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1960 Motorola SK-30W

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 12:54 pm
by Brettzky99
https://www.facebook.com/share/1FtAM7JU ... tid=79PoIi

good friend of mine picked this up on my behalf

Trading him the restored SK36M for it

Re: 1960 Motorola SK-30W

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 7:08 pm
by William
That looks nice, Brett, but don't you have one just like it or am I thinking of someone else on the forum. What's the difference, other than cabinet, between the SK30 and the SK36?

Bill

Re: 1960 Motorola SK-30W

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 8:24 pm
by Brettzky99
I have a 28 that is identical inside
viewtopic.php?t=2679

The 36 has a smaller woofer, worse styling and is phono only

Re: 1960 Motorola SK-30W

Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2024 3:04 pm
by Motorola minion
Having worked on several of that first generation three-channel, I found a factory mistake in the chassis I had since the beginning. The amp had good bass even though I did not have the OEM woofer, but it was never the Motorola famous sound we know of today.

It seems that two adjacent pins (3 and 2) on one of the 6BQ5 bass channel tubes were soldered together, rendering it useless, doomed to a premature fail. Tube grid must be negative in respect to cathode or it's just a diode!

There is almost never a problem with the Motorola stereophonics if you replace just caps, so this was a big surprise to find so many years later.

Re: 1960 Motorola SK-30W

Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2024 12:11 am
by electra225
Motorola did good building that one! :D

A question if I may, not being critical. I notice that there appears to be considerable wear around the knobs on the tuner. What material is that? Paint? How do you restore an area like that? :?: :?:

Re: 1960 Motorola SK-30W

Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2024 12:23 am
by Brettzky99
For a second there I was nervous

Literally could not care less about the radio tuner section. I never turn it on.

I'll darken it somehow so your eye doesn't go to it. The top needs some attention too but it's gonna clean up nicely and live with the others