Thank you for the help so far guys. I still need more though. I'm posting this as new, because none of my browsers will display the messages on the previous pages. Thought we had that figured out, but no.

Anyway, I managed to replace nearly all caps and connect a new 4-Ohm speaker, and yay, I got static. It's only in a couple of spots. We don't have too many AM stations up here, but there is one about 20 miles down the road that shold come in pretty good with minimal antenna, I'd guess.

But, I can't get anything. Just a little bit of static here and there. Also, a rumbly spot.

I'm hoping someone can help set up a temporary antenna, or troubleshoot why this won't tune. Radio is an Edsel 85SE.

-Homer

And do you have the old classic car, that is the proper accessory to that radio?
Looks like you have yourself an ‘ole Stromberger Carlsonerator to work on..
As far as the “massive capacitor Recapping” ?, since this is a PCB based chassis
and using Low Plate Potential tubes, common capacitors, per se, are not such a problem
on this design of a se, considering the low voltages involved.
However, the MAIN ones of consideration would be the units electrolytics , with one being
the C1 canned filter that is located deep behind the volume control assembly on
the rear PCB chassis, it being a dual 250 ufd /16Vdc unit.
Also there are the two individual 500 ufd / 3Vdcunits in the audio power amplifier stage as C1 and C2.

Not knowing of any of your test equipment, and keeping on the Frugal Testing Technique,can
I assume that you might have already made a rough evaluation of your audio stages by the old
wet fingertip to the volume controls center tap, and listening for amplified, injected 60/120 ~ hum
but don’t expect as high a resulting volume as is acquired from higher voltage operated tubes.
HOWEVER you could run in the low level audio from a CD audio player and evaluate both
gain AND audio quality.

As far as the antenna, and not using a dedicated auto test antenna with its added coax capacitance
from its lead. I just always had a multitude of test leads with clips on each end at hand. I would just
clip the first one onto the Motorola antenna connector inside the cabinet and start stringing them
up til I hit to the proper “antenna” length that could be peaked with the antenna padder cap (C4) that
sticks out just beside the Mot jack. Within some series of sequentially added jumper leads, proper
resonance and a decided white noise level increase should be possible when adjusting that cap thru
its range . Take note that a little longer length of wire will be required than the common auto antenna
by virtue of your not having the added capacitive value of the coaxial line from antenna to the sets Mot
connector.

If you still do not have reception results from the “20 mile powerhouse” station, I would tend to
question the LPP…12AD6 converter tube, having proper oscillator action. Much in the order of
battery powered sets 1R5 tubes.

Well fill us in, on progress…..or digression….

BTW ….your …Homercidal..is not “hot” from having put in your E-mail addee in your header.
If I had that I could send you the tech documentation and schema for your set…if you don’t have it already.

73’s de Edd

Thank you. The radio was recapped and a couple broken wires (might have been my cause) resoldered. I shall try different lengths of wire and see what happens. The length I used was likely far too short.

FYI - I had tested all the tubes and the old tester I borrowed showed them to be in good condition.

I have schematics and info from justradios.com, and they have ben immensely valuable, although the power supply unit had different caps and transistors than the ones lists, it was close enough to get the job done.

The car in question is a 1959 Edsel Ranger 2-Door Coupe. It is in nearly driving condition after a small bit of work, and although I don't really plan to use this radio much, if at all, I do want to restore it along with the rest of the car for the nostalgia. And I can say it's the original radio and I fixed it myself (Along with everything else on the car, including paint). I'm already planning an under-dash CD/FM/MP3 stereo and a new set of speakers for most of my listening pleasure, but it will be fun to fire up the AM and tune in for that old-time ambience.

Oh, I'm only 37, so it's not like I'm reliving my childhood, but I still like the old stuff, and it's something fun to do with my father-in-law, who probalby owen more than a few cars of this vintage. It's a boat!

Ok, so anyway, I'll try different lengths of wire, and maybe do some reading on antenna theory, but I just got a new pickup for my guitar, so th eradio is going into the box for a day or so while I wire that guitar up and see how she plays.

Thanks again.

-Homer