VOLUME 13              AUGUST 1996                NUMBER  8

RADIO MISCELLANEA -- August 1996

From Antique Radio Classified for August 1996
(Copyright 1996 by John V. Terrey - For personal use only.)

"Antique Radio Classified" invites its readers to contribute letters and information for inclusion in "Radio Miscellanea" and elsewhere in the magazine. "In The Marketplace" is based on information submitted by the businesses themselves. All topics should be of general interest and sent to A.R.C., P.O. Box 2, Carlisle, MA 01741. All material submitted should be verified for accuracy and may be edited for publication, which is not guaranteed. See the masthead for more details.

Shaw Television
Dear Editor:

I saw a "Help" classified ad in the June A.R.C. on page 79. The following may be of interest to other owners of this set or similar RCA 630 TVs.

I was a TV tech in the early 1950s and my store carried Shaw TVs. Basically a cabinet manufacturer in Brooklyn, N. Y., the Shaw Company built and decorated cabinets for 17-, 20-, and maybe 21-inch CRTs. The electronics was a modified RCA 630.

The major modifications typically consisted of the following: 1. Using a Standard Co. turret-type tuner rather than the RCA wafer switch tuner with the three Type 6J6 tubes. 2. Adding keyed AGC. (The original 630 had no AGC.) 3. Using high horizontal deflection voltage. The larger CRTs had a greater deflection angle and required more high voltage. 4. Modifying some vertical circuits for increased sweep by changing the vertical output 6K6 to a 6V6 or a 6S4.

--Cleo Zymaris, Northport, NY

On Current Radio Prices
Dear Editor:

At the risk of preaching, I feel compelled to comment about antique radio prices. The recent spectacle last October at the Henry Ford Museum provided the prompt. Another prompt was the promotion of a recent radio fest with a theme (to paraphrase a bit), "Isn't it great how high prices are going?" Yet another prompt was the claim of one collector that prices reflected in A.R.C. for some transistor radios have shot above Catalins overnight.

I find it difficult to understand how anyone truly engaged in radio collecting as a hobby can be enamored of prices climbing so fast. I am enamored of radios, not of the worth of my collection or of how much money I have made selling radios. While recognizing that some professionals work very hard to buy and sell radios for a living, the average collector does not have a lot to spend on radios. Our continued involvement in this great hobby depends on adding affordably to our collections. The real thrill comes from a "find" or new acquisition. If the thrill is lost for financial reasons, then interest is lost.

Other hobbies have met their death, and the cause is the increase in prices beyond the means of the average collector. Supply and demand will work their course, but let's not aggravate the situation by promoting high prices.

--Dave Gonshor, Littleton, CO

Army Receiver Articles?
Dear Editor:

I would sure like to see articles about the BC348 army receivers. I have one that works great, and I'm sure there are readers out there who would be interested to see what type of modifications were made to these sets, and what their history is.

--Alan Deplae, Roseville, MI

We're always open to offers of articles on this or any radio-related subject. (Editor)

Radio Dreams
Dear Editor:

I'm a new subscriber! I love this publication, but I've learned not to read it before bed. I'm fairly new to collecting transistor radios, and the other night when I read the ads before bed, I kept having "radio dreams" about finding all the radios I want! Keep up the great work.

--John Gardner, West Hartford, CT

A Happy Radio Camper
Dear Editor:

I just wanted to report about the greeting I got after sending in my first subscription to A.R.C. My first issue had an article on the very radio I had just purchased, the one that got me interested in A.R.C. -- the Philco 46-1209 sitting and working in my living room.

Since I wanted spare tubes for this set, I sent John Snow of Wisconsin a letter about the tubes he had advertised for sale. The next thing I knew, there was Mr. Snow on the phone. We agreed on a price, I mailed a check, and soon an express package was at the door! Mr. Snow had sent me three tubes without waiting for the check! He made my day and my heart happy.

Then I saw Joe Smolski's ad for phonograph needles. I sent in my order, and low and behold, Joe called me a few days later to talk about my interests. When I received my order, about 20 free steel needles were included! He also sent a SASE and asked me to let him know how the needles worked out. They are great, and another order is on its way!

Antique radios are a great hobby, and the people I have met make it fun, honest, and happy. I think I will stay awhile and sit a spell.

--Robert Gardner, Fort Pierce, FL

In The Marketplace
Electron Tube Enterprises (ETE), owned by Dick Bergeron, announces the availability of a free catalog. The company deals in surplus electron tubes and offers over 2,000 different types of new, old stock tubes, as well as a large variety of pretested, reboxed used tubes.

One example of an ideal curiosity item available is the "paper weight" tube. This military tube is a machined polished aluminum cube, measuring a little less than 2" square and weighing about one pound.

Also offered are photo copies of old radio, TV, and audio amps schematics at $2.50 each, regardless of how many pages need to be copied. Copies of most older RCA Radiola radio and speaker manuals are available at $5.00 each. Limited quantities of old radio belts (General Cement and JFD) at $5.00 each are also in stock.

Prices are competitive, and all orders are processed with 24 hours of receipt. ETE accepts payment by MasterCard and VISA. To receive a free catalog, write or call: Electron Tube Enterprises, Box 8311, Essex, VT 05451. Tel.: (802) 879-1844; Fax: (802) 879-7764; Email: ETETUBES @ aol.com