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Lion Cub Scout 2-Tube Radio Set

by Random73
October, 2014
When I was in Cub Scouts in early 1960s I wanted to make the 1tube and 2-tube radio sets described in the Bear and Lion
handbooks. I never did, but I also never forgot about them.
Here is a scan of the Lion handbook schematic diagram, from
http://www.peeblesoriginals.com;

I found only a handful of forum posts on internet that discuss


this project, but none said they had actually built it. One post
noted that there were some errors in the diagram;
James T. Hawes

Post subject: One step beyond the Bear radio


Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 2:02 am
Maybe some of you remember the Lion radio, too. My 1954 Lion book
included an upgrade to the Bear radio. The Lion radio included a 1U4
grid-leak detector and a 3Q4 power amplifier. Both tubes are pentodes.
The power amp could actually drive an output transformer and a
dynamic speaker.
Still, the wise Cub Scout built the 1S5 Bear radio. The Lion radio
drawings are full of booby traps.
As I examine the Lion schematic and pictorial today, I find several

errors: (1) The filament circuit is incomplete. (2) The schematic shows
the B battery backwards. (The battery on the pictorial connects the
right way. Go figure.) (3) Also on the schematic, the A battery polarity
is right, but the symbol is backwards. (4) The two grid resistors are a
thousand times too small.

James AA9DT
I have the following comments regarding Mr. Hawes numbered
remarks;
Remark 1; I disagree. The filament circuit is completed to
ground via pin 5 of the 1U4. Not shown in the schematic is the
fact that pin 5 is internally connected to pin 1, as well as the
suppressor grid.
Remark 2; I agree that the B battery schematic symbol, not
including the polarity marks, is backwards. I disagree with his
parenthetical remark, The battery on the pictorial connects the
right way. The B batterys polarity marks are reversed in the
pictorial.
Remark 3; I agree that the A battery schematic symbol, not
including the polarity marks, is drawn backwards.
Remark 4; I agree that the callouts of the two 3.3K (orangeorange-red) resistors should have instead been two 3.3M (orangeorange-green) resistors.
The battery symbol errors in the schematic are minor since the
polarity marks are correct relative to the circuit. So, really,
only the resistor callout errors would have affected the
successful performance of the circuit, unless the builder tries
to copy the pictorial layout shown in the handbook.
There were several errors in the layout pictorial, with the most
significant being the reversal of the polarity marks for the B
battery;

Another minor error in the handbook schematic diagram is the


missing notation of pin 1 of the 3Q4.

I redrew the schematic, with corrections;

In my experience 3V4s are more common than 3Q4s. The RCA Tube
Manual states that a 3Q4 is electrically identical to a 3V4.
Only their pinouts differ.
Here is the schematic redrawn, with 3V4 substituted for the 3Q4;

Other suitable substitute tubes include the 1N5GT for the 1U4,
or a 3Q5GT for the 3Q4 (or 3V4). I have both of these octal-base
tubes, and sockets, available for this project. Here is my
1N5/3Q5 variation of the Lion Cub Scout receiver.

I have four miniature volume controls, each having the attached


DPST switch. They are listed as 1 M, but three of them measure
around 640 K, and one measures 720 K. I expect any one of them
should work fine in this application, but with slightly more
current draw from the B battery (125uA instead of 45uA).
I used a New-Old-Stock J.W. Miller #2008 ferrite bar antenna. It
is specd as 360 to 440 uH, presumably by sliding the coil
assembly back and forth over the ferrite bar. When set to 360uH
a 250 pF tuning capacitor should cover the 530 to 1650 kHz
broadcast band OK. I put a 500 pf fixed capacitor in series with
a 410 pf tuning capacitor to achieve about 250pf.
Sunday, 28 September 2014- I started fabricating the breadboard
two days ago. For the base I am using two 8x10 pieces of
corrugated cardboard, glued together. I made a grid cap and
solder terminals from 5 mil brass stock.
Wednesday, 1 October, 2014- Breadboard completed;

I built this set using only parts already on hand. As a


consequence, some of the resistors and capacitors consist of
series or parallel strings to achieve the right values for the
circuit.
I tested it using my replica #477 B battery, rated 67 volts,
instead of a 90 volt battery. The radio worked fine using a 62
foot longwire antenna and a connection to house wiring ground.
The top of the tuning range was just above 1650 kHz (KFOX).
There was plenty of volume and adequate selectivity for
listening to any of the local stations at KLAC-570 (Dodgers
baseball), KFI-640 (Tim Conway, Jr.), ESPN-710 (Lakers
basketball), KABC-790, The Answer-870, KNX-1070, 1480-religous,
and 1650-Japanese. I could tune in classical music KMZT-1250 but
there was significant ACI (adjacent channel interference).

After testing I made an enclosure for the speaker, using


corrugated cardboard. The sound quality is much better with this
enclosure installed.

Lion Cub Scouts Elective 4, Two Tube Radio Set


To address the ACI issue, I retrieved my Select-A-Tenna
passive preselector tuner from downstairs and inserted it into
the antenna circuit. I inductively coupled the longwire antenna
and ground circuit to the Select-A-Tenna, and placed the radio
set adjacent to it. There are no physical connections to the
radio. This arrangement greatly improved the selectivity
performance, such that I was able to tune in many additional
stations with very low ACI, including XETRA-690, KFWB-980,
Disney-1110, KEIB-1150, KMZT-1250, one Persian, one Chinese, and
multiple Spanish stations. I adjust selectivity versus volume by
varying the distance or orientation between the radio set and
the Select-A-Tenna.

Final Installation, for both Display and Use


I am happy that I heard the Kansas City Royals win the 2014
American League Championship on this set. I took the photograph
above right after the game.
Update 14 January 2015- The 3Q5 was microphonic, so I made a
plug-in adapter to use a 3Q4. It works great.

Update 5 March 2015- I ordered last week and received yesterday


New-Old Stock two 3Q5GTs and a 1N5GT from Antique Electronic
Supply. I cleaned the pins of one of the 3Q5s and put it in. It
works fine, no more microphonic behavior. I prefer the look of
the radio set with both tubes being the 8-pin octal type. The
two remaining tubes will be the spares for this set.
Partial Station Log, at Beverly Hills, with Select-A-Tenna;
CALL
FREQ.
TRANSMITTER
MILES
KW DAY/NIGHT
KLAC
570
LOS ANGELES
11
5
KFI
640
LA MIRADA
25
50
KIRN
670
SIMI VALLEY
5D/3N
XETRA
690
TIJUANA, MEXICO
133
77D/50N
KSPN
710
VAN NUYS
8
50D/10N
KABC
790
LOS ANGELES
5
KLAA
830
NORCO CORONA
44
50D/20N
KRLA
870
GLENDALE
50D/3N
KHJ
930
LOS ANGELES
5
KFWB
980
EAST LOS ANGELES
12
5
KTNQ
1020
LOS ANGELES
50
KNX
1070
TORRANCE
15
50
KDIS
1110
MONROVIA
23
50D/20N
KEIB
1150
LA PUENTE
24
50D/44N
KMZT
1260
PANORAMA CITY
24
20D/7.5N
KFOX
1650
EAST OF CULVER CITY
10D/0.49N
THE END

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