Adopt Some Tubes

Vacuum tube radios, with the warm glow of the tubes, have an appeal, that is easy to appreciate, and hard to resist. They make attractive additions to your home and become cherished family heirlooms. Modern high performance radios do a great job, but they don't have tubes! Since you have arrived on my site I trust you already appreciate the aesthetic appeal of these wonderful old radios. Take a look at my selection of radios on pages Radios and Radios 2. If I can answer questions about a radio, or assist with a purchase please email me.

All of my radios have been restored to full operational condition and thoroughly tested after the electrical and mechanical work has been completed. Tubes are tested and replaced when necessary–most radios require 1-2 new tubes. The original paper/wax capacitors and electrolytic capacitors have been replaced with modern components that will provide many years of reliable operation. The resistors have been checked for being within tolerance and replaced as necessary.

My goal when doing restorations is not to return radios to showroom condition. The approach is to have the radio retain the patina of a 60-75 year old antique which preserves it character. Radios that I restore are selected carefully; however there will be some surface blemishes, and on occassion minor cracks in Bakelite cabinets will have been repaired. Minor imperfections with wooden cabinets may have been glued, stained, and touched up. I do not completely refinish wooden cabinets.

Vacuum tube radios known as the All-Americans Five (5-tube design), were built before UL safety specifications, and polarized electrical outlets became the standard. These antique radios need to be handled with a degree of caution (never stick fingers or anything in the backs of the radios when powered on). All of my AA-5 radios have been upgraded with polarized plugs and rewired internally to improve safety. I recommend that vacuum tube radios only be plugged in for listening; otherwise, the plug should be removed from the power outlet.

Radios are sold with a 30-day warranty since these are antiques. If your radio were to fail, highly unlikely, within the warranty period it will be repaired free of charge. Shipping charges are the responsibility of the owner.

Purchasing: All prices include free shipping. Orders can be placed using PayPal, MasterCard, or VISA–Pay (Pal preferred). You can contact me using the email address above.

Thanks for looking,

Richard

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