• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

huh - who knew . . . (not me anyway)

markus

markus

Master Procrastinator
So, last year I grabbed a Steelman console from a yardsale, and recently found it's mate on ebay (just the receiver chassis). Each is an integrated 12AX7 / EL84 PP mono int. amp with a AM/FM tuner - two seperate boards all in one chassis. I figured I could use them for iron towards a nice pair of EL84 monoblocks, or flip them to fund any number of other projects.

As I'm inspecting the new arrival, I notice a burned resistor on the amp board, and turn it over to inspect - tuner circuit board has a "made by Harman Kardon" ink stamp on the bottom - was all this Steelman stuff HK ? 'Course, now that I think of it, the first one I grabbed had HK branded Amperex tubes in it . . .

Their definitley well designed - nice big iron, copper chassis, lp / 78 EQ settings, etc . . . anyone else use these in a DIY, or restored capacity ?

thanks,

Mark
 

Attachments

  • IMGP0042-1.JPG
    IMGP0042-1.JPG
    103 KB · Views: 1,076
  • IMGP0037-1.JPG
    IMGP0037-1.JPG
    114.4 KB · Views: 992
  • IMGP0038-1.JPG
    IMGP0038-1.JPG
    118.9 KB · Views: 103
  • IMGP0041-1.JPG
    IMGP0041-1.JPG
    123.6 KB · Views: 375
  • IMGP0040-1.JPG
    IMGP0040-1.JPG
    113.1 KB · Views: 104
Register to hide this ad
I have never used these, but IMHO I would consider at least restoring the amps and see how they sound and go from there.
 
silly me - pictures have been added : ))

I'm always the first person to wonder - WHERE ARE PICTURES ! duh

The (complete) console which I bought last year is buried in *console land* in the basement so no pictures of that. It was pretty heavy and contained two Quam 12 inchers, and a couple non-descript cone tweeters. Turntable looked liek a VOM style changer.

I REALLY need to compile a list of needed caps and resistors now - on top of the Steelman(s), I have two big Maggie Bi-Amp console amps to recap, two old Victor 245 amps, and if I wanna get crazy, a few DIY amplifiers too. It's gonna be a fuuuun winter
 
HK made a 15W PP monoblock tube amp that used 6V6s in the early 60s. It might have had a model number something like A-30K??? It would not surprise me if the amplifier section in these is identical to that with EL84s instead of 6V6s.
 
transformer details:

thanks for the info guys :D

if there's any HK gurus out there, here's the manufacturing codes on the Power and output transformers:

PT: FT1131895D & TMI740

OT: FT1132405A & TMI740

I tried looking the codes up on the easily googled websites, and didn't find any relevant info, so maybe these are internal codes?
 
If you have a Steelman model number, I can look it up in the Sams index. I do have a number of folders for H-K, but I don't recall any mono receivers. "740" could be 1957, week 40 - is the other pair marked the same?
 
thanks Tom : )

Both transfortmers are exactly the same model / ID # - as are the chassis: model CO-100;

one is serial # 19411285, and the other is 19410241

the tuner boards are copyright dated 1956, so your theory makes sense . . .

looking forward to recapping them and seeing how they sound : )
 
The PCB and transformers are different, but the H-K A-10 amp from 1959 used the same tubes. It even looks like they left out the phono preamp tube... no mag cartridge in a console...
 
Motorola radios and Wurlitzer jukeboxes were using PC boards beginning in around 1954. I have seen Steelman phonos but all I have seen were puny series string amps using 50C5's etc, have not seen a larger Steelman amp.
 
rickon66 said:
I did not realize that they had circuit boards in consumer products that far back.
Click to expand...

I recently had the pleasure of working on and listening to a Harman Kardon FM-100 "Counterpoint II" tuner from 1956. I was taken by surprise when I found out it had a circuit board, but I probably should have known from the diminutive size. This weekend I will get to see inside it's amplifier-mate, the A-1040, and I presume it will also have a printed circuit board.

For what it's worth, Seeburg went to circuit boards in their jukeboxes in 1957, then gave up and went back to point-to-point wiring for another 5 or 6 years.

--Bob
 

Attachments

  • HK-FM100.jpg
    HK-FM100.jpg
    38.9 KB · Views: 47
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom