I have a 6 tube (01A's) battery set. There are no markings on it except the front panel. It is labeled "Tigerdyne" in old english script. Above the dial pointer is labeled "Wave-Length" and "Dial Indicator" below. There is one tuning control that tunes all three tuning caps and a volume control that changes the voltage to the 2nd and 3rd RF Amps. It works, but the lower half of the band is weak. Has anyone seen one of these and or has a schamatic?
Thanks,
Gerald

The problem with ganging tuning condenser sections is getting them to synchronize across the dial.

If the stators are movable, tune to a station at the very low end of the dial. Center all stators between the rotors, and/or adjust the stators so that the signal is the strongest. If the stator(s) isn't(aren't) centered, this is okay, as long as stations are strong and track well across the lower part of the dial.

Tune to a station at the upper end of the dial (rotors out of mesh with stators). Trim each stage with an external trimming capacitance (preferred), or by bending the outer rotor plates that are still in mesh with the stator. Since bending plates is not an ideal way to trim the upper end of the band, it would be best to install trimmer capacitors in an inconspicuous place if they aren't already present. ...That is, if your concern is more for performance than originality. They can always be removed if not permanently attached to the radio, so they shouldn't harm originality much.

Check tracking and sensitivity at both ends and touch up as necessary.

You may also have neutralizing capacitors, depending on design (I didn't see a schematic here, so I can't check), and these will affect the tune-up procedure.

T.

:The problem with ganging tuning condenser sections is getting them to synchronize across the dial.
:
:If the stators are movable, tune to a station at the very low end of the dial. Center all stators between the rotors, and/or adjust the stators so that the signal is the strongest. If the stator(s) isn't(aren't) centered, this is okay, as long as stations are strong and track well across the lower part of the dial.
:
:Tune to a station at the upper end of the dial (rotors out of mesh with stators). Trim each stage with an external trimming capacitance (preferred), or by bending the outer rotor plates that are still in mesh with the stator. Since bending plates is not an ideal way to trim the upper end of the band, it would be best to install trimmer capacitors in an inconspicuous place if they aren't already present. ...That is, if your concern is more for performance than originality. They can always be removed if not permanently attached to the radio, so they shouldn't harm originality much.
:
:Check tracking and sensitivity at both ends and touch up as necessary.
:
:You may also have neutralizing capacitors, depending on design (I didn't see a schematic here, so I can't check), and these will affect the tune-up procedure.
:
:T.
:
Thanks all for the info. I forgot to mention that each stage has a trimmer mounted to the chassis with the "Hot" lead going to each tuning stator. I have adjusted these and even tried to stager tune them to improve the low end, but they are really only effective on the high end. One other thig I had to do was rewind the input RF coil (had an open)that is in parallel with the antenna and ground terminal. The antenna terminal also connects to the grid of the 1st 01A. In the process I removed about 25 turns of a 1200 turn coil. Would that have affected the low end that much?
Thanks
Gerald

Hi Gerald

RF coil for the first 01A will not be tuned. Removing some turns of wire will have little effect.

Trimmers will have the greatest effect at the high end of the dial.

It's important that plates of tuners are centered. Do tuner plates short? Tune in the lowest station you can receive. For max volume is a trimmer all the way to one end?

Norm

::The problem with ganging tuning condenser sections is getting them to synchronize across the dial.
::
::If the stators are movable, tune to a station at the very low end of the dial. Center all stators between the rotors, and/or adjust the stators so that the signal is the strongest. If the stator(s) isn't(aren't) centered, this is okay, as long as stations are strong and track well across the lower part of the dial.
::
::Tune to a station at the upper end of the dial (rotors out of mesh with stators). Trim each stage with an external trimming capacitance (preferred), or by bending the outer rotor plates that are still in mesh with the stator. Since bending plates is not an ideal way to trim the upper end of the band, it would be best to install trimmer capacitors in an inconspicuous place if they aren't already present. ...That is, if your concern is more for performance than originality. They can always be removed if not permanently attached to the radio, so they shouldn't harm originality much.
::
::Check tracking and sensitivity at both ends and touch up as necessary.
::
::You may also have neutralizing capacitors, depending on design (I didn't see a schematic here, so I can't check), and these will affect the tune-up procedure.
::
::T.
::
:Thanks all for the info. I forgot to mention that each stage has a trimmer mounted to the chassis with the "Hot" lead going to each tuning stator. I have adjusted these and even tried to stager tune them to improve the low end, but they are really only effective on the high end. One other thig I had to do was rewind the input RF coil (had an open)that is in parallel with the antenna and ground terminal. The antenna terminal also connects to the grid of the 1st 01A. In the process I removed about 25 turns of a 1200 turn coil. Would that have affected the low end that much?
:Thanks
:Gerald
:

Removing some turns from the input coil will have little effect, but the low end is the end that it will effect first, since coils shunt lower frequencies more than higher ones, and what little tuning the coil does have will have shifted upward. If at all possible it would be well to add the 25 turns of wire you removed. When you need to repair a coil, mend the break and replace the turns whenever possible, or use new wire of the same gauge.

