Restored 29/30 majestic radio pics.

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Hi all,

The Majestic 1929/30 radio came back from restoration on Friday. I was shocked in how clear the reception is. I expected static and snow. The strong stations are awesome. Plus the radio has a special button to assist low power radio stations to come in strong. It’s beautiful.

The antique radio guy said he had a few profanity fits along the way. Lolol. Several parts had to be rebuilt. Same as cars, those who should never touch it, fixed it with stuff that killed it. Lolol. We have all seen it.

Enjoy the pics.

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I’m no expert on this topic, but a car radio that sounds great by itself can be interfered with by the car running (coil and spark), so investigate what needs to be done to make the engine running “quiet”” to the radio reception.”

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Spoken like a true mechanical engineer. Recognizing there is a problem is 99% of the battle. Of course, the last 1% is a real beast…

The issue is the shielding of the radio’s tuning and radio frequency (RF) sections from picking up interference that is in the air from all the external factors, like the engine, charging system, other cars, fluorescent lights, etc. Over the years, engineers have devised a number of ways to alleviate the RF interference. To cut down on the generator noise, they installed a capacitor (or condenser) at the generator or the voltage regulator. The plug wires can also be a big problem. In the 50’s and 60’s these were changed from all metal (usually steel) to a carbon graphite compound, as I remember. That created issues with teh spark, of course. Then they went the route of shielding the RF wires altogether, as you can see on 60’s vintage radio and television sets. The issue is compounded in your car because it has a lot of wood between the radio and the engine compartment, which doesn’t help with RF interference at all. Grounding is, as usual, very important throughout.

Where do you put the antenna on an open car? It is the chicken wire in the fabric roof on a closed car. Antenna location is critical to both reception and interference, especially for AM radios.

Best thing to do is try the radio when the car goes together, and test is with the engine running if there is an interference problem, try turning the engine off to see if the problem goes away. If it does, first try the condenser route on the voltage regulator, then try wrapping the radio loosely in foil. You can’t wrap it as a permanent fix, as the tubes produce a lot of heat. My guess is the issue will be at the antenna if there is one. On a closed car, you would try using a piece of coaxial cable, like you use for CATV lines, from the radio to the chicken wire. That should cut the majority of the RF from the engine. Let me do some research and more thought on this, and I will add to this later. Anybody else have any thoughts?

By the way, whoever did that restoration work is a true craftsman. Nice work.

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Let me try that last paragraph again. Need to learn to proofread in the morning…

Best thing to do is try the radio when the car goes together, and test it with the engine running. If there is an interference problem, try turning the engine off to see if the problem goes away. If it does, first try the condenser route on the voltage regulator, then try wrapping the radio loosely in foil. You can’t wrap it as a permanent fix, as the tubes produce a lot of heat. (By the way, have you checked to see if your generator can handle teh extra load from the radio?) My guess is the issue will be at the antenna if there is one. On a closed car, you would try using a piece of coaxial cable, like you use for CATV lines, from the radio to the chicken wire. That should cut the majority of the RF from the engine. Let me do some research and more thought on this, and I will add to this later. Anybody else have any thoughts?

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A lot of early cars (1930’s) had radio antennas under the car, either under running board or the car itself. My Cord phaeton has an antenna assembly that hangs under the car.

1929 would be very early for a car radio, I believe.

Agree with Bob, very nice restoration on the radio, by the way…

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First car radio for a car was made and sold in 1922, it was the size of the entire trunk that fits on a rack, for large cars. The trunk radio opened up into a table and stand, with long wires to allow the speakers to be 40 feet from the car. In the ad I have of it, a Springfield Rolls Royce is showen. No price was listed, bit my guess is 400 to 600 dollars. Radios were very expensive till mid 1933, then they got cheap……..real fast. Most early ones have a key to turn on to prevent children on the side walk turning it on to listen to the ball game and running down the battery. I have see one car the radio was locked and controlled from the rear seat, to keep the driver from listening to it while working / detailing / or waiting for the owner. The above radio looks like a nice aftermarket unit of about 1931 or 1932, but that is just a guess. Pierce Arrow dealers had Philco radios to sell, as they can be seen in the accessory catalog. I have several, and the “real ones” have a Pierce Arrow key. Philco was also installed by Loncoln, and a lot of other high end cars. One little trick, buy an early head and a later radio, as radios built after 1935 are much better units, the head will still work, and the box looks almost identical on the Philco.

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A quick internet search shows the Majestic 66 as 1932.

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David,

I figured that was the case, as you needed a long wire for the antenna. It would work if you have wood floors or a high clearance to the ground. The antennas in the roof fabric worked better, of course, as there was no obstruction to the atmosphere.

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Thanks for all the info. Here is what the radio restorer told me:

1. The antenna would be placed under the running board.

2. The radio could be as eRly as late 29 but is probably 30. He indicated the tubes were significantly larger in early 29 and older.

3. Eds date of 32 could also be correct because G & G sold their company but did not upgrade their inventory before the sale. So, the 30 radio is the same as the 32.

If this is true, we will never know the exact date of my radio.

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Here is a picture of my original sales flyer for the majestic. Can anyone aproximate the yeR based on the car and planes in the flyer. $87.50. Wow!

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