Hallicrafters T-54

[Keith Rowland]

Al:

For the axial caps, try:

Mouser Electronics
958 N. Main
Mansfield, TX  76063-4827
(800) 346-6873
www.mouser.com

sales at mouser.com

They also have locations in Santee, CA and Randolph, NJ.

Fax # for TX store:  (817) 483-6873.

i would call or e-mail for a catalog first.  I've been buying about 80% of
my stuff from them for many years. They are pleasant, reasonably priced,
offer same-day shipping, and there's none of this minimum-order business.

As for the tubular paper caps, either mylar or poly caps will do just
fine.  Ceramic discs are OK, too, for bypass functions or audio coupling.
If you find any of the old postage-stamp type mica caps, I'd leave them in
(these will be found mostly in the RF sections and maybe across the audio
output transformer, and in the AGC section), unless you have difficulties
after replacing all the other parts that obviously need replacing.  I have
radios from the 20s and 30s that still have the original micas in them and
they are still performing.  A tribute to those who designed and made them!

Good luck and 73,

Keith



Al Dolgosh wrote:

> I hope the subject got your attention.  I just acquired a Hallicrafters
> T-54 television set (circa 1947) and am about to embark on restoring
> it.  It is a 7-inch TV set and only the second T-54 I have ever seen,
> with push-button channel selections from channel 1 (yes, there was a
> channel 1) thru channel 13.  I saw the other one in 1957, and it was
> then just an interesting oddity to a new ham like me!
>
> What makes this really rare is that the T-54 was the one they packaged
> in the hinged lid HT-32 type tabletop cabinet.  The cabinet and chassis
> are in great shape.  I already know where to get the materials to
> restore the cabinet, but I could use a little help in two areas.
>
> First, I need to replace a lot of capacitors - starting with the
> electrolytics.  Then, there are a lot of paper/wax capacitors that
> probably should go.  Other than the gold-plated places like Surplus
> Sales, where is a good place to find reasonably-priced axial lead
> electrolytics (it has no can capacitors, making restoration look more
> original)?  Also, ditto on the tubular paper caps - what is the
> recommended replacement type?  This is my first restoration project of
> something that old, so my source knowledge is a little limited.
>
> I also need to replace two knobs that were unique to this TV set.
> Luckily, there are others that are the same as the missing ones, so I
> may be able to make molds and cast the replacements.
>
> By the way, this set is the transformerless design that was popular in
> the early days of television.  That means one side of the AC line goes
> to chassis ground!  I may get an isolation transformer before I spend
> much time with it powered up.  That's also why there are so many axial
> lead electrolytics - with all the voltage doubler, tripler and
> quadrupler circuits in it.
>
> I hope to have a real collectors item when I am through - looking as if
> it just came out of the Hallicrafters box.
>
> Any thoughts from the wealth of experience will be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Al - K8EUR
>
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