Question for original AM radio owners...

[68gmsee]

I reinstalled my AM radio on my truck and found out I'm not able to get talk radio anymore. The station moved from 1150 to 1620 some years ago and for some reason I can't get beyond 1510.

Question: Is this a problem with these old radios, or can anyone let me know if they can get beyond 15XX?



btw, I have another identical radio and it won't go beyond 15xx either..

[Willys47]

in my assembly instruction book it give a procedure for peaking the antenna trimmer
1. set antenna mast at a height of 31+/- 1.0 inches
2. set volume control knob at max volume
3.tume radio to a signal at or near 1400 kc
4. adjust antenna trimmer screw(+/-2 screw rotation) until maximum volume is received
5. turn receiver off
I hope this will help with your reception problem.

[68gmsee]

Thanks for the info Willys47. I had already adjusted the pod for maximum volume. At this point I don't even get anything past 1510, which is a religious channel. I get great reception on that one, but not even a faint signal past that.

Not sure if any of you original AM radio owners are located near an AM station that goes beyond 1500 but if you are, please let me know what the station number is. I may have to just get me a small AM radio...

http://www.radio-locator.com/

[68gmsee]

ttt...

Anyone out there that can help? All you have to do is click on the url and see if you have an AM station 16xx or higher then tune it to that station to see if you can get it. Thanks.

http://www.radio-locator.com/

[68gmsee]

Anyone?

Post was back 5 pages so I'm seeing if one you all missed it over the weekend.

I need to know if someone with an original AM radio can get radio stations that are around 15xx or 16xx.

You might have to see if you have one of these stations in your area by putting your city or zip on this site. Thanks.

http://www.radio-locator.com/

[oldgold70c10]

These radios should tune over a range from 540 to 1620, since that has been the AM band since before WWII, and even old tube radios will pick up stations at both extremes. Try tuning down to a station near the bottom end of the dial. Does the pointer seem a little further to the right than it should? If yes, your radio may need alignment. Without getting into great detail, to adjust the tracking, you will want to adjust one of the soft iron slugs that moves in and out of the coils when you turn the tuning knob. DO NOT ADJUST THE SQUARE METAL BOXES ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD. These are IF transformers and are tuned frequency transformers. Only someone with signal generator or experience tuing them by ear should touch them.

With the top cover of the radio off, turn the tuning knob back and forth, you'll see the slugs move in and out of the coil assembly. The coils are assembled in, and shielded by a die-cast case. The rods that the slugs are mounted to are threaded to allow you to adjust them. There should be (if I remeber right) 3 slugs, one for the RF amp in, RF amp out, and the oscilllator. Hook your radio up so it will play, and have another radio tuned to a station near the middle of the dial. Tune the truck radio to that station. The dial pointer should read a little higher than the station really is, so turn it back to where it should be (about, since the dial isn't precisely marked). Now, carefully adjust the 3 slugs in the direction they would go if you were tuning up the dial. Adjust so the station comes back in the loudest and clearest you can make it. Now, tune both radios up the dail and see if your station will come in. If not, you may want to try to carefully adjust the slugs until the truck radio picks up the station at 1620 with the radio pointer set to 1620.

When your done, put a dab of speaker cement or something similar on the shafts of the slugs so the alignment setting doesn't change.