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Old 10-09-2009, 10:54 PM
radiotvnut's Avatar
radiotvnut radiotvnut is offline
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'39 Kent (Arvin) 3 tube metal midget radio

Just got this off epay as one of those "never got around to it" projects by the seller. It's a Kent model 402 midget radio from '39. The tube lineup is 25B8, 50L6, and 35Z5. I've got two or three of the late '40's to early '50's 4 tube Arvin and Silvertone midget radios; but, I have never owned a 3 tuber. I knew that 2 and 3 tube midgets existed; but, the ones I found were always priced higher than I was willing to pay.

Someone has recently recapped this radio with the little yellow caps that we all know about; but, it would have been fine with me if they would have left it alone. There were bad solder joints and some of the connections were loose. The radio wouldn't power up because whoever tried to fix it had the hot side of the AC cord connected to some tie point on the 50L6 socket. The power switch is also bad. For now, I jumped it for testing. Once I connected the AC cord back to it's proper place, the radio only motorboats with no reception.

I don't know it the seller tried to fix this radio or if it was this way when he got it. Whoever did it needs to stay out of radios until they learn some lessons on how to solder and how to read a schematic.

Now, I'll have to be on the lookout for one of the two tube (70L7 and 25B8) versions.



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Old 10-10-2009, 04:35 AM
rollei35guy rollei35guy is offline
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That's a nice little radio.

It's always interesting when we have to figure out someone else's handy work. Maybe we should call this 'forensic radio repair'?
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Old 10-10-2009, 06:45 AM
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Sandy G Sandy G is offline
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Yep, looks like the "Double-first cousin" to the 3-tuber Arvin I have-which has conveniently lost its paper tags, so I can't tell which model it is. Don't expect R-390A DXing performance from this l'il guy-But enjoy it for what it is-a relic from long ago. They were designed to be able to pick up local AM stations as cheaply as was possible given the technology of 1938 or so-and they did.
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