01-25-2012, 06:42 PM
Good evening, and welcome to a satisfying hobby. I began in 2005 and am largely self-taught. I did find several references very valuable, and I got some great advice from two antique radio clubs (MAARC and TARPA) in the DC and Virginia Beach regions.
Books: Antique Radio Restoration Guide, by David Johnson.
easy to follow for beginners, plenty to get started with.
Fixing Up Nice Old Radios by Ed Romney. Great tech info, but mostly based on case studies of individual radio. Be sure to highlight key references as you find them--it's not well organized or well indexed, making it tough to find that reference again (like how pins are counted beneath a radio).
Video course: Brett Menassa was selling CDs of his lessons. Electronic repair in some detail, Bakelite, plastic and wood cabinet repair and more. Very recommended.
Remember that the AC/DC sets with no power supply (power transformer) can have a hot 120V chassis, meaning that even a missing knob can be lethal (knob post could be hot). Be careful fixing radios. Even some veterans have been killed.
Books: Antique Radio Restoration Guide, by David Johnson.
easy to follow for beginners, plenty to get started with.
Fixing Up Nice Old Radios by Ed Romney. Great tech info, but mostly based on case studies of individual radio. Be sure to highlight key references as you find them--it's not well organized or well indexed, making it tough to find that reference again (like how pins are counted beneath a radio).
Video course: Brett Menassa was selling CDs of his lessons. Electronic repair in some detail, Bakelite, plastic and wood cabinet repair and more. Very recommended.
Remember that the AC/DC sets with no power supply (power transformer) can have a hot 120V chassis, meaning that even a missing knob can be lethal (knob post could be hot). Be careful fixing radios. Even some veterans have been killed.
