4 ms·

Seriously. The author is smart enough to get their piece published in the LA Times. You would think they know how to search YouTube for "how to repair old radio

Seriously. The author is smart enough to get their piece published in the LA Times. You would think they know how to search YouTube for "how to repair old radio".

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
komadori 3y ago
I was going to write that expertise in one area doesn't necessarily transfer to competence in another, but then it occurred to me: Perhaps the radio is still running off the same valve that his father installed in 1978 and that is part of the emotional value that it holds for him.
- bombcar 3y ago
  If your father fixed something for you, it could feel like a betrayal of his memory to hire someone to fix it again for you. Though personally, if I had the deep emotional connection with it, I'd want to fix it myself (almost certainly with assistance from some amateurs who know the radio).
  - lozf 3y ago
    Give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish :/
    - mlyle 3y ago
      You're never going to "teach a man to fish" on how to keep his one, mostly-reliable, tube type radio going. You can teach him to switch tubes, but eventually it's going to get more complicated than that, and you can only get so much experience from a touch of help every few years.
      - hilbert42 3y ago
        Whilst it doesn't happen very often it never ceases to amaze me that some of those old radios will still work after being switched off for about half century. I've switched them on expecting fireworks—the plates in the 5Y3G/T or 80 rectifiers glowing red hot because the electrolytic caps had shorted to deck—but no they actually still worked. What's more I've even had some of those ancient wet electrolytic caps (the 1930s-style 8μF/400V types in vertical cans mounted on the chassis) actually work. Mind you, I certainly don't recommend you do that—do as I say not as I do (I'm rather gung ho about such matters and rather enjoy the fireworks). Be warned, you can not only blow up the rectifiers but also the power transformer and that'll likely be much harder to replace than the tubes. I recall several years back being so shocked that some of those old wet electros still worked that I pulled the top seals off several and stuck my multimeter in the electrolyte and noticed that essentially there was no voltage between the electrolyte and the case. I even stuck my finger on the Al foil and could feel very little until I pushed hard and then suddenly whammo—ouch. A fascinating exercise, it's an excellent illustration of how good aluminum oxide is as an insulator and dielectric. Please don't try this unless you are as mad as I am—and even then don't do it!
        bombcar 3y ago
        Electronics (and machines in general are weird). My car dies in a month if I don’t start it because of parasitic drain. My 1969 deuce and a half fired up after two years with zero problem at all. I have ancient computers that work fine and much much newer ones dead by capacitor.
        hilbert42 3y ago
        Had that problem myself. Parasitic drain is shitty bad design—full stop! The only things that should drain when the car's not being used are the clock and or the radio's memory and they only take flea power. Franky, I'm pissed off with much modern elecronics (I used to work in the prototype lab for a large multinational electronics company and crappy design like that wouldn't get past the breadboard stage let alone make it into production).
    - pfdietz 3y ago
      That will never stop reminding me of the Pterry quote.
- cratermoon 3y ago
  Radio of Theseus
Waterluvian 3y ago
And therefore have to omit that poetic line?
varelse 3y ago
[dead]
hilbert42 3y ago
That's rather unfair. Whilst I cut my teeth on old radios like that (which were essentially obsolete when I was a kid), and their operation is second nature to me, I know many electronics people brought up on transistors, ICs and 5-Volt supply rails that wouldn't know where to begin fixing one. For starters, plate voltages upwards of 250V scare the shit out of them.
- ddingus 3y ago
  Anything involving the mains can be a worry to them. However, it can also pass quickly! I have mentored a few of these people over the years. It is funny! I worry about burning up a chip, and they worry about getting zapped! We share experiences, fix or build a few things and it all works out fine.

Seriously. The author is smart enough to get their piece published in the LA Times. You would think they know how to search YouTube for "how to repair old radio".

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

komadori 3y ago

I was going to write that expertise in one area doesn't necessarily transfer to competence in another, but then it occurred to me: Perhaps the radio is still running off the same valve that his father installed in 1978 and that is part of the emotional value that it holds for him.

bombcar 3y ago
If your father fixed something for you, it could feel like a betrayal of his memory to hire someone to fix it again for you. Though personally, if I had the deep emotional connection with it, I'd want to fix it myself (almost certainly with assistance from some amateurs who know the radio).
- lozf 3y ago
  Give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish :/
  - mlyle 3y ago
    You're never going to "teach a man to fish" on how to keep his one, mostly-reliable, tube type radio going. You can teach him to switch tubes, but eventually it's going to get more complicated than that, and you can only get so much experience from a touch of help every few years.
    - hilbert42 3y ago
      Whilst it doesn't happen very often it never ceases to amaze me that some of those old radios will still work after being switched off for about half century. I've switched them on expecting fireworks—the plates in the 5Y3G/T or 80 rectifiers glowing red hot because the electrolytic caps had shorted to deck—but no they actually still worked. What's more I've even had some of those ancient wet electrolytic caps (the 1930s-style 8μF/400V types in vertical cans mounted on the chassis) actually work. Mind you, I certainly don't recommend you do that—do as I say not as I do (I'm rather gung ho about such matters and rather enjoy the fireworks). Be warned, you can not only blow up the rectifiers but also the power transformer and that'll likely be much harder to replace than the tubes. I recall several years back being so shocked that some of those old wet electros still worked that I pulled the top seals off several and stuck my multimeter in the electrolyte and noticed that essentially there was no voltage between the electrolyte and the case. I even stuck my finger on the Al foil and could feel very little until I pushed hard and then suddenly whammo—ouch. A fascinating exercise, it's an excellent illustration of how good aluminum oxide is as an insulator and dielectric. Please don't try this unless you are as mad as I am—and even then don't do it!
      - bombcar 3y ago
        Electronics (and machines in general are weird). My car dies in a month if I don’t start it because of parasitic drain. My 1969 deuce and a half fired up after two years with zero problem at all. I have ancient computers that work fine and much much newer ones dead by capacitor.
        hilbert42 3y ago
        Had that problem myself. Parasitic drain is shitty bad design—full stop! The only things that should drain when the car's not being used are the clock and or the radio's memory and they only take flea power. Franky, I'm pissed off with much modern elecronics (I used to work in the prototype lab for a large multinational electronics company and crappy design like that wouldn't get past the breadboard stage let alone make it into production).
  - pfdietz 3y ago
    That will never stop reminding me of the Pterry quote.
cratermoon 3y ago
Radio of Theseus

Waterluvian 3y ago

And therefore have to omit that poetic line?

varelse 3y ago

[dead]

hilbert42 3y ago

That's rather unfair. Whilst I cut my teeth on old radios like that (which were essentially obsolete when I was a kid), and their operation is second nature to me, I know many electronics people brought up on transistors, ICs and 5-Volt supply rails that wouldn't know where to begin fixing one. For starters, plate voltages upwards of 250V scare the shit out of them.

ddingus 3y ago
Anything involving the mains can be a worry to them. However, it can also pass quickly! I have mentored a few of these people over the years. It is funny! I worry about burning up a chip, and they worry about getting zapped! We share experiences, fix or build a few things and it all works out fine.