...in need of expert advice

[Bruce_Van_Note]

I'm looking at a VV 7-10 (spring-powered phono)on Craigslist. It was one of Victor's second-generation phono/radio combinations which featured a Radiola 16 battery-powered chassis, five UX-201-A and one UX-112-A tubes. I haven't made contact with the seller yet, but I want to gather as much information as I can before the seller and I talk.

1)What kind of battery(ies)was/were used to power the radio and are they still available?

2)Can the VV 7-10 be fitted with some kind of AC/DC power adapter to allow radio operation from a wall socket?

3)Whom would I contact to obtain such an adapter, if it's the way to go?

4)I don't know at this point if the tubes are still in the machine. Where can I purchase the necessary tubes to make the radio operate?

Thanks,
Bruce

[estott]

I'm looking at a VV 7-10 (spring-powered phono)on Craigslist. It was one of Victor's second-generation phono/radio combinations which featured a Radiola 16 battery-powered chassis, five UX-201-A and one UX-112-A tubes. I haven't made contact with the seller yet, but I want to gather as much information as I can before the seller and I talk.

1)What kind of battery(ies)was/were used to power the radio and are they still available?

2)Can the VV 7-10 be fitted with some kind of AC/DC power adapter to allow radio operation from a wall socket?

3)Whom would I contact to obtain such an adapter, if it's the way to go?

4)I don't know at this point if the tubes are still in the machine. Where can I purchase the necessary tubes to make the radio operate?

Thanks,
Bruce

This page will give you some helpful information on your first two questions:
http://antiqueradio.org/bsupply.htm

you can use modern batteries but if you're going to use your radio very often you should consider getting a battery eliminator.

As to the third question, you really should get your radio to an expert before you even consider powering it.

[Uncle Vanya]

Yes, it can. an ARBE III will work nicely. If th ARBE and the battery tubes are more expensive than one wishes, one can also substitute a the chassis of the Radiola 18, which is the AC version of the 16, retaining, of course the original chassis.

Uncle Vanya
(forgot to sign in!)

[John Svensson]

For a radio of that era, the first issue will always be the capacitors, which will need to be replaced with modern equivalents.
Not an extremely difficult job to tackle, but there are good and bad restorations. Purists retain the shell of the original capacitors and embed the replacement within the original. John S.

[Skihawx]

These battery radios are before the wide use of coupling capacitors. Finding a power supply and
configuring it for the voltages required is possible. There are many people offering finished power
supplies or kits. The tubes you can buy on E-Bay. It is possible one of the audio interstage
transforms are open. But you often see a complete Radiola 16 sell for less than $75 on e-Bay. The
VV 7-11 is no different than the Radiola 16 except is has the victor driver connected to the phonograph
horn.

[FloridaClay]

These radios used multiple batteries and using modern batteries, assuming you can find the proper voltages, is not all that practical because of cost if you really want to use the radio. I use ARBE-III battery eliminators for my battery radios and have found them to be excellent and fairly easy to set up. Their website includes free hookup guides for various models of radios. The gentleman who makes them is also super helpful.

http://www.arbeiii.com/

I would strongly suggest, if you do not have those skills, having a good radio repairman go through the radio thoroughly before applying any power to it. Someone has already mentioned getting the capacitors replaced. It may also need some replacement tubes and some of the wiring replaced. The old rubber insulation on the wires gets hard and breaks apart inside the cloth covering of the wires and is not safe to use. Your radio guy can take care of all of this.

Another potential problem with the Radiolas of this era is that some models used a “catacomb” system. That is, when the electronics were all installed in the chassis, RCA in its infinite wisdom then filled up the entire chassis with resin. It is a real pain to get it out so that the internals can be serviced and, I am told, when you melt it to get it out it stinks to high heaven. I am not sure whether the 16 had a catacomb or not. I know the 28s did. It is an issue I have run into in getting my VV 9-15 restored, which has a 28. Maybe some of the other board users can let you know if the 16 did.

