Building a valve radio

J

Justin Thyme

Guest
Suppose a fellow wanted to build a valve (=vacuum tube) AM radio. Where
might he find detailed instructions?
--
Shall we only threaten and be angry for an hour?
When the storm is ended shall we find
How softly but how swiftly they have sidled back to power
By the favour and contrivance of their kind?

From /Mesopotamia/ by Rudyard Kipling
 
Are you looking to build from a kit or completely from scratch?
Here are some good places to start:
https://frrl.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/long-live-the-all-american-five-or-recovering-a-piece-of-radio-history/
http://diyaudioprojects.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2770
http://makearadio.com/links.php
http://www.amazon.com/Two-Tube-Regenerative-Radio-DIY/dp/B005XE3IDE/ref=pd_sxp_redirect
http://www.wired.com/2010/12/retro-diy-tube-radio-kit-is-plain-gorgeous/
http://www.antiqueradios.com/resources/index.html

For parts:
http://www.radioantiques.com/supplies.html
www.tubesandmore.com
http://www.oldradioparts.com/
http://www.vacuumtubesinc.com/
https://www.tubesandmore.com/
http://www.radiosupply.com/

Schematics
http://www.nostalgiaair.org/Resources/

Hope this helps get you started.

Cheers,
Dave M


Justin Thyme wrote:
Suppose a fellow wanted to build a valve (=vacuum tube) AM radio. Where
might he find detailed instructions?
Click to expand...
 
Dave M wrote:
> Are you looking to build from a kit or completely from scratch?

From scratch.

Here are some good places to start:
https://frrl.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/long-live-the-all-american-five-or-recovering-a-piece-of-radio-history/
http://diyaudioprojects.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2770
http://makearadio.com/links.php
http://www.amazon.com/Two-Tube-Regenerative-Radio-DIY/dp/B005XE3IDE/ref=pd_sxp_redirect
http://www.wired.com/2010/12/retro-diy-tube-radio-kit-is-plain-gorgeous/
http://www.antiqueradios.com/resources/index.html

For parts:
http://www.radioantiques.com/supplies.html
www.tubesandmore.com
http://www.oldradioparts.com/
http://www.vacuumtubesinc.com/
https://www.tubesandmore.com/
http://www.radiosupply.com/

Schematics
http://www.nostalgiaair.org/Resources/

Hope this helps get you started.
Click to expand...

Thank you.

Cheers,
Dave M


Justin Thyme wrote:
Suppose a fellow wanted to build a valve (=vacuum tube) AM radio. Where
might he find detailed instructions?
Click to expand...

--
Shall we only threaten and be angry for an hour?
When the storm is ended shall we find
How softly but how swiftly they have sidled back to power
By the favour and contrivance of their kind?

From /Mesopotamia/ by Rudyard Kipling
 
On 13/06/15 09:01, Justin Thyme wrote:
Dave M wrote:
Are you looking to build [a valve radio] from a kit or completely from scratch?

From scratch.
Click to expand...

Interestingly you could consider scratch-building the valves
themselves.

I can probably find a 1930s book showing how to make a car. It
starts by showing how to make the tools necessary to make the
car - e.g. the engine block from a solid lump of metal.
 
On 2015-06-12, Justin Thyme <JustinThyme@nowhere.com> wrote:
Suppose a fellow wanted to build a valve (=vacuum tube) AM radio. Where
might he find detailed instructions?
Click to expand...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Radio-Boys-Junior-Teach-Yourself-x/dp/B0030TYB2Q

I have a copy here, seems pretty detailed. some parts may be hard to
get, like the "B" batteries.

--
umop apisdn
 
On Sat, 13 Jun 2015, Tom Gardner wrote:

On 13/06/15 09:01, Justin Thyme wrote:
Dave M wrote:
Are you looking to build [a valve radio] from a kit or completely from
scratch?

From scratch.

Interestingly you could consider scratch-building the valves
themselves.
Click to expand...
I don't think that was ever a common thing for the home builder. Maybe in
the very early days, when tubes were just getting started, but I don't
think even then. It's just not something I've read about.

Eventually some did make their own tubes, I remember an article in QST
about 1964 or 65 about an Argentinian who did.

I've seen much more about making one's own components. Roll your own
capacitors out of wax paper and tin foil. Make electrolytics with beer
bottles and some mixture. Make variable capacitors, in the early days
they'd be "book" capacitors, pieces of wood that closed like a book,
increasing capacitance, but in more recent decades people have made
variable capacitors for special purposes. SOme did make their own
resistors, if it was early enough, I've seen descriptions. Quartz
crystals seemed to be something made before commercial grinding took off
(for a long period, crystals weren't very common, then crowded bands and
restrictions made them a necessity).


Michael

I can probably find a 1930s book showing how to make a car. It
starts by showing how to make the tools necessary to make the
car - e.g. the engine block from a solid lump of metal.
Click to expand...
 
On Sun, 14 Jun 2015, Jasen Betts wrote:

On 2015-06-12, Justin Thyme <JustinThyme@nowhere.com> wrote:
Suppose a fellow wanted to build a valve (=vacuum tube) AM radio. Where
might he find detailed instructions?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Radio-Boys-Junior-Teach-Yourself-x/dp/B0030TYB2Q

I have a copy here, seems pretty detailed. some parts may be hard to
get, like the "B" batteries.
Click to expand...
In the antique radio newsgroup, it's not uncommon to put a string of 9v
batteries toegher to get a "B" battery. The connectors at the top allow
them to be connected in series. It works since B+ was high voltage but
low current.

Michael
 
"Michael Black" <et472@ncf.ca> wrote in message
news:alpine.LNX.2.02.1506171925340.4587@darkstar.example.org...
Eventually some did make their own tubes, I remember an article in QST
about 1964 or 65 about an Argentinian who did.


Like this fellow.
Click to expand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzyXMEpq4qw

In an old magazine there was a joke artical about a radio kit. In a small
wooden box was a lump of iron,copper, glass and plastic. You made all your
own components. Inside the box was the instructions telling you how to open
the box so you could use it for the chassie.
 
Jasen Betts wrote:
On 2015-06-12, Justin Thyme <JustinThyme@nowhere.com> wrote:
Suppose a fellow wanted to build a valve (=vacuum tube) AM radio. Where
might he find detailed instructions?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Radio-Boys-Junior-Teach-Yourself-x/dp/B0030TYB2Q

I have a copy here, seems pretty detailed. some parts may be hard to
get, like the "B" batteries.
Click to expand...

My intention is to incorporate valve DC power supplies.



--
Shall we only threaten and be angry for an hour?
When the storm is ended shall we find
How softly but how swiftly they have sidled back to power
By the favour and contrivance of their kind?

From /Mesopotamia/ by Rudyard Kipling
 
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