsed old radio!
Looking at the components reminds me to ask - how reliable are those very old style resistors?
I've never tried restoring anything that uses them so don't have experience with their problems.

Also, how does their color coding work? Doesn't look like E12, and some seem to have only two color bands.

[Circlotron]

Colour coding is body, end, centre. E.g. green black orange = 50K. No 47K in those days.

[Cyberdragon]

Yes, also known as Body-End-Dot resistors, which originated with early "dogbone" style carbon resistors. I'm working on a Crosley 5M3 from '34 that's full of them.

[GlennSprigg]

Re:-  Old style resistor values...
Yes, and more confusion at times when some companies like 'Atwater-Kent' used their own custom colors for resistors! 
http://www.atwaterkent.info/TechData/Images/EV1932_007.gif
Probably aimed at throwing people off doing their own repairs.

I've been quite ill for a while, but i'm getting to this radio of mine in the near future, and will up-date photos etc. !   

[SpecialK]

Hope your feeling better soon.

[GlennSprigg]

Hope your feeling better soon.

Thank you. Unfortunately, I can only create delays for the inevitable. And 'make-hay' while the sun shines!!   

[Dazzler111]

Gday Glen did u ever get that Technicolor Aristocrat restored? I recently acquired one of these similar to yours but slightly different catch arrangement, I can’t find any circuits, might have to just work it out as I go.I’m going to add a 240v power supply and restore this poor ugly beast!

[Dazzler111]

I forgot to mention mine has two latches and a all octal valve line up, 1.4v tubes so it might be the model before yours can’t find a model number thou, cheers Bob

[Jeff eelcr]

Glenn, I am working on a 1955/6 Sears Silvertone radio with the same tubes
Sams 382 folder 11 covers mine.
Jeff

[Dazzler111]

I found a model number: 759 but no mention anywhere online, seems to be post war vintage around 1947 going by the dates on the speaker and OPT.