ASTOR 6376s Car Radio Installation Guide
- June 1, 2024
- ASTOR
Table of Contents
ASTOR 6376s Car Radio
PRELIMINARY PROCEDURE
I-Tools:
Certain tools are necessary for the rapid and , efficient installation of Car Radios, and the list given below covers the minimum requirements of tools for this purpose
- Assortment of 3 screwdrivers, ¼ in. blade to ¾ in.
- Twist drills, .136 (No. 29), Jin.
- 5 in. long nose pliers.
- 5 in. square-jawed pliers.
- 6 in. Crescent wrench, or equivalent.
- 5 in. diagonal side cutters.
- Medium-size soldering iron.
- Resin core solder. Do not use , acid Solder.
- Two 12-inch monkey wrenches.
2-Receiver:
Important: Packed in each carton is a Packing Slip containing a list of all parts included in the package. This list should be thoroughly checked with the contents of the carton before installation is started.
ASTOR SINGLE UNIT CAR RADIO.
Before installing the Receive!’ in the car, first fit the controls ( see Fig. 3 ), then connect it to a 6-volt Storage Battery, and test it to determine that it is operating properly, as explained in the next paragraph. In the case of the Astor Car Radio, it does not matter whether the battery cable is connected either to the positive or negative battery terminal.
Assuming that you connect it to the positive side of the battery, then one of the Mounting Studs
must be connected with
a short length of wire to the negative terminal of the battery. Connect a
piece of wire to the aerial connection of the Set. Switch the Set on by
turning the volume control in a clockwise direction, and wait for about 30
seconds for the valves to warm up. Tune in to a local station, and then lift
the set three or four inches from the bench and drop it. Do this two or three
times, listening carefully to make certain that no short or open circuits are
caused by the bumping. Such a defect is indicated hy a noise in the Speaker.
INSTALLATION
100 per cent. perfect radio reception comes from 100 percent. perfect installation. Successful operation in car radios depends to a large extent upon the care takep in installation. Some of the most insignificant details that are prescribed as part of the installation procedure often make the difference between an installation that operates with complete satisfaction to the owner and an installation that is the source of constant annoyance. A great many of these details appear so trivial that they are frequently overlooked or neglected when installing Automobile Radio Receivers.
Antenna Installation:
A good Antenna 1s one of the most important parts of a Car Radio installation. The Antenna, to perform its function satisfactorily, must be constructed of the proper material, must be well insulated from the car body, and must be as large as possible without coming within S in. of the metal parts of the car.
When installing a Receiver in a car that is not equipped with an antenna, it is necessary to purchase an aerial ( Part No. Al034).
The most common type of roof is that with wood slat construction. ln these cars, the headlining should be lowered, working from the inside from front to rear. After the headlining is down, the aerial wire may be strung back and forth from front to rear between the wood slats, as shown in Figure No. 2.
Be sure to keep the wire at least S in. from any metal part of the roof construction. The shielded lead-in should be brought neatly down the left-hand windshield corner post. No part of the Antenna must come within 6 in. of the dome light or dome light leads, and if the dome light leads to cross the space required for the Antenna, they must be re-routed. ( See Figure No. 2. )
TO FIT CONTROL CABLES
Place the Set in front of you in the same direction as that in which it will fit into the car, and attach the remote control as follows:
Station Selector: Take a small screwdriver and place it in bayonet hole A in the ” cable ” junction box on side of set nearest back, and gently turn the dog in a clockwise direction until stop is felt, then turn the station selector knob on a control until the indicator is at zero. Connect the bayonet adaptor C in bayonet hole A ( see Fig. 3 ), making sure that the male dog fits into the female dog in set, and turn the bayonet adaptor (hand tight only) in a clockwise direction until reasonably tight. Turn the station selector knob from zero to 100, and back again to zero. This will ensure that the control is properly calibrated.
Volume C antral : Connect bayonet adaptor D into bayonet hole B ( see Fig. 3 ), and tighten the bayonet adaptor (hand tight only). Plug in the pilot light lead and the Set is ready for installation.
ADJUSTING SYNCHRO-TUNING
The synchro-tuning adjustment ensures that the aerial installed in the car is a perfect match to the receiver, thus allowing a maximum gain in the aerial circuit.
lu order to make this adjustment, it is necessary to tune the receiver to a
weak station located at approximately 20 deg. on the dial.
