[Hallicrafters] Old Transformers

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Mon, Jun 18, 2012 at 12:17 AM, Larry Young <larry112249 at mindspring.com>wrote:

> What is the likelihood of an original 1937 and 1940s transformer developing
> a fault? I was talking with some folk at the Burbank, CA SCARS swap meet
> and
> they seem to think it was an eventuality.
>

They're probably thinking of insulation break down which shouldn't be an
issue in our lifetime if the set is taken care of properly.

A couple things against these old pieces of iron are humidity and
over-voltage. Transformers will suck up moisture over time if left in a
damp garage or basement. They can be dried out, but it's always a roll of
the dice. Line voltages today are noticeably high in places as well, maybe
as much as ten volts for a 115/117 volt set. Control both of these factors
and replace things like old caps in the power supply and audio circuits at
the very least, and I can't see why you'd have a problem.

Of course, unless you know exactly where each set has been since new and
how it's been treated, it's hard to know what, if any, damage may have
already been done. However, I've got some early AC sets from the 20s that
are still working, so it's not a certainty in my book that they will just
quit because they're old.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4