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icon5.gif  Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4759] Mon, 30 August 2004 13:28 Go to next message
Smoke1
Messages: 107
Registered: September 2003
Location: Southern Maryland Solomon...
Senior Member
I just remembered that I used to pick up AM radio stations thru my K200B 5 amp head? It hasn't happened for awhile and not since I installed the 3 prong grounded plug and 16 gauge power cable as specified in the replacement parts section 3 years ago. Though I have only taken the whole PA set out of the house maybe 3 times in 4 years. Maybe it's just because I'm down here in Sticksville away from the big cities that I don't pick up Radio signals anymore? Any one else had this problem in the past or info on this subject?



Smoke1 Plays Kustom Amps & Old Tube Amps Loud in S. Maryland
Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4760 is a reply to message #4759] Mon, 30 August 2004 18:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Van
Messages: 134
Registered: April 2004
Senior Member
My Kustom Combo organ used to pick up a local AM station.
Switching the polarity usually solved the problem.

Nothing worse than being set up for a gig and having Michael Jackson come blaring out of your organ! Shocked
Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4761 is a reply to message #4760] Mon, 30 August 2004 23:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rodak
Messages: 511
Registered: October 2001
Location: Georgia
Senior Member
Boy, that's bizarre. My Kombo picked up a radio station for a short time last night - first time I ever heard it do that. Then I see this topic posted, and the first reply is from a fellow (or ex-fellow, I guess) Kombo owner.

I'll try the polarity switch if it ever does it again.


www.combo-organ.com
Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4762 is a reply to message #4761] Tue, 31 August 2004 01:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Van
Messages: 134
Registered: April 2004
Senior Member
HA!
The other guys in the band used to rib me about it.
Wish I could remember! Laughing

I sold it back in '75 for $300.
Boy, what I could get for it today!!
icon5.gif  Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4763 is a reply to message #4760] Tue, 31 August 2004 06:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Smoke1
Messages: 107
Registered: September 2003
Location: Southern Maryland Solomon...
Senior Member
Confused Okay? I'm not knowing! Where is this polarity switch ? Do you mean the power toggle switch???

Smoke1 Plays Kustom Amps & Old Tube Amps Loud in S. Maryland
Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4764 is a reply to message #4759] Tue, 31 August 2004 07:18 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4728
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
Yes, thats is why it has two on positions.
icon6.gif  Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4765 is a reply to message #4764] Tue, 31 August 2004 07:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Smoke1
Messages: 107
Registered: September 2003
Location: Southern Maryland Solomon...
Senior Member
Thanks Steve, See your up early again, What if that doesn't stop it? I remember getting the radio signals in either switch position. I assume this is just one of those weird problems that we can't fix? I even went as far as trying longer extension power cords into different power outlets and that sometimes cured the problem. What else can we do about this or is this just the luck of the draw where the location is when you plug it in? Do you think the grounded wire power cable addition had anything to do with eliminating the rogue signals?

Smoke1 Plays Kustom Amps & Old Tube Amps Loud in S. Maryland
Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4766 is a reply to message #4765] Tue, 31 August 2004 23:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
RoyC is currently offline  RoyC
Messages: 97
Registered: April 2000
Location: East Central Illinois
Member
I used to have this issue all the time with a K150sc. I would pick up the most bizzare stuff - many times it was a foreign language evangelist - sometimes it was just poor quality music.

It seems the problem went away when I switched to using a guitar transmitter.

Sometimes the "radio-recieving" was hilarious - you'd finish up some heavy duty rock song, put the nice tight ending on it and - all of a sudden a foreign evangelist was raving at you.

And sometimes it wasn't hilarious.
Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4771 is a reply to message #4759] Thu, 02 September 2004 11:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
pleat is currently offline  pleat
Messages: 1452
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
I remember back in the 60's that a lot of amps would pick up AM radio's not only the kustoms. Back then coiled guitar cords were in vogue. We used to wrap the mic cables around the mic stands and created the perfect antenna for radio's. Once we stopped using the coil cords and wrapping the mic cords, am radio bleed in came to a stop. We used a kombo 1 organ back then but I don't remember the organ picking up stations. Maybe because we used a common point AC mains connection. One thought that comes to mind to correct the organ, is to remove the back and replace the single wire audio wire from the keyboard to the power amp that is in the bottom of the organ with a shielded cable. I was supprised to see the length of the audio wire to the power amp wasn't a shielded cable. I guess I would also run a shielded cable from the pre amp panel to the power amp as well.
Don
Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4772 is a reply to message #4771] Thu, 02 September 2004 15:11 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rodak
Messages: 511
Registered: October 2001
Location: Georgia
Senior Member
I was surprised to see that unshielded wire, too. Except for picking up radio that one time, it's been pretty quiet, though. I had plenty of other stuff to do last time I was in there (26 screws and a half-dozen wire nuts), so I never replaced that wire. Next time I'm in there, though, that'll definitely be on the list.

www.combo-organ.com
Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4773 is a reply to message #4759] Fri, 03 September 2004 07:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4728
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
Yea, all kustom amps use unsheilded wire from the preamp boards to the output driver, not a good thing for radio sheilding.In the metal face amps they used sheilding on the inputs but still left those preamp to driver lines the same.Most kustom preamps have the volume contol in about the middle of thr preamp stage, so any stray radio signals I would think would be picked up from those unsheilded preamp to driver runs.A cheap guitar cord can also be a pain.
Re: Radio Signal Pick Up [message #4797 is a reply to message #4765] Wed, 08 September 2004 11:40 Go to previous message
KustomBlues
Messages: 490
Registered: June 2001
Location: Michigan
Senior Member
Guys, put 3 wire power cords on all your gear. It solves weird noises, and keeps you all safe from getting fried. Cool
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