My family just purchased a summer house in Maine this weekend and among the items left behind after the closing was a cabinet radio labeled 'RCA Victor Stereo-Orthophonic High Fidelity'. We tried to get it to work, but while it has power, there was no reception at all. We found a Model #, SHC-2, and a serial #, RVU012148. There is also a record player with it, but we'll need a needle to at least see if that will work.

I'd like to do 2 things - first, find out how old it is. Internet searches have so far been very unsuccessful (and I use the 'net for a living...). The cabinet was stamped with 'Darper, Inc. Sept. 13, 1958', so I'm assuming the components are somewhere around the same age.

The second would be to fix it. I'm brand new at this, but would love to be able to figure it out if I can. I found a SAMS PhotoFact guide that appears to be for this machine, but I'm not sure if that's the place to start.

Anyone have any suggestions for me?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Cassandra,
The Collector's Guide to Antique Radios lists a model SHF-2 as a 1958 model with a value approximately $40-50. I suppose that date stamp you found may have been the date of purchase.

One sure way to identify radios from that era: on the AM band, you will see two Civil Defense triangle symbols at 640 and 1240 KC. This was the old CONELRAD warning system; the forerunner of the Emergency Broadcast System.

The first place I would start with would be testing the tubes. You may have to do some investigating to see if any electronic stores in your area have a vacuum-tube tester. I would look in the yellow pages for television repair shops in your area that have been in business a long time. (Televisions still used tubes well into the 1970's. Chances are an older TV shop may have one.)

Once you know where a tube tester can be found, locate the tube diagram (inside the cabinet) showing the tubes in their respective sockets. As you pull the tubes out, (there's 17 inside your unit) make sure you can read the numbers on the tubes so you'll be able to reinstall them in the right place. Each tube socket will be keyed so there's no chance you could reinstall one incorrectly.

If the tube numbers are worn off, write down the number from the tube diagram onto a piece of masking tape and stick it on the tube.

The Sam's Photofact you found may come in handy later if replacing a bad tube (or tubes) doesn't repair the problem. Odds are you may have to replace some bad capacitors in the power supply.

This should help you get started. Good luck!

Mark

:My family just purchased a summer house in Maine this weekend and among the items left behind after the closing was a cabinet radio labeled 'RCA Victor Stereo-Orthophonic High Fidelity'. We tried to get it to work, but while it has power, there was no reception at all. We found a Model #, SHC-2, and a serial #, RVU012148. There is also a record player with it, but we'll need a needle to at least see if that will work.
:
:I'd like to do 2 things - first, find out how old it is. Internet searches have so far been very unsuccessful (and I use the 'net for a living...). The cabinet was stamped with 'Darper, Inc. Sept. 13, 1958', so I'm assuming the components are somewhere around the same age.
:
:The second would be to fix it. I'm brand new at this, but would love to be able to figure it out if I can. I found a SAMS PhotoFact guide that appears to be for this machine, but I'm not sure if that's the place to start.
:
:Anyone have any suggestions for me?
:
:Thanks in advance.