RCA Theatre Amp Restoration
by Chad Hauris, Retro Electronics and Audio Lab, Midland, TX. 11/23/06

John got this amp from the Roseland Theatre in Pana, Illinois. It was in a storage area that had not been entered for years and suffered some damage from rain water, causing a lot of rust.

Rca amp before repairs.
RCA Theatre amp in John's van on his trip back from Pana.

RCA amp before repairs.
Amp before repairs (view 2).

John cleaning rust from the amp.
John cleaning rust from the amp.

Underside of amp before repairs.
Underside of the amp before repairs.

Testing the filaments.
Testing the filament voltage.

Testing AC high voltage.
Testing AC high voltage from the plate transformer.

Testing the RCA.
Finally...success! We replaced all capacitors, some wiring, and all tubes. One of the 5U4 tube sockets had to be replaced.

More to come!


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