Remembrances of vacuum tube days

mr. ed wrote:

BobsYourUncle wrote:

mr. ed wrote:


Tubes that aren't being used are impervious to extreme cold (or heat for that matter). I'm not sure about electrolytic capacitors, though. Perhaps the electrolyte substance inside could freeze at minus 30, but I can't say for sure. In time, through use, electrolytic capacitors can eventually dry out and need replacing. That jukebox sounds like it could be a valuable item. Too bad you can't store it in a warmer indoor location, but I don't think it really matters. Of course, there are mechanical devices inside (i.e., turntable motor, which shouldn't be affected, either). Any lubricating oil used on moving parts may thicken up somewhat, but return to normal when warmer temps arrive.

Thanks for that.
Didn't think the tubes would be affected, but I did wonder about the big caps.
It is a valuable item, and I was paying big bucks for heated inside storage. I was fed up with 151 bucks a month for heated storage, had to bring it home. I live in a very small townhouse and there is no room inside for it.

Since that Wurlitzer is dated from 1955, it's possible the electrolytic caps may be due for replacement anyway. But I would wait until you run it again. If the sound is good, without noticeable hum, you're probably good to go.

If it is valuable to you and it hasn't been played for some time I would recommend erroring on the side of caution when powering up.

You cannot physically view the electrical "condition" of those canned electrolytics, nor can you do that with the old wound paper and wax caps. Many times they will look perfectly fine but with age and sitting around they can become leaky or burnout/explode.

Something from the 1950s if it is all original caps would be better to fully recap with new ones before you have any decide to let go in some fashion.. The cans when they blow can blow hot tar everywhere making for one heck of a difficult mess to clean up. Tar filled cans may not like extreme temps swings and over time the tar will harden and crack allowing moisture to be drawn in..

The caps issue is one of the reasons I sold off my 1950s HK Award series A50 Stereo amps.. Hated to be the one cleaning that chassis and replacing the cans with new cans was not in the cards as they were out of production for years which meant digging tar out of the cans to put modern caps inside..

If it was inside a TV, I wouldn't have hesitated clipping the old caps out but the HKs were open chassis so you could see the cans on top of the chassis.. My friend if there is space often clips off the connections on the can then solders in modern caps in circuit on the underside, works if you have the space underside, if you don't have space, digging tar out is what you will be doing.

I would suggest powering up on your porch before sitting it on your carpet or hardwood floor..

Have a friend who buys/sells/trades antique radios, recapping is high on his list to do right after seeing if the tubes light up..

Some antique radio folks also suggest using a auto transformer to slowly power up the chassis in stages to reform the electrolytic caps slowly.

OP might wish to consult a local person who buys/sells/trades antique radios (Local HAM clubs might be a good source to find someone to help) to find out their take on it, they might just suggest trying it first or they may suggest recapping first..