1980 RCA Playmate 5 model AER057S issue

[B 4204 T3]

I'm not sure if this topic belongs here or in the Transistor Portable Televisions section, so if it belongs there, then go ahead and move it there.



I have an old RCA Playmate 5 combination 5" black and white table TV with AM/FM & NOAA weather band clock radio, model AER 057 S, serial number 038245163, manufactured September 1980, which uses the RCA KCS 207 series chassis, with an unusual problem. It will occasionally just turn on at random times with the power switch in the off position, and just start playing the radio or the TV, depending on which position I have the middle switch in. It's really annoying, and sometimes it wakes me up in the middle of the night. I've never had any other machine do this, so it's got me stumped.



Another issue it has is that the sound sometimes cuts out when I turn the knobs on the front of the TV, which I think is caused by age, and is repairable with a substance in a can, but I'm not sure how to do it.



If any one on here is familiar with this particular kind of TV/radio, or has had the same experience, then I would really appreciate some suggestions as to its cause, and how I could go about repairing it. I'm somewhat of a novice when it comes to repairing electronics, so it would really help.



Quick history: This TV was a Craigslist find back on Friday, 24 April, 2015. I went to a gentleman's house to buy it, and it worked fine back then. I have sporadically used it over the years, and it only just started malfunctioning like this just a few months ago. It's in really good condition, and I just found the service manual for this exact model for sale on E Bay, so I'm thinking of buying it, then reading it, and finally taking it apart and trying to fix it up.



Thank you.