My New RAE-68

[GregVTLA]

Hello everyone! I am excited to share with you my new RAE-68. This machine was part of the Stanton's sale, and I was able to convince its new owner to sell it to me. I have always wanted an RAE series machine and missed the sale but am very excited to own this one now. It was disassembled when I got it, but everything appears to be here. Including the original Radiola remote! Already got started gluing down some veneer and removed the capacitor block on the main SPU in preparation for replacement. It's a project for sure but the cabinet is beautiful, and I am very excited to hear it!

[gramophone-georg]

Oooooohhh, NICE!

[Dischoard]

I see you've also got the Trashcan jukebox! A couple of barn-find examples have popped up and I've wanted to move on them but always looked as though the plastics were in terrible shape and that the whole machine would need restoration which I've not the time nor expertise for. I'd love to hear about that machine sometime though this probably isn't the place for it

[GregVTLA]

I'll send you a PM about the juke!

[Garret]

This will be a great machine. There are a few collectors in the DMV who can help out if you find yourself stuck.

Garret

[GregVTLA]

I’ve got the amplifier chassis done. After replacing the amp power cord with new cloth covered wire, I powered it up connected to a dim bulb tester to check for a short with the rectifier tube out. This verified that the main power transformer was not shorted. I replaced the caps in the amp, checked the interstage and output transformers for continuity, and replaced the rectifier tube. I double checked for shorts using the dim bulb tester, and after making sure that I didn’t short anything out when replacing the caps, brought it up to full power on my variac. A quick check of the tube voltages and I connected up the radio chassis and got a station in! So the amplifier chassis got reinstalled into its wooden cradle and that is ready to go. The amp’s paint is way nicer than I’ve ever seen, so it looks great! Huge thanks to Chuck A. for helping me through!

[GregVTLA]

Currently, I am waiting on some parts in order to finish working on the radio chassis, but for now here's an ad for the set I found searching newspapers. Seriously good deal here folks!

[GregVTLA]

The radio chassis is just about done. I found a new preset assembly and swapped over all the necessary parts to replace my pot metal swollen pushbutton block. I attached a picture of that. The ability to set stations and tune them in is now restored. This uses a series of drums mounted to a shaft and six contacts to determine which direction the motor should spin and where to stop. It's a pretty cool system. In order to set the preset, you push the lower button into the hole in the drum and "drag" the drum into place.

I have also stripped the changer down and cleaned up the caked-on grease. I attached a picture of it at its cleanest. Getting the minute adjustments dialed in will be a fun challenge for the next few days.

Lastly, thanks to Carlton for locating this original electrola plug. The cabinet had been wired for a male-to-male "suicide" cord. For those who aren't familiar, cords like this present a serious hazard as the exposed ends of the other plug are live when one end is plugged into the wall. Not sure why this modification was done, but with the original parts returned, it is much safer.

Before

After

Dangerous cord

Eventually, I hope to chronicle my experience with this machine as well as my research into them on a website of my own.

[phonojim]

Congrats. It looks like a cool project. I have always wanted an RE-45, but have never gotten one. However I do have an R-32 radio which has the same electronics but no phonograph, and an early aftermarket horseshoe magnet/tonearm conversion which I need to restore.
BTW: I assume you have the appropriate service literature, but if not, the RCA red books are available online.

[GregVTLA]

Changer and amp have landed back in the cabinet. I am just waiting on the replacement wire from the volume pot to the changer, the volume pot itself (it had pulled apart), and the rebuilt pickup. Chuck Azzalina graciously found a lot of the little pieces I had been missing and made the shielded wire, as well as rebuilt the pickup. Once I get all those little things put back, it's showtime!

This amplifier has such great original brown paint, I almost hate to put the back on the cabinet. I am so excited to hear it all put back together.

Side note, but I recently acquired a few Talking House AM transmitters that I am able to use to broadcast my own music into my sets that have radio. It's just an extra fun feature to have to make both the radio and the phonograph useful again. I have a few extra if anyone else is interested in trying one.

Greg