Having tuned in the station, the synchro-tuning adjustment screw, Figure 4
, should be located by removing the push-button cover.
The adjustment screw should then be turned in either direction until the
maximum signal is obtained.
The push button may then be replaced, and no further adjustment is necessary
as long as the receiver operates on the same aerial.
For normal aerial installations such as shown on Figure 3, the adjustment screw will need turning in an anti-clockwise direction, whilst for cars having a very high relative capacity it will be found necessary to turn the adjustment screw in a clockwise direction.
This latter type of aerial will be encountered in cars having an insulated roof as the aerial.
Recei’Ver Installation:
The Receiver is designed for mounting on the dash with the speaker facing downwards, and a satisfactory location should be selected, bearing in mind:-
A. The fittings on both sides of the dash, making sure that no wires or
rods touch the case of the Receiver.
B. The necessity of an even sweep of the cables from the Set to the
remote control head.
The left-hand side of the dash will, in most cases, be found to be the most
convenient position for the Receiver, as this will allow the remote control
cables to reach the desired position with the minimum of sharp bends. It is
also advisable to mount the Set as high as possible on the dash so as to leave
as much room as possible between the speaker and the floorboards.
It should always be borne in mind that the controls will operate more smoothly
if the cables are run with as little bend as possible.
To ensure this, it is advisable to temporarily mount the Control Head on the
instrument panel, and, while holding the Receiver against the dash, find the
most convenient position for mounting, bearing in mind the advisability of
running the cables with as wide a bend as possible.
When the location of the Receiver has been fixed, mark off the mounting holes,
which are to be drilled in the dash (that is, if the holes are not already
provided, using the drilling template supplied, and drill the holes in the
position indicated with a i in. drill. Carefully clean all paint and grease
from around the holes on the engine side of the dash so that the nuts and
washers make a perfect electrical contact. All references to the removal of
paint are necessary to ensure good, bright, metal-to-metal, low-resistance
contacts.
Now push the Set into place, using the mounting studs and washers. Tighten the nuts on the two studs protruding through the front of the dash as shown in Fig. 1.
INTERFERENCE SUPPRESSION
No spark plug suppressors are required.
Distributor Suppressor:
Remove high-tension lead from the centre of the Distributor and fit Insert
high-tension lead securely in the outer end of
Suppressor.
Suppressor.
Generator Condenser:
Instal a by-pass Condenser, part No. Al009, on the Generator Cut-Out Relay, has as short a lead as possible. ( See Figure No. 5. ) Connect the lead of the Condenser to the Generator Terminal of the Cut-Out Relay. The other side of the Condenser is grounded to the Condenser Case, which forms the other contact to the carat· the point where the Condenser Bracket is mounted in the Cut-Out Relay Bracket.
Ammeter By-Pass Condenser:
Instal a By-Pass Condenser, part No. A1009, from the Ammeter to the grounded instrument panel, having as short a leM as possible.
The foregoing completes the installation of the Receiver, and with the exception of possibly a few isolated cases, the Receiver will operate perfectly without interference from the ignition system of the car.
A few cases may be encountered where ignition or other interference still persists, and in these cases reference should be made to the following section of this Instruction Book.
ADDITIONAL INTERFERENCE ELIMINATION
Note : The material mentioned in the following section of this book is not furnished with the Receiver Package, as it is only necessary for the elimination of interference in some cases.
- Determine whether noise enters Set through the Antenna by disconnecting the Antenna lead-in from the Receiver while the mot(‘)r is running, and noting the effect on spark interference.
- If the interference continues with the Antenna disconnected from the Receiver, it is an indication that it is coming from the ignition circuit, and being fed into the Receiver through the radio wmng. Inspect the installation thoroughly to see that the ammeter and pilot light leads do not come too close to any high-tension wiring.
- Determine also whether the Receiver is properly grounded, or is insulated by paint, which will- have to be removed.
If interference is eliminated by disconnecting the Antenna lead-in from the Receiver, it may be concluded that the interference is being picked up by the Antenna. The most common source of such interference lies in radiation from the dome light wiring, which can be eliminated as follows:-
(a) Secure a By-Pass Condenser, part No. A1009.
(b) Remove the insulation from approximately one-half inch of the dome
light wire close to the windshield corner post.
( c) Connect one condenser lead to the portion of the dome light wire
from which the insulation has been removed, and solder and tape this joint.