Changing the position of the stators will affect the low end of the dial the most. Also be sure to use a very long wire antenna, as the longer the wire the lower the frequencies it will respond to. You are, of course, not coming even close to the actual wavelength, but a longer antenna helps.

Many of these early radios, like my Radiola 16, are just really bad performers, especially if '01As are used, and if the coils and wiring aren't shielded. There's little gain and little you can do with multiple stages of unshielded coils. A set like my Majestic 181 will perform better because better tubes are used, and the coils and tubes are shielded, allowing for much more gain without feedback. A longer antenna will help, and you might get more gain from those tubes by rejuvenating them. Test them and see what their emission is. If it's rather low, follow rejuvenation procedure, which should be somewhere on this site. There is a flash procedure that isn't normally necessary, and can be kind of dangerous, but is used on tubes that are really bad. Otherwise it's simply a matter of operating the tubes at about 6.3 to 7 volts for a while (about 15 minutes or so), with no plate current, and then testing them at normal operating voltage. This cleans up the filaments and brings new thorium to the surface. This procedure only applies to this type of tube. It should not be used with oxide coated cathodes (most every modern radio tube, save a few), as overheating the cathode on this type of tube will ruin it.

T.

:Removing some turns from the input coil will have little effect, but the low end is the end that it will effect first, since coils shunt lower frequencies more than higher ones, and what little tuning the coil does have will have shifted upward. If at all possible it would be well to add the 25 turns of wire you removed. When you need to repair a coil, mend the break and replace the turns whenever possible, or use new wire of the same gauge.
:
:Changing the position of the stators will affect the low end of the dial the most. Also be sure to use a very long wire antenna, as the longer the wire the lower the frequencies it will respond to. You are, of course, not coming even close to the actual wavelength, but a longer antenna helps.
:
:Many of these early radios, like my Radiola 16, are just really bad performers, especially if '01As are used, and if the coils and wiring aren't shielded. There's little gain and little you can do with multiple stages of unshielded coils. A set like my Majestic 181 will perform better because better tubes are used, and the coils and tubes are shielded, allowing for much more gain without feedback. A longer antenna will help, and you might get more gain from those tubes by rejuvenating them. Test them and see what their emission is. If it's rather low, follow rejuvenation procedure, which should be somewhere on this site. There is a flash procedure that isn't normally necessary, and can be kind of dangerous, but is used on tubes that are really bad. Otherwise it's simply a matter of operating the tubes at about 6.3 to 7 volts for a while (about 15 minutes or so), with no plate current, and then testing them at normal operating voltage. This cleans up the filaments and brings new thorium to the surface. This procedure only applies to this type of tube. It should not be used with oxide coated cathodes (most every modern radio tube, save a few), as overheating the cathode on this type of tube will ruin it.
:
:T.
:
Thanks for the advice. I tested a batch of 01A tubes on my Hickok 530 and selected tubes having about the same mutual conductance (1400 umhos) and that seemed to help. Finding a tube to use as a detector that wasen't super microphonic was also a problem even though the detector socket is on a flex mounting. I guess the next step is to find out the size of the wire on the input coil and wind a new one with my trusty coil winder. The wire is so fine that one oops and I get to start over. I should probably buy a bottle of Q-Dope to coat it with when finished.

Thanks again for the help.
Gerald

Gerald,
I have used melted parafin wax for the same purpose. Cools and hardens quicker than Q-dope, and doesn't affect the quality either.

