Dial Cord restring help!!

[guitardad]

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

So after a nice dinner my Mom says my Grandpas old Magnavox Console stereo wasn't working. I get there pop it open and the dial cord is gone.

I tried a bunch of different string but the closest i got to this was having the tuning only go half way across. i have no idea how many turns or what not to make around the tuning shaft then around the tuning cap gang.. no model no. on the unit. it's a late 60's solid state Magnavox Console type stereo with the tops that slide to get to the radio/phono and album storage.

I know the actual tuning knob shaft has to have x amount of turns. I just don't know how many. When in the config as pictures the tuner gang went from 540 to about 1100. (I see another tech marked it 88-108).

So what's the best method for this besides pulling my hair out? lol

I'm guessing start from gang wheel spring, route around as indicated below, then back to the gang wheel tension spring. I left the string short about a half inch to allow for tension on the dial cord return. I'v ebeen at this for about 3 hours. Uggggggggggggggh. My virgin dial string with no diagram. None of the Sams diagrams I looked at online for Maggotbox models seem to match this at all.

[oc disorder]

Try Here
Dial Cord Stringing Guide

Its "the full 1947 edition of SAMS DIAL CORD STRINGING GUIDE."

I've attached from the index (which is a pdf you can download) the list under Magnavox.


I guess yours may be a later model but there may be a few clues from other diagrams.

Good luck and hope you have some hair left !

[guitardad]

Yeah I used those diagrams just to get it half the scale, but something still isn't right. I only had maybe one turn around the gang, but apparently it needs more than that.

I practiced with some heavy twine a couple times before getting actual cord. I have about 5' of it left. I hope I have enough. That's why I used the twine just to see how close I was.

Thx

[Enzo]

OK, so it isn;t just "old Magnavox", it is a Magnavox ABC123 or whatever. OC posted a guide from Sams, the photofact people. The thing to look for is the photofact file for your model. String guides were important parts of those service manuals.

[guitardad]

Model # 1RP623 is not listed in any of the Sams dial cord manuals. I haven't found much on the web either.

None of the cord diagrams for Magnavox match or resemble this one. I looked at them all. I got close, but it has to something with X turns on the tuning dial shaft as well as X turns on the Gang Wheel.

I know Magnavox Tv's always had a chassis number for reference. I didn't see a chassis # listed for this unit. Nothing on the chassis either. Maybe the tag fell off somewhere over the last 40-50 years.

[Enzo]

Not sure if we are on the same page or not. I wasn't thinking of a dial cord manual per se, but the actual photofact for that model radio. Is ther a general photofact for that model?


When stringing these, the main tuning cap wheel needs to go around enough that it is never left with a bare spot, so to speak. We also don;t want it going around so many turns it rolls over itself and binds up. Other than that the number of turns isn;t always the issue. The order and direction of the string path is tops. When it wraps a narrow shaft, then enough turns it gets a grip is the thing. They may specify something like 6 turns, but 5 or 7 ought to work then. If the wrap is not about the shaft but instead another wheel, then I still think it is more a matter of route than turns.

[km6xz]

The tuning knob shaft is opposite so the sliderule dial moves in the down direction when turning in the up direction. So just rewind the cord so the cord coming from across the face plate enters on the top of the shaft and exits on the bottom of the shaft. The tuning capacitor large wheel will have 2 turns. If you are replacing the cord, you need to have a fiber string so you have enough traction of the tuning knob shaft will just spin without completing the travel. You can add a bit of rosin to the string to allow better grip. Some cords were impregnated with wax for that purpose. The length of the string is important to allow the tension spring to be about 1/3rd stretched when not against either direction stop.

[guitardad]

Yes I found that out the hard way. Got the unit working the tuning was not in line with the markers. Had to wrap the opposite direction from the tuning gang to get it right. Figures.... anything 50/50 and I don't often come up on the win side.

I figured on 2 turns on the tuning gang wheel after my initial attempt only swung the dial half way. I ordered some cord on line and it was more of a twine. I put wax on that and everything was smooth. I just have a feeling the stuff I bought won't last long. Dial cord is usually pretty dense compare to what this stuff was. At least it all works now. Had to fix the changer too. On /OFF /Auto dial for the changer wasn't working in the Auto position. Missing spring and some phono lube. Been a long time since I worked on this stuff. Family piece so they should be happy.