. I'm not sure of the production date + * It came with matching 8-track player * . . . . . . . . . = '66ish----'79 ish spectrum? . . .guestimated . . . unless fully involved in a Time Warp . . . no . . NO . . NOOOOO !. . now you are going into your full audio-PHOOOLish mode on us. . . . . .hee . .hee. .hee |
Recently aquired this fantastic specimen on a trip to louisana with my wife. It was in her great grandparents home who have passed a few years ago. I'm not sure of the production date, but it is in great shape. The cabinet is some kind of plywood (no particle board) with a dark verneer covering. It came with matching 8-track player and speakers, 4 inch drivers in a 10x6x3.5 enclosure. It sounds very good as is, with well defined, tight bass and a good mid range. Depending on volume level the top end is also nice. My questions (if I haven't bored you to death), are: The tone control pots are ganged together on a single shaft along with the on\off switch, but it seems to affect the right channel more than the left. I cleaned both tone pots with deoxit, but no change. Was wondering if I should change the 40+ (i'm guessing) year old caps even though it sounds so good. Question #2. With the volume controls (seperate) at about 1/3, with no input signal, there is a hiss from the speakers that increases greatly when you turn the volume higher. You can't hear it when playing music except on very quiet passages. Is that to be expected from the germanium output transistors. There is no snaps, crackles, or pops, just hiss. Almost forgot, I've been using an ipod for a source. If anyone can tell me more about it, please do! I feel a little out of my comfort zone with transistors. Thanks in advance.
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: : :  : : : : : : : :GREEEEAAAATTT ! Scott. . . . . . : : : :. I'm not sure of the production date + * It came with matching 8-track player * . . . . . . . . . : : = '66ish----'79 ish spectrum? . . .guestimated . . . unless fully involved in a Time Warp . . . : : :It sounds very good as is, with well defined, tight bass and a good mid range. . . . .. : : no . . NO . . NOOOOO !. . now you are going into your full audio-PHOOOLish mode on us. . . . . .hee . .hee. .hee : : : :The tone control pots are ganged together on a single shaft along with the on\off switch, but it seems to affect the right channel more than the left. : : : :Interstage coupling and/or emitter bypassing electrolytics have time decimated, from their initial full capacitance values, with the decline of capacitance . . . thus exacerbating progressively more bass response. : : :One channel more so than the other . . . relying upon your observations . . probably no more than 6-8 units involved and being the prime culprits . . but really need the model or chassis number of that Columbia . . . .Gem of the Ocean . . . .for being able to do any more definitive research. : : : :there is a hiss from the speakers that increases greatly when you turn the volume higher : : : :Those "geranium" transistors weren't the very quietest ever in quiescent back ground noise, it may be a bit hard to differentiate between the different FRONTAL amps, until the electrolytics replacement solution again clears up the affected imbalanced tonal response. : : :Then one can slightly heat or cool a transistor / pairs and see how its generated noise responds . . .in respect to its companion counterpart on the sets other channel. : : :Thassit . . for now : : : : : : : :73's de Edd : : :  : |
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:Recently aquired this fantastic specimen on a trip to louisana with my wife. It was in her great grandparents home who have passed a few years ago. I'm not sure of the production date, but it is in great shape. The cabinet is some kind of plywood (no particle board) with a dark verneer covering. It came with matching 8-track player and speakers, 4 inch drivers in a 10x6x3.5 enclosure. It sounds very good as is, with well defined, tight bass and a good mid range. Depending on volume level the top end is also nice. My questions (if I haven't bored you to death), are: The tone control pots are ganged together on a single shaft along with the on\off switch, but it seems to affect the right channel more than the left. I cleaned both tone pots with deoxit, but no change. Was wondering if I should change the 40+ (i'm guessing) year old caps even though it sounds so good. Question #2. With the volume controls (seperate) at about 1/3, with no input signal, there is a hiss from the speakers that increases greatly when you turn the volume higher. You can't hear it when playing music except on very quiet passages. Is that to be expected from the germanium output transistors. There is no snaps, crackles, or pops, just hiss. Almost forgot, I've been using an ipod for a source. If anyone can tell me more about it, please do! I feel a little out of my comfort zone with transistors. Thanks in advance.
