The period cord and plug arrived and installed. Powered up slowly with isolation transformer, dim bulb tester, and Variac. The input transformer's primary winding is SHORTED! The less than 1Ω reading when it should be 4Ω by spec proved to be a problem. The 20W bulb I have in the dim bulb tester never even glowed. Never could get any voltages out of the transformer above milliamp readings. I had also pulled the tuner chassis out and was going over it and the volume control 2.9k potentiometer was FUBAR but could have been replaced with modern. However, the tuner chassis frame is cast from zinc and the casting itself is warped causing one end of the 3-gang air capacitor's shaft to not even reach its mounting hole in the frame and just hangs loose in the chassis. The blades of the capacitor are jammed together and shorted although the fixed blades are screw mounted to the zinc frame and might be adjustable. As it is, I don't know how the radio ever worked but without the input transformer it is dead. Ah well, I tried...

 

Bit of heat and some strategically placed strapping will pull that ZAMAC casting straight

 

Zinc castings from that era are subject to serious warpage. And impressive corrosion as well.

 

Found out why my dim bulb tester never even glowed. 2A Fuse blew in the Variac first! Found out the voltmeter on the Variac reads voltage before the fuse. No corrosion on the zinc casting. Just bug detritus, rust flakes, dust, and sand collected over the near century since it was made. Now the job of putting it all back in the cabinet.

 

Also, consider that the condition of used items often is related to the price paid for them. I was recently given a quite nice short wave receiver in exchange for a small favor, and discovered that said receiver does indeed require a bit of repair. Quite what I had anticipated.

 

I guess those radio gods were only smirking.

 

eBay prices on the 80 diode tube alone is ~$80 lowest price to Hundreds of dollars each. The 24 triode tubes ~$10 each (not a bad price and lots of them available) and the 40 triode is $30 for "working" to hundreds for good ones IF they cand be found plus shipping. Even without a working main transformer I could piece it out if I motivate myself to deal with the hassle of doing it. Still working on getting my TV-7AU tube tester back in service and then maybe... I still have a few tube pieces of bench gear in use and several ham tube radios needing restoration so I guess it's time to get the tube tester back in service and it also has 2 tubes.

I am still considering repowering it once I get the voltages needed. The main XFMR is a center tapped secondary with 3 secondary taps for tube heaters. Scratching my head about that one as they are/should be the same voltage? Lots to things to consider...

 

I guess those radio gods were only smirking.

More like laughing their asses off!