[KCMike]

I found an add for your radio on Pinterest. Did not copy to it because not sure about copy rights.
Any how it was listed in the ad as $179.95

[morzh]

http://bama.edebris.com/manuals/stromberg-carlson/awp-8

Above I found a very nice quality manual on BAMA.


Mike,

But this is probably what it is being sold for now?

[KCMike]

No the add was a magazine advertisement for the radio when new.

[morzh]

So I guessed close enough.
Well, with metal chassis, steel cover etc it had to be more expensive.

[EdHolland]

Using an online calculator, it was the equivalent of around $1600 in today's money. Expensive toy!

[morzh]

They were all expensive.
Zenith 1000Z - $750 in 1935. $14,000 today.

Philco 20 console, $70 in 1930 -- $1,107 today.
Zenith TO 7G605 , $75 n 194# -- $1,205 today.

[Eliot Ness]

Very nice radio Mike, I like the green color too.  And yes, most of the shortwave portables were expensive.  I remember looking through a 1958 National Geographic magazine at an antique mall and in 1958 a Zenith Royal 1000 (their first solid state transoceanic) sold for $250.00!  My weekly allowance back in '58 was something like 25 cents a week, so it took 30+ odd years before I could afford one.

[morzh]

John,

Back in 58.....I wasn't even born yet But my weekly allowance in 1970+ was......about the same, a rouble a week. That could buy me one cookie a day in my school's buffet.

And a portable all-wave radio like VEF was also expensive.
This (VEF-Spidola), the first Soviet All-wave portable, was 73 roubles with average monthly pay rate across the USSR being 84 roubles.
In 1960.

[morzh]

I was able to desolder the quad section twist-lock yesterday.
The sections are 40-40-40-60uF and measure at 60-60-60-80uF.
I am tempted to re-form it instead of re-stuffing. I would buy one but no one, it seems, makes this or close in 1-1/2" body; I see one 4x40uF in 1-3/8" but am not sure it will fit.

The two tubular axials, 10uF-100V and 200uF-10V will be replaced by Sprague Atom types.
All resistors are right there, exactly according to their values, I guess the resistors technology improved in 1950-s.
The bumble-bee caps are off, there are 4 of them, all 47nF, some being 60nF and some - 330nF which means leakage. I won't sweat this and will simply install Illinois capacitors sunny side up - without restuffing anything.

PS. When they show a twistlock dimensions: what part of it the dimensions are shown of? The bottom, wider part, or the cylinder itself? With or without cardboard jacketing if present?
PPS. OK, found in Tubeand more: the 1-3/8 is probably the cylinder, because it says

Diameter 1.375 in.
Bottom Diameter 1.46 in.

So the bottom is wider than the declared diameter. So maybe it will fit.

[morzh]

I am reforming the cap. I connected the leads in two pairs and put 145V via 47k resistor to each one. The current over two hours dropped from 1mA for a pair to 40/60uA respectively, whch is (divide by two per cap) quite acceptable for older type caps.

[kj0002]

Hi Mike!!

Just a quick note that your AWP-8 is exactly the same color mine is.  I have always like mine, but also like the Trans Oceanic too.

Sincerely

Keith Jansen

[morzh]

Hey Keith,

Yes the green and burgundy colors, from my watching the sales while looking for one, seem to be the most popular.

[morzh]

Today I recapped the chassis with the exception of the band switch bay and the rotor.
I read it was involved, and involved it proved to be.

The chassis was easy: I got the quad twistlock 4x40uF from the AES, and it is a perfect mach size-wise, and as for the value, only one cap needs to be 60uF so I added a 20uF underneath.
Two axials went in the cardboard shells from the old ones, with some brown plastic potting.
I had to replace the Bumblebees with yellow caps: I will not restuff the bees, it is not easy and I had tried it before.....nope.

The real challenge came when I decided to recap the nand switch bay, it has 4 Bumblebees.
I had to take off the chain that rotates the drum and for this I had to take the rest of the radio apart.
   
   
   
   

[morzh]

I'm chipping away at it every day. Little by little.
Putting it back together.
Haven't decided if I want to replace the selenium rectifier. It looks deceitfully new.
I decided to power it up and see the voltage. If it is where it should be - I will leave it be, if not - I will replace it with a 1N4007 and an extra resistor. The value of the resistor will be determined by the voltage output.

[Eliot Ness]

If the radio isn't going to be played a lot, and the voltage looks good, you can probably get by leaving it in.  I usually replace with a 1N4007/resistor just in case i sell or trade the new owner won't get a nasty surprise someday.

You can often leave them in place and tuck the diode out of sight.

Your restoration looks good so far