Clay

[Uncle Vanya]

The radiola 16 does not us a catacomb. It is a simple, straightforward tuned radio frequency set, essentially a battery version of the Radiola 17 or 18. The Radiola 16 shares the same chassis with those AC sets, in fact, and either of those chassis may be substituted for the 16 without modifying the Victorla, assuming that the original radio chassis is retained , of course.

An ARBE III power supply would be just the ticket for this set. Should a UX-112A be too hard to find a '71A may be substituted if an appropriate "C" battery is used. For the maximum voltage output from the Arbe III of 135V a 27 V "C" battery, made up of three common nine volt transistor batteries will suffice.

[Uncle Vanya]

These radios used multiple batteries and using modern batteries, assuming you can find the proper voltages, is not all that practical because of cost if you really want to use the radio. I use ARBE-III battery eliminators for my battery radios and have found them to be excellent and fairly easy to set up. Their website includes free hookup guides for various models of radios. The gentleman who makes them is also super helpful.

http://www.arbeiii.com/

I would strongly suggest, if you do not have those skills, having a good radio repairman go through the radio thoroughly before applying any power to it. Someone has already mentioned getting the capacitors replaced. It may also need some replacement tubes and some of the wiring replaced. The old rubber insulation on the wires gets hard and breaks apart inside the cloth covering of the wires and is not safe to use. Your radio guy can take care of all of this.

Another potential problem with the Radiolas of this era is that some models used a “catacomb” system. That is, when the electronics were all installed in the chassis, RCA in its infinite wisdom then filled up the entire chassis with resin. It is a real pain to get it out so that the internals can be serviced and, I am told, when you melt it to get it out it stinks to high heaven. I am not sure whether the 16 had a catacomb or not. I know the 28s did. It is an issue I have run into in getting my VV 9-15 restored, which has a 28. Maybe some of the other board users can let you know if the 16 did.

Clay

The Radiola 16 has but three condensers ( capacitors ), a mica grid condenser which is not apt to fail, and two bypass condensers, which seldom if ever are bad. Aside from the pot-metal tuning drum, which occasionally swells , the Radiola 16 is pretty bullet-proof. the filament resistor occasionally fails, but yhat's about it. This is an ideal set for the first time restorer, as it is so very simple.

[Kirkwood]

Be sure that the valve to switch between "Victrola" and "Radiola" is operational. There will be a lever inside the playing compartment that moves a piston-type sliding valve to direct sound from either the tonearm or the speaker driver into the small orthophonic horn. This piston type arrangement is (in the case of my VV 7-10 and VE 7-25) constructed of cast pot metal, and has swollen up to such a degree that it is completely immobile. Swollen but not broken----it may be possible to free this up using any of a number of techniques already discussed elsewhere on the board, but it's a job that should factor into the cost of the unit. Additionally, you may want to factor the cost of any replacement tone-arm bracket (usually pot metal, and frequently cracked or broken) and Orthophonic sound box issues into the discussions with the seller, assuming the focus is having both the Victrola and Radiola operational.

[Skihawx]

Another potential problem with the Radiolas of this era is that some models used a “catacomb” system. That is, when the electronics were all installed in the chassis, RCA in its infinite wisdom then filled up the entire chassis with resin. It is a real pain to get it out so that the internals can be serviced and, I am told, when you melt it to get it out it stinks to high heaven. I am not sure whether the 16 had a catacomb or not. I know the 28s did. It is an issue I have run into in getting my VV 9-15 restored, which has a 28. Maybe some of the other board users can let you know if the 16 did.

Clay

I've repaired many catacombs over the last 35 years. Most all are repaired by reconnecting wires
where they come out of the resin. One or two have had open audio transformers. The 2 meg grid leak
should be replaced when you are in there. The UV catacombs have all parts sitting on a shelf and will
fall off when you remove it from the resin. The UX catacombs are all riveted. Melt the resin slow
enough to liquify it and not melt the solder on the can. Pull the top off and run thru the continuity
checks. Then reverse. I always leave the resin in, it protected components this long why not.