VE301W Radio help
 

Hello,

I have just acquired a Ve301w German radio

I am newbie at all things valve radio so just thought I would ask for some suggestions.

Firstly, it has the original 2 prong plug which I plugged into a travel adapter for the UK (Wasnt the best fit but I didnt see a problem with that) I did plug it in the mains and switched the radio but nothing happend.

The wires to the speaker have snapped but other than that it doesn't look in to bad a condition, I cannot see thats the only reason for no power though.....perhaps the plug?

Although I know there could be a number of issues with this not powering up, just thought I would ask where to start?

Any suggestions

Thanks in advance

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Hello and welcome to the forums.

Start by obtaining the circuit diagram for your set. You'll then be able to carry out continuity testing of the mains supply wiring without the need to apply any mains power.

There are several forum threads concerning these radios. The restoration of my own set is described here:-

https://vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=149451

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

This'll get you started.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

thank you, is that the circuit that is underneath the radio? Also what do you to test each area?

Thanks

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Do you have a test meter and know how to use it?

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Before you power up the radio again, you might also want to consider some form of current limiting as this will reduce the likelyhood of serious damage being cased by something failing after the radio has been lying dormant for decades and suddently having full mains power applied. Ideally this is done with a variac, waking up the radio gently so that any tendency for something to smoke can be observed before it goes bang! A more common ‘poor man’s’ approach is to rig up a lamp limiter - search the term on here - but basically a 40W incandescent bulb in series with the mains supply.

There is lots of exellent and useful information here and a read is highly recommended before proceeding further:
https://www.vintage-radio.com/repair...ion/index.html

After establishing why there is no mains power and assuming that its not a faulty transformer, before applying power you might also want to look at replacing the wax paper capacitors. After decades of moisture ingress, the internals become mush and depending on their function can fail spectactularly when mains power is applied, sometimes taking other components with them. See the sticky thread on ‘that capacitor’.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Have you checked the fuse?

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

The OP says that when he plugged in the set "nothing happened". It appears that no preliminary checks have been carried out, so presumably even the setting of the mains voltage selector hasn't been checked.

Given that the speaker is disconnected nothing is likely to happen other than the valves lighting up. The OP hasn't mentioned whether they light up or not. If they don't light up this is probably a very simple fault which can be diagnosed with a meter without the need to put the radio anywhere near a mains socket.

With the speaker disconnected the output valve's current will all be passing via the screen grid. The valve may get damaged and RES 164's aren't easy to find.

I don't mind advising newbies, but I expect them to do their share of the work by taking voltage and resistance readings. The very last thing they should do is to start replacing components because they may be faulty.

There is no "that capacitor" in this set. It uses an inter-stage transformer.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Hi,

No I havnt got anything to test the voltage or meter etc.... The lights on the valves don't light up so here's hoping its something simple. I will look into the voltage and resistance readings although I don't have a clue what that means haha

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Given your apparent lack of expertise, I would strongly advise you to keep this as a static exhibit and not attempt to return it to working condition. You are likely to cause damage, and these radios don't perform very well even after an expert restoration, so you're not going to be listening to The Archers on it.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Actually, i have just noticed that in the adapter in which the the original 2 prong plug goes into, there is only a 1 amp fuse in there, don't suppose that would make a difference? Think I will sort those snapped wires out first though before plugging it back in again.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Having a 1 amp fuse in the adaptor doesn't matter so long as it's not blown. As you'll see from the circuit diagram the internal fuse is rated at 0.5 amp. If you fit a modern plug to this set you'll probably have to fit it with a 3 amp fuse as this is the lowest value which is commonly available.

Resoldering the speaker wires isn't going to make the valves light up.

Faced with this set and having no test gear, all I could do would be to reconnect the speaker, check that the voltage selector was in the 220VAC position, inspect the mains flex and wiring for obvious faults, short-circuit the OFF/ON switch in case it's faulty and fit new, known good, fuses. Even if the valves do light up when mains is applied, there's no guarantee that the set won't quickly or slowly destroy itself due to other faults.

You'll also need decent aerial and earth connections if the radio is to receive anything. My workshop aerial is 20 metres long and the house aerial 60 metres long.

I suspect that you "acquired" this set as you especially wanted a German people's set. Don't risk destroying it, get an experienced restorer to fix it for you.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

I agree with Graham, above. It is very easy to do irrepairable damage to old radios, especially of that design by casual and random efforts to "get it going" by luck more than technical expertise. They are electrically and mechanically fragile, and replacement parts are sometimes very difficult to come by.

An ad in the "Repair and Restoration Services Wanted" section of the forum will quite likely bring a response from someone knowlegeable near you who will look at it, and do the repair for a reasonable charge. Tony.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

The set might have a 'simple' fault that makes it not work at all but even if the 'simple' fault is cured it will not work reliably and will end up in 'self destruct mode. You can't hope to do any repairs properly without a basic test meter and to interpret the readings from it. You can't 'look into the voltage and resistance readings' without a basic testmeter. Neither the radio or the circuit diagram will tell you anything just by looking at it.

Keep the set as a static display and if you want to learn how to repair radio's at even a basic level, then there is plenty of information on the main website. If you don't learn the basics, it will all end in tears and frustration....and another piece of history consigned to the bin. There are plenty of self-taught people here who previously had no knowledge of the workings of a radio...just an interest in them.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Nothing to do wth the technicalities of the radio, which to me appears to be a straightforward TRF design, but I wondered why 'Gemeinschaftsemfanger, instead of the more usual 'Volksemfanger'. The former means 'Community Receiver', whilst the latter of course is 'People's radio'.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

This are a very nice set and I agree, if in doubt just clean and keep till a later date when someone with the needed skills can look at it.

For the record they are worth just about as much if not more ,unrestored.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

In another thread you said that I was wrong to call my set a People's Set and that it was actually a People's Receiver. Now apparently it's a People's Radio.

https://vintage-radio.net/forum/show...5&postcount=17

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Sage advice there which the OP would do well to heed.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Interestingly there's an article called The Peoples Set published sort of on the eve of war...W.W. March 1939, mag page 204 (a pic of the chassis of the OP's is there as well):

https://www.americanradiohistory.com...ld-1939-03.pdf

Lawrence.

Re: VE301W Radio help
 

Sorry, Graham (Station 'X') My knowledge of German is slight. I may have asked my brother, who is quite fluent in the language, what 'Volksemfanger' literally mean't (People's Receiver). In my post earlier today I was simply trying not to repeat the same word, hence my use of 'radio;, rather than receiver, when referring to the Volksemfanger. My translation of 'Gemeinschaft' came from Google.