Montgomery Ward Airline 9131a...!!!

[Cygnus X1]

OK, I just took this amp apart just to see if anything was burnt, loose, about to blow up, or any other pests lurking.

Peeled the RF shield foil off the bottom and ...





HOLY CHIT!

I had no idea!

This thing is just oozing with "Mojo"....

I'll post pics when I get a chance.

[fett]

Ah, Who would want an old amp from Wards?

[Cygnus X1]

Meh...yer right.

Fuggetaboutit!

[JGB]

Post some pics bro!

[Cygnus X1]

OK, well...since everyone BEGGED via PM (certainly not on the forum...that would be a little too much)...

She is true point-to-point, no BS boards, just terminal strip risers holding it together!

Looky:

[JGB]

How does it sound?

[fett]

I don't think he has gotten that far. Just look at how well it was wired. It's a work of art.

[sixstring]

I think the twist tie is after-market tho....
Some old school shit right there...

[fett]

He has to get the headlights to work.

[Cygnus X1]

Actually that twist tie looks vintage!



And those lights...same bulb as the old Christmas tree lights.
I have to find a red, and a green blinker to put on each end.:happy1

[fett]

A Light Show. How '60's is that?

[KramerBassFan]

That is mighty clean as far as TRUE PTP goes...

Love it!!

[fett]

Me too.

[escopunk]

Really clean, why cant I run across this kinda stuff

[Cygnus X1]

I have it hooked up to this, running through the trusty old Powerstat Variac:



For those uninitiated, this is how it works:

The testing rig also works as a limiter through that open outlet next to the light bulb.
The light bulb is connected in series so if there are any fatal problems with the amp (like a short), the bulb take all the energy and nothing will blow up inside the amp.
So right now that gray transformer you see in the pic isn't on the testing rig, just using the bulb/outlet part.

The variac is there to painfully slowly bring up voltage.
This should re-form the very old, possibly dry electrolytic capacitors that could literally fry if full voltage is applied right away.
Solid state rectifier in this amp means I can bring it up nice and slow (tube recto's suddenly jump to life at 40 volts AC, not a good thing).

So there she sits at 25 volts AC, I have a meter on the power tube socket showing it is indeed already pushing healthy DC where it should.
Right now all of the tubes are removed.

Best news?

The dashboard lights are faintly glowing already!

[fett]

Make it work, Edison Give me a call. Magic Jack denied me. Something about carriers.

[Cygnus X1]

Make it work, Edison

It will take a while.
Old radio restorers give up to 24 hours for the re-forming treatment.

"You can't rush the hands of time".

[Cygnus X1]

Finally made it to 100 volts on the variac rig.

Nothing's broken yet!



Next will be putting tubes in it.

[helocene]

Sweet, you're more patient than I. I would have plugged it in at line voltage and replaced any blown caps.
Looks like two of the electrolytics have been replaced already? At least it's only got a handful to begin with.
Think it'll have much hum with those big heater loops?

[Cygnus X1]

No bad hum, a little buzzing...but not very loud either.

I have some cleaning to do.

The filter caps look original helo.

[Cygnus X1]

Well...bad news. it HUMS like a mofo off the light bulb limiter.

So I did the filter cap replacement procedure and still a really nasty buzz.

Narrowed it down to some problem on channel 1, V1.

Pulled that tube and ran only channel 2.


It has sound!


Got a little work to do.
:pimp

[fett]

Well, get on it.

[mmmtacos]

Something I want to find is an old Console Stereo from the 70s like my dad had. It was a tube unit with radio, record player and even had a guitar input.

It sounded killer except for the crappy speaker.

Would love to find one and put the amp into a head

[Cygnus X1]

Tremolo works, reverb works.
Spent most of my time getting rid of the Death Cap circuit and that polarity reverse switching mumbo jumbo.


Although fett claims he is totally immune to any ill effects involving 120V 60HZ electrical shocks I installed a three prong cord properly grounded.
After all, he may think he's immune he will eventually find himself dead of a sudden cardiac arrest brought on by an amp that worked "just fine for all these years" but whoever ends up with it after the estate auction will get an amp that has the safety features in place.
(Not all humans are Vikings and no need for multiple lawsuits resulting from fatalities...)


Only thing left to do is chase down that V1 issue.
Mrs. Cygnus instantly said "grounding", and she may earn her Amp Wings with that diagnosis.



Gotta love a gal like that!

[KramerBassFan]

Pshhh, the third prong is for wussies