All closed body Rocknes factory wired for radio?

[rockne10]

I guess I am about to find out! It's my understanding, and I hope someone can correct or confirm, the wire mesh in the roof acts as an antenna, and "wired for radio" indicates there is a lead that must thread through the "A" pillar; so adding a radio should only require the addition of a power lead and a ground.
I've looked in to the "A" pillar to no avail. Could it perhaps be hidden elsewhere?
I have a correct Philco Model 817 radio on the way, but I'm also certain I will be in need of the sort of sorcery available from someone like Radio Roy!

[Bud]

The wire mesh on the roof is the antenna for the earlier radios. If the radio hasn't been rebuilt, then the possibility of it working isn't good. Parts such as the capacitors and some of the resistors will have to be replaced along with the vibrator. The good news is that the tubes are probably good. Bud

[rockne10]

If the radio hasn't been rebuilt, then the possibility of it working isn't good.

I have no illusions about it working as is.

[Bud]

I've had a few people ask me to repair a radio or other piece of electronic equipment that is 50+ years old and when I tell them that a simple tube or other small part replacement isn't going to get their radio into good working order, they aren't too happy as they believe they have been ripped off by the seller of the unit or I don't know what I'm talking about. Fortunately most people believe me when I tell them what is necessary to get their radio or other electronic device back into good working condition. Bud

[Corvanti]

I have no illusions about it working as is.

"sounds" like the radio needs a trip to Radio Roy! while there, get the internals upgraded.

as far as the antenna in the roof, i wouldn't bother. a "hidden" antenna somewhere - maybe behind the dash - would work better. either way, i'm sure you'd have to get resistors, etc. to silence the engine noise.

[RadioRoy]

Did you look in both A pillars? The right side as well as the left?

[rockne10]

Roy, you have assigned me a new task!
So I take it you haven't dealt with any this old?

[Bud]

If I remember correctly and it has been a while since I've worked on a radio that old that the antenna lead is an unshielded wire that runs up through the A pillar soldered is soldered to the mesh under the top. The newer style antennas with the Motorola type plug and shielded cable isn't the best match to the very old auto radios as the antenna connection to the radio is different and the radio's RF circuit was designed to work with the mesh type antenna. Bud

[Bud]

I just pulled the service information for the Philco Model 817 radio and it shows that the radio can be used in several different installations. The radio can be connected to the mesh, an under running board antenna or an external antenna. The service info is in book 7 of the Riders Perpetual Trouble Shooters Manual dating from 1939. Bud

[jclary]

'Cept for the little thing I have never understood about impedance matching, wiring for an automotive radio couldn't be too complicated could it? One power wire for the radio, and another wire for the antennae. Common chassis ground. I believe I could wire one up, and keep the wires hidden outta sight. Even if an improvised antennae were not properly tuned...some antennae should be better than none.

[Bud]

Some sort of an antenna is better than none but the radio will not have the best sensitivity due to the mismatch in the radio frequency section of the radio. The radio RF section can be adjusted to offset some of the mismatch but usually not all of it. The use of the correct antenna matched to the radio is the best way to do things. Bud

[RadioRoy]

Roy, you have assigned me a new task!
So I take it you haven't dealt with any this old?

I have worked on ones this old, but sometimes/often they do not perform as well as newer units. 33 is only the second year or so of car radios and they were still figuring out how to deal with electrical noise generated by spark plug wires, generator, static, tires, wheel bearings, and such. The 36 Ford Phaeton used the steel cover on the spare tire as an antenna and ran the antenna wire all the way forward to the radio. Very noisy. That radio had a signal inverter to cancel out some of the noise. It's all a moot point with FM, which is naturally immune to noise.

The antennas that ran under the running boards don't work all that well, either. The chicken wire in the roof is best for this radio if it does not touch ground. If anyone (usually an upholsterer) has re-roofed your car, they might not have known to not ground the chicken wire and they might have even removed the lead in wire. You will have to test for that once/if you find the lead-in wire.

[RadioRoy]

'Cept for the little thing I have never understood about impedance matching, wiring for an automotive radio couldn't be too complicated could it? One power wire for the radio, and another wire for the antennae. Common chassis ground. I believe I could wire one up, and keep the wires hidden outta sight. Even if an improvised antennae were not properly tuned...some antennae should be better than none.

It's about maximum transfer of signal. Very important when seeking to minimize extraneous noise and maximize signal from weak/distant stations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impedance_matching

[rockne10]

The chicken wire in the roof is best for this radio if it does not touch ground. If anyone (usually an upholsterer) has re-roofed your car, they might not have known to not ground the chicken wire and they might have even removed the lead in wire.

I thought I read somewhere the roof wire antenna, being at the highest elevation, was the best at that time. I'm led to believe, since the car went in to storage in 1958, it has never been re-roofed. In fact, that's the one refurbishment that would encourage me to drive it in wet weather. There are a few Rocknes in the world that can justly claim to have never been tinkered with. This is one of those.

[jclary]

It's about maximum transfer of signal. Very important when seeking to minimize extraneous noise and maximize signal from weak/distant stations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impedance_matching

Extraneous Noise?????...Is that like, when you are riding down the road, and suddenly you hear..."Honey, pull in here, there's a shoe sale today!"...or, "Stop here, I need some cake mix, a loaf of bread, & gallon of milk!" (An hour & half later, exit the store with two full grocery carts.)