Beautiful.........However for your feasting eyes look at sabil575 on the bay, listing will floor you as the best console I have ever seen.. check out the handles on the front, they match the Georgian EV speaker included....sigh, if I only had room..
Console Dream Come True
- Thread starter TheRed1
- Start date
Forgot to say its in the Electrovoice section on the bay..
TheRed1,
You might be on to something here. Although it is not a console, I am now the proud owner of a 500C receiver, and I'm not letting it go. The Fisher/military link continues. You will have to wait about 40 years to read my obituary though, and it won't be as interesting as the 4 listed above. Maybe something like this:
1964 500C - RCAF fighter pilot, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Airshow demo team,.....
Chappy
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
Thanks. I turned it on first thing this morning and thought how nice the room looked with the azaleas in full bloom outside the window. It was a challenge to photograph with the vast difference in light levels inside versus outside. Used a little fill flash and exposure compression to even it out.
Still waiting for the Toshiba CRT TV to die so I can replace it with one of those black slab HDTVs - perhaps mounted in a matching wood frame with faux tambour.
Last edited:
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
Long Term Console Test Update - Dec. 8, 2014
Test Subjects: 1959 Fisher model 810-C 'Contemporary II' and matching 1959 model 560 'Stereo Companion'.
Over the last year I had noticed a dramatic decline in FM reception so, yesterday I made the trek up to Glen Burnie to visit with Larry and test some tubes. Sure enough V1, the ECH81, was well passed its useful life. I also brought the original R-30-S, which UPS had destroyed, with me for Larry to add to his collection of 'donor chassis'. It still had a full compliment of tubes which we tested to see which were stronger. The ECH81 from the wrecked chassis tested pretty good and so I able to use that.
I only intended to check the tuner tubes but Larry suggested we check the audio tubes as well. Good thing, too, since there were several which tested quite weak for which replacements were found.
I put the R-30-S back into the cabinet this evening; hooked everything back up and . . . FM reception was back and as good as ever . . . BUT . . . NOT A PEEP FROM THE CONTEMPORARY II, JUST THE STEREO COMPANION! I had half expected this so I was not really that concerned. I pulled the chassis leaving it connected and made sure everything was glowing - it was. Then I shut it down and started pulling tubes to make sure I had put the right tubes in the right sockets.
I had made that mistake once at Larry's but we caught it. I had a hunch that it was the lone 12AX7 since that was the tube we tested right after I made that mistake. Larry and were talking about other Fisher stuff and Lucy was trying really hard to help - so we might have been a little distracted at that point. Both of my 12AX7's tested weak so Larry hunted up some of his spares and we settled on a GE.
When I pulled that tube this evening all I could make out was '12' so I figured we must have mistakenly put a 12AT7 in there. So I rummaged through my box of spares but couldn't find a 12AX7. So I robbed one from the Motorola SK-32 I have languishing in my basement. It was completely re-tubed late in its life with a set of Radio Shack Lifetime tubes but I don't think that fixed its problem so I don't believe they were ever used.
Popped it in, turned it on and all is right with the world again. Funny thing is - upon closer inspection with a magnifying glass - that GE does indeed appear to be a 12AX7. (See photo.) So I'm not sure what the problem is unless it just isn't strong enough to drive the outputs. The RS Lifetime tube in there now is a 12AX7A.
I'd to thank Larry for his time and expertise with his menagerie of tube testers and Lucy for finally deciding that - despite my association with cats - I wasn't as bad as she first thought.
Test Subjects: 1959 Fisher model 810-C 'Contemporary II' and matching 1959 model 560 'Stereo Companion'.
Over the last year I had noticed a dramatic decline in FM reception so, yesterday I made the trek up to Glen Burnie to visit with Larry and test some tubes. Sure enough V1, the ECH81, was well passed its useful life. I also brought the original R-30-S, which UPS had destroyed, with me for Larry to add to his collection of 'donor chassis'. It still had a full compliment of tubes which we tested to see which were stronger. The ECH81 from the wrecked chassis tested pretty good and so I able to use that.
I only intended to check the tuner tubes but Larry suggested we check the audio tubes as well. Good thing, too, since there were several which tested quite weak for which replacements were found.
I put the R-30-S back into the cabinet this evening; hooked everything back up and . . . FM reception was back and as good as ever . . . BUT . . . NOT A PEEP FROM THE CONTEMPORARY II, JUST THE STEREO COMPANION! I had half expected this so I was not really that concerned. I pulled the chassis leaving it connected and made sure everything was glowing - it was. Then I shut it down and started pulling tubes to make sure I had put the right tubes in the right sockets.
I had made that mistake once at Larry's but we caught it. I had a hunch that it was the lone 12AX7 since that was the tube we tested right after I made that mistake. Larry and were talking about other Fisher stuff and Lucy was trying really hard to help - so we might have been a little distracted at that point. Both of my 12AX7's tested weak so Larry hunted up some of his spares and we settled on a GE.
When I pulled that tube this evening all I could make out was '12' so I figured we must have mistakenly put a 12AT7 in there. So I rummaged through my box of spares but couldn't find a 12AX7. So I robbed one from the Motorola SK-32 I have languishing in my basement. It was completely re-tubed late in its life with a set of Radio Shack Lifetime tubes but I don't think that fixed its problem so I don't believe they were ever used.
