Weather Alert Radio – Four-inch square box . . .

[Stan Shankman]

Greetings all,

I have this weather alert radio. It’s approximately four inches square.

It has no name on it, but it just may be a Radio Shack unit – I don’t know.
(It certainly looks similar to some I recall seeing at Radio Shack a few years back.)

If you look at the speaker side of the cube, you will see:

One volume control, and one pull-up antenna.

With the antenna in the down position, it looks a lot like just another knob.
(but is chrome in color)
In fact, I had to play with it for a while until I eventually figured out that it was in fact just a pull-up antenna.

Surprisingly, the case is made of wood. And the “guts” are removable by simply removing one screw in the back.

The unit has one slide-switch on the back (next to the screw I just mentioned).
The slide-switch selects the channel. (Yeah, apparently there are only two channels.)

Anyway, the unit seems to want to work.
If I put the switch in a certain position, I can hear the weather report with a very clean (full quieting) voice. But the volume is
very low. (Very, very low in fact.)

My first thought would be that the audio amplifier is simply dead.
But then once in a while, a weather alert is issued, and it makes a loud siren type sound.
And since I believe the unit only has one audio amplifier,
I’m figuring that the audio amplifier is in fact okay.

So, I’m guessing that some internal squelch is in play.

But, since I have no manual, and thus no real knowledge of how the unit was expected to work, I can’t say for certain that it has a
squelch circuit.

So, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, what I’m searching for is a schematic or users manual or whatever.

Does anyone know about this unit?

Thanks all,

- Stan Shankman

 

[Robert Baer]

Stan Shankman wrote:

Greetings all,

I have this weather alert radio. It’s approximately four inches square.

It has no name on it, but it just may be a Radio Shack unit – I don’t know.
(It certainly looks similar to some I recall seeing at Radio Shack a few years back.)

If you look at the speaker side of the cube, you will see:

One volume control, and one pull-up antenna.

With the antenna in the down position, it looks a lot like just another knob.
(but is chrome in color)
In fact, I had to play with it for a while until I eventually figured out that it was in fact just a pull-up antenna.

Surprisingly, the case is made of wood. And the “guts” are removable by simply removing one screw in the back.

The unit has one slide-switch on the back (next to the screw I just mentioned).
The slide-switch selects the channel. (Yeah, apparently there are only two channels.)

Anyway, the unit seems to want to work.
If I put the switch in a certain position, I can hear the weather report with a very clean (full quieting) voice. But the volume is
very low. (Very, very low in fact.)

My first thought would be that the audio amplifier is simply dead.
But then once in a while, a weather alert is issued, and it makes a loud siren type sound.
And since I believe the unit only has one audio amplifier,
I’m figuring that the audio amplifier is in fact okay.

So, I’m guessing that some internal squelch is in play.

But, since I have no manual, and thus no real knowledge of how the unit was expected to work, I can’t say for certain that it has a
squelch circuit.

So, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, what I’m searching for is a schematic or users manual or whatever.

Does anyone know about this unit?

Thanks all,

- Stan Shankman

I had one of those for quite a while (and still have it.
It is a Realistic WeatherRadio model 12-1818 (Radio Shack) unit; but
*not* wood - a simulated wood grain on a black plastic case.
A cream colored pushbar turns it on and off.
It has two knobs on the bottom: volume and tuning (162.40 to 162.55
Mhz) and there is no squelch, so noise is heard when there is no
transmission.
AFAIK no manual beyond the "users manual" was ever available, and that
was of no real use.

 

[SB]

Does the existing volume knob do anything??
Sure the volume level is quite low....but will it get lower by turning down
the knob?
(Just wondering if the volume cct is working)


"Stan Shankman" <stantheman@visi.com> wrote in message
news:405c2eab$0$175$a1866201@authen.newsreader.visi.com...

Greetings all,

I have this weather alert radio. It's approximately four inches square.

It has no name on it, but it just may be a Radio Shack unit - I don't
know.
(It certainly looks similar to some I recall seeing at Radio Shack a few
years back.)

If you look at the speaker side of the cube, you will see:

One volume control, and one pull-up antenna.

With the antenna in the down position, it looks a lot like just another
knob.
(but is chrome in color)
In fact, I had to play with it for a while until I eventually figured out
that it was in fact just a pull-up antenna.

Surprisingly, the case is made of wood. And the "guts" are removable by
simply removing one screw in the back.

The unit has one slide-switch on the back (next to the screw I just
mentioned).
The slide-switch selects the channel. (Yeah, apparently there are only two
channels.)

Anyway, the unit seems to want to work.
If I put the switch in a certain position, I can hear the weather report
with a very clean (full quieting) voice. But the volume is
very low. (Very, very low in fact.)

