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  • Radio help

    I drive a '54 that has a GM drive train and 12v electrical system. The car is noisy and goes like....well, you know. I would like to install a stock 6v radio in the car. Anyone done this before? Would appreciate some ideas on how to go about doing this. Thanks!

  • #2
    I have done the opposite with an invertor/convertor. Remember that besides going from 12 Volt to 6 Volt, you will need to go from negative ground to positive ground. This can also be done by isolating the chassis, but that is not easy to do.

    Gary L.
    Wappinger, NY

    SDC member since 1968
    Studebaker enthusiast much longer
    Gary L.
    Wappinger, NY

    SDC member since 1968
    Studebaker enthusiast much longer

    Comment


    • #3
      Ed,
      Welcome to the Forum!

      If I had Randy Rundle's "Official 12-Volt Conversion Guide" I could paraphrase what you need to do. I could not quote it since it is copyrighted. You could check with Randy. Sounds like you have already done all the hard part. www.fifthaveinternetgarage.comhttp://www.rediscoveradio.com/


      Brad Johnson
      Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
      '33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight, '53 Commander Starlight
      Brad Johnson,
      SDC since 1975, ASC since 1990
      Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
      '33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight. '53 Commander Starlight
      '56 Sky Hawk in process

      Comment


      • #4
        Well, the simplest way to do it, not necessarily the best way, is to simply use a suitable voltage dropping resistor in line with the power lead to the radio. To choose the correct value of resistor, you would power up the radio on six volts, and measure the current drain once it's warmed up. Use Ohm's Law to calculate the effective resistance of the radio, and then purchase a resistor of the same value with suitable power dissipation rating.

        Example: your radio draws 6 amps from a 6 volt source. Power=ExI=36 watts. Resistance=E/I=6/6=1 ohm. So you'd need a 1 ohm, 36 (or greater) watt resistor. A resistor of greater power rating will be bigger physically, and run cooler. The radio PLUS RESISTOR will draw 6 amps from a 12 volt source. That's 72 watts, half of which is wasted as heat in the resistor.

        That's the old-school way it was done, and it works, but it's not ideal, as the load presented by the radio varies as it warms up. Outfits like J.C. Whitney used to sell ceramic block resistors with an adjustable tap to set the correct value. This item is about the size of the old Mopar electronic ignition module, and it gets warm, too.

        There are two alternatives that I'd choose over the above. First would be to have a radio tech convert you radio to use 12 volt tubes and a solid-state vibrator set up for negative-ground operation. The radio would play exactly as it did when new, but would be set up to use a 12 volt, negative-ground source.

        Second alternative would be to send you radio out to one of the shops that does a solid-state AM/FM conversion. The dial and faceplate are not altered in any way. To switch between bands, you simply turn off and on again. You'll have to remember which markings on the AM dial match your favorite FM stations, or use the preset buttons, if your radio is so equipped. This conversion actually makes use of the original tuning coils in your radio; they are "read" electronically by the circuitry within the conversion unit, and its receiver is tuned accordingly, so the preset pushbuttons all work.

        The first alternative is for those who want that "vacuum tube sound" with an updated 12 volt system; they second is for those who want the original look, but with FM capabilities.

        Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands
        Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

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