To connect my stereo phone jack to my old mono VCR (one audio input) I have come across various circuits for connecting two resistors to each channel and then joining together. Can someone recommend a middle of the road value for these resisitors in parallel? various circuits show anywhere from 470 ohms to 10K and beyond. Is the VCR input best suited to a higher impedance match with the stereo?

:To connect my stereo phone jack to my old mono VCR (one audio input) I have come across various circuits for connecting two resistors to each channel and then joining together. Can someone recommend a middle of the road value for these resisitors in parallel? various circuits show anywhere from 470 ohms to 10K and beyond. Is the VCR input best suited to a higher impedance match with the stereo?

Brian:
It's not really too important, it works about the same with most any value, or no reisitor at all. I used 1K, because that's what I found 2 of first in my resistor box. Worked very well.
Lewis
:

Resistors are advisable to prevent you stereo from sensing a short. Short circuiting a transistor output stage can cause it to fry itself. (For tube equipment, the opposite is true. An open output is bad for tube gear.)Suppose you left the jack plugged in only part way so both the tip and the shaft were grounded? That could cook a transistor.

The size of the resistor can approximate the headphone R, such as 16 ohms.
A larger R will lower the output volume, which may be advisable.

The page below is a mind-boggling array of bridge circuits for you. Your little old VCR won't appreciate the hours of sweat and calculations that went into the creation of most of these circuits.

Bottom of the page, a simple divider circuit using 10 ohm resistors, stereo to mono. That is the one I would choose to try.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=stereo+to+mono+bridge+circuit&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=1ar&tbo=u&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Sj3RUIKbHYmPiAKMxIDQAw&ved=0CGMQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=885

Phil's old radio page on building a top-notch adaptor circuit using cheap little Radio Shack transformers. These things are tiny enough to fit in a matchbox and cost only a couple of bucks each.

http://antiqueradio.org/iPodAdaptor.htm

I am presently using a tiny (1 watt?) output transformer that I got from AE many years ago. L and R from an earphone jack are combined and go to one lead of the secondary of the OT, ground for both to the other lead. The primary winding goes to an RCA jack. No fear of shorting an RCA jack, BTW. This works very well to match a CD player or ghetto blaster to an AM radio.

I have my 1933 Airline console radio playing FM Xmas music at the moment, no AM static. A Sony transistor radio sits discreetly in the back, tuned to a local FM station. An extension cord provides power to both and prevents wear and tear on the 80 year old power cord, which is still in good shape but not as supple as it used to be. Using the extension cord to disconnect reduces wear and tear on the old switch as well.

Happy Holidays to all!

You have an open antenna coil primary. Here is a link showing your problem and how to repair it. About half way down the page. There is also some other good stuff to know on the same page.

http://www.oldradiosrus.com/build.html