I have a 1934 philco model 60 cathedral radio. I am a recently new collector. I have worked with this one and finally got it working. I am curious the best way to ground it and or use an antenna. When you play the radio it gets a better sound when you touch the antenna like it is searching for a ground. What is the best way to do this. Also, how can you test a tube without having a tube tester or is this possible? What will cause the lower end of the band to be a faint sound but the upper end of the band be normal?

Hi Jeff

Connect a 10-20 foot length of wire for an antenna on your radio.

Tubes can be tested in the circuit by measuring voltages. Tubes drawing current cause voltage drops across resistors. With your radio working, wouldn't worry about tubes.

Most older radios have a padder cap. This is an adjustable cap similar to a trimmer, usually mounted under the chassis. It will peak up signals at the low end of the dial. While listening to a station toward the low end adjust this padder for loudest signal. Rock tuning back and forth while adjusting.

Norm

:I have a 1934 philco model 60 cathedral radio. I am a recently new collector. I have worked with this one and finally got it working. I am curious the best way to ground it and or use an antenna. When you play the radio it gets a better sound when you touch the antenna like it is searching for a ground. What is the best way to do this. Also, how can you test a tube without having a tube tester or is this possible? What will cause the lower end of the band to be a faint sound but the upper end of the band be normal?

:Hi Jeff
:
: Connect a 10-20 foot length of wire for an antenna on your radio.
:
: Tubes can be tested in the circuit by measuring voltages. Tubes drawing current cause voltage drops across resistors. With your radio working, wouldn't worry about tubes.
:
: Most older radios have a padder cap. This is an adjustable cap similar to a trimmer, usually mounted under the chassis. It will peak up signals at the low end of the dial. While listening to a station toward the low end adjust this padder for loudest signal. Rock tuning back and forth while adjusting.
:
:Norm
:
:
:
::I have a 1934 philco model 60 cathedral radio. I am a recently new collector. I have worked with this one and finally got it working. I am curious the best way to ground it and or use an antenna. When you play the radio it gets a better sound when you touch the antenna like it is searching for a ground. What is the best way to do this. Also, how can you test a tube without having a tube tester or is this possible? What will cause the lower end of the band to be a faint sound but the upper end of the band be normal?

norm
what would the padder cap look like?
::
:: Connect a 10-20 foot length of wire for an antenna on your radio.
::
:: Tubes can be tested in the circuit by measuring voltages. Tubes drawing current cause voltage drops across resistors. With your radio working, wouldn't worry about tubes.
::
:: Most older radios have a padder cap. This is an adjustable cap similar to a trimmer, usually mounted under the chassis. It will peak up signals at the low end of the dial. While listening to a station toward the low end adjust this padder for loudest signal. Rock tuning back and forth while adjusting.
::
::Norm
::
::
::
:::I have a 1934 philco model 60 cathedral radio. I am a recently new collector. I have worked with this one and finally got it working. I am curious the best way to ground it and or use an antenna. When you play the radio it gets a better sound when you touch the antenna like it is searching for a ground. What is the best way to do this. Also, how can you test a tube without having a tube tester or is this possible? What will cause the lower end of the band to be a faint sound but the upper end of the band be normal?

Hi Jeff

A padder will usually be less than an inch square with a adjustment screw in the center. It's made up of metal plates with mica insulation between them.

Norm

: norm
:what would the padder cap look like?
:::
::: Connect a 10-20 foot length of wire for an antenna on your radio.
:::
::: Tubes can be tested in the circuit by measuring voltages. Tubes drawing current cause voltage drops across resistors. With your radio working, wouldn't worry about tubes.
:::
::: Most older radios have a padder cap. This is an adjustable cap similar to a trimmer, usually mounted under the chassis. It will peak up signals at the low end of the dial. While listening to a station toward the low end adjust this padder for loudest signal. Rock tuning back and forth while adjusting.
:::
:::Norm
:::
:::
:::
::::I have a 1934 philco model 60 cathedral radio. I am a recently new collector. I have worked with this one and finally got it working. I am curious the best way to ground it and or use an antenna. When you play the radio it gets a better sound when you touch the antenna like it is searching for a ground. What is the best way to do this. Also, how can you test a tube without having a tube tester or is this possible? What will cause the lower end of the band to be a faint sound but the upper end of the band be normal?

On tubes - they can be weak, gassy, or leaky and still function. I've run into this a number of times. You can go all over the circuitry of a radio that sort of works and find at the end that it's a sick converter or IF tube that's keeping the thing from its full potential. It is amazing how much difference a fresh converter can make.

Without a tester, the only thing you can do is substitute known good tubes and see what happens, or conversely, swap the tubes in question into another radio that uses them and works well.

Your weak low end - I'd echo Norm about the padder, but with the caveat that you're changing the low-end dial tracking when you adjust that. When you get the best performance there, check the mid-band tracking, about 900-1000 KC on mediumwave broadcast. If it's off, move the pointer relative to its shaft until it's right. Then readjust the padder until the low end tracks properly. Next, adjust the osc trimmer so that the high end tracks as well. Check everything again and adjust as necessary; it can go a few rounds. After all that, adjust the antenna trimmer so you get best signal near but not right at the top (say, at 1400 KC on mediumwave broadcast) and you should be set.

Antennae can be anything that works. Wires wires everywhere...