Secure the other lead of the condenser beneath a convenient nut, such as the
one on the bolt holding the instrument panel supporting bracket. Be sure that
all paint is cleaned from around the bolt in order to provide a good ground.
It is essential that this condenser be connected to the dome light wire as
close to the corner post as possible.
- If interference still persists after the foregoing precautions have been taken, check the following wiring circuits:-
(a) Headlight or tail light wiring.
(b) Horn wiring.
( c) Generator and starter wiring.
( d) Coil wiring.
Caution: Do not by-pass coil to the distributor circuit. To do this, obtain a bypass condenser, part No. Al009, and connect one lead of the condenser to the hot side of the suspected unit. Connect the condenser case to a good ground on the metal part of the car body or frame. In the majority of cases, this procedure will indicate where the trouble lies. After it has been found, mount the condenser permanently and solder the leads in the proper location. Do not solder to rear of the instrument panel as the heat from the iron may blister the paint.
Bonding: Using braided wire, bond to the dash all oil pipes and rods passing through the dash. Solder one end of the braided wire to these pipes, etc., and fasten the other end to the dash on the engine side with a self- threading screw, so as to secure the best possible connections. It will be necessary in some cases to bond the upper section of the windshield wiper tubing to the dash or instrument panel. To do this, solder a piece of braided wire to the tubing and ground the braided wire at the nearest point, which will give the best ground connection. (Caution: Do not attempt to solder the braid to the back of the instrument panel, for doing so will blister the paint.) In some cases, it may be necessary to bond the motor block to the dash. This should be done by using a piece of shield braid of a large cross- section, and as short as possible, leaving enough slack to compensate for normal up and down movement of the engine.
The connection should be made preferably under one of the rear head bolts, but in case this will cause a water leak, the connection should be made to the point giving the best electrical and mechanical contact. The paint should be cleaned away from the points of connection, and the end connected to the dash should be soldered to the dash, or placed under the head of a large screw, inserted through a hole drilled in the dash after the paint has been thoroughly cleaned off.
The Generator : In order to determine whether the generator is causing any noise in the radio reception, accelerate the engine and cut off the switch. Then, if a whine, decreasing in pitch as the engine stops, is noticed, the generator is causing interference. If cleaning the commutator does not remedy this, another condenser should be installed from the generator side of the cut-out to a good ground on the frame of the generator. On the other hand, if no noise is noticed immediately when the switch is turned off, you can be reasonably sure that the generator is not causing any interference.
Miscellaneous: The entire ignition system must be checked and put in perfect condition, including the distributor rotor and contact points, generator brushes, spark plugs, and all light wiring, starting motor cable, generator cable, dash wiring and stop light switch. Examine for loose connections or leaky high-tension cable in the ignition system. By-pass the supply terminal of the coil to ground with a Condenser, part No. A1009, having as short a lead as possible. ( See Figure No. 6.)
If low-tension wires are in the same manifold or supporting tube as the high- tension wires of the ignition system, they should be rerouted. Remove low- tension supply leads for the Coil, Horn, etc., as far as possible from the high-tension leads. If possible, partly shield them by placing them in the panel sections of the chassis frame. If necessary, reposition the low-tension wiring from the instrument panel to underneath the engine hood, running the leads below rather than through the dash. In some extreme cases, it will the low-tension wiring.
Make sure that the industry- ment panel and dash are actually grounded to the frame of the car. If the distributor is manually retractable for timing, bridge the joint with a flexible copper braid. On cars where the Ignition Coil is mounted on the instrument panel, the radiated field from this coil is very strong and will affect the Antenna direct or through either the passenger or the driver.
Obtain a rubber insulator of the type used on alligator clips, and of a size
to slip over the protruding snout of the coil. Cut off enough of the small end
of the insulator to enlarge the hole, so the high-tension wire will slip
through. Obtain a piece of rubber tubing which
Make sure that the dome light switch is in the “live” rather than the “ground”
will also slide over the high tension wire; cut the tubing to a length that
will permit it to extend from the end of the insulator through the dash for
two inches. Cut a piece of shield braid one inch longer than the rubber
tubing. Slip the tubing over the high-tension lead, and the shield braid over
the tubing. Slide the high-tension wire through the small end of the
insulator, and insert the head in the coil snout as far as it will go. Pull
the insulator forward over the coil snout, and wrap two turns of tape around
the high-tension lead, pulling the lead forward, and taping it to the
insulator so that the lead will not slide out of position.