My first thought would be that the audio amplifier is simply dead.
But then once in a while, a weather alert is issued, and it makes a loud
siren type sound.
And since I believe the unit only has one audio amplifier,
I'm figuring that the audio amplifier is in fact okay.

So, I'm guessing that some internal squelch is in play.

But, since I have no manual, and thus no real knowledge of how the unit
was expected to work, I can't say for certain that it has a
squelch circuit.

So, in case you haven't figured it out yet, what I'm searching for is a
schematic or users manual or whatever.

Does anyone know about this unit?

Thanks all,

- Stan Shankman

 

[Stan Shankman]

Stan Shankman wrote:

Greetings all,

I have this weather alert radio. It's approximately four inches square.

It has no name on it, but it just may be a Radio Shack unit - I don't know.
(It certainly looks similar to some I recall seeing at Radio Shack a few years back.)

If you look at the speaker side of the cube, you will see:

One volume control, and one pull-up antenna.

With the antenna in the down position, it looks a lot like just another knob.
(but is chrome in color)
In fact, I had to play with it for a while until I eventually figured out that it was in fact just a pull-up antenna.

Surprisingly, the case is made of wood. And the "guts" are removable by simply removing one screw in the back.

The unit has one slide-switch on the back (next to the screw I just mentioned).
The slide-switch selects the channel. (Yeah, apparently there are only two channels.)

Anyway, the unit seems to want to work.
If I put the switch in a certain position, I can hear the weather report with a very clean (full quieting) voice. But the volume
is
very low. (Very, very low in fact.)

My first thought would be that the audio amplifier is simply dead.
But then once in a while, a weather alert is issued, and it makes a loud siren type sound.
And since I believe the unit only has one audio amplifier,
I'm figuring that the audio amplifier is in fact okay.

So, I'm guessing that some internal squelch is in play.

But, since I have no manual, and thus no real knowledge of how the unit was expected to work, I can't say for certain that it
has a
squelch circuit.

So, in case you haven't figured it out yet, what I'm searching for is a schematic or users manual or whatever.

Does anyone know about this unit?

Thanks all,

- Stan Shankman

I had one of those for quite a while (and still have it.
It is a Realistic WeatherRadio model 12-1818 (Radio Shack) unit; but
*not* wood - a simulated wood grain on a black plastic case.
A cream colored pushbar turns it on and off.
It has two knobs on the bottom: volume and tuning (162.40 to 162.55
Mhz) and there is no squelch, so noise is heard when there is no
transmission.
AFAIK no manual beyond the "users manual" was ever available, and that
was of no real use.

Robert,
Well, from what you've said, my radio is not the same as the Radio Shack 12-1818.
My radio really does have a wooden case.
And the only two controls it has are volume and a channel selector switch on the bottom.
Maybe my radio is a Radio Shack, but just an older model. I don't know.
Does your radio have an alarm? If so, what does it sound like?

I have had one additional thought:
It could be that what I have been hearing (and interpreting as an alarm) is in fact just a faulty audio amplifier.
Like say a stage that has its bias so far off, that the transistor in question is completely outside of its compliance range. -
A situation that could be brought about by, say, a leaky capacitor.
Then - continuing along with this same scenario -
the audio stage sporadically breaks into momentary oscillation and that is what I'm hearing and misinterpreting as being an alarm.
In fact, and on second look, I don't see anyplace where it claims to be an "alert radio".
So maybe it has no alarm and is just a simple weather radio.

If I look at the circuit board, I see that it's done in that old style where most of the parts, like resistors, are standing on end.
You know, with one of their wires cut short and soldered directly to the board, and their other wire longer and bent over,
in a "U" shape, and then soldered. In my opinion, this form of construction makes the board very serviceable.
Maybe I should just take an ohmmeter and measure the resistance of each capacitor. Who knows, I might get lucky.

It's not really worth fiddling with all that much. It's just that I came across it, and what with its one screw access and all,
I thought I would just have a go at fixing it.
Newsgroups sometimes come through with things like schematics.
Anyway, it never hurts to ask.

Oh, and thanks a lot for the reply,

- Stan Shankman

 

[Stan Shankman]

Does the existing volume knob do anything??
Sure the volume level is quite low....but will it get lower by turning down
the knob?
(Just wondering if the volume cct is working)

The volume control is completely dead. No snap, crackle or pop.
Not a sound when it is turned.

 

[SB]

I thought you said the sound out of the radio was quite low?!?!
So does the volume knob do nothing except allow itself to be turned?

I don't know the old radios well, crack it open and see if it's a Pully knob
rig. The wire/band/belt might have broken.


