1929 Majestic Model 181 Radio/Phono -- power supply

[Hyperion]

Greetings. I have a Majestic model 181 radio phonograph from 1929 that has been restored and used for years now, but recently when I tried to power it up nothing happened. I noticed black tar (or whatever) seeping out the holes in the side of its power supply (uh-oh), which is a Majestic model 8P6, and have figured out that the high-voltage transformer shorted. (The filament transformer appears to be fine.) I don't know how easy it would be to just find another 8P6 (anyone have any idea?), but failing that, can anyone offer me any guidance and/or tips on replacing the failed transformer? I know this power supply puts out a lot of voltage to run the two 50's in the radio, so I don't know what kind of replacements/substitutes/workarounds might be feasible. Thanks in advance for your help.

[VanEpsFan1914]

If I were you (and were restoring such a beautiful machine as that) I would go over to the Antique Radio Forum and inquire there for a mechanic, then ship the power supply off to whoever can still do them. Sometimes the wires are clipped and a new capacitor soldered in on top of the tar, or other times the tar is frozen or melted out and the machine re-wired and potted again in either the old tar or fresh.

It's such a pretty phonograph that it would be neat to see preserved with its original power pack.

I've got a beautiful 1929 Atwater-Kent radio that I sometimes will fire up and play, but it's not entirely safe to run it...because if the condensers blow out it will melt down like yours. I've really got to take it apart and do some soldering and a bit of mechanical tuning up. But they told me on the A.R.F. that old power packs like that are easily restorable, tar or no tar, and I'm sure someone can get your machine running again.

[marcapra]

Van Epps, I hope you are right about that. I've always been told that when the power supply goes, it's curtains. I believe that's because there are lots of windings inside that might be shorted out. There might be a new power supply that could be substituted, but Chuck Azzalina is the man to ask on this site! I had a '29 Majestic years ago, but I never got it playing, so I'm wondering how did records sound on this one when it was working? I own a '28 Edison C2 that Chuck had previously owned that plays DDs and 78s.

[victor 15-1]

Van Epps, I hope you are right about that. I've always been told that when the power supply goes, it's curtains. I believe that's because there are lots of windings inside that might be shorted out. There might be a new power supply that could be substituted, but Chuck Azzalina is the man to ask on this site! I had a '29 Majestic years ago, but I never got it playing, so I'm wondering how did records sound on this one when it was working? I own a '28 Edison C2 that Chuck had previously owned that plays DDs and 78s.

Van Epps is certainly correct about this..they are easy to restore.
We need to be positive about these things in our comments to members

[VanEpsFan1914]

The Antique Radio Forum people are diligent about their 1920s hardware...some of them have even rewound old cores for transformers and repaired radios that had blown out. Granted, they don't consider it very valuable, but you know how when someone shows up on the TMF with a wrecked Victrola X and everybody pitches in with spare parts? It's like that.

There are some guys out there as comfortable with tar box transformers as we are with cracking into a three-spring Victor, so that's the first bit solved. The hard part is finding the folks with the know-how.

I hope your record player is easy to fix, Hyperion--if you can either send the box off or dig into it yourself, hopefully it starts going again soon. It's a very attractive machine and ought to be a star of any collection.

[victor 15-1]

The Antique Radio Forum people are diligent about their 1920s hardware...some of them have even rewound old cores for transformers and repaired radios that had blown out. Granted, they don't consider it very valuable, but you know how when someone shows up on the TMF with a wrecked Victrola X and everybody pitches in with spare parts? It's like that.

There are some guys out there as comfortable with tar box transformers as we are with cracking into a three-spring Victor, so that's the first bit solved. The hard part is finding the folks with the know-how.

I hope your record player is easy to fix, Hyperion--if you can either send the box off or dig into it yourself, hopefully it starts going again soon. It's a very attractive machine and ought to be a star of any collection.

That is the Gods truth in a nutshell!! Well said!

[electrolaman 64]

Hi,

This should be no problem to fix no matter what is actually found bad in the power supply. There is a transformer company in Michigan that will make a brand new transformer to a compatible physical configuration needed for a reasonable price, like $150. However, you have to be able to supply them with the correct specifications. I had to replaced the power transformer in my Victor VE10-69E Automatic Electrola a couple of years ago and have done this to a VE9-54E Automatic Electrola 20 years ago. The transformers in both of these amplifiers are also "potted" in a can. It is a messy job but not hard to do. So the main thing is one has to know the configuration of the transformer. If you are not someone that has the data in their library or can figure out the exact voltages needed a good restorer to contact for this work is Chuck Azzalina in Perkasie, PA. he is on this forum as CHUCKA.

Carlton Smith
Electrolaman 64
Indianapolis, IN

[gramophone-georg]

Van Epps, I hope you are right about that. I've always been told that when the power supply goes, it's curtains. I believe that's because there are lots of windings inside that might be shorted out. There might be a new power supply that could be substituted, but Chuck Azzalina is the man to ask on this site! I had a '29 Majestic years ago, but I never got it playing, so I'm wondering how did records sound on this one when it was working? I own a '28 Edison C2 that Chuck had previously owned that plays DDs and 78s.

Van Epps is certainly correct about this..they are easy to restore.
We need to be positive about these things in our comments to members

In all fairness to marcapra, I have been told this many times as well, and by repair people! Good to know there is a solution after all.

[victor 15-1]

Van Epps, I hope you are right about that. I've always been told that when the power supply goes, it's curtains. I believe that's because there are lots of windings inside that might be shorted out. There might be a new power supply that could be substituted, but Chuck Azzalina is the man to ask on this site! I had a '29 Majestic years ago, but I never got it playing, so I'm wondering how did records sound on this one when it was working? I own a '28 Edison C2 that Chuck had previously owned that plays DDs and 78s.

Van Epps is certainly correct about this..they are easy to restore.
We need to be positive about these things in our comments to members

In all fairness to marcapra, I have been told this many times as well, and by repair people! Good to know there is a solution after all.

It is also good to stop spreading inaccurate info!

[gramophone-georg]

It is also good to stop spreading inaccurate info!

Nobody's spreading "inaccurate" info. People are stating what they know. It's all a continual learning process. Please don't be a jerk about it- rather, contribute to the common knowledge. Absolutely NOBODY has all the info on these subjects, including you and I. TIA.