Pull the rubber tubing forward until it touches the insulator tape, and tape the tube to the insulator. Now pull the shielding forward until it extends halfway over the coil snout. Tape the shielding down so that it cannot be short to the primary. Split the end of the shield, extending through the dash to within one-half inch of the dash, and use the split portion as a pigtail to ground to the dash. ( See Figures Nos. 7 and 8. )
In assembling the car, oftentimes paint, or the like, prevents a good ground connection from being made between the various metal parts of the car that form the ground circuit. These poor connections are not apparent from the standpoint of the operation of the car, as the voltage applied across the connections from the battery is enough to make a sufficiently good contact for that purpose. However, when a car radio is installed it is particularly desirable to maintain all the metal parts of the car at the same ground potential so that no radiation of spark interference will flow from the engine block to the dash, thence to the frame of the car for example, in order to reach the lowest ground potential. Bonding all of the oil pipes, cables, choke, and spark controls, etc., on the engine side of the dash tends to prevent radiation from the ignition circuit from entering the radio set compartment under the cowl. Once the cause of interference is understood it is fairly easy to trace it to its source and to take the necessary steps for eliminating it.
IN CASE OF TROUBLE
No Reception:
The Set may become inoperative due to several minor causes, which are easily
rectified, and the following items should be tested if this condition exists:-
1, Fuse; 2, Antenna Installation; 3, Tubes; 4, Vibrator. Fuse: To provide for
protection for the Receiver in case of short circuits or other trouble which
would place a heavy load on the battery, a 10 amp. fuse is located in the
ammeter lead. This fuse is enclosed in the metal socket located in the ammeter
lead approximately 8 in. from the terminal. “Blowing” of the 10 amp. fuse will
be indicated by no reception, absence of the low mechanical hum, and the dial
lamp will not be lit. If the dial lamp is not lit, but the radio program can
be heard, replacement of this lamp is necessary.
To gain access to the fuse it is only necessary to push the two ends of the fuse socket toward each other to disengage the bayonet locking pin, and the socket may then be taken apart by means of a slight turn of one end toward the left. The fuse may then be removed, and, if “blown,” a new one of equal rating should be inserted in the socket.
If the fuse blows again after being replaced, it probably indicates a short circuit at some point in the Receiver, and the Receiver should be taken to the Dealer for service.
Antenna: If the Antenna is in contact with metal parts of the car at any point, the Receiver will not pick up signals. To test for this condition, disconnect the Antenna lead-in from the Receiver, and touch the Antenna socket contact with bare end of a twenty-foot length of insulated wire stretched out on the ground. If the Receiver operates with this wire the trouble is in the car Antenna installation. During this test take care that the bare wire does not touch the shell of the Antenna socket or any metal part of the car, as this would render the test meaningless.
Tubes: If the dial lamp is lit and the low hum of the power unit can be heard, but the Receiver will not operate, the tubes should be checked. Remove the Receiver cover plate and press the tubes and vibrator firmly into their sockets, then examine the tubes to determine that their filaments are lit. If any of the tubes obviously have unlighted filaments they should be replaced, and if this does not clear up the trouble, all tubes should be replaced one at a time with other tubes, which are known to be in good order. If the trouble is not cleared up by this procedure, check the Antenna installation.
Vibrator: This is enclosed in a metal can near the power transformer, as shown in Layout Diagram, Fig. 9. To test the Vibrator, simply switch power on a: nd rest your finger on the top of this can and feel for vibration. If there is no vibration, simply withdraw Vibrator just as you would remove a valve, and insert a new one in its place.
LAY-OUT DIAGRAM.
FIG. 9.
If the foregoing tests have not located the cause of the trouble, get in touch with the Dealer, who will arrange to have the Set serviced for you.
Interference:
(a) By-Pass Condensers: Each By-Fass Condenser should be shunted with one
that is known to be in perfect order to determine a possible open condition in
any of these condensers which might allow interference to be radiated.
A shorted condenser will, of course, affect the operation of the car, and will
be noted in this way.
(b) Receiver Case Ground: Be sure that all paint has been cleaned from around the Receiver mounting bolts on the engine side of the dash in order that the Receiver case may be grounded when the mounting nuts are thoroughly tightened. Lack of a good ground connection at this point may cause excessive interference.
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