Has anyone ever found a way to soften a stiff resistance line cord? The internal wire covering has become brittle and I can hear it crackling when flexing. It would still be useful if it was bendable. I hate throwing out a new curtain burner.

Dale

Dale

There are chemicals that will soften a resistance line cord but they don't stay that way. A little while later you hear the crackling again. Believe under the cloth covered cords wires are in rubber insulation. Like rubber wire in old radios it cracks and breaks up. Even NOS resistor line cords have this problem.

Might check this site for alternatives to these line cords:

http://www.vintage-radio.com/repair-res ... calcs.html

I certainly wouldn't throw out the radio, but there's no way in the world that you should be using a resistance line cord, NOS, soft, brittle, etc. Use a regular cord and a series cap to reduce the voltage to the required levels.

Brett

Thanks Brett and Norm..I'm with both of you, but I have restored a 1932 Kadette pocket radio and need a "resistance line cord" for reality sake. I have used the capacitor/diode/resistor procedure many times, but there is no room in the cabinet for the large voltage drop, over 100 volts. My plan was to make up something to keep the set looking original with the line cord plugged in.

Cheers, Dale

Years ago I found a length of 4-conductor cloth covered cable and made up a power cord that didn't require any modification to the radio itself. Used a small box at the wall plug end with a transformer for reducing filament voltage to the correct amount, thus no heat. It was only a little bigger than the wall transformers we see everywhere today.

That may be the best direction to go in. There are vendors who still sell cloth covered multi conductor cable.

I seem to recall someone last year made their own resistance line cord using a resistance wire encased in the line cord. Might be worth searching for it.

I found this article on the web, the guy built an entire line cord, and it looks awesome.

http://cool386.tripod.com/linecord/linecord.html

It is so easy to use a capacitor, why bother with recreating a bad design which is a hazard? If a motor capacitor will not fit, film capacitors can be assembled to make the needed value.

The particular radio in question is so physically small for its time, and the original tubes and components totally fill the case, that there is no room to add any combination of film type caps inside.

Any modification to the set would have to be external; or any possible way to provide the correct filament voltage coming in at the power connector.

Dennis: I love your idea of using a 4 conductor cable with a box at the plug end with filament power. Many thanks for all the answers.

Dale