I've just about finished the restoration of an early 5 tube Silvertone battery radio with a Neutrodyne circuit. It's in excellent condition and now looks nearly new, inside and out. Sadly, though, it's missing its tubes. A pencil incription on the Bakelite chassis board on which the first two chrome plated tube sockets are mounted says "26", so I'm guessing type 26 tubes were used in the initial circuit stages. Would the remaining three tubes be the same or different? If differnet, what type(s) should they be?

Many thanks!

Craig,
I've done a Radiola 18 and am working on a Zenith 11-E right now that have same tube lineup...and probably similar to your Silvertone. Mine uses 4 -26's, 1- 71A power output tube, and 1- 27 Detector tube. If your Silvertone is a 6 tube set...I think that this lineup was very popular around 1927-1928. (Does the detector stage have a 5 pin tube with grid pin off-set?) Hope this helps. ... Can you find the model number and obtain the schematic for the set?
Joe

:I've just about finished the restoration of an early 5 tube Silvertone battery radio with a Neutrodyne circuit. It's in excellent condition and now looks nearly new, inside and out. Sadly, though, it's missing its tubes. A pencil incription on the Bakelite chassis board on which the first two chrome plated tube sockets are mounted says "26", so I'm guessing type 26 tubes were used in the initial circuit stages. Would the remaining three tubes be the same or different? If differnet, what type(s) should they be?
:
:Many thanks!

:Craig,
:I've done a Radiola 18 and am working on a Zenith 11-E right now that have same tube lineup...and probably similar to your Silvertone. Mine uses 4 -26's, 1- 71A power output tube, and 1- 27 Detector tube. If your Silvertone is a 6 tube set...I think that this lineup was very popular around 1927-1928. (Does the detector stage have a 5 pin tube with grid pin off-set?) Hope this helps. ... Can you find the model number and obtain the schematic for the set?
:Joe
:
::I've just about finished the restoration of an early 5 tube Silvertone battery radio with a Neutrodyne circuit. It's in excellent condition and now looks nearly new, inside and out. Sadly, though, it's missing its tubes. A pencil incription on the Bakelite chassis board on which the first two chrome plated tube sockets are mounted says "26", so I'm guessing type 26 tubes were used in the initial circuit stages. Would the remaining three tubes be the same or different? If differnet, what type(s) should they be?
::
::Many thanks!

Many thanks, Joe. The set has no model number -- just the usual Hazeltine licensed builder's plate and a Silvertone decal inside the top lid.

It's a five tube set -- all four pin. I found a typical five-tube schematic from the period, but no tube types were specified. Arrrggghhhh.

Something doesn't sound quite right to me here. The tube lineup mentioned implies to me an AC-powered radio, but you say it is battery powered.
Doug

:Craig,
:I've done a Radiola 18 and am working on a Zenith 11-E right now that have same tube lineup...and probably similar to your Silvertone. Mine uses 4 -26's, 1- 71A power output tube, and 1- 27 Detector tube. If your Silvertone is a 6 tube set...I think that this lineup was very popular around 1927-1928. (Does the detector stage have a 5 pin tube with grid pin off-set?) Hope this helps. ... Can you find the model number and obtain the schematic for the set?
:Joe
:
::I've just about finished the restoration of an early 5 tube Silvertone battery radio with a Neutrodyne circuit. It's in excellent condition and now looks nearly new, inside and out. Sadly, though, it's missing its tubes. A pencil incription on the Bakelite chassis board on which the first two chrome plated tube sockets are mounted says "26", so I'm guessing type 26 tubes were used in the initial circuit stages. Would the remaining three tubes be the same or different? If differnet, what type(s) should they be?
::
::Many thanks!

:Something doesn't sound quite right to me here. The tube lineup mentioned implies to me an AC-powered radio, but you say it is battery powered.
:Doug

:
:Most of the early Silvertone sets between 1925 and before 1930 I think were made by King Quality Products before they switched over to Colonial.
You might check out King and the following models under Sears-Roebuck Silvertone 218 E,F,FF,G,and J.
They went by other numbers as well as in the case of Silvertone G(R4431) and J (R4433) and others.

As Doug mentioned most of those sets using the 26 seem to have more than 5 tubes but I noticed that the Silvertone FF model uses a 26 shows a rectifier on the schematic but doesn't show it on the chassis lay out.

That link:

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel/932/M0017932.pdf

On a side note does your tuning cap by any chance King Quality stamped on it?

Regards
Ken

Many thanks! Yes, it's a King-Hinners-manufactured set. The "26" reference is from a pencil inscription on the chassis, but may not refer to the tubes needed after all. (An inspector's mark, perhaps?)

I'm at the office with no way to access my radio for photo-taking purposes at the moment -- but here is an identical chassis found online:

http://content.liveauctioneers.com/item/5399218

The text refers to an O1A tube lineup -- which would make sense in this five-tube battery set.

Guys, I believe you've pointed me in the right direction. Schematic research on this site reveals that my radio is, without doubt, a King 10K1 using five O1As.

If the transformers are okay, this one'll be easy! I'll post photos when it's finished. The chassis, front panel and knobs/dials now look flawless (not a scratch on any) and the cabinet will be refinished very shortly. Now -- to obtain a set of tubes...

If you are patient, you can find used '01As on eBay for $10-12 each. ST-shaped tubes are often cheaper than globe tubes. Battery-powered TRFs, complete with tubes, often sell for less than the value of the tubes.

Used '01A tubes that are "weak," with low emissions, can be reuventated.
Doug

:
:
:Now -- to obtain a set of tubes...

I have the feeling that the neutrodyne ckt was primarily used with '01A battery-powered radios. '01As have large inter-electrode capacitance, causing oscillation, that the neutrodyne ckt effectively eliminated.
Doug

:Many thanks! Yes, it's a King-Hinners-manufactured set. The "26" reference is from a pencil inscription on the chassis, but may not refer to the tubes needed after all. (An inspector's mark, perhaps?)
:
:I'm at the office with no way to access my radio for photo-taking purposes at the moment -- but here is an identical chassis found online:
:
:http://content.liveauctioneers.com/item/5399218
:
:The text refers to an O1A tube lineup -- which would make sense in this five-tube battery set.

Agree - this the "26" is likely an inspector's or assembler's mark and a red herring - I've seen such penciled marks in several sets of the era and I've had a couple of similar "King" brand sets in the past. They can use all 01A's - with the option of either a 112 or 171 in the 2nd AF. The voltages (stamped on the terminals) should be standard for a 3-dialer - with a 6VDC filament "A" (a 26 has only a 1.5V filament but a battery-draining 1A current draw!).

I have occasionally run into battery sets converted for AC filament operation - they usually used 27's and it required new 5-pin sockets, a filament transformer and a good bit of rough rewiring (usually by a novice owner) - all of which should be quite obvious on a gross visual inspection.

__________________

:Many thanks! Yes, it's a King-Hinners-manufactured set. The "26" reference is from a pencil inscription on the chassis, but may not refer to the tubes needed after all. (An inspector's mark, perhaps?)
:
:I'm at the office with no way to access my radio for photo-taking purposes at the moment -- but here is an identical chassis found online:
:
:http://content.liveauctioneers.com/item/5399218
:
:The text refers to an O1A tube lineup -- which would make sense in this five-tube battery set.