marv

::Removing some turns from the input coil will have little effect, but the low end is the end that it will effect first, since coils shunt lower frequencies more than higher ones, and what little tuning the coil does have will have shifted upward. If at all possible it would be well to add the 25 turns of wire you removed. When you need to repair a coil, mend the break and replace the turns whenever possible, or use new wire of the same gauge.
::
::Changing the position of the stators will affect the low end of the dial the most. Also be sure to use a very long wire antenna, as the longer the wire the lower the frequencies it will respond to. You are, of course, not coming even close to the actual wavelength, but a longer antenna helps.
::
::Many of these early radios, like my Radiola 16, are just really bad performers, especially if '01As are used, and if the coils and wiring aren't shielded. There's little gain and little you can do with multiple stages of unshielded coils. A set like my Majestic 181 will perform better because better tubes are used, and the coils and tubes are shielded, allowing for much more gain without feedback. A longer antenna will help, and you might get more gain from those tubes by rejuvenating them. Test them and see what their emission is. If it's rather low, follow rejuvenation procedure, which should be somewhere on this site. There is a flash procedure that isn't normally necessary, and can be kind of dangerous, but is used on tubes that are really bad. Otherwise it's simply a matter of operating the tubes at about 6.3 to 7 volts for a while (about 15 minutes or so), with no plate current, and then testing them at normal operating voltage. This cleans up the filaments and brings new thorium to the surface. This procedure only applies to this type of tube. It should not be used with oxide coated cathodes (most every modern radio tube, save a few), as overheating the cathode on this type of tube will ruin it.
::
::T.
::
:Thanks for the advice. I tested a batch of 01A tubes on my Hickok 530 and selected tubes having about the same mutual conductance (1400 umhos) and that seemed to help. Finding a tube to use as a detector that wasen't super microphonic was also a problem even though the detector socket is on a flex mounting. I guess the next step is to find out the size of the wire on the input coil and wind a new one with my trusty coil winder. The wire is so fine that one oops and I get to start over. I should probably buy a bottle of Q-Dope to coat it with when finished.
:
:Thanks again for the help.
:Gerald
:

:Gerald,
:I have used melted parafin wax for the same purpose. Cools and hardens quicker than Q-dope, and doesn't affect the quality either.
:
:marv
:
:::Removing some turns from the input coil will have little effect, but the low end is the end that it will effect first, since coils shunt lower frequencies more than higher ones, and what little tuning the coil does have will have shifted upward. If at all possible it would be well to add the 25 turns of wire you removed. When you need to repair a coil, mend the break and replace the turns whenever possible, or use new wire of the same gauge.
:::
:::Changing the position of the stators will affect the low end of the dial the most. Also be sure to use a very long wire antenna, as the longer the wire the lower the frequencies it will respond to. You are, of course, not coming even close to the actual wavelength, but a longer antenna helps.
:::
:::Many of these early radios, like my Radiola 16, are just really bad performers, especially if '01As are used, and if the coils and wiring aren't shielded. There's little gain and little you can do with multiple stages of unshielded coils. A set like my Majestic 181 will perform better because better tubes are used, and the coils and tubes are shielded, allowing for much more gain without feedback. A longer antenna will help, and you might get more gain from those tubes by rejuvenating them. Test them and see what their emission is. If it's rather low, follow rejuvenation procedure, which should be somewhere on this site. There is a flash procedure that isn't normally necessary, and can be kind of dangerous, but is used on tubes that are really bad. Otherwise it's simply a matter of operating the tubes at about 6.3 to 7 volts for a while (about 15 minutes or so), with no plate current, and then testing them at normal operating voltage. This cleans up the filaments and brings new thorium to the surface. This procedure only applies to this type of tube. It should not be used with oxide coated cathodes (most every modern radio tube, save a few), as overheating the cathode on this type of tube will ruin it.
:::
:::T.
:::
::Thanks for the advice. I tested a batch of 01A tubes on my Hickok 530 and selected tubes having about the same mutual conductance (1400 umhos) and that seemed to help. Finding a tube to use as a detector that wasen't super microphonic was also a problem even though the detector socket is on a flex mounting. I guess the next step is to find out the size of the wire on the input coil and wind a new one with my trusty coil winder. The wire is so fine that one oops and I get to start over. I should probably buy a bottle of Q-Dope to coat it with when finished.
::
::Thanks again for the help.
::Gerald
::
:Thanks to all for the help. I finally found the real problem. Some how a very small piece of wire had fell through one of the tube socket holes and was grounding the grid of the 1st RF amp. The socket was a 2 piece unit and when I dismounted it to tighten the socket pins, it came apart and I found the wire. All is now well and it works with good sensitivity across the band and tracks well. One interesting feature of this radio - The second "On" position of the power switch changes the bias of the last 01A audio amp. On 1 is for phones, On 2 is for a horn speaker. Interesting and rare set now added to my working collection.

Thanks for all who responded. Happy Holidays to all.
:

Instead of rewinding the entire coil, can't you just add the turns that were missing with some new wire of the same gauge? As Norm said, this probably will make little difference, but it is best to have the coil wound to its original specification for good measure. I think that simply adding wire will be a lot easier than rewinding the entire coil, especially with the risk of breaking the wire.