Popped it in, turned it on and all is right with the world again. Funny thing is - upon closer inspection with a magnifying glass - that GE does indeed appear to be a 12AX7. (See photo.) So I'm not sure what the problem is unless it just isn't strong enough to drive the outputs. The RS Lifetime tube in there now is a 12AX7A.
I'd to thank Larry for his time and expertise with his menagerie of tube testers and Lucy for finally deciding that - despite my association with cats - I wasn't as bad as she first thought.
Last edited:
Red -- Even if the replacement tube was a 12AT7, the set should have operated and produced sound if that tube was good, as both the 12AT7 and 12AX7 are of the same class (dual high Mu triode) and pin out family, and therefore interchanged regularly by those fond of tube rolling. The easiest way to tell if the tube you pulled out was in fact a 12AT7 is to physically compare it with a known 12AX7. The plate structures in a 12AT7 are notably shorter than those in a 12AX7.
Association with cats is a good thing! I see yours managed to get partially included in your last pic of post #84.......
Dave
Association with cats is a good thing! I see yours managed to get partially included in your last pic of post #84.......
Dave
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
Dave, it was a 12AX7 as is barely discernible in the photo of my previous post. (I uploaded a better photo for which I had to dig out my old camera for a proper macro shot.) I have no idea why the GE wasn't working. It could be something as simple as a dirty pin or socket. I suppose I could DeOxit and try again but I'm on tannenbaum duty today so that will have to wait.
Interesting how the RS Lifetime 12AX7A has an even smaller internal structure than the GE - which itself is much smaller than most 12AX7 internals I have seen. Seems to work OK - though I haven't done much in the way of critical listening yet.
Interesting how the RS Lifetime 12AX7A has an even smaller internal structure than the GE - which itself is much smaller than most 12AX7 internals I have seen. Seems to work OK - though I haven't done much in the way of critical listening yet.
With the way that manufacturers were re-branding and generalizing tube inventories at the end of the tube era, it wouldn't surprise me at all is the tube on the left is in fact a 12AT7 in reality -- not saying it is, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me.
I have 6 brand new 5V4GA tubes from the late 70s early 80s, that there is no doubt are actually 5AR4 tubes relabeled as 5V4GAs. They look, act, measure, and perform exactly as the 5AR4 labeled tubes from the same manufacturer (Sylvania) of the same time period. To 99.999% of the consumers, they'd never know the difference in their set.
Ditto with relabeling a 12AT7 as a 12AX7. In phono preamp applications, a difference would be noted, although it may not be immediately apparent to the causal observer. But for general use (wow! it works again!) no one would be the wiser. On the other hand, there are applications where installing a 12AX7 where a 12AT7 is specified simply would not work.
Either way, I'm glad you've got it singing again. Between you and Larry, there is no other source that even approaches the knowledge base for Fisher consoles that you guys have!
Dave
I have 6 brand new 5V4GA tubes from the late 70s early 80s, that there is no doubt are actually 5AR4 tubes relabeled as 5V4GAs. They look, act, measure, and perform exactly as the 5AR4 labeled tubes from the same manufacturer (Sylvania) of the same time period. To 99.999% of the consumers, they'd never know the difference in their set.
Ditto with relabeling a 12AT7 as a 12AX7. In phono preamp applications, a difference would be noted, although it may not be immediately apparent to the causal observer. But for general use (wow! it works again!) no one would be the wiser. On the other hand, there are applications where installing a 12AX7 where a 12AT7 is specified simply would not work.
Either way, I'm glad you've got it singing again. Between you and Larry, there is no other source that even approaches the knowledge base for Fisher consoles that you guys have!
Dave
Last edited:
Hiya Carter,
If you want send me that 12AX7 I can give it a test here in the LAB .. its possible it tested "OK" but was "Not" as that happens with signal tubes and some testers.
At the very least I can clear up the mystery and/or send you back a 12AX7 to replace the robbed one.
Least I can do as that 30-S carcass is donating some parts to the cause here.
Frannie
If you want send me that 12AX7 I can give it a test here in the LAB .. its possible it tested "OK" but was "Not" as that happens with signal tubes and some testers.
At the very least I can clear up the mystery and/or send you back a 12AX7 to replace the robbed one.
Least I can do as that 30-S carcass is donating some parts to the cause here.
Frannie
Fran; I tested the GE tube on both a EICO 625 and the philco 9100. IIRC The 625 gave a 62 to 64 reading (which is right about what all my 12ax7's give on that unit , and a GM of 1500 on both sides on the philco with a minimum of 1250. So there shouldn't be anything wrong with the tube, other than maybe a worn thin or bent pin, or a slightly weak socket leaf unless it got shocked during the ride from my house to Carters and broke internally.
I've seen some short plate 12ax7's but that Ratshack does look like a AT7. Never seen a AX7 with that offset flying flag plate style, only AT7's.
Larry
I've seen some short plate 12ax7's but that Ratshack does look like a AT7. Never seen a AX7 with that offset flying flag plate style, only AT7's.
Larry
Paul Goodwin
New Member
It is a beauty. Thanks for sharing the detailed photos.