First, excuse my complete and total ignorance with TRF radios. This is the first I ever worked on.
This radio had a shorted section of the filter block on the amp/power chassis, so I gutted it the big brown can and filled it with plastic replacements. All other caps rebuilt in the same manner including the small filter block in the tuner chassis. All resistors in spec. So far so good.
The problem is that this thing has ridiculous gain. With no antenna, the local AM radio station (5KW daytime about 3 miles away) overpowers the radio. I can pull the first three RF tubes out of the radio (Ant RF, 1st and 2nd RF) and the radio is still loud, and this is with the top shield in place.
The only parts not replaced other than the resistors are the mica caps.
The problem is that the volume control has to be at zero and it's still audible. Just crack it a bit and it's too loud. The control is new and is a double 5K linear (all I could find). One section is on the antenna input line and the second controls a bucking coil on the 2nd RF coil - it does not handle either audio or B+.
I carefully neutralized all RF sections with a dead 26 tube per the instructions and I was easily able to null out each stage.
The radio plays much better with either the Ant RF or the 1st RF tube removed.
My next plan is to turn the front panel radio/phono switch to a pseudo "local distant" switch and disable the 1st RF tube with it unless someone else has an idea. I suspect the radio is operating properly and maybe the local AM tower is too close. The owner of the radio lives farther away from the tower than my shop.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
https://www.tubesandmore.com/sites/d...r_32_pg1-1.png
John