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Success Stories If you have successfully repaired or restored a piece of equipment, why not write up what you did and post details here. Particularly if it was interesting, unusual or challenging. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE! |
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8th Jul 2019, 5:06 am | #1 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA
Posts: 144
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F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
This is an interesting radio with an attractive cabinet design. I'm waiting for a shipment of new "rubber" tuning gang mount grommets, but have started the electronic restoration and polished the chassis yesterday.
https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...C21asfound.jpg https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...%20started.jpg Last edited by AC/HL; 8th Jul 2019 at 11:42 am. Reason: Second link repaired |
13th Jul 2019, 7:06 pm | #2 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA
Posts: 144
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
The soft "rubber" grommets from Renovated Radios have been installed, along with regular grommets on holes for wires (Ace Hardware in the USA is a good source)
https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...20grommets.jpg |
14th Jul 2019, 9:18 am | #3 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southwell, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 1,781
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
I like your jig for mounting the chasis. Did you make it.
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17th Jul 2019, 6:03 pm | #4 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA
Posts: 144
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
Terry, I bought that jig and a larger version from Steve Strong. Please see
http://radiostands.com/ The antenna transformer had an open coil, L-1. Somebody had coated it with what appeared to be candle wax. I wondered why I found what seemed like wax spilled on a tube socket and another place in the chassis... The form containing L-1 and L-2 goes inside the form for L-3 and L-4. Whoever worked on it last also had lost one of the screw to mount the L-1 & L-2 form inside the L-3 & L-4 form. They also had the volume control mis-wired. I found a coil in my parts collection, removed the wire, put it on the original form, and coated it with some of Rima's nail polish. I need to finish the radio and hope the valves are good to be able to test it. L-1 is untuned, so it should work. https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...as%20found.jpg https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...ransformer.jpg https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...as%20found.jpg |
18th Jul 2019, 5:08 pm | #5 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA
Posts: 144
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
I have finished replacing the resistors and capacitors. All of the tubes/valves have good filaments, and the audio works with a CD player connected across the volume control. I suspect that the RF and IF adjustments are way off, so now need to work backwards from the audio output to check and adjust it.
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19th Jul 2019, 12:50 am | #6 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA
Posts: 144
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
She is working and sounding loud! The RF and IF adjustments were way off, and I found one intermittent connection at the band switch I'd failed to solder.... I still need to adjust / align it, replace the dial string, and replace the grille cloth. I'm delighted that the tubes/valves are all good enough for it to work well.
https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...image001_3.jpg https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...image002_3.jpg https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...image003_1.jpg |
22nd Jul 2019, 12:57 pm | #7 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, UK.
Posts: 979
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
That's a very thorough restoration going on there and I'm enjoying seeing the progress.
I think these sets are very robust my SAC 31 (the same as your apart from the cabinet) is working extremely well despite decades unloved in someones loft.
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Clive |
22nd Jul 2019, 5:52 pm | #8 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA
Posts: 144
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
Do you (or you-all) also enjoy thinking about who previously owned our radios, and what they heard on them (WWII, perhaps the moon landing,...).
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23rd Jul 2019, 10:50 am | #9 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, UK.
Posts: 979
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
Quote:
The thought of that really make them seem all the more fascinating!
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Clive |
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25th Jul 2019, 8:25 pm | #10 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA
Posts: 144
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
It is finished, although I would like to find a matching on-off & volume control knob.
https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...image002_6.jpg https://i269.photobucket.com/albums/...image001_6.jpg |
26th Jul 2019, 3:00 am | #11 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, UK.
Posts: 979
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
Very nice indeed, the speaker fabric suites the set very well.
Interesting how this Bush set found it's way the USA, I might be wrong but I doubt they were sold there new in 1935.
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Clive |
26th Jul 2019, 6:39 am | #12 | |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Southport, Merseyside, UK.
Posts: 1,156
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
Quote:
John |
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26th Jul 2019, 3:25 pm | #13 | |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA
Posts: 144
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
Quote:
That fabric was a fortunate find. It is sold by Kenney Richmond on E-Bay. |
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26th Jul 2019, 3:35 pm | #14 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,966
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
The plug was probably BS546, a 1934 British standard which was largely superseded by BS1363 from the 1950s onwards. It is rarely seen in Britain today apart from in lighting setups in theatres, but it remains a current standard in places like India and South Africa.
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26th Jul 2019, 4:37 pm | #15 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,642
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
My Grandmother took an Ekco 405 line TV to South Africa when she emigrated. Completely useless, but she had free passage with unlimited luggage on an ocean liner. It happens!
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26th Jul 2019, 4:58 pm | #16 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA
Posts: 144
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
I just retrieved the plug from the trash can in my workshop area. It is marked 15A!
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26th Jul 2019, 5:59 pm | #17 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,966
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
Standard UK rating of the era. You'd expect a radio to be fitted with a 5A plug, but if the only socket available was 15A you'd need an adaptor to use it, so it would have been easier to fit a 15A plug.
One of the objectives of the BS1363 standard was to eliminate the plethora of 2A, 5A and 15A plugs and their associated adaptors, which in addition to being inconvenient encouraged unsafe practices. There was actually an even larger 30A plug in BS546, but this was largely restricted to theatrical and industrial applications. |
27th Jul 2019, 5:41 am | #18 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Mission Viejo, California, USA
Posts: 144
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
Any thoughts on where to find an on-off & volume knob for this radio? Do you know if the small knobs were used on other models?
Indeed, I'd read about those older plugs earlier today. Multiple sizes with adapters must have been, at the least, annoying. The current plug and socket system in British areas is theoretically safer, but are injuries and deaths significantly different than in other parts of Europe or the USA? I am also a member of the small special interest group on electrical matters within Mensa, and helped write the original ASTM E2019 standard for conducting Property Condition Assessments of commercial, industrial and multi-family properties. |
27th Jul 2019, 9:36 am | #19 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,966
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
BS1363 does have many safety features, and the standard has been updated over time to improve it still further. The main drawback with it is that the plugs are physically large, though not as big as the 15A BS546 plug you've been looking at. I don't have any accident stats.
BS1363 was partly adopted to support ring circuit electrical installations in the massive postwar building boom. Ring circuits require a fused plug to be used safely. Almost all older buildings had been rewired with rings and BS1363 outlets by the 70s. |
27th Jul 2019, 3:10 pm | #20 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 4,259
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Re: F. Stephen Masek's Bush SAC21 restoration
Quote:
Paul |
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