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Hi NoEmissions84TA , myself also , I have been into electronics restoration for over 50 years , I'm one of those old guys who keep the vacuum tube devices of the past functional in our modern times . I do cosmetic as well as electronic restoration and I'd like to show you a three section electrolytic capacitor that I rebuilt for my 14 tube 1947 Westinghouse radio (that has the modern FM band 88 to 108 MC) . When I've finished , the capacitor appears original but contains modern replacements in place of the dried out original internal structure .
Clever hiding modern caps in the original case. And yes, those old metal can caps are what I remember leaking.
When I bought my house, the previous owners left one of those all-in-one wooden console entertainment centers. You know - the kind your grandmother had back in the day with the am/fm tuner and record player. It actually worked and sounded good too. Before I got rid of it, I went through the entire unit - cleaned all the potentioneters and controls, repaired the fm stereo lamp, cleaned & lubed the turntable, etc. All because I believed that the unit still had some value to someone. WRONG! Today's microwave society couldn't give a crap. I had a hard time even donating it to Goodwill. Auction places don't want it because nobody will buy stuff like that anymore. Even radio & tv museums don't want it.
I hope you realize that your old restored electronic equipment only has value to you - and you alone. When you pass, that stuff is going straight into the dumpster. I've seen it a bunch of times already, and all the stuff I have stored, well, the story will be the same for that stuff also.
Hi NoEmissions84TA , Yes indeed , 99.9% of it is worthless and I have tried to limit my collection to pieces that have some value to them . With radios of the 1920s through around the 1940s the determiner of value is the number of tubes (just like the number of cylinders for cars) and the 14 tubes of my Westinghouse assure it will find a welcoming owner somewhere after I'm gone . My Son has been taught which pieces of my collection have some value VS which are sentimental pieces only and will know what to do with them based on that . If you want a real eye opener look up the words "Zenith Walton" and see what the radio on the TV series "The Waltons" is worth (I have two of them) and the "Gilligan's Island radio" of which I own one . The ultimate end all be all of the antique radio collecting hobby is the "Zenith Stratosphere" , look that one up for one Hell of a surprise (and no , I don't own one but sure wish I did ) .
And to Chazman , I'm very happy to see that you found speakers that fit , and I look forward to hearing your results with the new ones
To the radio's output, the resistance / impedance would look like 10 ohms, but most of the output would be across the resistor instead of the speaker and the sound output would therefore be lower / less. Now if you wired two 4 ohm speakers in series, that would total 8 ohms and be close enough to 10. Not easily done when there is only room for one speaker.
Replacement speaker. With new connector. So I button everything up. Turn on the radio and within 1 minute my left front speaker blows. Argggggggghhhhhh!!
So installing the correct impedance speakers corrected the last problem?
Yeah, my theory is when the output chip/chips blew, they took the speakers with them..So I've replaced both fronts and the right rear. The left rear had some static with the blown left front, but went away once the new left front was installed... Thanks again, everyone.
Started the car up today and let it run for about 30 minutes. After that, my 2 front speakers and left rear are gone. What could be wrong? Could it be the unit itself? What other thing could possibly be wrong?
"Chazman" you have my sympathy! I think it's time to drive to the repair guy, have him listen to it, then pull the head unit out for his re-inspection.
"Chazman" you have my sympathy! I think it's time to drive to the repair guy, have him listen to it, then pull the head unit out for his re-inspection.
Exactly, it's gotta be the head unit. What else could it possibly be? I'm not sure what he would check in the car as opposed to just bringing him the radio?
** all this assumes that all the wiring is correct and there is no external short somewhere on the plug/harnesses.
You had a radio that was "staticky" but all speakers worked
Had the head unit worked on, replaced both of the DM165 AMP chips. ( I do not see how this would fix FM static - but I'm an amateur )
Install repaired radio and the 2 RIGHT speakers blow.
Install second radio,... proving that RIGHT speakers are dead.
Reinstall Delco and install all new speakers,.... Left front speaker blows.
Replace Left Front speaker, take car for a ride,....... BOTH Left speakers dead and Right rear are dead.
When the problem first appeared all speakers were OK. just a lot of static. Radio tech says the AMP chips failed and replaced the AMP chips. ( at this point the chips were said to have failed, but all the speakers are still working - so it's not possible that the "bad" chips killed the speakers when the chips "failed". ) Now that the AMP chips have been replaced,............. the radio is repeatedly blowing (used & new) speakers and there is still static heard.
I would remove the radio from the car and bring it to the radio tech. I don't believe a bad AMP chip would cause static output in the first place - but regardless - ever since the replacement chips got installed you've been blowing speakers. This is a problem that only began to occur after the radio was serviced and is likely related to that service work.
I would probably install another set of speakers in the car and a different head-unit and to ensure that the speaker system in the car is working correctly - even if the head unit install was only temporary. I would not plug the repaired radio back in UNLESS I've seen it plugged in and working while connected to another set of speakers first (in a car or on a bench). Sounds like it's already a few sets of speakers and IMO plugging in that radio again isn't worth risking another full set of speakers.
