Category: Blog

Many older cars that were originally designed for 6 volt systems have been changed to 12 volt systems. Although many of the electrical components in your car can be easily changed to 12 volts, instrument gauges cannot be easily modified. Early street rodders and customizers used resistors to reduce the voltage to the gauges. While resistors can protect the gauge from overvoltage, they limit the accuracy. A gauge regulator provides a constant voltage to the gauge regardless of the engine speed or sending unit load. The GR-1 gauge regulator is designed to mount directly on the terminal on the back of the gauge. They are easier to install than resistors, and are priced competitively. Their reliability has been proved on thousands of vehicles and like all of our products is backed with a one year warranty – beware of imitations!

GR-1 Gauge Voltage Regulator

The GR-1 Gauge Voltage Regulator is designed to provide the proper voltage source to Fuel, Temperature, and other similar gauges that were designed for 6 volt systems, but are now to operating in 12 volt negative ground systems. It is not intended for Amp meters or Tachometers. The GR-1 features include small size, ease of installation, high reliability, and tight regulation which will give your gauges a degree of accuracy which is superior to the original unregulated system. Each GR-1 will operate one gauge. If your car has several gauges, you will need one for each. Amp meters work on current, and are not voltage dependent. They will function correctly on 6 or 12 volt, but if your car was originally positive ground, you will have to reverse the terminals on your amp meter to make it read correctly on negative ground.

The Antique Automobile radio GR-1 Gauge Voltage Regulator is now available exclusively from the following dealer. Please contact them for more information.

Fifth Ave Antique Auto Parts
415 Court Street
Clay Center, KS 67432, U.S.A.
Phone: (785) 632 3450
E-mail: fifthave@oz-online.net
www.fifthaveinternetgarage.com

Restoring and maintaining vintage car radios is a unique challenge that combines nostalgia with technical precision. One essential component in these classic radios is the vibrator, which converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) for powering the radio’s circuitry. Over the years, mechanical vibrators have largely been replaced by modern solid-state alternatives, offering significant benefits in reliability and performance. This blog post delves into the differences between these technologies and provides critical insights for enthusiasts and restorers.

• Mechanical vibrators use points similar to those used in ignition systems of older cars. These points are subject to wear, pitting, and oxidization. Solid State vibrators switch electrical current with transistors similar to modern automobile ignition systems. While mechanical points have a life of about 100 million operations, transistors can operate reliably at 1 million operations per second for years!
• Mechanical vibrators got their name from the metal armature that vibrates in proximity to an electro-magnet to open and close the points. The HUM you hear when your radio is operating is a direct result of this action. Solid State vibrators have no moving parts – they’re absolutely silent in operation.
• With few exceptions, mechanical vibrators have not been manufactured for more than 30 years. The New-Old-Stock that remains is affected by aging. A large percentage of NOS vibrators will not operate properly due to oxidization of the points, and/or deteriorating rubber that insulates the mechanism from the can. The Solid State vibrators in our catalog are state-of-the-art technology, packaged in metal cans with base styles to exactly duplicate in form, fit, and function nearly every type of vibrator used in US “factory” automobile radios since their invention in 1932. We also make vibrators to fit most Becker, Blaupunkt and other European radios, and some Australian types.

Things to Remember About Solid State Vibrators

• Unlike mechanical vibrators, Solid State vibrators are polarity sensitive. All of our vibrators use a suffix after the part number that designates the vibrator for use in a Positive or Negative ground electrical system. The Antique Automobile Radio Automobile Battery Grounding Chart shows the proper ground polarity for all major US automakers from 1932-1957. If you are not sure of your vehicle ground polarity, please check which terminal of your battery is connected directly to the engine block or car body.
• A Solid State vibrator will not fix an otherwise “broke” radio. Nothing can compensate for shorted buffer condensers, deteriorated electrolytic capacitors, or other ailments common to 40 or 50 year old radios. If you want to try a Solid State vibrator because mechanical vibrators keep burning up in your radio, it would be a good idea to first have the radio checked out for shorts in the B+ circuits. Rule of Thumb: 6 volt radios should draw approx. 1 amp per tube, not counting the rectifier. 12-volt radios that use a vibrator should draw about .5 amp per tube excluding the rectifier.
• Whether you use a Solid State or mechanical vibrator, both the radio manufacturer and the vibrator manufacturer recommend that you replace the buffer condenser each time you replace the vibrator. Note: In some synchronous vibrators, the buffer is built into the vibrator.
• Solid State vibrators cannot be tested with an ohmmeter or with a conventional vibrator tester. All of their parameters are tested during and after manufacture, and must meet exacting standards. Field testing should be done by installing the vibrator in a radio known to be in good working order, and of the proper polarity.
• Do not operate your radio directly from a battery charger. Never install a 6-volt radio in a car with an 8-volt battery without a reducer. While the above practices probably will not damage the vibrator, either can destroy other parts of the radio in a very short time.