RCA HF4 console
 

I found this gem on CL where it had been sitting for two months with no bites. It lived all its life in Reading, PA and came from Johnnies Radio in Birdsboro, PA in 1939 or so. Fast forward 50 years and I got my CT100 from the same Johnnies Radio off of his showroom floor.

The seller was a radio tinkerer with a well stocked garage shop full of manuals and parts. He bought it years ago and it just hung around till now as he thins out. He said it worked and it does like a champ. I have not looked underneath yet to see the repairs. It only needs the band indicator re-strung. The dial plastic and buttons are like new. And it is the motorized dial drive which works perfectly to the point of slowly bouncing one or two times to center the station. Setting a station null point is very clever and easy using the center dial lamp as the setting guide. I replaced two of the three lamps with LED's. Need more stock from Kutztown next month.

It has AM/19m/25m/31m/45m bands and a Victrola connector (which I have not found yet) and all work. 11 tubes plus a tired eye tube. There is a better discussion of this radio on ARF. From there it seems this is a rare model credited to designer John Vassos.

The cabinet is a bit tired and needs some work but I will leave it as best I can polish it up and do some small repairs. I may try amalgamator on the top or just cover it with a cloth. I want it for my den to hold up a flat screen set.