GE Clock Radio Model 660

[MadMan]

(That feel when these forums don't have a [youtube] BBCode.)

Suffice it to say (in text)...

IT'S ALIVE!

Boy, you guys both called it! The 1U4 and 1R5 were switched. That's exactly what it was, only those two. I'm happy to say it's working nicely, even sounds halfway decent (I also repaired like 5 big cracks in the speaker cone, so I feel good about that). I thought for a minute it wasn't tuning anything on the high end, so I consulted another radio only to find there are like no stations between 1100 and 1600. But actually, there is one at the very tippy-top that a newer radio could get, but this one can't. But it does tune everything else on down. Oh well, I consider this little quirky radio to have made a full recovery nonetheless.

Thanks guys! I finally fixed something! (That I've posted here lol)

Originally Posted by jsowers

It has three clear plastic knobs on the clock that are missing on yours.

Clear? Wow. Yeah, I never had the knobs. This thing was so abused. Clear, huh? I wonder if I could get some clear rod stock... maybe a horizontal blinds adjustment thingy rod? Cut knobs out of it and polish the ends. Hmm.

Originally Posted by jsowers

Here is the schematic and parts list and tube diagram, on Radiomuseum:

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/general_el_660.html

You can download up to three documents a day. I just downloaded three and they're very clear scans.

omg... I feel stupid. I only barely googled it, I just assumed there would be no diagrams available. And you know what happens when you assume. Thanks bro, I downloaded all 5 pages (I have hax). What bs is that though? Why don't they just put all the pages of each thingy into one pdf and then allow only 3 downloads per day? Psh.

Originally Posted by jsowers

You might want to move the leads of the caps you replaced a little farther apart. One cap's lead looks like it's touching another cap. Might be an optical illusion, but I thought I'd mention it. Amazing how much smaller the caps are.

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

When installing that type 'lytic, I use insulation stripped from scrap wire and small shrink sleeving. Makes for a neater job, instead of using electrical tape, but tape is better than nothing. It doesn't take much to burn out those battery tubes.

No worries mates, the leads are far from each other. Plus, I just slapped it together, wanted to make it work first, I'll insulate it somehow. Later. This... this radio has been so abused, it's not like some guy with a jeweler's lens is going to appraise this, or something. And isn't it amazing how much smaller the caps are? Especially in the PSU. You could fit like 20 of the new caps inside the one old one.

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

Take voltage readings with the radio and power supply connected. The selenium rectifiers might not be putting out enough voltage. The B+ should be close to 90 volts, even though, on batteries it uses only 67.5 volts "B".
I have one just like it.

Actually, it reads 65v, so maybe the recitfier is weak or something, but it's still more than enough to make it work, which it is currently. Btw, fun fact, I have the original B battery, like the exact same one in the photo on the diagram.