Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I'm working on a friends 53 Packard and he needs the radio rebuilt.
I know it needs all new caps and maybe a tube, transformers test ok..
I was building shortwave and ham radios 47 years ago.(WPE9IQW & W9DFL)(Heathkit and Allied stuff)But haven't been in it 30 years now, but still keep up on electronic repair.

1. Do I really need a frequency generator in the repairs?
2. Besides the capacitors, will i have to worry about the vibrator?
3. It's also the wonder bar type radio. Anything I should look for in that type radio?

I have schematics and doesn't look hard. Just tuning and the UNKNOWN.

Be happy for any suggestions.

If it works out, I'll be happy to rebuild others.

G'day Da G-Man,
to PackardInfo.

Your statement of "If it works out, I'll be happy to rebuild others" will no doubt elicit some response. If you can rebuild radios for PackardInfo members that would be great!

Most likely all the caps are bad, just plan on replacing them. When you get that done, put power to it and see if you get high voltage on the secondary side of the transformer. If not, the vibrator is bad. There are several places that make solid-state ones. Or you could easily make your own.

Do a google search for vibrator and see what you can find.

Back in the 1980's I had my '54 Packard radio rebuilt with a new vibrator and it played beautifully. At that time I found that most AM radio stations had only Mexican style music. So before you go to a lot of rebuilding trouble you might tell your friend that he will need to take a Spanish course to understand the language on most AM stations now. Or, they will need to really like Mexican style music--which I do fortunately.

Wunderbar radios are somewhat unique in that they need to be properly lubricated to function properly.

In the old days, getting them to stop directly on station was something of a challenge.....they tended to need a bit of manual retuning....

When I was a kid, Dad had a 48 Packard that he had hooked up a shortwave radio to the car radio. (W5RNA). He said it was powered off of the vibrator on the radio. The car was black, and had a long whip antenna. Dad loved to talk on the radio while he drove, as well as scaring the heck out of speeders who thought that the big black car with the long antenna was a highway patrol.