I have a radiola 17. It appears all original? and is in grear condition. My first suspicion is the tubes, they have paper labels on them(all) stating they were tested in 1945. Ive called around to see if i could get them tested but struck out. Is there a way to determine weather or not they are bad without a tube tester. Also see 3 wires underneath near volume control,2 black 1 (maroon) that are tied together but not connected to anything- is this factory . Any help at all would be greatly appreciated Thank you

Is there anything connected to the volume control? Do you have a speaker connected to this radio? Have you tested any of the condensers? If not, I would test them first before assuming that any tubes are bad. When you test your tubes, only replace those which are weak or bad, and then, once you get the radio working, try the weak and bad ones to see if they still work. If they do, don't discard them.

Have you checked any voltages? Is the power supply working properly? If you have a shorted tone condenser (on the output transformer), you won't get any sound. You may get a humming noise. Are you getting a humming noise? The humming noise means that you are getting power to the output stage. You could have blown transformers in the radio. This is not at all uncommon. You should check the various interstage transformers as well as the output transformer. If you aren't getting any hum or anything, then your output transformer is likely blown. All transformers are easily replaced, so don't worry if one is blown. If your tone condenser is shorted in the output stage and you replace a blown output transformer, you could blow your new transformer if you don't replace this condenser. Check all condensers and replace faulty ones.

If you aren't getting any DC power to the radio, you could have shorted condensers in the power supply, or a bad rectifier, or a bad choke, or a bad power transformer. A bad choke may be caused by bad filter condensers, so be sure to check filter condensers no matter what.

Leave no stone unturned.

Thomas

Hi

Thomas gave you some good ideas. There is a write up on Radiola 18 here on nostalgiaair. Radiola 17 is very similar to 18.

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/References/Articles/

Check those lose wires against the schematic for Radiola 17 which can also be found here on nostalgiaair, under resources above.

Be sure you have an antenna. 10 - 20 feet of wire should be enough. If you still don't hear anything connect the antenna to different sections of your tuner. The one closest to the 27 tube bypasses most of the RF circuitry.

Norm

:Is there anything connected to the volume control? Do you have a speaker connected to this radio? Have you tested any of the condensers? If not, I would test them first before assuming that any tubes are bad. When you test your tubes, only replace those which are weak or bad, and then, once you get the radio working, try the weak and bad ones to see if they still work. If they do, don't discard them.
:
:Have you checked any voltages? Is the power supply working properly? If you have a shorted tone condenser (on the output transformer), you won't get any sound. You may get a humming noise. Are you getting a humming noise? The humming noise means that you are getting power to the output stage. You could have blown transformers in the radio. This is not at all uncommon. You should check the various interstage transformers as well as the output transformer. If you aren't getting any hum or anything, then your output transformer is likely blown. All transformers are easily replaced, so don't worry if one is blown. If your tone condenser is shorted in the output stage and you replace a blown output transformer, you could blow your new transformer if you don't replace this condenser. Check all condensers and replace faulty ones.
:
:If you aren't getting any DC power to the radio, you could have shorted condensers in the power supply, or a bad rectifier, or a bad choke, or a bad power transformer. A bad choke may be caused by bad filter condensers, so be sure to check filter condensers no matter what.
:
:Leave no stone unturned.
:
:Thomas
:

:Hi
:
: Thomas gave you some good ideas. There is a write up on Radiola 18 here on nostalgiaair. Radiola 17 is very similar to 18.
:
:http://www.nostalgiaair.org/References/Articles/
:
: Check those lose wires against the schematic for Radiola 17 which can also be found here on nostalgiaair, under resources above.
:
: Be sure you have an antenna. 10 - 20 feet of wire should be enough. If you still don't hear anything connect the antenna to different sections of your tuner. The one closest to the 27 tube bypasses most of the RF circuitry.
:
:Norm
:
::Is there anything connected to the volume control? Do you have a speaker connected to this radio? Have you tested any of the condensers? If not, I would test them first before assuming that any tubes are bad. When you test your tubes, only replace those which are weak or bad, and then, once you get the radio working, try the weak and bad ones to see if they still work. If they do, don't discard them.
::
::Have you checked any voltages? Is the power supply working properly? If you have a shorted tone condenser (on the output transformer), you won't get any sound. You may get a humming noise. Are you getting a humming noise? The humming noise means that you are getting power to the output stage. You could have blown transformers in the radio. This is not at all uncommon. You should check the various interstage transformers as well as the output transformer. If you aren't getting any hum or anything, then your output transformer is likely blown. All transformers are easily replaced, so don't worry if one is blown. If your tone condenser is shorted in the output stage and you replace a blown output transformer, you could blow your new transformer if you don't replace this condenser. Check all condensers and replace faulty ones.
::
::If you aren't getting any DC power to the radio, you could have shorted condensers in the power supply, or a bad rectifier, or a bad choke, or a bad power transformer. A bad choke may be caused by bad filter condensers, so be sure to check filter condensers no matter what.
::
::Leave no stone unturned.
::
::Thomas
::

This may be slightly off topic, but the tone condesers you mention, would these be C18 and/or C17 between the 41 and the output xnsformer on the schematic listed below?

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel/600/M0008600.pdf

Yes, those would be tone limiting condensers. Note how one is connected to a rheostat, which allows you to vary how much this condenser is applied to the circuit. One disadvantage to placing a condenser across the plate of the output tube when dealing with high fidelity equipment is that the primary stages may be overdriving treble notes while the last stage is cutting them out. Treble distortion will result. The letter S will come out raspy whenever someone speaks it. With AM radio, though, placing a tone condenser across the output transformer primary is acceptable.

C18 is also a tone limiting condenser for the #75 tube. Placing condensers in different places has different effects. Placing one of a certain value, especially when in series with a resistor, on the volume control, tends to mute mid-range frequencies--those which are harsh. Placing one on the plate of the 1st amplifier tube or on the plate of the output tube tends to cut off the high frequencies.

There are all sorts of variables and things to think about when placing tone condensers in a radio. Some manufactureres think about this and some just go with standard procedure. Basically, though, condensers pass the highest frequencies the best and taper off as the frequency is reduced. Condensers pass more and more low frequencies when they are increased in value. If you place a condenser across an audio circuit (say across the input or the output), you effectively short out the high frequencies. The effect tapers off for lower frequencies. Resistors, on the other hand, pass low frequencies better than high frequencies. Placing a resistor across an audio circuit will cut out bass to some degree. Do not ever place a resistor from any B+ potential component to B-. Normally a resistor is placed across the volume control for bass reduction. Resistors and condensers can be placed in series for eliminating or passing certain frequencies. If values are chosen carefully, you can get the tonal effect you want. Sometimes, too, they can be put in parallel, and can be placed in series with the audio circuit. A very small value condenser and a very high value resistor placed in parallel will pass only high and low frequencies, eliminating some of the mid-range notes.

All effects change from circuit to circuit depending upon the impedance of the circuit involved. There is much more detail to all of this than I care to get into, but I wanted to give you a vague notion as to what is going on.

Thomas