Console #3: Olympic Model 1770

This is a tube fired AM/FM turntable stereo console made in the early to mid '60s. The original purchaser/owner of this was asking $20. It likely has some parts I could use, so even though it didn't power up I actually paid $10 because there was an obvious sentimental attachment for the owner. It appears to be a cheaply built, in Great Britain I believe. The turntable is marked BSR. The circuit arrangement is rather curious. The lower image below shows the tube configuration. It appears that the preamp chassis is separate. Another oddity is the lack of power transformer.

Console #2: RCA VHT-46

This was another free listing in Craigslist. It is solid state console produced in that late '60s. I don't yet know what parts from this will be useful for my amp.

Tube testor works...I guess.

I bought this tube tester last year, probably before I retrieved the Magnovox console. This Century model FS-2 was made in the late '50s or early '60s. I hadn't tested it or tried to use until today. There were NO diagnostics or self-test described in the manual, so I had no real way of knowing if it works. I read the instructions and plugged it in. No sparks or explosions. I tested the REALISTIC brand 12AX7 which I pulled from the Magnovox, as well as a 5Y3 and three 6L6GT tubes which were in a batch of (over 100) tubes that came with the testor. The 5Y3 is a CROSLEY brand and it tested fine. But only one of the 6L6GT tubes tested OK and it is a SHELDON. Also visible in these photos are the two cold-war era Polish ammunition cans which will serve as a chassis for this project and possibly for my tremelo and reverb unit too. I have choke transformers also, so the only major component that I am still missing is an output transformer.

The power transformer works!

And I have a scorched test lead clip to prove it. Though a poor choice of conections roasted a test lead, there was no fire and the transformer wasn't damaged. This transformer produces 320VAC and 6.2VAC, but it since there is no HV center tap I will need to use a modified rectifier circuit.

Console #1: 1969 Magnavox Astrosonic Console

In the fall of 2007 I decided I wanted to build a tube guitar amplifier. Since my "all-scrap" playhouse project worked well, I decided to try and build the amp from scrounged parts only. I got lucky when I came across a free ad in the local Craigslist, for this old TV console. The TV section was all tube so I tore the whole thing appart. From this I retrieved a pair of HF horns, a pair of 15" LF drivers (and cross-overs), several vacum tubes, and four transformers, along with a bucket of hardware.