The FM reception seems to be a bit weak, though the local radio station was really clear. I would suppose it is just a weak old IF tube that needs replacing & it will receive better. Besides that, it just needs a new dial cord. This is an 8-tube set, which indicates it was a pretty high quality radio & cosmetically, it seems to be in very good shape. Though it’s managed to accumulate some scratches’n such over the years, it’s probably one of the best looking original condition ones I’ve come across. You can find replacement tubes online if needed & you can easily Google a tube’s model (usually 4 or 5 characters printed on the glass) in order to find the correct ones. This radio appears to have never had a back cover. Many of them were designed in this way. You may appreciate this, as the smell is heavenly. IMPORTANT: I highly, HIGHLY recommend you do NOT run any antique radio unattended for basically any period of time & strongly suggest adding a fuse into the cord. These things were fire-starters & even the added fuse might not be enough to make it 100% safe. This goes for any antique radio. Leave them unplugged when not enjoying. They rarely short outright, so they won’t trip breakers or outlet strip safety devices & just slowly heat up internal parts and set things on fire. The convenience isn’t worth the risk. Also, if it ever suddenly starts making a loud hum- shut it off to prevent damage to other components & get it serviced. Those capacitors could go at any time but it’s not the end of the world. A re-cap from any honest repair person should be fairly cheap. This radio’s transformer hums a bit when first turned on, that is separate and is not an issue. Things I wish I’d known before I bought my first antique radio Thanks for taking a look & feel free to send an offer. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Radio, Phonograph, TV, Phone\Radios\Tube Radios\1930-49″. The seller is “cacodayum” and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, Bahamas.
- Brand: Sparton
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Modified Item: No