Pick-up Inputs

[ysgramor87]

Hi everyone,

I've seen some old radios has pickup input.

I'm wondering,

Which type of plug is that?
I haven't seen selection button like radio/pickup. Is there any?
I'm assuming ceramic cartridges are necessary for valve radios. Is it right?

Cheers,

Fatih

[Simon Gittins]

They are called wander plugs, not quite the same as modern Banana plugs. The input was selected by the Gram setting.
The oldest type of cartridge would have been magnetic or crystal types.

[G6Tanuki]

Some radios have a "Gram" position on the wavechange switch - others just expected you to tune the radio so it wasn't actually receiving a station... which wasn't really that good because you could still pick up interference!

The connection was usually by way of a pair of 'wander plugs' [which were an earlier, slightly smaller version of the now-familiar 4mm banana-plug as found on testmeter-leads etc.

Crystal cartridges were the norm, yes. Magnetic pickups were generally found on the more-upmarket turntables used in radiograms etc, rather than in the sort of cheap-and-cheerful turntables sold for use with existing radios.

[Gabe001]

As a general rule, British sets use 3mm wander plugs 1/8 inch I think). German sets use 4mm banana plugs or have fancier input sockets

It will work as a simple mono input from a Bluetooth devices or your phone. If you have a stereo source you need to sum left and right with 2 resistors. Sometimes you can use a software setting on your phone to output in mono mode.

If you don't want to spend £4 on a wander plug from eBay, the ones below are a good fit for most British sets

Usually there will be a gram setting, but if not eg Strad pw461, the trader sheet advises to tune the radio to a quiet area of the short wave band.

Few caveats apply:

1. Some live chassis sets have pickup sockets - don't plug anything in them unless you know what you're doing
2. sometimes a 0.01uf capacitor in series on the signal line is advisable to protect the device
3. Before using a set ensure that it is in good working order.

Hope this helps. This was my first question question too when I joined about a year ago

Gabriel

[rontech]

The gram setting was often at one end of the wavechange switch. I recall a neighbour's radiogram in the 1940' had no gram setting. One had to find a quiet spot on the dial when playing records.

I would think a modern mm magnet cartridge with something like a NAD RIAA pre amp would feed any old radio quite well

[ysgramor87]

Originally Posted by Gabe001

As a general rule, British sets use 3mm wander plugs 1/8 inch I think). German sets use 4mm banana plugs or have fancier input sockets

It will work as a simple mono input from a Bluetooth devices or your phone. If you have a stereo source you need to sum left and right with 2 resistors. Sometimes you can use a software setting on your phone to output in mono mode.

If you don't want to spend £4 on a wander plug from eBay, the ones below are a good fit for most British sets

Usually there will be a gram setting, but if not eg Strad pw461, the trader sheet advises to tune the radio to a quiet area of the short wave band.

Few caveats apply:

1. Some live chassis sets have pickup sockets - don't plug anything in them unless you know what you're doing
2. sometimes a 0.01uf capacitor in series on the signal line is advisable to protect the device
3. Before using a set ensure that it is in good working order.

Hope this helps. This was my first question question too when I joined about a year ago

Gabriel

I'm planning to use it with my ceramic cartridge record player so I'll really use pickup. Two rca cable and earth cable.
I think I should adapt rca to wander / banana plug. I have those plugs already.

Thanks Gabriel.

[ysgramor87]

Originally Posted by rontech

The gram setting was often at one end of the wavechange switch. I recall a neighbour's radiogram in the 1940' had no gram setting. One had to find a quiet spot on the dial when playing records.

I would think a modern mm magnet cartridge with something like a NAD RIAA pre amp would feed any old radio quite well

I haven't buy a radio but nice to know that

That's right MM cartridge and Preamp should be fine aswell but I already have ceramic cartridge

Thank you!

[ysgramor87]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

Some radios have a "Gram" position on the wavechange switch - others just expected you to tune the radio so it wasn't actually receiving a station... which wasn't really that good because you could still pick up interference!

The connection was usually by way of a pair of 'wander plugs' [which were an earlier, slightly smaller version of the now-familiar 4mm banana-plug as found on testmeter-leads etc.

Crystal cartridges were the norm, yes. Magnetic pickups were generally found on the more-upmarket turntables used in radiograms etc, rather than in the sort of cheap-and-cheerful turntables sold for use with existing radios.

Hopefully I can find something with selector. Thank you!

Originally Posted by Simon Gittins

They are called wander plugs, not quite the same as modern Banana plugs. The input was selected by the Gram setting.
The oldest type of cartridge would have been magnetic or crystal types.

Thank you Simon!

[emeritus]

A common design of wander plug used a 1/8" plated (or unplated) brass split pin that was inserted into an externally-threaded brass sleeve onto which a plastic insulating sleeve was screwed. If you can't find a vintage wander plug, 1/8" split pins are still available on-line or from motor parts dealers. You can solder a wire to the eye of the split pin and cover the join with layers of heat shrink sleeving, or use plastic car body filler, to provide an insulated hand grip.

[ysgramor87]

Originally Posted by emeritus

A common design of wander plug used a 1/8" plated (or unplated) brass split pin that was inserted into an externally-threaded brass sleeve onto which a plastic insulating sleeve was screwed. If you can't find a vintage wander plug, 1/8" split pins are still available on-line or from motor parts dealers. You can solder a wire to the eye of the split pin and cover the join with layers of heat shrink sleeving, or use plastic car body filler, to provide an insulated hand grip.

Thank you, I'll try to find online but obviously I can't find any adapter for RCA to Wander/Banana plug.