Sparton Junior restoration

[bandersen]

I picked this radio up a few months ago from a local antiques shop. Right away I noticed the switch sticking out the side and the 183 output tubes were missing.
I pointed this out, negotiated a better price and took it home



It's in pretty good shape overall. Just a little separation of the cabinet and some corrosion on the chassis. Underneath, there's evidence of some old repairs.




It's fused and supports multiple line voltages.


First up, I tacked some new caps in place just to try it out. I don't have a pair of 183s, but thanks to other forum members I was able to sub in some 71As

Notice the metal bracket coming off the volume control ? That's where the power switch would normally be located. Someone had removed it, drilled a hole in the side of the cabinet and remounted it there. More on that later.



I powered it up with a variac and dim bulb. No smoke so I increased the voltage until the filaments were glowing nicely and I had reasonable B+. Nothing but static out of the speaker though.

I touched the grid caps on the 224s and got a hum at the 2nd stage, but nothing form the first. A little investigating turned up an open coil


Luckily, the break was just at the end and I was able to repair it. It's alive