Detrola 4J

[TC Chris]

I think my first winter project may be a Detrola 4J, a mid-30s four-tube TRF set in a very small cathedral cabinet. A four-tube TRF is not going to be a DX champ or an audio powerhouse, but I have known this radio for about as long as I can remember. It sat in a shelf on a post in Frank Phillips' basement wood shop. Frank and Cel ["seal'] Phillips lived two doors away. They were, of course, "Mr. and Mrs. Phillips" to us kids but they were kind, patient, and generous neighbors who tolerated kids around them. They set the example for how adults should treat neighborhood children. Frank would let us "help" in his shop and Cel would guide us around the garden and serve up some cookies. They taught us to do things the right way and about rules to follow. They had previously lived in Detroit, and the big city probably had enough local radio stations to make the Detrola useful. They also had a big ca. 1940 Zenith console upstairs for more serious listening. In about 1966, Cel inherited a family farm on Lake Chautauqua in NY and they moved there. Before leaving, Mr. Phillips gave me the Detrola. He knew that as a kid I had always gazed up at it.

The Detrola was working 50 years ago but surely needs new caps now. It still won't be a DX model but it will be working and will remind me of Frank and Cel and their kindness and patience. An example: once when I was in grade school, the parents went away for a long weekend and left us in the care of Mrs. Kowalski. I got sick, puked, and felt lousy enough to be confined to bed. Cel came over to visit me and lift my spirits. She didn't need to do that. But she did and I have never forgotten. We need more of that in this world, and they deserve to be remembered for modeling it. That's why I'm telling this extended story. I read somewhere that you're not dead until the last time your name is spoken aloud. Maybe being typed out counts too. For now, however, whenever the Campbell kids gather, there's sure to be a story about Frank & Cel, with smiles all around.

Chris Campbell

[tasar]

Provenance is more than repairs and maintenance. Thanks for illuminating what is the most desirable of all, honoring those before us. It's not always what people say or do, it's how they make you feel. Frank and Cel live on !

[electra225]

An item given in love or friendship is the most valuable asset you have. Given its history, it will likely be the best performer you own......

[TC Chris]

I started the recapping tonight. Got all the paper ones replaced. I was able to remove several leads from the terminals they were attached to. On a few others I used the cut the wire/make a hook method. Tomorrow I'll replace the electrolytics, install a new cord, and maybe check resistances.

The cabinet is in pretty good original condition, so some stain and Howard's will probably make it presentable. I'll clean the chassis but won't aim for a like-new look. The radio is 92 years old.

Which reminds me. My oldest working radio, the Crosley VI (two tubes, regen.) is now 102 years old. There is something to be said for technology that still functions at 102, or 92.

Chris Campbell

[TC Chris]

The little Detrola is all recapped and working! As a 4-tube TRF set, only two of the tubes devoted to RF, it's not a top DX performer, at least with the antenna consisting of an 8-foot section of wire tossed across the shop under fluorescent lights. But when I plugged it in, it drew 55 watts on the Kill-A-Watt meter, about right for the small device, and sound came out, not smoke.

I did not check the resistors. That may come later. I cleaned up the chassis and tubes and the case, and stained up the chips in the finish. Tomorrow I'll put my video shots together into a YouTube video. Too late right now.

But 92 years after it was built and it's working.

Chris Campbell

[Conelrad]

Good on ya, Chris. Actions like that make our family history stay alive. I still have an '38 RCA console I was given when I was in Jr.High. Still plays with the fixes I did before my second decade.

D

[TC Chris]

Here's my YouTube video of the little radio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-puZ_MbsNo

Chris Campbell