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It is definately worth fixing up. Chances are if you vacuum it out carefully with a shop vac and using a small brush to gently dislodge dust, then check the AC cord to make sure the insulation sn't cracked and replace it if you find any cracks; it will probably fire right up. You will probably have to clean the controls as well. I have the Brunswick version of the Radiola 18. The 18 has it's own built in power supply, but the 16 ran on batteries. I don't know about the 17. If it has an AC cord with a normal plug you are in good shape. If it has multiple plugs with round prongs on them, it was meant for battery operation and you will have to find or build a power supply.
These early radios from 1926 were TRF radios; tuned RF instead of super-heterodyne. They really were superior to the super-hets; they had better selectivity and were more sensitive. With a good antenna you can easily pick up distant stations a modern AM radio can't get.
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Warren
"No choice for sugar, but what choice could there be,
But to drown in coffee, or drown in tea?"
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