1953 Viking 53-130

Make: Viking
Model: 53-130
Year: 1953
Description: Console Radio-Phonograph Unit
Origin: Canada
Date of Restoration: December 2024

 

Customer delivered this to me and asked for full restoration of the electronics and the turntable. They mentioned that they plugged it in and noted an “electrical smell”
Chassis top extremely dusty; pilot lamps burned out, 4 out of 6 tubes were bad.
Replaced all capacitors, and 14 bad resistors. Cleaned and lubricated moving parts and contacts, then powered up. Smoke came out of the output transformer. Tested and found primary winding had finally burned out. This was the smell the customer talked about. A replacement transformer was temporarily connected, and worked fine, with no sign of overheating, so then was permanently installed.
The Webster-Chicago 114-31 turntable had some issues: Arm rest was detached, cartridge mount was loose, speed change label loose, rubber mounts for the tone-arm and motor were all badly deteriorated.
These were all repaired/replaced. Motor would stop about 5 seconds after startup. This was traced to a bad motor switch, actuated by the tone arm. This was opened up, and the contacts, which were faulty, were cleaned up with fine emery paper and De-Ox-It, for a successful repair.
Motor was disassembled, cleaned, lubricated and re-assembled. This looks like it was a 60 Hz replacement from an original 25 Hz motor. The variable reluctance cartridge was good, as were the styli.
All mechanical parts were cleaned and lubricated. The idler wheel was in good condition.
A Bluetooth unit and power supply were constructed at the request of the customer.
This was a 17 hour project.

Images-click on thumbnail for full view:

Finished Unit
Front View

Viking_53-130_Front_View

Front View
Cover Opened

Viking_53-130_Front_View-Lid-Open

Chassis Front
Dial Close-Up

Viking_53-130_Dial_Closeup

Chassis
Top View

Viking_53-130_Dial_Closeup

Chassis
Right Side

Viking_53-130_Chassis_Right_View

Chassis
Left Side

Viking_53-130_Chassis_Left_View

Chassis
Underside

Viking 53-130 Chassis-Underside

Webster 114 Turntable
As Found

Viking_53-130_Turntable-As-Found

Tone Arm
Bad Rubber Mounts

Viking_53-130_Tone-Arm-Bad-Rubber-Mounts