Old radio tubes and info please.

[bigbass94]

So last year my dad got a gift of an old RCA victor high fidelity radio. This was before I heard about tubes and other things. So today i thought "this thing looks old, I wonder whats in back?" So I turn is around and look inside and there are tubes everywhere! It also came with a pack of tubes. One of the tubes is $1.98 cence. Any info on how much this stuff is worth would be helpful. In the manual, it also talks about how it can have a micrephone hooked up to it. Would it work with a bass. Thanks.

[A9X]

Originally Posted by bigbass94

So last year my dad got a gift of an old RCA victor high fidelity radio. This was before I heard about tubes and other things. So today i thought "this thing looks old, I wonder whats in back?" So I turn is around and look inside and there are tubes everywhere! It also came with a pack of tubes. One of the tubes is $1.98 cence. Any info on how much this stuff is worth would be helpful. In the manual, it also talks about how it can have a micrephone hooked up to it. Would it work with a bass. Thanks.

The radio complete may be worth something depending upon brand, model and condition.

The value of the tubes will depend on what brand and model thay are. Some are very valuable, some aren't worth very much at all. Check ebay or google the tube number to get some idea of value. If they're 45's or 47's, I'll have them.

It may (but I doubt it) work with a bass. Power output is unlikely to be more than a couple of watts. There are better options for instrumentation amplification.

[bigbass94]

I looked more in depth in he back of it, it says 120 watts.

[Trevorus]

Originally Posted by bigbass94

I looked more in depth in he back of it, it says 120 watts.

That's most likely the amount of power it uses...

Do you have any pictures?

[A9X]

Originally Posted by bigbass94

I looked more in depth in he back of it, it says 120 watts.

That's mains power consumption.

[bigbass94]

so how loud do you think I could get with it?

[A9X]

Originally Posted by bigbass94

so how loud do you think I could get with it?

Not very. Power output to the speaker is likely to be < 5W, maybe 2W.

[Rody]

One piece of advice: Don't poke around inside a tube radio, or tube anything for that matter, unless you want to try instant reverse CPR, or know exactly what you're doing. The voltages employed are DEADLY.

Cheers Rody

[Trevorus]

Originally Posted by Rody

One piece of advice: Don't poke around inside a tube radio, or tube anything for that matter, unless you want to try instant reverse CPR, or know exactly what you're doing. The voltages employed are DEADLY.

Cheers Rody

Very good advice. I've been zapped with well over 300 volts, and it SUCKS!!! It's a good thing it didn't hit me that hard, because that can easily stop a heart.

[Techmonkey]

keep one hand in your back pocket at all times if you have to work inside anything like that. it could save your life.

[stedtale]

Originally Posted by Techmonkey

keep one hand in your back pocket at all times if you have to work inside anything like that. it could save your life.

...and the other one playin' a piano...




yes, be careful. I don't think it's worth trying to bass amp it, just use and ejnoy the old radio.

[bluestarbass]

Sometimes those old radios have 12ax7's in them, those could be worth some money, or sound real great in your amp. Its not worth playing bass through. You can tell roughly how many output watts it has by what kind of power tubes its running. If it only has 1 power tube its probably between a few watts to maybe 15. I dont know much about old radios, but I do know alot of the tubes that were in those things are the same as whats in a guitar or bass amp.

[Pilgrim]

Old radios are very cool. As noted above, the 120W means the power it consumes, not the power it sends to its speaker...that will be a very few watts.

Tubes are tubes, and the radio contains an amplifier to make the speaker work, so of course some of the tubes found in the radio will be in common with guitar and bass tube amps.

I'd say just enjoy the radio. If you're wondering what it's worth, do some searches on Ebay (especially past auctions) to see if you can find similar radios of that brand.

It's interesting that it can have a mike connected - that's unusual in radios. Makes it worth doing your homework to find out what you have.

Why not post the make and model here? F'r instance, "Philco Model 37-630". That model number came off a sticker inside the 1937 Philco floor model radio sitting three feet behind me....here's a photo from my camera phone.

[kesslari]

That is a beautiful old radio, and a stunning example both of classic design and of the degree of miniaturization in electronics over the past several decades.
That functionality now fits into a credit-card sized device.
But tubes just sound so sweet!