[Guy 13]

Hi all Audio Circle members.
I’ve been thinking for some time about what was my very first audio system and all of a sudden it came back to me.
(That’s 49 years ago, no wonder it took me some time to remember-it.)
I was about 16 years old, of course still living with my parents and my six (06) brothers and four (04) sisters.
(I am the oldest of eleven (11) children.)
I found a small space (6’ X 6’) in the basement and (as usual) with the generosity of my mother, I could use her folding table card or card table, the table you play cards on it with the folding legs.
I bought for 5 $ from my school friend’s mother a Motorola five (05) tube radio (AM only) because the sound was similar to a thin can, I took out the 4” alnico magnet driver and put it in a separate box (You can call it a speaker enclosure),
it was about 18” wide X 12” high X 12” deep with no polyfill in it and no brace, but at that time, putting the speaker in a separate enclosure was a great improvement for the (AM) sound.
Here’s my set-up.




Here a close-up of the radio.




The radio’s housing was some kind of Bakelite and the top had a bump on it due to the heat produce by the main power tube (Probably a 6V6 ? ? ?) so I made a square cut out to let the heat go out and avoid further deterioration…
Excuse my poor hand sketch,
look more like a Picasso than a Rembrandt…

That was my very first audio experience and/or set-up.

Do you have similar stories to share with us?

Guy 13

Cheap and cheerful at 5USD.
Move this topic anywhere you want if needed,
Other than in the Intergalactic Wastebin.
 

[FullRangeMan]

The sweetest treble I listen was when I was 6 or 7 y/o on the AM/OC mono radio from my father, it was a EL34 amp inside, fully hand wiring(wires with cloth isolation, not plastic).
The speaker were a 8 inches OB, paper cone, with open Alnico magnet.
Time is passing fast indeed.

[underdawg]

interesting story above.
my first was pioneer reciever 1978 with records and cassettes. was listening to kiss and thin lizzy, my parents hated it, called it devil music.My parents did take to my first rock concert , 1978 , kiss with judas priest as the opener.my mom and dad got sick becuase all the pot in the air.
my speakers were home made with as many car speakers as i could fit in some unknown cabinets. . I started audio at age 10.

[cheap-Jack]

Hi.

Hi all Audio Circle members.
I’ve been thinking for some time about what was my very first audio system and all of a sudden it came back to me.
(That’s 49 years ago)
I was about 16 years old,
I bought for 5 $ from my school friend’s mother a Motorola five (05) tube radio (AM only)


Here a close-up of the radio.

The radio’s housing was some kind of Bakelite and the top had a bump on it due to the heat produce by the main power tube (Probably a 6V6 ? ? ?) That was my very first audio experience and/or set-up.

Do you have similar stories to share with us?

Cheap and cheerful at 5USD.

$5 was some money back some 50 years. I recall a full-time junior clerk (after graduated from high school) was paid only $23.00 a MONTH where I lived back then.

I picked up a Norhern Electric AM radio in white painted bakelite housing, looked very similar to yours, in a neighbour garage sale for $15.00 back 10 years. The bakelite housing was slight off-shape due to heat up by the tubes inside & white paint on it looked pretty heat tainted. It was still working with rich sound, pretty surprise for a cheapie radio as such after some many decades (ca 1945??).

Its sound fainted out after a few minutes & came back up again repeatedly. I think that's why the owner
sold it so cheap to me. As a veteram DIYer, this was no big deal. So I fixed it after I bought it home by replacing the coupling cap from the audio driver stage to the 50L6 power stage.

As a die-hard triode lover, I triode-strapped the 50L6 power pentode to make it sound so so much better.
I did the same 'upgrade' with my another vintage radio.

Now it serves my background music when I am working at my bench in my basement audio den.

I love it, looked so vintage & yet does not sound vintage at all (after my upgrade).
A similar newer model is now on e-Bay for $107.00 but I won't trade mine for whatever price!

c-J

[SET Man]

Hey!

    According to inflation calculator $5 back in 1964 would be $37 today.

    I'm too young to know what can you get for $5 back then, but I'm sure more than what you can get today with $37 for non-audio things.

   But when is come to audio, $37 today can get you a brand new little boombox with CD player, no tube inside of course 

Take care,
Buddy

[Guy 13]

Hey!

    According to inflation calculator $5 back in 1964 would be $37 today.

    I'm too young to know what can you get for $5 back then, but I'm sure more than what you can get today with $37 for non-audio things.

   But when is come to audio, $37 today can get you a brand new little boombox with CD player, no tube inside of course 

Take care,
Buddy

Hi SET Man and all Audio Circle members.
My school friend and I found an after school job delivery door to door advertising circulars for a small supermarket, at that time we were working three evening a week for 2$.
Therefore within a month I could pay my friend's mother the 5$ she was asking for the radio.
She wasn't using the radio anymore, she could have given me the radio,
but maybe what she had in mind was to teach me the value of thing.
I don't regret for one second my purchase.
A few years later I was learning (Basic) electronic (At that time, we studied tubes, not transistors) at Teccart Institute two evening a week and what I've learned in one year is still useful today.

Guy 13

[srb]

But when is come to audio, $37 today can get you a brand new little boombox with CD player, no tube inside of course

Looks like a nice hand-crafted tube radio today will set you back ~ $300.

Tesslor R-601
- 2 x 6P1 (7W amplifier)
- 1 x 6F2 (preamplifier)
- 1 x 6E2 (Magic Eye)
- 5.25" speaker, wood cabinet

Steve

[SET Man]

Looks like a nice hand-crafted tube radio today will set you back ~ $300.

Tesslor R-601
- 2 x 6P1 (7W amplifier)
- 1 x 6F2 (preamplifier)
- 1 x 6E2 (Magic Eye)
- 5.25" speaker, wood cabinet

Steve

Hey!

  Wow! I didn't see this coming  Didn't know there are people still making these. I have to say the stereo model is pretty neat though. They do look like the real old one.

Take care,
Buddy :thumb;

[FullRangeMan]

Hey!

    According to inflation calculator $5 back in 1964 would be $37 today.

    I'm too young to know what can you get for $5 back then, but I'm sure more than what you can get today with $37 for non-audio things.

   But when is come to audio, $37 today can get you a brand new little boombox with CD player, no tube inside of course 

Take care,
Buddy

SET Man:
Do you had a dolar inflation calculator??
On the Taylor Tubes catalogue from 1945, the 805 Top Cap was priced only 11 dolars/each.
You would inform us how much would be 11 dolars today??
Thanks

P.S.: I just found an value of $140 dolars, if it is correct an Taylor 805 top cap cost was 140 dolars today.