I replaced the electrolytic capacitors, and all the tubes checked good. The volume sounds hardly audible turned all the way up. I checked it with my signal tracer and I can hear it at the Det.- Aud. tube
12DS7. The transistor voltage checks OK.
What can be wrong? Thanks for your help.

It sounds like the audio coupling capacitor is open. You mentioned the electrolytic caps replaced. Now is the time to replace the other caps too.

This radio is transformer coupled; no audio coupling capacitor. Are you operating the radio on the bench with a test speaker? If so, this may be stating the obvious, but have you bypassed the speaker shorting switch? This is the metal leaf located in the speaker socket, located on the output transformer. The purpose of the shorting switch is to prevent an open circuit with the speaker un-plugged. You can bypass it by inserting a thin strip of paper or cardboard under the switch.

Does the 59 have the front to rear fader control ? I think the Bel-Air model did. With the knobs probably off did you overlook that ?

:Does the 59 have the front to rear fader control ? I think the Bel-Air model did. With the knobs probably off did you overlook that ?
:
This one does not have the fader.

::Does the 59 have the front to rear fader control ? I think the Bel-Air model did. With the knobs probably off did you overlook that ?
::
:This one does not have the fader.
:
I changed the coupling capacitor, now I can hear the radio. It just doesn't sound loud with volume turned up. Plays like it's only at 1/3 volume.

:This radio is transformer coupled; no audio coupling capacitor. Are you operating the radio on the bench with a test speaker? If so, this may be stating the obvious, but have you bypassed the speaker shorting switch? This is the metal leaf located in the speaker socket, located on the output transformer. The purpose of the shorting switch is to prevent an open circuit with the speaker un-plugged. You can bypass it by inserting a thin strip of paper or cardboard under the switch.
:
Yes I bypassed the switch.

:It sounds like the audio coupling capacitor is open. You mentioned the electrolytic caps replaced. Now is the time to replace the other caps too.

:Can you tell me which capacitor it is? I pulled one
a .0047mf between volume control and the Det.-Aud. and it checked ok. I have the shematics, unfortunately I don't know how to post it here. Thanks
:

Several other things that give trouble on these radios: (1) The bias pot is sometimes intermittent or open (R-2 on the Sams schematic, #51 on the Delco schematic). Try exercising it and then re-setting the bias to 1.5 volts on the output transistor collector. (2) The 10 Ù ½ watt resistor in the output circuit may be open or increased in value (R-16 in Sams, # 45 in Delco). It does not take very much increase in resistance to cause a weak or dead radio. (3) There is always the possibility that the output transistor is weak or leaky. Replacing with a known good one is the best way to find out.

Meade

::It sounds like the audio coupling capacitor is open. You mentioned the electrolytic caps replaced. Now is the time to replace the other caps too.
:
::Can you tell me which capacitor it is? I pulled one
:a .0047mf between volume control and the Det.-Aud. and it checked ok. I have the shematics, unfortunately I don't know how to post it here. Thanks
::
:
:

:Several other things that give trouble on these radios: (1) The bias pot is sometimes intermittent or open (R-2 on the Sams schematic, #51 on the Delco schematic). Try exercising it and then re-setting the bias to 1.5 volts on the output transistor collector. (2) The 10 Ù ½ watt resistor in the output circuit may be open or increased in value (R-16 in Sams, # 45 in Delco). It does not take very much increase in resistance to cause a weak or dead radio. (3) There is always the possibility that the output transistor is weak or leaky. Replacing with a known good one is the best way to find out.
:
:Meade
:
:::It sounds like the audio coupling capacitor is open. You mentioned the electrolytic caps replaced. Now is the time to replace the other caps too.
::
:::Can you tell me which capacitor it is? I pulled one
::a .0047mf between volume control and the Det.-Aud. and it checked ok. I have the shematics, unfortunately I don't know how to post it here. Thanks
::
:The Voltage at the output transistor collector is 1.5 volts. What is a replacement transistor for DS 503? The one in the radio was previously replaced with a Motorola HEP230.
::
::
:
:

::Several other things that give trouble on these radios: (1) The bias pot is sometimes intermittent or open (R-2 on the Sams schematic, #51 on the Delco schematic). Try exercising it and then re-setting the bias to 1.5 volts on the output transistor collector. (2) The 10 Ù ½ watt resistor in the output circuit may be open or increased in value (R-16 in Sams, # 45 in Delco). It does not take very much increase in resistance to cause a weak or dead radio. (3) There is always the possibility that the output transistor is weak or leaky. Replacing with a known good one is the best way to find out.
::
Ralph: I remember servicing a good many of these and some of them had: 1. An spring loaded jumper that would short out the audio when the speaker plug was removed and 2. The Delco speaker had a special matching transformer on it while the output transformer was on the radio chassis. Just connecting an ordinary speaker to those radios would produce low volume due to the big impedance mismatch.
::Meade
::
::::It sounds like the audio coupling capacitor is open. You mentioned the electrolytic caps replaced. Now is the time to replace the other caps too.
:::
::::Can you tell me which capacitor it is? I pulled one
:::a .0047mf between volume control and the Det.-Aud. and it checked ok. I have the shematics, unfortunately I don't know how to post it here. Thanks
:::
::The Voltage at the output transistor collector is 1.5 volts. What is a replacement transistor for DS 503? The one in the radio was previously replaced with a Motorola HEP230.
:::
:::
::
::
:
:

