Freed radio

[Winky Dink]

That is absolutely the most beautiful radio I've seen. Our cat likes it, too--but she called it a "scratching post," which is why I don't plan to collect anything that stands on the floor.
- Winky

[old_coot88]

Wao, that radio is a beaut, a real creampuff. It reminds of a set I inherited in '08, an 'Apex' model 80 identical to this one -
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/us_radi...0_case_80.html
It had been 'time capsuled' and the cabinet was absolutely pristine with original finish. Just needed a bit of polishing. Most recent service tag in it was from Feb. 1943. Built like a tank and weighed 95 pounds. Circuitwise it was a very close clone of a Majestic 70 with the identical tube lineup and separate 'big black box' power supply.

I figured it would surely have the usual gamut of problems- open audio transformers, bad filters etc. I wasn't interested in dealing with tar-potted components, and intended to offer it on Ebay 'as is' and untested. Then got to thinking what the heck, and decided to try a power-up with a 'dim bulb' setup and see what might happen. Up it came with no signs of overcurrent or shorts. And by golly it started working!! A slight hum but not in excess of normal for a radio of that vintage. With 10' of wire for an antenna it got all stations across the dial but a little deaf on the low end, so you just had to turn up the volume a bit to compensate. And dial calibration was correct.

Virtually 'working as found', the 80 year old radio was the only set that ever passed thru my hands needing no repair work whatsoever (other than minor dusting/polishing). I never even pulled the chassis. It played for many hours rock solid and cool as a cucumber. The ancient oiled-paper filter condensers proved OK.

Since I had no need for a big console TRF radio, the question was what to do with it. So rather than just selling it to a private party I donated it to the Calif. Historical Radio Society's museum, figuring more people might enjoy it that way.
Bill(oc)