Hallicrafters T-54, 1948

[DavidGoncalv]

Haha!! You're supposed to solder it?!? Wonder what that's all about. Probably not so much a concern now with the signal coming out of converter boxes. Thanks for the info - it makes more sense now.

[wa2ise]

As others have posted non TV boatanchor (SW) Hallicrafters, here are a few Hallicrafters radios that are not boatanchors

[Sandy G]

Yeah-Hallicrafters tried HARD in the postwar years to "Run w/the Big Dawgs"-RCA, Zenith, Admiral, Motorola, Emerson, but they just couldn't quite pull it off...

[DavidGoncalv]

Originally Posted by earlyfilm

"Howdy, assembly line neighbor! I was made one day later."

That was Tuesday and Wednesday of that work week. Latent F-ups should be at a minimum.

Photos of chassis removal next week once I get back from my business trip. Can hardly wait to get a close look at this 7" CRT up close and the inside of the HV cage.

[DavidGoncalv]

Was not able to find knobs (need one large, one small). So, I am going to mold some using black resin.

Are there other folks out there who have interest in new replacement knobs for their Hallicrafters 7" TV?

[Eric H]

I bought two sets of repro knobs for my Hallis about 10-12 years ago, one Black for theT-54 and one Brown for the wood version, I can't recall right off who the guy was but he was well known for Repro knobs, maybe someone will remember his name, not sure if he's still in business.

[Eric H]

Remembered who (well Google did anyway) it was Larry Bordonaro http://www.antiqueradioknobs.com/

[DavidGoncalv]

Restoration begins. Album Here: http://imgur.com/a/fUMgt#0

Removed knobs, then front panel, while supporting the kinescope. Removed the kinescope. Removed the chassis from the metal case. Pulled all of the tubes and tested them, only need to replace a 6AU6 and 6AG5.

Dusted the chassis off, especially the pushbutton tuning section. It will be cleaned later, but I like starting off as fairly clean as I can.

I tilted the chassis up and did a count of all of the electrolytics, papers and suspect resistors that need replacing. An order will be placed with Just Radios.

For the electrolytics, they are going to be restuffed. This chassis is spacious and it should be possible to gut those without cutting wires.
The Micamold manufactured electrolytics - with the end wax cracked away from the paper tube - look especially easy to do this way. With a heat gun, I soften in the internal wax/tar enough to push the guts out. All three Micamold caps go easily. In fact, I didn't even have to cut the metal bands holding them in; the spot weld that holds the band together is small and weak. With a little prying, it pops.

The final electrolytic is on the lower corner of the chassis. A rivet needs to be drilled out to get it free. This cap does not spew its guts easily like the Micamolds, and I have to cut the leads to it, and dig out the wax by hand to get the guts free. With repeated scraping with a screwdriver, heating, and hits with a large bolt and mallet, the guts come out, and it is ready for restuffing.

[DavidGoncalv]

While I wait for the parts from Just Radios, I have some rubber parts from McMaster-Carr, using cut-up pieces to replace the rotted out sections of rubber bumper that used to damp the return of the pushbuttton. Photos to come.

Part 8510K12 and 8507K52 - rubber edge trim

[Eric H]

Hey David, I noticed something different between your chassis and mine.

Mine uses a large multi section resistor riveted to the top of the chassis and yours doesn't. Yours also has channel one, my chassis seems to be wired for channel one but it's been cut short and there's no hole for it in the cabinet.

Guess I could drill a hole in the cabinet and make a "Rare" channel 1 505.

I know yours is a T-54 and mine is a 505 but I thought they used the same chassis? I imagine mine is later since it's minus channel one. I know the really early ones used Octal tubes in the i.f. strip.

It also looks like that decal I so laboriously restored is different on yours also.

[earlyfilm]

Originally Posted by Eric H

Hey David, I noticed something different between your chassis and mine.

It also looks like that decal I so laboriously restored is different on yours also.

Eric,

Your set is a late production, while David's Hallicrafters and my Delco are early productions.

And I just got a surprise seeing David's photo which included the patent sticker on his that I thought was unique to the Delco clone. His Hallicrafters also has the name "Hallicrafters ... Chicago" trimmed off the bottom of the sticker!

David's photos are on http://imgur.com/a/fUMgt#0

FYI Eric: I started converting your art to match my Delco, and will post when I finish.

James

[DavidGoncalv]

Crap - that reminds me I owe you the photos and text of the sticker under the CRT. Coming up tonight!

[DavidGoncalv]

What is the art you are talking about?

[Eric H]

Originally Posted by DavidGoncalv

What is the art you are talking about?

I believe he's referring to the picture i posted of the restored patent label for the Hallicrafters.

I hadn't thought of it as Art, at least not in the way Picasso is art...

[DavidGoncalv]

Here you go...

1.875" x 3"