{"id":35444,"date":"2019-01-10T09:30:58","date_gmt":"2019-01-10T13:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=35444"},"modified":"2019-01-10T09:30:58","modified_gmt":"2019-01-10T13:30:58","slug":"finding-a-repair-service-for-boat-anchors-and-other-vintage-valve-tube-radio-gear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/finding-a-repair-service-for-boat-anchors-and-other-vintage-valve-tube-radio-gear\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding a repair service for boat anchors and other vintage valve\/tube radio gear"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Vintage tube radios will likely survive an EMP, but how do you power them without mains electricity?<\/p><\/div>\n

Here’s a common question I receive from SWLing Post<\/em> readers:<\/p>\n

“Where can I have my vintage valve\/tube radio repaired? Can you recommend a good repair service?”<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The answer isn’t always a simple one, especially for those living in rural or remote parts of the world.<\/p>\n

Go local<\/h1>\n

The short answer is: try to find a local repair service.<\/p>\n

Unlike modern solid state radios, “boat anchors” (metal chassis vintage radios) are heavy and very<\/em> pricey to ship.<\/p>\n

Some repair services and retailers won’t even consider shipping vintage metal chassis radios because of the likelihood of damage or a tube or other component loosening during transit resulting in a DOA (Dead On Arrival) situation. They insist on in-store or local pickup\/delivery.<\/p>\n

\"Johnson<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Last year at the Dayton Hamvention I was speaking with an acquaintance who restores and repairs vintage tube radios–he specializes in WWII and Cold War era boat anchors (Collins, Signal Corps, Hallicrafters, National HRO, etc.). Although he makes a tidy profit from doing repairs, it’s most certainly a labor of love and not the most profitable use of his time.\u00a0 He told me that he recently stopped accepting any repairs other than those delivered and picked up locally.<\/p>\n

He told me he took great care in packing equipment after repairs had been made–he’d secure all components so that they couldn’t budge during shipment and would either double box or use industrial strength cartons. Being so diligent, his return shipments almost always arrived unscathed, but customers would complain about the shipping costs. He could, of course, skimp on packaging, but then risk his repair work being undermined by rough handling. He was never willing to compromise on shipping and I certainly don’t blame him.<\/p>\n

So again, due to the complexities of shipping heavy gear, I always recommend trying to find someone local to do your “boat anchor” repair work first.<\/p>\n

Where can you find a local repair shop? If you belong to or know of a local ham radio club, stop by a meeting and ask around. If there’s a vintage radio repair technician in town, someone in the club can likely connect you.<\/p>\n

Shipping boat anchors<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

With that said, there are some excellent repair technicians out there who will take work via parcel shipments, but be prepared to pay upwards of $50-150 each way each way (depending, of course on the radio size and weight).<\/p>\n

Lighter tube radios are easier and cheaper to ship, but should still be packed carefully<\/em>. Bakelite radios, for example, are lightweight but incredibly fragile.<\/p>\n

In short: if you ship your vintage radio, pack meticulously and confirm that your repair person will do the same.<\/p>\n

And where do you find repair services? I point readers to radio repair service reviews on eHam.net<\/a>. You might also search the QRZ.com forums<\/a> or even post a question.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Let’s be clear: some radios are worth the shipping costs!<\/em><\/p>\n

I am fortunate in that I do have a local friend and mentor\u00a0Charlie (W4MEC)<\/a> who repairs tube gear. Better yet, Charlie is willing to teach me how to do repairs and alignments myself. This, I would argue, is the best of both worlds!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A Note of Caution<\/b>:<\/strong> When it comes to repairing tube\/valve gear, I believe you should always<\/em> learn the ropes with an experienced technician. Unlike battery-powered solid state devices, tube gear is mostly high voltage. If you don’t know what you’re doing inside the chassis of a tube radio, you could be severely shocked or even electrocuted. No radio is worth that price.<\/p>\n

