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Very nice Clay. Look at that Potmetal horn connecting flange. Doesn't that make you have cold sweats..... .

gramophone78 wrote:Very nice Clay. Look at that Potmetal horn connecting flange. Doesn't that make you have cold sweats..... .

Yes, I am VERY gentle with it.

Clay

That's a nice looking phonograph. It's too bad Victor didn't hinge those doors so they could fold along the sides of the cabinet, but they just didn't want to do it that way for some reason early on. I don't think there is a whole lot to do on those Radiola 28's if the catacomb tests good. The tubes are the most expensive part on those from what I understand. Skip didn't seem to have to much trouble getting the radio to work in my Brunswick. And you'd want to get a battery eliminator of course. Arbe seems to be the one most of the radio guys like. There was the larger version of that up in Minneapolis for sale awhile back, the Borgia, but it is missing the whole radio and some of the other parts and I just couldn't bring myself to drag home another huge drawn out project. The market has been sort of unkind to the really large machines I think for the most part anyway. Your machine is sure nice looking though, and it looks to be in really nice shape for the most part too. It's nice to find one like that.

I have an ARBE-III battery eliminator for it. They work great. I have several for different radios. I also have a line on where to pick up a working catacomb in case this one does not test out. The rather complex wiring harness really should be replaced too. The old insulation is pretty well shot. Not having the test equipment or the necessary skills and wanting a first class restoration job, I just need to find somebody qualified to ship it off to who can put it back like new.

The only other thing it needs is the back panel, which is missing. I think one for a VV 9-1 ("Florenza") (which looks to have an identical cabinet) might fit if one for a VV or VE 9-15 does not show up.

The machine was bought from a family in Orlando who had it since new. Unfortunately the grandparents who were the original owners are long gone and nobody left in the family knew what became of the back panel.

Clay