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| | Need help with GE HJ-618 AC radio/phonograph | |
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FrankB Moderator
Join date : 2010-11-22
| Subject: Re: Need help with GE HJ-618 AC radio/phonograph January 1st 2021, 9:07 pm | |
| BTW- Do you know the difference between freeze spray and air duster? (Besides the $$). It is the length of the tube in the can. To turn air duster into freeze or vice versa, just invert the can!! |
| | | Cliff Jones Site Administrator
Join date : 2010-11-22
| Subject: Re: Need help with GE HJ-618 AC radio/phonograph December 23rd 2020, 9:43 pm | |
| Thats great! Sometime its just a little thing that causes headaches. Most radio's were assembled in a hurry up fashion, and maybe the assembly line inspector wasn't doing His or Her Job. The thing that's most important after Parts failure is connection and switch contacts. Happy Christmas _________________ I'm a Science Thinker, Radio Tinkerer, and all around good guy. Just ask Me!
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| | | RetinPA Beginning Member
Join date : 2020-12-18
| Subject: Re: Need help with GE HJ-618 AC radio/phonograph December 23rd 2020, 5:45 pm | |
| Thanks Frank and Cliff, I'm happy to say that the freeze spray found it. There was a poor solder joint on a tie strip where I replaced a resistor. Somehow I don't think of solder joints going south when warm, but when the spray got rid of the hum twice, I knew I'd found the problem. The tie strip is between the volume control and the grid cap of the 6Q7 with 2 stages of amplification after it, so there was plenty of opportunity for the set to pick up EMI. I have it back together and playing Christmas music from our local AM station as I type this. The radio's phonograph section is working perfectly as well. It's never sounded better. I know *I* will have a merry Christmas! Best regards, Joel |
| | | FrankB Moderator
Join date : 2010-11-22
| Subject: Re: Need help with GE HJ-618 AC radio/phonograph December 22nd 2020, 12:26 pm | |
| Interesting that the problem can be cured by pushing on the IF can...
I would suggest resoldering all the ground connections, and if the filters were replaced as a can, resolder that connection. Also tighten up any IFT and tube socket mounting screws, as well as any control grounds. Intermittents are the worst things to track down. I would wonder if one of the filter cap leads was failing inside the cap can.
Do you have a scope or can borrow one? That and an isolation transformer would readily track the problem down. |
| | | RetinPA Beginning Member
Join date : 2020-12-18
| Subject: Re: Need help with GE HJ-618 AC radio/phonograph December 18th 2020, 7:35 pm | |
| Thanks for the link to the article; lots of info there. My turntable drive is simpler with only one idler wheel, and looks just like the one in a Zenith unit I had previously - probably later production. It occurred to me after I sent my OP that lthough the chassis had been recapped, because it looked old I replaced the dual-section filter cap with a unit I bought 8-10 years ago. I thought that just maybe the replacement has problems, so this evening I replaced it with individual caps. In the time I've played it since, it's been fine. I will cross my fingers and give it a long run tomorrow. I'm preparing myself for it to play fine for 2 hours when disassembled, and then go south when it's back together. If that happens I will look for cold solder joints and the like. Pretty sure it's not a cable problem. Curiously, today (but not yesterday) I could "fix" the problem by turning the set off and right back on. And even more curiously, today I could cause the problem by simply touching one of the IF transformer cans. This set is a real looker though, so I'll stick with it until I solve the problem. |
| | | Cliff Jones Site Administrator
Join date : 2010-11-22
| Subject: Re: Need help with GE HJ-618 AC radio/phonograph December 18th 2020, 6:26 pm | |
| If you hear a buzz, you may have an audio cable that is bad.
You could have a ground wire that maybe has a cold solder joint. or an open wire.
Here's some information, Whether it's helpful or not I don't know. GE HJ-618 AC radio/phonograph
There are any number of ham radio clubs in your area where you could contact, or go on the web and look for Audio Clubs or phone graph clubs. _________________ I'm a Science Thinker, Radio Tinkerer, and all around good guy. Just ask Me!
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| | | RetinPA Beginning Member
Join date : 2020-12-18
| Subject: Need help with GE HJ-618 AC radio/phonograph December 18th 2020, 9:25 am | |
| Greetings, everyone! I'm very glad I found this forum. I have a GE HJ-618 AC radio/phonograph that I bought a few years ago, sold to me as restored. It worked fine for awhile, but then the phonograph quit, so I put the set on my bench. The problem was in the phono cartridge, which supposedly had been rebuilt but I had to have it rebuilt again. While I had the chassis out I noted that it had been recapped. I went ahead and replaced all the resistors as many were out of tolerance. When I got the cartridge back I reassembled the set and it sounded great. After about 10-15 minutes it developed a loud buzz that doesn't vary with the volume control. I tried replacing the tubes one by one, and the buzz is still there. If I turn the set off and let it cool for awhile, it plays fine but the buzz returns after it's warm. I ordered freeze spray but I don't know what component(s) could be at fault that haven't already been replaced.
If it matters, the chassis is AC/DC with 6SA7/6SK7/6Q7/6J5/25L6/25Z6 plus a ballast tube. I will greatly appreciate any advice/suggestions, as I have a bunch of 78 RP Christmas records I'd like to play.
Thanks! |
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