** all this assumes that all the wiring is correct and there is no external short somewhere on the plug/harnesses.
You had a radio that was "staticky" but all speakers worked
Had the head unit worked on, replaced both of the DM165 AMP chips. ( I do not see how this would fix FM static - but I'm an amateur )
Install repaired radio and the 2 RIGHT speakers blow.
Install second radio,... proving that RIGHT speakers are dead.
Reinstall Delco and install all new speakers,.... Left front speaker blows.
Replace Left Front speaker, take car for a ride,....... BOTH Left speakers dead and Right rear are dead.
When the problem first appeared all speakers were OK. just a lot of static. Radio tech says the AMP chips failed and replaced the AMP chips. ( at this point the chips were said to have failed, but all the speakers are still working - so it's not possible that the "bad" chips killed the speakers when the chips "failed". ) Now that the AMP chips have been replaced,............. the radio is repeatedly blowing (used & new) speakers and there is still static heard.
I would remove the radio from the car and bring it to the radio tech. I don't believe a bad AMP chip would cause static output in the first place - but regardless - ever since the replacement chips got installed you've been blowing speakers. This is a problem that only began to occur after the radio was serviced and is likely related to that service work.
I would probably install another set of speakers in the car and a different head-unit and to ensure that the speaker system in the car is working correctly - even if the head unit install was only temporary. I would not plug the repaired radio back in UNLESS I've seen it plugged in and working while connected to another set of speakers first (in a car or on a bench). Sounds like it's already a few sets of speakers and IMO plugging in that radio again isn't worth risking another full set of speakers.
I took the original "staticky" sound complaint as sound going through a "blown" speaker. Not blown as open voice coil, but damaged to where the coil cannot move smoothly along the magnet and you get a "staticky" sound. I would be "ohming out" the speaker wiring in the car. You never can tell what a PO did.
I took the original "staticky" sound complaint as sound going through a "blown" speaker. Not blown as open voice coil, but damaged to where the coil cannot move smoothly along the magnet and you get a "staticky" sound. I would be "ohming out" the speaker wiring in the car. You never can tell what a PO did.
I'm the original owner and car has 11K miles on it.
Update number 72!!! Got home early from work and decided to pull radio and hook up an Alpine unit I had on the shelf. All 4 speakers work. I already texted the radio guy and said I’m bringing my radio over this week.
Changing to another radio was a good idea,..... Confirms that the speakers are OK without having to even touch them and the head unit was the problem !!
Here we go, all buttoned up again. Apparently both DM 165 outputs were blown and needed replacing again. Radio guy theorizes that some feedback from the blown speakers did this. Who knows.
Lots of hassle just to get that '80's factory sound again. The sound was sooooooo much better from the Alpine unit I plugged in to test the speakers.
And another one bites the dust. Needed to set the clock after replacing the battery, turn on the radio to get the time and nothing but static from the right side speakers. Worked the last time I used it. Not sure if I'm going to repair it or just go aftermarket...
LMK if you consider restoring,...... replacing the Caps is $75 + return shipping. Or; if you might want to sell it off as a core Id be interested; I've also got a Sony I'd trade for it. ( https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...ml#post6336958 )
Originally Posted by RBob
And another one bites the dust. Needed to set the clock after replacing the battery, turn on the radio to get the time and nothing but static from the right side speakers. Worked the last time I used it. Not sure if I'm going to repair it or just go aftermarket...
John, that Sony is tempting, but it is too much of a theft attraction ( I have one car that hasn't had a radio for decades due to this. A nice block off has taken its place, and the intake/exhaust sounds better). I rarely use the radio in the '92 as it is no longer a regular driver. I do have an older Kenwood that will bolt in and electrically plug in. But I think I'll just replace the caps in the OEM radio and reinstall.
Gottcha',.... Just figured I'd throw it out there for consideration in case you hadn't come to a firm decision yet.
Originally Posted by RBob
John, that Sony is tempting, but it is too much of a theft attraction ( I have one car that hasn't had a radio for decades due to this. A nice block off has taken its place, and the intake/exhaust sounds better). I rarely use the radio in the '92 as it is no longer a regular driver. I do have an older Kenwood that will bolt in and electrically plug in. But I think I'll just replace the caps in the OEM radio and reinstall.
I do not know if the E-Bay chip is the same chip.........I've only used originals. The used chips I've got are $14 each; 2@ $25, and 3@$30; Shipping is $4.
Send me a PM if needed.
Hello John
Do you have ac delco chip DM165 available?
06-11-2020, 04:19 PM
Hi NoEmissions84TA , myself also , I have been into electronics restoration for over 50 years , I'm one of those old guys who keep the vacuum tube devices of the past functional in our modern times . I do cosmetic as well as electronic restoration and I'd like to show you a three section electrolytic capacitor that I rebuilt for my 14 tube 1947 Westinghouse radio (that has the modern FM band 88 to 108 MC) . When I've finished , the capacitor appears original but contains modern replacements in place of the dried out original internal structure .
) . 
The sound was sooooooo much better from the Alpine unit I plugged in to test the speakers. 
