Welcome to the Florida Radio Doctor's Home Page
Now that you've found me, thanks for visiting. Now that you know the way, I hope you return often. I love vintage Radios. I suspect you do, as well. I've been repairing, refinishing and restoring vintage Radios for over 55 years now. In that time I've also collected hundreds of vintage Radios and hundreds of tubes and parts for most of the more popular Radios from the Vintage Era. I specialize in AC radios from the late 1920's up to the 1960's.
Introduction
My Background:
I'm Mark Miner, Proprietor of Mark's Antique Radio Kollection and known throughout the world as 'The Florida Radio Doctor.'
I've been collecting, repairing, refinishing and restoring vintage tube Radios for most of my adult life. As with many avocations, it started as a hobby and became something I soon realized I could truly enjoy doing for the rest of my life.
From the earliest crystal sets to one of the most sophisticated and prized tube-powered Radios ever produced--the Zenith Stratosphere 1000 Z--I've learned to employ that extra measure of investigation, research, preparation, skill, and love that it takes to successfully repair, authentically refinish, or perfectly restore these wonderful, tube-powered treasures.
Click on my eMail address (above) to contact me directly
My Resources:
An extensive library of original manufacturers' repair manuals and parts manuals are absolutely essential.
Original tubes, capacitors and repair parts are a finite resource. But they're vital to a quality repair or restoration.
I maintain one of the area's finest technical libraries of original, vintage manufacturers' repair manuals, in addition many corresponding parts lists and bulletins associated with each vintage manufacturer and its various lines
I keep a large inventory of authentic, original equipment, vintage tubes, capacitors and other parts to provide the most authentic, accurate and precise repairs and restorations possible.
I maintain contact with a network of other collectors throughout the country. We readily share whatever information we can provide to each other regarding a specific brand or model. If I can't find an immediate source for a part or instruction, I can usually obtain at least an answer from the network of other collectors. Some of this research necessarily takes longer, depending on the availability of the knowledge base for a particular chassis or model.
I often spend as much time finding reliable sources of replacement tubes and supplies as I do in researching specific models and their details. But every minute spent on research pays big dividends toward a quality restoration or repair.
My Facilities:
I work from my home with a dedicated shop designed just for radio repair. I use modern and vintage test equipment in order to perform anything necessary for accurate radio repairs.
Examples of my Work:
Here's one of my own 1932 Philco Baby Grand Cathedral Table Radios
1937 Zenith 'Walton's' Table Model 7-S-232
I'll be posting some examples of both past and present projects from month to month, from links you'll find here. I treat each of my projects as if they're my own--at least until the last moment that I return them to their owners. I suppose it's like taking in a foster child until that moment they find a permanent family. That's as good an analogy as I can think of, in any case.
And yes, it's hard to let some of them go. But I know in each case that they'll be entrusted back to the owners that care for them the very most.
The common denominator in all of these fine examples of early to mid-20th century engineering is the incomparable sound that only a tube-powered radio or amplifier can impart. Despite all of the extraordinary technological advances in transistor and micro-circuitry technology dating from the mid-20th century until today, nothing yet approaches the full, mellow sound from a tube-powered radio chassis.
Sadly, the means of comparing that incredible, robust sound to today's artificially shaped sound technology remains a finite resource. But if you truly love that tube-powered sound, there's only one real way to obtain it.
One thing's for sure. Once you hear the difference there's no turning back.
You're hooked for life.