[ekimetsok]

Well, the RCA 143 arrived on Monday, 7/2, and to say I was disappointed after wading through wads of newspaper. a half a mile of bubblewarp and a bushel of peanuts would be an understatement. I fianally figured out why the seller ended the auction early because he was "overwhelmed" with questions about the piece. Believe it or not, when I finally got the bugger unwrapped, I discovered that about of a third of the sides and back had been surgically removed! (Photos to follow in the near future). This mod was apparently made so the radio could sit on a shelf that simply wasn't big enough. In case you aren't familiar with it, the 143 is about two feet tall, eighteen inches wide and a foot deep. But on a positive note, the final cost to me was only a c note, shipping included from San Bernadino to Philly. After cleaning, the chassis is imaculate. Replaced the filter caps and had to sub the dead 5X3 rectifier for an 80, a pilot lamp, a couple of squirts of Deoxit and it plays magnificently. (Shortwave in major profusion!) A full recap and rehab to follow. As for the cabinet, whoever made the cuts did a remarkable job. Very clean, consise slices. I am going to have my cabinet specialist have a look and see if it can be ressurected. Otherwise, I'll have to hunt down a replacement. If not, I can surely make my money back or better by selling off the chassis. In the interest of Karma, I have chosen not to leave this seller feedback, negative or otherwise. I did, however, send him a tart email expressing my displeasure. Methinks I'll never get a reply....and it'll probably be another decade of searching before I finally have the trophy I've longed for all these years.