[Milsurplus] RCA AVR-11 Help Needed

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Mon, Jun 10, 2013 at 4:04 PM, Joe Connor <joeconnor53 at yahoo.com> wrote:

>
> 1. If you can come up with the name of the fellow with the manual, I would
> certainly appreciate it. This one isn't in Rider's or in the RCA redbooks.
> If it's only the fourth one known to exist, I can see why.
>

I know I have it somewhere because I sent it to a fellow in Canada recently
who became the new owner of that one from Bruce MacMillan who moved to the
UK. It's just a matter of having the quiet time to find it.

I'll also send you the scans I have from Aeronautical Radio by Myron Eddy.
IIRC, the entire book is online in .pdf form for download.


> 2. Note that the two filter can caps are 25 mfd at 475V. I'm not sure if
> 475V is overkill or necessary but I've ordered two 22 mfd/500V caps to wire
> under the chassis. The originals aren't much smaller than Coca-Cola cans!
>

You'll notice that numerous parts are shared with other sets. The receiver
is very similar to the ACR-111 amateur set, for example. It also uses
things common to RCA's home entertainment sets & consoles, like the dial
escutcheon and Magic Brain. I'm hoping those big filters were used in some
console as I need one can and its clamp to fill the gap in my set.


> 4. I plan to "re-stuff" the paper caps if possible. I've also ordered some
> old-style cloth covered wire to replace some crumbling rubber-covered wire,
> most notably around the tube grid caps. The cloth covered wire will be
> safer than bare wire and will look better than simply covering the old wire
> with heat-shrink tubing.
>

This is a great set to re-stuff the original caps in, since it's not only
quite old but quite rare as well. All of my rubber wire is rock-hard and
crumbling too, as it is in my pre-war Super Pros. To me, this is the most
challenging part of the restoration. Where do you start or stop? What do
you replace or leave in place if still intact rather than creating more
problems?



> 5. I plan to take some pictures (as long as my teen-age son is willing to
> show me how!). I want to take some "virgin" pictures before I do anything
> to the receiver. If anyone is interested in seeing them, please let me know
> and I'll send them to you.
>

I'd love to see them, Joe. I did the same with mine as much for later
reference during restoration as historical record. Simple things like where
an audio line is run can make a huge difference in performance later if not
done right.



> 6. Your control-tower comment makes sense. The fellow who sold this
> receiver to me said he bought it from a guy who rescued it from an old
> airport control tower. He lives in a rural area so I'm picturing a very
> small rural airport that has been there since the early '30s.
>

Yep, that or one of those nice buildings with the Deco architecture seen in
old movies and photos. I really don't think they built very many due to the
overall lack of any info - even in publications of the day. Aero Digest is
my last hope for finding something more.

If anyone else on the list has additional info, I'd really like to see it.
Simple magazine ads tell a lot.



> 7. Mine works pretty well and without any hum. I'm running it through a
> Variac at about 85V and it plays very well. I can spot only one repair: a
> replaced 0.1 cap that, from its appearance, was probably installed in the
> last 25 years or so. There are no hacks that I can see. The bandswitch is
> stiff but I think that's just linkage covered with dried-up and hardened
> lubricant (sort of like my knees on most mornings). Interestingly, this
> receiver can be set up to run on either 110V or 120V. Mine is set up for
> 120V so I may not need a bucking transformer after I get the new filter
> caps installed.
>

I brought mine up after a cursory checkout and was greeted by the dreaded
filter cap hum, so I shut it back down., Did replace most all the tubes as
they were flat. It's currently holding down a small table in another room
looking great while it awaits its turn on the bench. I've got an old Turner
33X mic sitting on top that goes well with it. My hope is to pair it up
with a Meissner 150B one day if I can find one. Stupidly, I passed on one
from the same guy I got the receiver from, a couple years earlier. Not sure
what they military used the 150 for, but it sure looks like the perfect
mate for the AVR-11.

~ Todd/KAQ