Be sure to also try a long wire antenna (50-100 feet).

T.

:Instead of rewinding the entire coil, can't you just add the turns that were missing with some new wire of the same gauge? As Norm said, this probably will make little difference, but it is best to have the coil wound to its original specification for good measure. I think that simply adding wire will be a lot easier than rewinding the entire coil, especially with the risk of breaking the wire.
:
:Be sure to also try a long wire antenna (50-100 feet).
:
:T.
:
I will eventually rewind the coil as there were three breaks in it that I found when I first started working on it. The coil winder I have is a remake of the winder made in the 30's that all techs had to remake coils. It works very well on honeycomb and basket weave coils. As for the long wire antenna, I live in a condo that won't allow any outside antennas. When summer comes, I plan on putting a large loop antenna in the attic of the garage (only part of house with attic access). That should take care of the long wire problem. I will also runs a wire to the ground post outside near the power panel. I can't just ground to a water pipe. They are all plastic. Thanks to all for the suggestions as my radio now works well.
Gerald

:I have a 6 tube (01A's) battery set. There are no markings on it except the front panel. It is labeled "Tigerdyne" in old english script. Above the dial pointer is labeled "Wave-Length" and "Dial Indicator" below. There is one tuning control that tunes all three tuning caps and a volume control that changes the voltage to the 2nd and 3rd RF Amps. It works, but the lower half of the band is weak. Has anyone seen one of these and or has a schamatic?
:Thanks,
:Gerald
:
Hard to tell who made this set. There were literally over a thousand manufacturers during the time slot when 01A tubes were used. EVERYBODY was trying to get into radio, including the local auto parts store, and the local ham. Many were local outfits that only made a few sets. Home brew was common - and many 'home-made' sets look professional. Dials, cases, and other parts were readily available retail. Local shops that did custom metal work and engraving were also common at that time. EdM

Hello, I have the same radio for about 15 years now, I restored the wooden cabinet and the gold lettering on the front panel is slightly visible, I have been waiting for a good picture to try to find a company to redo the front panel. I gutted the old paper caps and installed new caps inside the original sheels.I still need to find the original tube lineup as mine has some tubes replaced with some that do not belong. I the about 15 years I have had this radio yours is the only other I have been able to locate. I would like to see some pictures of yours, maybe together we can find out more info about this set. :I have a 6 tube (01A's) battery set. There are no markings on it except the front panel. It is labeled "Tigerdyne" in old english script. Above the dial pointer is labeled "Wave-Length" and "Dial Indicator" below. There is one tuning control that tunes all three tuning caps and a volume control that changes the voltage to the 2nd and 3rd RF Amps. It works, but the lower half of the band is weak. Has anyone seen one of these and or has a schamatic?
:Thanks,
:Gerald
:

Hi Leonard

A schematic can be found here:

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel/697/M0039697.pdf

These radios were usually sold without tubes. The schematic lists options for tubes.

Norm

: Hello, I have the same radio for about 15 years now, I restored the wooden cabinet and the gold lettering on the front panel is slightly visible, I have been waiting for a good picture to try to find a company to redo the front panel. I gutted the old paper caps and installed new caps inside the original sheels.I still need to find the original tube lineup as mine has some tubes replaced with some that do not belong. I the about 15 years I have had this radio yours is the only other I have been able to locate. I would like to see some pictures of yours, maybe together we can find out more info about this set. :I have a 6 tube (01A's) battery set. There are no markings on it except the front panel. It is labeled "Tigerdyne" in old english script. Above the dial pointer is labeled "Wave-Length" and "Dial Indicator" below. There is one tuning control that tunes all three tuning caps and a volume control that changes the voltage to the 2nd and 3rd RF Amps. It works, but the lower half of the band is weak. Has anyone seen one of these and or has a schamatic?
::Thanks,
::Gerald
::
:
:

Hello, Norm
I believe the schematic you posted a link to its for a 1924 Trirdyn 3R3 with 3 tubes owrs is a 6 tube Tigerdyne. I believe after some limited research, owr radio was probably one of the first trys by Gamble-Skogmo makers of the later (I believe) Coronado radios. Back in 1925 they opened Gamble's Auto Supply and aparently used the Tigerdyne name briefly as can be aparent by this newspaper cliping.
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/wi/county/eauclaire/history/ourstory/vol5/antics.html
Also see;
http://www.northlandantiqueradioclub.com/article_gamble.shtml
I might be wrong but thats what I believe so far.