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http://www.nostalgiaair.org/forums/messages/487/m0081487.htm
I noticed hissing sometimes too. It turned out to be coming from the particular Mp3 recordings. Others that were recorded better, I guess, had NO detectable hiss at all.
So I suggest you try the iPod on a different amp first to see where the hiss may be originating.
:When I was using my Mp3 player as an input for my new dual channel PP 5902 miniature tube amp project :
:http://www.nostalgiaair.org/forums/messages/487/m0081487.htm
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:I noticed hissing sometimes too. It turned out to be coming from the particular Mp3 recordings. Others that were recorded better, I guess, had NO detectable hiss at all.
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:So I suggest you try the iPod on a different amp first to see where the hiss may be originating.
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::Thanks Edd, I feel honored by your quick response. I guess I did make a audio-fool out of myself with that statement, but I was suprised by this little thing, I was expecting much less. As far as the model # goes, it was <(keyword) on the back panel at one time, but has faded or been cleaned off till no longer legible. I will do a full re-cap on thursday, providing that tropical storm Alex doesn't carry me away, (live about 20 miles south of houston). If the hiss still exists afterwards, I'll try the inverted can of computer duster on the transistors as per your instructions in a previous post to someone else. Thanks again, and I'll post the results asap.
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::GREEEEAAAATTT ! Scott. . . . . .
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::. I'm not sure of the production date + * It came with matching 8-track player * . . . . . . . . .
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:: = '66ish----'79 ish spectrum? . . .guestimated . . . unless fully involved in a Time Warp . . .
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::It sounds very good as is, with well defined, tight bass and a good mid range. . . . ..
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:: no . . NO . . NOOOOO !. . now you are going into your full audio-PHOOOLish mode on us. . . . . .hee . .hee. .hee
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::The tone control pots are ganged together on a single shaft along with the on\off switch, but it seems to affect the right channel more than the left.
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::Interstage coupling and/or emitter bypassing electrolytics have time decimated, from their initial full capacitance values, with the decline of capacitance . . . thus exacerbating progressively more bass response.
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::One channel more so than the other . . . relying upon your observations . . probably no more than 6-8 units involved and being the prime culprits . . but really need the model or chassis number of that Columbia . . . .Gem of the Ocean . . . .for being able to do any more definitive research.
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::there is a hiss from the speakers that increases greatly when you turn the volume higher
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::Those "geranium" transistors weren't the very quietest ever in quiescent back ground noise, it may be a bit hard to differentiate between the different FRONTAL amps, until the electrolytics replacement solution again clears up the affected imbalanced tonal response.
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::Then one can slightly heat or cool a transistor / pairs and see how its generated noise responds . . .in respect to its companion counterpart on the sets other channel.
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::Thassit . . for now
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::73's de Edd
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::Recently aquired this fantastic specimen on a trip to louisana with my wife. It was in her great grandparents home who have passed a few years ago. I'm not sure of the production date, but it is in great shape. The cabinet is some kind of plywood (no particle board) with a dark verneer covering. It came with matching 8-track player and speakers, 4 inch drivers in a 10x6x3.5 enclosure. It sounds very good as is, with well defined, tight bass and a good mid range. Depending on volume level the top end is also nice. My questions (if I haven't bored you to death), are: The tone control pots are ganged together on a single shaft along with the on\off switch, but it seems to affect the right channel more than the left. I cleaned both tone pots with deoxit, but no change. Was wondering if I should change the 40+ (i'm guessing) year old caps even though it sounds so good. Question #2. With the volume controls (seperate) at about 1/3, with no input signal, there is a hiss from the speakers that increases greatly when you turn the volume higher. You can't hear it when playing music except on very quiet passages. Is that to be expected from the germanium output transistors. There is no snaps, crackles, or pops, just hiss. Almost forgot, I've been using an ipod for a source. If anyone can tell me more about it, please do! I feel a little out of my comfort zone with transistors. Thanks in advance.
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