"Stan Shankman" <stantheman@visi.com> wrote in message
news:405e16db$0$168$a1866201@authen.newsreader.visi.com...

Does the existing volume knob do anything??
Sure the volume level is quite low....but will it get lower by turning
down
the knob?
(Just wondering if the volume cct is working)


The volume control is completely dead. No snap, crackle or pop.
Not a sound when it is turned.

 

[Stan Shankman]

I thought you said the sound out of the radio was quite low?!?!

I did say that. And yes, the sound is very very low (except when it "alarms", then it is very loud).

So does the volume knob do nothing except allow itself to be turned?

That's right, the volume pot does nothing.

I don't know the old radios well, crack it open and see if it's a Pully knob
rig. The wire/band/belt might have broken.

I have looked. The volume pot has its shaft sticking directly through the panel - with no wire or band or belt - and the pot "feels"
fine, but has no effect - not even on the alarm sound.

 

[Robert Baer]

Stan Shankman wrote:

Stan Shankman wrote:

Greetings all,

I have this weather alert radio. It's approximately four inches square.

It has no name on it, but it just may be a Radio Shack unit - I don't know.
(It certainly looks similar to some I recall seeing at Radio Shack a few years back.)

If you look at the speaker side of the cube, you will see:

One volume control, and one pull-up antenna.

With the antenna in the down position, it looks a lot like just another knob.
(but is chrome in color)
In fact, I had to play with it for a while until I eventually figured out that it was in fact just a pull-up antenna.

Surprisingly, the case is made of wood. And the "guts" are removable by simply removing one screw in the back.

The unit has one slide-switch on the back (next to the screw I just mentioned).
The slide-switch selects the channel. (Yeah, apparently there are only two channels.)

Anyway, the unit seems to want to work.
If I put the switch in a certain position, I can hear the weather report with a very clean (full quieting) voice. But the volume
is
very low. (Very, very low in fact.)

My first thought would be that the audio amplifier is simply dead.
But then once in a while, a weather alert is issued, and it makes a loud siren type sound.
And since I believe the unit only has one audio amplifier,
I'm figuring that the audio amplifier is in fact okay.

So, I'm guessing that some internal squelch is in play.

But, since I have no manual, and thus no real knowledge of how the unit was expected to work, I can't say for certain that it
has a
squelch circuit.

So, in case you haven't figured it out yet, what I'm searching for is a schematic or users manual or whatever.

Does anyone know about this unit?

Thanks all,

- Stan Shankman

I had one of those for quite a while (and still have it.
It is a Realistic WeatherRadio model 12-1818 (Radio Shack) unit; but
*not* wood - a simulated wood grain on a black plastic case.
A cream colored pushbar turns it on and off.
It has two knobs on the bottom: volume and tuning (162.40 to 162.55
Mhz) and there is no squelch, so noise is heard when there is no
transmission.
AFAIK no manual beyond the "users manual" was ever available, and that
was of no real use.

Robert,
Well, from what you've said, my radio is not the same as the Radio Shack 12-1818.
My radio really does have a wooden case.
And the only two controls it has are volume and a channel selector switch on the bottom.
Maybe my radio is a Radio Shack, but just an older model. I don't know.
Does your radio have an alarm? If so, what does it sound like?

I have had one additional thought:
It could be that what I have been hearing (and interpreting as an alarm) is in fact just a faulty audio amplifier.
Like say a stage that has its bias so far off, that the transistor in question is completely outside of its compliance range. -
A situation that could be brought about by, say, a leaky capacitor.
Then - continuing along with this same scenario -
the audio stage sporadically breaks into momentary oscillation and that is what I'm hearing and misinterpreting as being an alarm.
In fact, and on second look, I don't see anyplace where it claims to be an "alert radio".
So maybe it has no alarm and is just a simple weather radio.

If I look at the circuit board, I see that it's done in that old style where most of the parts, like resistors, are standing on end.
You know, with one of their wires cut short and soldered directly to the board, and their other wire longer and bent over,
in a "U" shape, and then soldered. In my opinion, this form of construction makes the board very serviceable.
Maybe I should just take an ohmmeter and measure the resistance of each capacitor. Who knows, I might get lucky.

It's not really worth fiddling with all that much. It's just that I came across it, and what with its one screw access and all,
I thought I would just have a go at fixing it.
Newsgroups sometimes come through with things like schematics.
Anyway, it never hurts to ask.

Oh, and thanks a lot for the reply,

- Stan Shankman

No "alarm" function; i suspect that yours is oscillating.
And a switch for a channel selector makes no sense; weather channels
vary according to where in the US one is, so tuning (like mine has)
makes a weather radio useable thruout the US; a switch can severly limit
the area of useability.