Arvin Antenna hank

2/8/2010 11:39:55 AMScott

How long was the original antenna hank on an Arvin metal like the 444a? The one I picked up has about 5' connected but looks to be torn off. Also now that it is fired up the reception is a little weak unless I hold the open end of the hank.

2/8/2010 12:54:36 PMEdd

Sir Scott. . . . .

From my memories of having had one back on day one, unpackaged from its box, the wire was long enough to have made a hank of ~6 inch coils that were conpressed together to be retained with a rubber band? . . being pre twist-em days. The wire was
dark brown DOUBLE COTTON covered and quite flexible. Going by memory, seems like the total length would have been
~12-15 ft but probably NOT as long as 25 feet. Keeping up with manufacturers practice of no more than was deemed necessary.
At any rate, it was in excess of your mentioned skimpy length.

Vaguely remembering the antenna coil proper as then being mounted up at or near the left corner of the top of the speaker. Thereby the antenna coil is RF shielded from signal reception being in a metal cabinet, excluding the open end at the rear of the radio.Therefore, RF needed to be "remoted in " via the incoming aerial wire.
Since this set IS merely a "4 banger", less the use of an additional dedicated IF amplifier, it tends to be categorized as a metropolitan receiver.

If the set still happens to be in pristine condition in its alignment adjustments , you might make a stab at the required length of that
extended antenna / aerial wire hanks length of wire in the following manner:

It would be dependent upon the radio being placed on a wooden/plastic table, STILL having a 25 ft + ? pocket tape measure that has its casing being of all metal construction, not in an overall plastic clamshell housing.(Nor . . fooled ya ! . . . silver mylarized plastic housing)

That then lets you connect the antenna wire "stub" via the compression against the metal casing of the bare wire end and a
multi encircling of a rubber band. The whole tape case is then temp . . . " C " clamped . . .weighted . . ? . . etc . .to the
. . .not metal . .table top which you are working upon.

Then you pick out a very weak station at the high end of the band and take the tape measures end tab, using a folded over
6 inch length of cardboard. (This precludes any finger coupled capacitive coupling of your bodys affect into the evaluation.)

Then you crank up the volume on that feeble station and start walking out the length of the tape end and listening for an optimization of reception.

That then gives a guideline of MINIMAL wire length required.

73's de Edd

2/8/2010 1:44:09 PMWarren

Just finished restoring a Silvertone 8003. It's the same thing as those little Arvins. It does need 15 feet of antenna wire at least. Touch up the single I.F. it's reception is good for almost 100 miles. I am here in San Diego, and the set picks up KFI L.A. good. Sets like this are also known as the " American Mini " Cute little simple radios.

2/9/2010 11:46:30 AMScott

Thanks Edd....nice tip on the tape measure.
Thanks Warren for the info. You are right...this little 4 tube radio is pretty impressive.

2/9/2010 1:48:06 PMWarren

One simple antenna trick is to use your active phone land line wire as a loose coupling antenna. Make your phone line wire into a multi turned loop. wrap your radio antenna wire around it. Makes for a good static free antenna.

2/14/2010 9:47:37 AMScott

Picture of finished project if your interested.
Got a replacement hank, reworked electronics, added a little paint and ready for the completed shelf.

http://s956.photobucket.com/albums/ae46/s1tracey/?action=view¤t=arvin444026.jpg&newest=1

:One simple antenna trick is to use your active phone land line wire as a loose coupling antenna. Make your phone line wire into a multi turned loop. wrap your radio antenna wire around it. Makes for a good static free antenna.
:

2/14/2010 10:19:32 AMDennis Wess

Scott,

Copy & paste of the URL you provided does not work.
This is the result:

2/14/2010 1:32:33 PMScott

Well let's try this.

[IMG]http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae46/s1tracey/arvin444026.jpg[/IMG]

2/14/2010 9:55:55 PMDennis Wess

How about this...........

2/14/2010 11:15:05 PMWarren

The Silvertone 8003 is just about the same thing. The 4 inch speaker was totally junk. The problem was mounting another speaker, that also would hold the audio output transformer. (no room anyplace else) I was able to use the speakers from a pair of computer speakers that were 2X4 each. I mounted them side by side in the original chassis holes. Used a 1 inch stand-off from the top of one speaker, to mount the transformer vertically between the two speakers. Another 1 inch stand-off on the other top hole of the same speaker, to mount the antenna coil. Surprised how good it sounds. (inventive at least)