Fun, Interesting, Bizarre, and GROSS Things Found in Old Radios
I find strange and interesting things all the time inside old radios
These old radios have been stored in garages, basements, attics, and sheds for decades.
I don't know why I feel the need to share these. It's just too random, unexpected, and weird to keep to myself.
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GROSS
On Niv, 11, 2024:
Grandma was a smoker. I wonder what her lungs look like!
There were bunch of cigarette burns on top which took a long time to polish out!
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On Aug 27, 2024:
Check out this old penny I found in a 1946 Philco 46-421. It is a wheat penny from 1934.
After quick research, I discover this coin may be worth something. Some coins like this have sold on Ebay for several hundred dollars! It does not have a mint stamp. I am not a numismatist. But, my mother collected coins throughout my childhood. I remember she used these old Kodak 35mm film canisters for different coins.
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INTERESTING
On Aug 22, 2024:
It's not often you see a factory inspection tag on a radio that's almost 80 years old. Usually, these tags were thrown out long ago by previous owners. This tag was still attached to the power cord on a 1952 General Electric Model 522.
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On April 8, 2024:
FUN
I found this little guy in an old radio recently. I'll call him Scottie.
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On Mar 21, 2024:
INTERESTING
This radio looks like it was in a house fire. It has evidence of being hosed down by the fire department. The insides were covered in inky soot. It smelled smokey. Surprisingly, the radio worked as soon as I turned it on. The clock needed cleaning but it too worked!
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On Jan 23, 2024:
BIZARRE
Here's a head scratcher. What would cause this?
Black residue deposit. Came off with Acetone. Not gummy or sticky like radio was kept in a greasy kitchen.
Doesn't seem like exposure to heat, because underneath paper wax capacitors were not melted. Speaker was intact so doesn't look like exposure to water. Doesn't look like tobacco because that usually looks brown.
Even more surprising, this radio worked as soon as I turned it on.
By the way, these Arvin 951's really sound great.
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On Sept 19, 2023
GROSS
Look at this lovely mouse nest inside an old Zenith. Amazing thing is the radio worked great after a little cleaning up. One of the IFTs was shot because all the moisture froze one of the tuning slugs.
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On Feb 5, 2023
BIZARRE
If you ever need a good reason not to plug in old electronics before it's been properly serviced, here it is.
This paper and wax capacitor exploded under the chassis. See how the end is blown apart in ribbons? A short circuit within the component caused beeswax to heat up, causing high pressure that blew the foil out one end.
I did not unravel this capacitor. This was how I found it under the chassis, which is pretty unbelievable considering how fully unraveled it is.
Here's close up view of the end that blew out.
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On June 26, 2022
GROSS
What is this?
Mouse nest?
Bird's nest?
Yuck
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On Feb 10, 2022,
GROSS
Nest of old termites or ants or something. This ball of dirt was encrusted around a dogbone resistor. Once chiseled off, turn on. I amazed the radio started working!
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On Oct 5, 2021,
INTERESTING
The world's cruddiest old dried out cord. Pretty amazing this thing was not cut off and thrown out years ago. No, I did not try plugging it in.
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On June 30, 2021,
GROSS
Looks like remains of termite, hornet, or some other insect nest. There was a caking of gritty dust all over the chassis.
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On May 28, 2021
GROSS
I found these mice in an old Farnsworth. See the nest made out of an old green scour pad?
More to come...