Do older radios have bulbs?
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 23
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Do older radios have bulbs?
I have a 1973 and the radio isn't working... I remember the older t.v.'s having bulbs in them that went bad and would cut the power and need replaced. I was woondering if this was the same in radios? If not could it be anything else? It is an AM/FM and I would really like to get this radio working for originality purposes. Any ideas on how to fix?
Thanks
Thanks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,668
Likes: 43
From: Eastern US XX
Originally Posted by nickc377
I have a 1973 and the radio isn't working... I remember the older t.v.'s having bulbs in them that went bad and would cut the power and need replaced. I was woondering if this was the same in radios? If not could it be anything else? It is an AM/FM and I would really like to get this radio working for originality purposes. Any ideas on how to fix?
Thanks
Thanks
If you have a local TV/Radio repair, they should be able to fix it.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,380
Likes: 6,391
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
That's correct. Car radios haven't had tubes since around the late 40s to early 50s - they were some of the first radios that went to transistors due to the vibration environment in a car.
If you can' find a local shop to repair it, you can send it to:
United Radio, Automotive Division
5705 Enterprise Parkway
East Syracuse, NY 13057
800-448-0944
They do a lot of Vette radios and digital cluster repair.
If you can' find a local shop to repair it, you can send it to:
United Radio, Automotive Division
5705 Enterprise Parkway
East Syracuse, NY 13057
800-448-0944
They do a lot of Vette radios and digital cluster repair.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,269
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From: St. Charles IL
Cruise-In 5-6-7-8-9-11-12 Veteran
A CI-6 Car Show Winner
Here's another guy that did a very good job on mine, quite reasonable as well. No web site, just e-mail: glw@mchsi.com or phone 256-852-0955. His name is Gordon Ward, from Huntsville, Alabama.
The only bulb that's in your radio is for the lighted dial. Make sure the reaon it's not working isn't something silly like no power to the radio. The dial light power source is the same as the dash lights and is seperate from the power source needed to play the radio. Speakers are also special, if you are considering replacing them be sure to get only 10 ohm speakers. The modern 4 ohm speakers will overload and fry the output circuits in the radio. Delco makes a very nice set of "upgrade" replacement speakers, part number 16033662
The only bulb that's in your radio is for the lighted dial. Make sure the reaon it's not working isn't something silly like no power to the radio. The dial light power source is the same as the dash lights and is seperate from the power source needed to play the radio. Speakers are also special, if you are considering replacing them be sure to get only 10 ohm speakers. The modern 4 ohm speakers will overload and fry the output circuits in the radio. Delco makes a very nice set of "upgrade" replacement speakers, part number 16033662
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,198
Likes: 2
From: Eastern Connecticut
Do you get any sound at all? If you get a very weak sound, a common failure is the big power transistor that is mounted in a heat sink. They are still available and fairly easy to replace. Joe
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,269
Likes: 3
From: St. Charles IL
Cruise-In 5-6-7-8-9-11-12 Veteran
A CI-6 Car Show Winner
The transistor (or transistors if it's a stereo) are located on a heat sink up inside the dash on the passenger side. First step (as I previously mentioned) is make sure the radio has power. If it does, then I would suggest sending it in to any of the places mentioned for repair. You would only be guessing on the transistor issue.
