22-01-2012, 03:27 PM
I asked Paul to move this out of the Sales section as the outcome of my problems was not what it seemed at first. I've had a few hours this morning to take another look at it.
When I got this set (an AR-88LF) it was working but only on the Long Wave ranges. I changed the capacitors and two of the screen resistors in the coil box and things improved tremendously. If you've not seen the inside of an AR-88 coil box then I've attached a piccie below. Not the easiest things to work within.
The mains cable was too short a length to safely reach my sockets to I changed this and checked it was working, which it was. The set went back under my bench until I had a trip and kicked the four position main power switch. The switch goes from Off to a position called Trans which, amongst other things, allows power to the valve heaters and the dial lamps but the radio sections do not work. Obviously as the set was working when it went under the bench I thought a broken switch was why the set would no longer work. If you look at the photos you can see the switch shaft is slightly bent where I kicked it.
I acquired a new switch and fitted it today. Alas, turning on gave the same problem, only heaters and dial lamps came on
Checking around the mains lead connections certainly power was getting there but nothing out of the rectifier. Luckily I'd bought a new 5Y3GT to replace a U50 in a GEC domestic set so I whipped that out, stuck it in the AR88 and switched on. Within seconds the voltage stabiliser valve starting glowing violet and the speaker started to hiss. Result!
How odd is that though? A rectifier working and then not.
Andrew
[attachment=3946][attachment=3943][attachment=3944][attachment=3945]
When I got this set (an AR-88LF) it was working but only on the Long Wave ranges. I changed the capacitors and two of the screen resistors in the coil box and things improved tremendously. If you've not seen the inside of an AR-88 coil box then I've attached a piccie below. Not the easiest things to work within.
The mains cable was too short a length to safely reach my sockets to I changed this and checked it was working, which it was. The set went back under my bench until I had a trip and kicked the four position main power switch. The switch goes from Off to a position called Trans which, amongst other things, allows power to the valve heaters and the dial lamps but the radio sections do not work. Obviously as the set was working when it went under the bench I thought a broken switch was why the set would no longer work. If you look at the photos you can see the switch shaft is slightly bent where I kicked it.
I acquired a new switch and fitted it today. Alas, turning on gave the same problem, only heaters and dial lamps came on
Checking around the mains lead connections certainly power was getting there but nothing out of the rectifier. Luckily I'd bought a new 5Y3GT to replace a U50 in a GEC domestic set so I whipped that out, stuck it in the AR88 and switched on. Within seconds the voltage stabiliser valve starting glowing violet and the speaker started to hiss. Result!How odd is that though? A rectifier working and then not.
Andrew
[attachment=3946][attachment=3943][attachment=3944][attachment=3945]
