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RADIO REPAIR GUY
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PH 301-535-3505
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DOES IT COST.....(See -
Flat Rate Specials) Possibly, not a lot. I repair and restore as a semi-retirement small income activity. For example, if you have a table radio manufactured between 1940 to 1965 that was for normal AM broadcast reception and you simply want the radio restored to work and sound correct, the total charges (not including return shipping) will be $45.00* to $85.00. This at a minimum includes new electrolytic capacitors and a new line cord if required for safety. If you want the radio to be restored so that it will last a generation, then it will cost more than $85.00 (Warning!). |
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I generally charge for parts and labor. My labor rate is $25.00/hour. Most consumer home radios average around 1-2 hours to do the initial filter capacitor replacement. ( See below - How costs can escalate.) Amateur or Ham radios with considerably more complexity can take many more hours to restore. For example, a Hammarlund HQ-180AC or Hallicrafters SX-42 in very poor condition can require 10-80 hours or more (worst case). Very early (Old) radios from the 20's and 30's though of simpler design, can be somewhat expensive because of scarce parts availability and the high failure rate because of age. Radios manufactured in 1939 and older, blur the distinction between repair and restoration. The "repair" of a typical 1940's or 1950's radio requires new Electrolytics, one or two other capacitors, and one or two tubes. A "restoration" of one of these radios would entail replacing all "marginal" capacitors, resistors, and tubes which could run into 200-400 dollars. On very old radios (1939 and older) the line between "repair" and "restoration" converges, in that many of the components may have to be replaced just to make the radio work. See Repair vs Restore. One final note. I have on occasion repaired radios owned by Seniors that are not in the best of financial circumstances for the cost of parts. If you think you are such a person call me (John) at 301-535-3505. Leave a message explaining your circumstances and the type of radio and your number and I will get back to you as soon as possible. All estimates do not include return shipping charges (see Payment and Return Shipping.) |
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HOW COSTS CAN ESCALATE.. We will accept just about any radio for repair (tube radio). There are some similarities between all radios (usually super-heterodyne circuits, 120VAC, etc.), but drastic differences in the way they are put together and how serviceable they are. What appears to be a "simple" little portable AC/DC radio can be a nightmare to even open up for servicing. And very littlie room to add Electrolytics. SPECIAL TOOLS I have had one supposedly simple table radio that took 2 hours to maneuver to the point I could even test it, and required the purchase of $38.00 of special tools to remove the radio from its cabinet. MODIFIED OR INCOMPLETE RADIOS Many older radios have been "worked on" to the point that they are not in conformance with the original schematic for that model. It can take many hours to decipher how the radio was "Tinkered" with as opposed to the original manufacturers specification. It can take many hours to decipher the remaining circuit and how that has been modified by someone. This is true of all radio receivers, small table radios, and particularly true of low end Hallicrafters (S-38X), Hammarlund, National, etc. NO SCHEMATIC/DOCUMENTATION No schematic. A lot of trade name and off brand radios were manufactured by contract outfits and there is no way to identify the actual manufacturer/model of a particular radio. This makes troubleshooting very time consuming, and in the worse case, we may be unable to fix the radio. DIAL CORD RESTRINGING Any radio or repair that requires restringing the tuning dial cord, costs $35.00 to restring and in some cases $45.00. If you have never tried to do this then you cannot appreciate how frustrating and time consuming it is. If you think the price is too high - be my guest and do it yourself. SIZE - NO GUIDE The size or original cost of a radio does not determine the cost of repair or restoration. I have repaired a large professional amateur receiver weighing 46 lbs, with an original cost of $350.00 in 1960 for the sum of $135.00. I have repaired a small table radio, weighing 4 lbs, with an original cost of $17.00 in 1954 for $255.00. The difference is that the small radio had almost nothing working, had been modified almost beyond recognition, and was missing parts.
These types of problems is why the Prepaid Electrolytic Replacement is such a great deal. Even if it takes 2 hours just to get the radio unpacked and in a position to service - the flat rate still applies.
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Copyright 2008
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