{"id":46460,"date":"2020-11-13T16:06:08","date_gmt":"2020-11-13T20:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=46460"},"modified":"2020-11-13T16:06:08","modified_gmt":"2020-11-13T20:06:08","slug":"this-norelco-b5x-88a-03-table-radio-has-a-story-and-a-caretaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/11\/this-norelco-b5x-88a-03-table-radio-has-a-story-and-a-caretaker\/","title":{"rendered":"This Norelco B5X-88A\/03 table radio has a story and a caretaker"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post contributor, Edward Ganshirt, who shares the following guest post:<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a>Pamela\u2019s radio<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

A neighbor gave me this radio. It had a story.<\/p>\n

It is a Norelco B5X-88A\/03<\/strong> Table radio AM FM SW1 SW2. (You can see it takes up the whole kitchen table…that is why it is called a table radio). Has very good sound.<\/p>\n

The speakers are 600 ohms, not 8 ohms, and uses bypass capacitors instead of an audio transformer.<\/p>\n

Now about the carnation: I think my neighbor had thoughts that I may be giving it a Funeral and interring it in the backyard. (It has a nice finish you usually see on caskets)<\/p>\n

Her Father was a Doctor who had his practice in the house and had this radio always playing low volume in the waiting room. He served in WW2 and brought this back in the late 1940\u2019e. She inherited it and had it serviced a few times by a local repairman who since passed. Taking it apart I noticed several mechanical problems after removing an abandoned yellow jacket’\u2019 nest.<\/p>\n

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

The FM dial string was wound wrong so 88 MHz is where 108 MHz should be and vice versa. I restrung the dial properly but when tuned the string flopped off the pulley, so I fabricated a string restrainer to prevent this.<\/p>\n

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

Also the station selector was scratchy and intermittent. To solve this, I played the garden hose with a forceful stream of water on the switches then dried out the chassis in the hot summer sun. Sprayed volume control restorer on all the switch contacts. After that, it worked perfectly. The remaining issue was the walnut veneer I sanded with 400 grit paper then coated with clear Krylon .<\/p>\n

Now what to do with it!<\/p>\n

Well I used her same sweet talk charm she used on me to take it off her hands to take it back, this time fully functional and I even demo-ed it. It had the wonderful mellow sound that she remembered and was so pleased.<\/p>\n

\n

What a true gentleman you are, Ed! Thank you for sharing the story of this Norelco table radio–what a gorgeous machine! I’m so pleased you were able to surprise Pamela with her father’s radio,\u00a0 fully restored!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post contributor, Edward Ganshirt, who shares the following guest post: Pamela\u2019s radio   A neighbor gave me this radio. It had a story. It is a Norelco B5X-88A\/03 Table radio AM FM SW1 SW2. (You can see it takes up the whole kitchen table…that is why it is called a table radio). […]<\/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":[3,305,43],"tags":[4800,8962,4132,681,7523],"class_list":["post-46460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-nostalgia","category-shortwave-radio","tag-edward-ganshirt","tag-norelco-b5x-88a-03","tag-radio-restoration","tag-vintage-radio","tag-vintage-radio-repair"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-c5m","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":25656,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/the-r-902-xe-2prd-eds-flea-market-mystery-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":46460,"position":0},"title":"The R-902 (XE-2)\/PRD: Ed’s flea market mystery radio","author":"Thomas","date":"May 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0Edward Ganshirt, who writes: This radio followed me home from a flea market and I am trying to find out what it's mission was. I think it is a surveillance radio from the Vietnam era because of it's low serial number #7 R-902 (XE-2)\/PRD. I\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\/2017\/05\/DSC_0116-1-1024x571.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/DSC_0116-1-1024x571.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/DSC_0116-1-1024x571.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17552,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/the-heathkit-gr-78-eds-basket-case-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":46460,"position":1},"title":"The Heathkit GR-78: Ed’s “basket case” radio","author":"Thomas","date":"March 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Edward\u00a0Ganshirt, who writes: I picked up this Heathkit GR-78 at a estate\/moving sale. It was in a pile of \"e-waste\" (you know, old vcr's broken TVs, remote controllers, dead cell phones, etc.). I found a container and sorted through the stuff to retrieve all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Basketcase","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Basketcase-1024x681.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Basketcase-1024x681.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Basketcase-1024x681.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36087,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/02\/ed-restores-a-hallicrafters-s-72l-cabinet\/","url_meta":{"origin":46460,"position":2},"title":"Ed restores a Hallicrafters S-72L cabinet","author":"Thomas","date":"February 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0Edward Ganshirt, who shares the following: This is a Hallicrafters S-72L \"barn find\" I restored. This turned out to be a furniture refinishing project and not a radio (electronics) restoration job. It is a 1949\/50 era portable with batteries and 1 volt tubes. When I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How To"","block_context":{"text":"How To","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/how-to\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Hallicrafters-restoration-1024x681.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Hallicrafters-restoration-1024x681.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Hallicrafters-restoration-1024x681.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39935,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/eds-ultra-low-cost-upcycled-radio-case-for-the-realistic-dx-440\/","url_meta":{"origin":46460,"position":3},"title":"Ed’s ultra low-cost “upcycled” radio case for the Realistic DX-440","author":"Thomas","date":"September 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Edward Ganshirt, who writes: I have seen some very good radio cases for carrying your radio with you with a price tag. I needed one for my DX-440 but did not want to shell out a hundred bux for it, so I made a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accessories"","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Ed-Radio-Case-3-1024x818.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Ed-Radio-Case-3-1024x818.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Ed-Radio-Case-3-1024x818.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27371,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/eds-homebrew-fruitcake-tin-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":46460,"position":4},"title":"Ed’s Homebrew Fruitcake Tin Radio","author":"Thomas","date":"July 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed\u00a0Ganshirt, who writes: I had an old car radio from the 1940's I salvaged the parts from, and a rudimentary schematic to build by. I decided to re-assemble in the container I stowed away the parts in. Nothing special just another AM broadcast radio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fruit Cake Tin Radio","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/DSC_0024-e1501416865880.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/DSC_0024-e1501416865880.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/DSC_0024-e1501416865880.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/DSC_0024-e1501416865880.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20160,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/edward-restores-a-star-lite-town-country-fm-820-portable-receiver\/","url_meta":{"origin":46460,"position":5},"title":"Edward restores a Star-Lite Town & Country FM-820 portable receiver","author":"Thomas","date":"July 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0Edward Ganshirt, who writes: This is a \u201cmystery brand\u201d radio that I picked up at a swapfest for a buck, I never heard of a Star-Lite Town & Country FM-820 by the HOKUYO MUSEN KOGYO CO in Japan. This portable behemoth is not \u201clite\u201d, It\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Star-Lite TownAndCountry_FM-820_2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Star-Lite-TownAndCountry_FM-820_2-1024x681.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Star-Lite-TownAndCountry_FM-820_2-1024x681.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Star-Lite-TownAndCountry_FM-820_2-1024x681.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46460","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=46460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46460\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}