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Originally Posted by mhardy6647
I have one of those in pretty good condition that I picked up from the swap pile at town dump (with satellite speaker) -- I guess that was a pretty good find, then?
The only thing I don't like about it is that it's a series string set, IIRC.
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The MJ1035 was and still is a very good radio (so I've been reading here; I've never owned one, so can't and probably should not make any definite statements about it), an excellent example of early stereo FM. However, I was wondering. What is it about series-string (AC/DC) radios you don't like? Every one of my tube-type Zeniths are this type; they all work very well.
No problems
with shock hazards or anything of that nature. (Not to say I haven't been shocked in 41 years of experimenting with this stuff; I have, and not just once.)
You may not like the idea that the set has a hot chassis. If this bothers you, I would suggest using an isolation transformer between the radio and the AC outlet into which it is plugged. This will isolate the radio from the line and eliminate the shock hazard. Another way to be sure the chassis is "cold" when plugged in is to be sure the AC plug is inserted in the wall socket so the chassis is grounded. This, however, is a hit-or-miss sort of thing, with an exactly 50-percent chance of getting it right...or wrong--unless you use a test jig such as a common light bulb in a socket, with one terminal of the socket connected to the radio chassis, and the other connected to the ground screw on the outlet box cover plate. If the lamp lights when you plug in and turn on the radio, the chassis is hot. Simply reverse the plug in the socket; the bulb should go out, indicating the chassis is now safely grounded through the power line. I'd use an isolation transformer to be 100-percent safe, though.
Something else just occurred to me. Series-string radios and televisions go completely dead when one tube in the string burns out; this means every tube in the set must be tested for filament continuity until the defective one is found. In common All-American five table radios this isn't such a big deal, but trying to find the bad tube in a 20+-tube TV set could be frustrating. Could this also be why you don't care for series-string radios? Moreover, if the tube filaments turn out to be good, your radio or TV likely has more serious problems, such as (for example) open filament dropping resistors, which are more often than not located under the chassis in a darned nearly inaccessible spot. (Murphy's Law.) I once had a 1949 table-model radio I had purchased from a thrift store. When I got it home, I plugged it in and threw the switch, but it was dead. The tube filaments were good. The problem turned out to be an open fusible resistor under the chassis. Not such a big job, but it was more complicated than just replacing a burned-out tube. Is this yet another reason you don't care for AC/DC radios?