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This Hints & Kinks page is where CHRS members can post short articles with hints & kinks & special techniques about how to restore and repair vintage electronics.  Please send your text, pictures, and videos to Director Thomas Bonomo, who will format and post your information.  Easy!

 

INTERNATIONAL RADIO RESTORATION CONTEST SPONSORED BY THE QUEBEC ANTIQUE RADIO SOCIETY

Gilles Vrignaud will be the CHRS Judge and contest liaison. Please contact Gilles for more information.

Dear fellow CHRS members,

We have been invited to participate in a worldwide restoration contest, sponsored by the Société Québécoise Collectioneurs de Radio Anciens (SQCRA) Based in Quebec, Canada.

This enthusiastic group of collectors has held a local contest for the past 9 years where members take a basket case radio and in a one year period they restore it cosmetically and functionally to its former glory.

SQCRA is now offering to share their experience with other clubs. To date they have signed the following clubs:

  • Antique Wireless Association Rochester
  • Delaware Valley Historic Radio Club
  • CHRS
  • New Zealand Vintage Radio Society

The contest period is one calendar year, beginning February 1, 2012, and ending on January 31, 2013. Late entries are acceptable, but work must be documented by the end date.

Each participating club will supply a judge, who cannot be a contestant. Judging is done in February according to a pre-determined list of criteria (see below).

The judges have to fill an evaluation form that contains the participant’s name, his club, his radio’s brand and its model. Eight main criteria are used in the evaluation. Each criteria is scaled from 0 to 10, 0 being the worst and 10 being perfect. The sum of all the points determines the winner.

Previously completed and fully documented radios are also eligible, but only one entry per contestant

To enter all you need to do is to provide (at minimum) three photos of the “before” condition:

  • Exterior cabinet view
  • Rear chassis view
  • Under chassis view
  • A description of the conditions and challenges faced.

When the restoration is finished, the contestant supplies photos of the “after” condition and text describing the steps taken in .pdf format. The more complete the descriptions, the more chance of points being earned.

Since the radios presented are not all at the same level of disrepair, points are given for the level of difficulty; for example if a mouse has chewed the oscillator coil and it has to be rewound, this represents a level of difficulty higher than simply replacing capacitors to return the circuit into operation.

Bonus points may be granted for a short (3 minutes or less) video/audio clip of the radio working.

All the participating clubs will judge each entry, and the totals will be tallied by SQCRA

The winner will be awarded a prize by each participating club, at the discretion of the club. Examples: 1 year subscription to the cub magazine, Club T shirt, really ratty basket case radio… For example, if 10 clubs participate, the winner will receive 10 assorted prizes!

Example of contest submission (PDF)