Allwave 23, 7-knob

[Jeff Barna]

After many years, I'm beginning the process of resurrecting my Scott. The 7-pin plug that goes on the end of the cable that goes between the expander unit and the amplifier (at the amplifier end) is broken. Where I can get one of these replacement plugs? What is this type of plug called? If I knew its name I could look it up. Thanks in advance for your help (any advice is always appreciated too). I'm sure I'll be posting MANY more questions before this journey is over!

[Thomas Day]

Jeff: The pin diameter of that plug is different than the standard 7 pin plug.  The 5, 6, and 7 pin plugs and sockets show up on E-Bay from time to time. Check out the Hammond and Leslie sections of E Bay.  Hammond used these to connect their organ consoles to their speaker systems and Leslie used them as well. They are not cheap, and what you find is 'new old stock.' I think you would need to replace all of them with what is currently available. 

Thom

[Jeff Barna]

Thanks Thom, great leads. Hadn't even thought of the Hammonds. I'll check it out.

[Jeff Barna]

Thanks again Thom. I did find, and buy, a suitable plug on eBay. Searched Hammond and Amphenol. You're right, they're not cheap!

[Thomas Day]

Depending on which part of the adaptor is broken, you will need the matching part to go with the new one.

The pin spacing diameters are different between what  was used and what is now available. Wire-Pro is the other company that supplies these.

Jeff Barna said:

Thanks again Thom. I did find, and buy, a suitable plug on eBay. Searched Hammond and Amphenol. You're right, they're not cheap!

[Jeff Barna]

Thanks, Thomas, I'll check out wire-pro too. I had the eBay guy take an exact measurement between pins to make sure it was right before ordering. On my radio, the female half of the 7-pin (mounted in the amplifier chassis) is fine. The male half at the end of the cable coming from the expander is completely gone. It was broken years ago and a crude jumper was rigged between the end of the cable and the female socket, soldered to the tabs of the socket on the underside of the amplifier chassis. It worked fine, but it's VERY crude, needs to be cleaned up!

[Thomas Day]

Jeff: I will be interested to know how this radio turns out. I have an Allwave 23 early version that I have restored well enough to work, but I still need to do a complete alignment. Carrying 100 pounds of chassis down stairs and setting it all on the bench is a lot of work. 
Jeff Barna said:

Thanks, Thomas, I'll check out wire-pro too. I had the eBay guy take an exact measurement between pins to make sure it was right before ordering. On my radio, the female half of the 7-pin (mounted in the amplifier chassis) is fine. The male half at the end of the cable coming from the expander is completely gone. It was broken years ago and a crude jumper was rigged between the end of the cable and the female socket, soldered to the tabs of the socket on the underside of the amplifier chassis. It worked fine, but it's VERY crude, needs to be cleaned up!

[Jeff Barna]

Mine is a one-family radio. Been in my house since the 70's, just used it in my bedroom as a teenager! Turned it off in the early 80's and haven't powered it up since then. So, now realizing what I have, I want to be extra careful. I've recapped a radio or two over the years, but think I just might leave this one to a professional. I can clean it up myself, might try to power it up with a Variac. My radio has a couple of options, the pair of tweeters and the external volume expander unit. Housed in the Laureate Grande cabinet. My Scott reminds me of the stained glass lamp my Dad brought home from an auction. Mom made him keep it in the cellar...until she found out how much it was worth. THEN it went in the center of the living room! Now I'm wondering if I ever heard this radio perform to its full potential. I think a professional re-do would be money well spent. They say they're worth more in parts than as a whole, given the tweeters and the 2A3s. That's a shame. Good luck with yours!

[Thomas Day]

It took me a couple of days to do the recap. The one question I didn't ask when I bought it was 'does it work?'

Sadly the answer was no. The main power transformer was toast. Thru this list, I found  a company in Michigan that could make a new one. Took several months, but It was worth it. A couple of years go I bought a second tuner chassis. It is in rough shape and had been modified with a lot of extra controls, but is complete.

Mine is in the Waverly cabinet and pictures are on this site.

[David C. Poland]

A couple of nice upscale  Scott cabinets - the Laureate Grande and the Waverly.

I did an early 5 knob 15 years ago that had a lot of rubber wire in the RF and IF areas to replace. Has the tweeters. Great performer and a CD player into phono sounds really good. Injects after the volume control so phono, tuner or CD player needs its own gain control.

Working on a late 7 knob now - not nearly as much of that low loss rubber covered wire, mostly with the IF coils, but insulation is just as brittle, so replacement is next step. Injects phono ahead of the volume control.

[David C. Poland]

Jeff, or anyone. Question on a resistor in the AW-23 receiver.

Part number 386 according to figure 4 (bottom view of receiver).

It is located about 2 inches behind the Sensitivity control, in the negative bias circuit -  fed by a green wire with black tracer. After the resistor then is connected to one of the turret wheel contacts.

Part # 386 is a 3 meg per documentation parts list.

Mine measured about 4 meg.  - orange (pretty sure), black end and green strip multiplier.

However, the circuit diagram says it is 2 meg. (both early and late version AW-23 diagrams agree)

What does your receiver actually have? 

[Jeff Barna]

I don't even have the bottom plate off yet, far as I know it's never been off. But I can check once I do.

[Norman S Braithwaite]

I don't recall ever finding a 2-meg resistor in that location.  I do recall finding the 3-meg resistor there in multiple chassis.

Norman