Who do you recommend?<\/h1>\n

If you have any advice about repairing boat anchors and other vintage electronics, please comment! Also, if you can recommend a repair service, please share details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s a common question I receive from SWLing Post readers: “Where can I have my vintage valve\/tube radio repaired? Can you recommend a good repair service?” The answer isn’t always a simple one, especially for those living in rural or remote parts of the world. Go local The short answer is: try to find a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8,545,3,305,43],"tags":[6877,4547,7524,7525,7523],"class_list":["post-35444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-ham-radio","category-news","category-nostalgia","category-shortwave-radio","tag-charlie-liberto-w4mec","tag-radio-repair","tag-tube-radio-repair","tag-valve-radio-repair","tag-vintage-radio-repair"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-9dG","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":35526,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/using-bus-service-to-ship-heavy-vintage-radios\/","url_meta":{"origin":35444,"position":0},"title":"Using bus service to ship heavy vintage radios","author":"Thomas","date":"January 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, James Branch, who shares the following comment regarding the shipment of heavy vintage radios: On the issue of shipping Boat Anchors, I\u2019ve had good experiences using Greyhound Package Express, Tough-bin structural foam footlockers and proper padding. The parcel is loaded at the bus station\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Container-Box.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":29642,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/a-bsolument-converting-radios-from-vintage-valve-into-boutique-bluetooth\/","url_meta":{"origin":35444,"position":1},"title":"a.bsolument: Converting radios from vintage valve into boutique Bluetooth","author":"Thomas","date":"December 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kim Elliott, who shares this link to a French company called a.bsolument who specializes in converting vintage valve radios into hi-fidelity Bluetooth-connected audio devices. According to a.solument's introduction video, they take vintage radios in disrepair, gut the insides and replace the components with modern\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/a-bsolutement-radio-bluetooth.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/a-bsolutement-radio-bluetooth.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/a-bsolutement-radio-bluetooth.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/a-bsolutement-radio-bluetooth.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22567,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/mr-carlson-restores-and-repairs-a-hammarlund-hq-140-x\/","url_meta":{"origin":35444,"position":2},"title":"Mr. Carlson restores and repairs a Hammarlund HQ-140-X","author":"Thomas","date":"December 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Moshe, who writes: Hi Thomas! You must see this restoration job from Mr. Carlson's lab: https:\/\/youtu.be\/4kT57s0kCAk Click here to view on YouTube. Thank you for sharing this video, Moshe! \u00a0I truly enjoy watching Paul's videos--no doubt, any radio turned over to him is in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Boat Anchors"","block_context":{"text":"Boat Anchors","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/boat-anchors-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hammarlund-hq-140x","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Hammarlund-HQ-140X.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Hammarlund-HQ-140X.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Hammarlund-HQ-140X.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Hammarlund-HQ-140X.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":32722,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/06\/raspberry-pi-vintage-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":35444,"position":3},"title":"Raspberry Pi Vintage Radio","author":"Robert Gulley","date":"June 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This project was a winner in the Maker Share Mission May contest. While not strictly shortwave, of course, many of SWLing Blog readers enjoy, as I do, all things radio, and especially creative and new expressions of radio. Here is a brief excerpt from the MakerShare posting: Vintage radios are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":52340,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/mark-seeks-a-vintage-radio-repair-technician-in-the-dc-metro-area\/","url_meta":{"origin":35444,"position":4},"title":"Mark seeks a vintage radio repair technician in the DC metro area","author":"Thomas","date":"April 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Irish, who writes: Good afternoon Mr. Witherspoon, Just wanted to follow up on a contact for fixing several shortwave radios from the primarily the 70s and 80s, preferably someone located in the DC Metropolitan area, Virginia or North Carolina. These would include the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Zenith-Transoceanic-R-7000-2-angle-e1540388449299.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Zenith-Transoceanic-R-7000-2-angle-e1540388449299.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Zenith-Transoceanic-R-7000-2-angle-e1540388449299.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Zenith-Transoceanic-R-7000-2-angle-e1540388449299.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52961,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/06\/servicing-older-icom-radios\/","url_meta":{"origin":35444,"position":5},"title":"Servicing older Icom radios?","author":"Thomas","date":"June 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Irish, who writes: Icom America has indicated that it no longer services Icom radios manufactured after December 2010. Please let me know if you have a recommendation for someone who repairs older Icoms, preferably in DC metropolitan area or in North Carolina and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Icom-IC-756-Pro-LRA36.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Icom-IC-756-Pro-LRA36.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Icom-IC-756-Pro-LRA36.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Icom-IC-756-Pro-LRA36.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Icom-IC-756-Pro-LRA36.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35444\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}