Hello everyone,

Antique radio newbie---

Does anyone know how to open the back/top to clean the inside of this radio/phonograph? I cannot figure it out.
Radio works fine-phonograph doesn't. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
diyahnih

Hello diyahnih,
Yes I know how to open it. If you open the door where the record slides in you'll see a button on each side of the opening. If you press on these (you may need two people to do this), while pulling down on the front, the turntable section will open up. You need to have the set tilted up to do this. Or you can lift the radio off the turn table from the front when holding the two buttons in, if the turntable is resting on the table. There are two tabs in the back of the turntable unit that push into slots in the inside back of the radio unit. So they act like hinges. In other words, the set opens up like a book, with the "binding" or hinge in the back. But pushing in those two spring loaded buttons is the key to opening it up. I hope that this makes sense.
Usually the paper and filter capacitors must be replaced in the radio chassis, for this set to work correctly. There are a couple of circuit designs. You can tell which it is by the code number after the model number. Most have a "voltage doubler" power supply but there is one that just has a plain AC/DC half-wave power supply. Another way you can tell is by checking the rectifier tube number.
Also, the idler has to be rebuilt because the rubber is almost always dried out. The crystal cartridge is always dried out as well. It can be replaced with a ceramic cartridge. There may be a few places that will rebuild the cartridge. But a ceramic one sounds better than a crystal cartridge. If the motor doesn't run, check the mercury switch. It will run if the door is closed and the volume control is in the phono area. This is an interesting control. If it's turned in one direction, the radio will be on and it will control the radio volume. If it's turned back it will click like when an ordinary volume control is turned all the way down, but then it will move in another area and control the phonograph volume. There is a later model is called the 48-1201, which is very similar to the 46-1201. One other thing I forgot to mention. Sometimes the dial lamp, which is just an ordinary night light bulb, melts the white plastic piece behind the dial. Someone told me that there is an LED lamp made for a night light. If it doesn't cause too much intereference, it would eliminate the heat problem. I've worked on a lot of these sets. But I've never seen the floor model or model that's a phonograph only, without a radio.

I hope that this helps,

Dave
:Hello everyone,
:
:Antique radio newbie---
:
:Does anyone know how to open the back/top to clean the inside of this radio/phonograph? I cannot figure it out.
:Radio works fine-phonograph doesn't. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
:
: Thanks
: diyahnih

:Hello diyahnih,
: Yes I know how to open it. If you open the door where the record slides in you'll see a button on each side of the opening. If you press on these (you may need two people to do this), while pulling down on the front, the turntable section will open up. You need to have the set tilted up to do this. Or you can lift the radio off the turn table from the front when holding the two buttons in, if the turntable is resting on the table. There are two tabs in the back of the turntable unit that push into slots in the inside back of the radio unit. So they act like hinges. In other words, the set opens up like a book, with the "binding" or hinge in the back. But pushing in those two spring loaded buttons is the key to opening it up. I hope that this makes sense.
: Usually the paper and filter capacitors must be replaced in the radio chassis, for this set to work correctly. There are a couple of circuit designs. You can tell which it is by the code number after the model number. Most have a "voltage doubler" power supply but there is one that just has a plain AC/DC half-wave power supply. Another way you can tell is by checking the rectifier tube number.
: Also, the idler has to be rebuilt because the rubber is almost always dried out. The crystal cartridge is always dried out as well. It can be replaced with a ceramic cartridge. There may be a few places that will rebuild the cartridge. But a ceramic one sounds better than a crystal cartridge. If the motor doesn't run, check the mercury switch. It will run if the door is closed and the volume control is in the phono area. This is an interesting control. If it's turned in one direction, the radio will be on and it will control the radio volume. If it's turned back it will click like when an ordinary volume control is turned all the way down, but then it will move in another area and control the phonograph volume. There is a later model is called the 48-1201, which is very similar to the 46-1201. One other thing I forgot to mention. Sometimes the dial lamp, which is just an ordinary night light bulb, melts the white plastic piece behind the dial. Someone told me that there is an LED lamp made for a night light. If it doesn't cause too much intereference, it would eliminate the heat problem. I've worked on a lot of these sets. But I've never seen the floor model or model that's a phonograph only, without a radio.
:
:I hope that this helps,
:
:Dave

Dave,
Thank you! It does helps a great deal. I will follow your advice about replacing what needs to be replaced. It is a nice radio and I hope i can get the phonograph working--I turned the dial to phonograph, & I put an old album in & closed the door--I think it may be the motor? I believe I will let a vintage radio repair shop do this repair.

Again, Thank You

diyahnih

::Hello everyone,
::
::Antique radio newbie---
::
::Does anyone know how to open the back/top to clean the inside of this radio/phonograph? I cannot figure it out.
::Radio works fine-phonograph doesn't. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
::
:: Thanks
:: diyahnih

Hello diyahnuh,
That's what I do. But I have no idea if I can say who I am in this forum. I will need permission from the site owner to do that. What is your e-mail addres? I can send you an e-mail message or click on my name up above to send me an e-mail message and I'll reply with the information.

Thanks,

Dave
::Hello diyahnih,
:: Yes I know how to open it. If you open the door where the record slides in you'll see a button on each side of the opening. If you press on these (you may need two people to do this), while pulling down on the front, the turntable section will open up. You need to have the set tilted up to do this. Or you can lift the radio off the turn table from the front when holding the two buttons in, if the turntable is resting on the table. There are two tabs in the back of the turntable unit that push into slots in the inside back of the radio unit. So they act like hinges. In other words, the set opens up like a book, with the "binding" or hinge in the back. But pushing in those two spring loaded buttons is the key to opening it up. I hope that this makes sense.
:: Usually the paper and filter capacitors must be replaced in the radio chassis, for this set to work correctly. There are a couple of circuit designs. You can tell which it is by the code number after the model number. Most have a "voltage doubler" power supply but there is one that just has a plain AC/DC half-wave power supply. Another way you can tell is by checking the rectifier tube number.
:: Also, the idler has to be rebuilt because the rubber is almost always dried out. The crystal cartridge is always dried out as well. It can be replaced with a ceramic cartridge. There may be a few places that will rebuild the cartridge. But a ceramic one sounds better than a crystal cartridge. If the motor doesn't run, check the mercury switch. It will run if the door is closed and the volume control is in the phono area. This is an interesting control. If it's turned in one direction, the radio will be on and it will control the radio volume. If it's turned back it will click like when an ordinary volume control is turned all the way down, but then it will move in another area and control the phonograph volume. There is a later model is called the 48-1201, which is very similar to the 46-1201. One other thing I forgot to mention. Sometimes the dial lamp, which is just an ordinary night light bulb, melts the white plastic piece behind the dial. Someone told me that there is an LED lamp made for a night light. If it doesn't cause too much intereference, it would eliminate the heat problem. I've worked on a lot of these sets. But I've never seen the floor model or model that's a phonograph only, without a radio.
::
::I hope that this helps,
::
::Dave
:
:Dave,
:Thank you! It does helps a great deal. I will follow your advice about replacing what needs to be replaced. It is a nice radio and I hope i can get the phonograph working--I turned the dial to phonograph, & I put an old album in & closed the door--I think it may be the motor? I believe I will let a vintage radio repair shop do this repair.
:
: Again, Thank You
:
: diyahnih
:
:
:
:
:
:::Hello everyone,
:::
:::Antique radio newbie---
:::
:::Does anyone know how to open the back/top to clean the inside of this radio/phonograph? I cannot figure it out.
:::Radio works fine-phonograph doesn't. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
:::
::: Thanks
::: diyahnih