:::Several other things that give trouble on these radios: (1) The bias pot is sometimes intermittent or open (R-2 on the Sams schematic, #51 on the Delco schematic). Try exercising it and then re-setting the bias to 1.5 volts on the output transistor collector. (2) The 10 Ù ½ watt resistor in the output circuit may be open or increased in value (R-16 in Sams, # 45 in Delco). It does not take very much increase in resistance to cause a weak or dead radio. (3) There is always the possibility that the output transistor is weak or leaky. Replacing with a known good one is the best way to find out.
:::
:Ralph: I remember servicing a good many of these and some of them had: 1. An spring loaded jumper that would short out the audio when the speaker plug was removed and 2. The Delco speaker had a special matching transformer on it while the output transformer was on the radio chassis. Just connecting an ordinary speaker to those radios would produce low volume due to the big impedance mismatch.
:::Meade
:::
:::::It sounds like the audio coupling capacitor is open. You mentioned the electrolytic caps replaced. Now is the time to replace the other caps too.
::::
:::::Can you tell me which capacitor it is? I pulled one
::::a .0047mf between volume control and the Det.-Aud. and it checked ok. I have the shematics, unfortunately I don't know how to post it here. Thanks
::::
:::The Voltage at the output transistor collector is 1.5 volts. What is a replacement transistor for DS 503? The one in the radio was previously replaced with a Motorola HEP230.
::::
*************************
I believe eeprof's paragraph somehow got inserted above my signature---Delco had the output transformer (actually a autoformer or sometimes a choke) mounted on the speaker on a few radios, and others mounted on or inside the radio proper, but never both places at once. I rounded up some 59 and 60 Delco manual tune radios to research the low volume problem. Several worked correctly with enough volume to fill the room. Another one was dead on arrival with an open fuse resistor, but was okay after replacing that. One did have low volume (approx. 1/3) even after replacing the leaky .1 capacitor; trouble was traced to a bad 1st. IF transformer. The IF transformer would not respond to alignment. Fault is probably in the mica sheets in the base of the transformer. Volume was normal after replacing the IF and re-alignment. This may or may not be your problem, but is something to check out. Good luck with your repair, Meade
**************************
::::
:::
:::
::
::
:
:

::::Several other things that give trouble on these radios: (1) The bias pot is sometimes intermittent or open (R-2 on the Sams schematic, #51 on the Delco schematic). Try exercising it and then re-setting the bias to 1.5 volts on the output transistor collector. (2) The 10 Ù ½ watt resistor in the output circuit may be open or increased in value (R-16 in Sams, # 45 in Delco). It does not take very much increase in resistance to cause a weak or dead radio. (3) There is always the possibility that the output transistor is weak or leaky. Replacing with a known good one is the best way to find out.
::::
::Ralph: I remember servicing a good many of these and some of them had: 1. An spring loaded jumper that would short out the audio when the speaker plug was removed and 2. The Delco speaker had a special matching transformer on it while the output transformer was on the radio chassis. Just connecting an ordinary speaker to those radios would produce low volume due to the big impedance mismatch.
::::Meade
::::
::::::It sounds like the audio coupling capacitor is open. You mentioned the electrolytic caps replaced. Now is the time to replace the other caps too.
:::::
::::::Can you tell me which capacitor it is? I pulled one
:::::a .0047mf between volume control and the Det.-Aud. and it checked ok. I have the shematics, unfortunately I don't know how to post it here. Thanks
:::::
::::The Voltage at the output transistor collector is 1.5 volts. What is a replacement transistor for DS 503? The one in the radio was previously replaced with a Motorola HEP230.
:::::
:*************************
:I believe eeprof's paragraph somehow got inserted above my signature---Delco had the output transformer (actually a autoformer or sometimes a choke) mounted on the speaker on a few radios, and others mounted on or inside the radio proper, but never both places at once. I rounded up some 59 and 60 Delco manual tune radios to research the low volume problem. Several worked correctly with enough volume to fill the room. Another one was dead on arrival with an open fuse resistor, but was okay after replacing that. One did have low volume (approx. 1/3) even after replacing the leaky .1 capacitor; trouble was traced to a bad 1st. IF transformer. The IF transformer would not respond to alignment. Fault is probably in the mica sheets in the base of the transformer. Volume was normal after replacing the IF and re-alignment. This may or may not be your problem, but is something to check out. Good luck with your repair, Meade
:**************************
*************************
A note of caution on testing Delco radios that have the output transformer/choke mounted on the speaker. Hooking up a test speaker on the bench without an output transformer or choke will let the smoke out of your test speaker! The output transistor will not hesitate to burn the voice coil to a crisp. Meade
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:I replaced the electrolytic capacitors, and all the tubes checked good. The volume sounds hardly audible turned all the way up. I checked it with my signal tracer and I can hear it at the Det.- Aud. tube
:12DS7. The transistor voltage checks OK.
:What can be wrong? Thanks for your help.
:
Hi Ralph
I have one here and I was surprized too about the low volume. When turned at maximum, it is very tolerable to the ears. I don't know if they are all the same but I doubt. Let me know of your results. I'll investigate mine later. Bye
Danny