From: robie@umbc.edu (Mr. William Robie)
Newsgroups: rec.antiques
Subject: Seek Atwater Kent Radio Info.
Date: 23 Jan 1993 22:33:10 -0500
Organization: Univ. of MD, Baltimore County
NNTP-Posting-Host: umbc4.umbc.edu

Ok ... some of you got me INTO this, by pique-ing my interest with your talk
about old radios, now I'm hoping the same ones will share a little info:

I just ducked my head into the guy's antique shop because I was out walking the
dog while my wife was getting her hair done.  I had no desire to buy a radio.
But there the little devil was, and Atwater Kent -- just like I'd seen in an
old photo where the typical Depression-era family was listening to one of
FDR's "Fireside Chats."  It called to me (in a silent voice -- it doesn't 
work) an I violated every law of common sense in buying antiques ...
a) I got something I know NOTHING about (basically).
b) I bought something broken, with no idea that it can be fixed - or for how 
	much.
c) I bought something on an impulse.

Having confessed all that, I just liked the way it looked.  I am comfortable
with the idea of having it in my office (even if it doesn't work - yet).  And
even if I overpaid for it (I suspect I did), I felt like the price we agreed 
on was worth it to me.  Now I want to find out a bit more about what I have
*specifically*, and where to get the parts to repair it.

The radio is an Atwater Kent Model 60C, serial number 5524118
The speaker (a separate contraption, much like a portable fan in size and
	countenance) is an Atwater Kent speaker, serial number 1618680.

This is a VERY heavy radio unit in a steel housing that is painted with a 
wood-grain effect.  The speaker matches the radio, but is a separate unit
that attaches to the main radio with about 8 feet of cord.  That's part of the
charm (to me) of the thing.  The Atwater Kent emblem on the top, and the 
bezel around the tuning "window" are both nice, *big*, solid, brass pieces.
Not little engraved "tags", but chunks of cast brass - more charm (to me). It
is the kind of thing that is elegant in its ugliness (I salivate over a 
nice-looking '48 Plymouth ... get the picture?).

From the description and the numbers, are there any of you who can pinpoint
the date of mfg.?   A couple of kind folks around here have mentioned that
they have repair manuals which date by serial number, etc..  WOuld you mind
checking for me?

As for parts, etc.:

I know that I need at least one UX-245 (apparently, a CX-345 will also work)
tube.  Using my years of training in electronics (NOT!!!), I figured that one
out by noting that it's the only one that doesn't start to glow when the radio
is turned on.  Since there are two places for this number tube, and since I
switched the two tubes around (the same one remained "dead" and the same one
remained aglow), I figure that the tube is definitely dead, deceased, extant,
passed on, etc., and the socket has, at least, a bit of juice flowing to it.

Any ideas where I can find the aforementioned UX-245 tube?

Now to make the electronics whizzes shudder at my ignorance ... the radio
just *looks* like there isn't much wrong with it. (quit laughing!)  Ok, I
know that this is hardly fail-safe reasoning, but it's true.  I really think
that the one tube *might* be all standing between me and Atwater Kent sound.
There are no signs that anything inside has ever overheated (it isn't even
very dusty in there), all but one of the tubes give forth a cheery glow.  The
wiring insulation actually appears to be in VERY good condition (the outside
cloth on the bundle of 4 wires to the speaker has a couple of frayed spots, 
but the inner insulation on them looks sound ... the interior wiring looks
exceptionally good).  In fact, if it were not for scratches on the top of
the unit (where some former owner apparently chose to locate the speaker) this
radio would be in "mint" condition, based on appearance alone.  It would
appear that this thing received particularly good care over the years, and
was kept in a fastidiously-clean environment. The light dust inside was not 
enough to keep me from reading the numbers on the tags that identify which
tube should be installed in which socket.  There were no black marks on or
near any sockets/wires that would indicate (to my ignorant examination) a
history of catastrophic meltdown.  Best of all, it appears that this is the
original and natural state of the machine -- no signs of repair or cleaning
having been done.  Still, it may make a liar of me.

Where can one find parts?  The other tubes that it takes are:
UX-280 (CX-380)
UY-224 (C-324)
UY-227 (C-327)
I may need to get these, as well (healthy glow doesn't necessarily = healthy
	tube), so I'd love to know price and availability for these.

The only other item that I know of, so far, that I need is a small rubber
bushing that fits over the tuning knob shaft.  This engages a toothed brass
gear to turn the tuners.  Mine seems to have hardened, and that allowed the
teeth on the brass gear to cut it.  I'll try a simple piece of rubber tubing,
if I can't find an original replacement.

I won't thank you in advance for helping me, but will say that I look forward
to thanking anyone who might offer any information about this radio.

Newsgroups: rec.antiques