[DCASAZZA]

OK folks I have restored a 48-482 radio and carefully aligned it. All the IF's demonstrated a sharp sweet spot during alignment so the cans should be OK. The radio works fairly well, even the FM. I am some what disapointed at the performance of the AM and SW sensitivity. Am I expecting too much? This thing has 3 IF's and I somewhat expect more because of it. I must disclose that the detector and 1st audio ( 7B6 ) does test weak on a tester. All the rest test really, really good on the tester and my benchmark 6V6 tube tests as usual. Like most in this hobby I have seen weak tubes work good and "good / tested " tubes not.

SW band is fairly quiet but works and AM picks up all local and some stations 50 miles away but the volume has to be up. Is this just what it is for this radio. Will an antenna setup of some type pluged in to the 4 pin scocket on the rear improve it? Any wire clipped to it just hurts the performance at this time. Do I need a tuned loop? Again that seems like over-kill for a 3 IF stage radio. I do realize it's a converter front end.

So what do ya think? My ears' to the ground at the best gathering of OT (original technology) radio techs I know of so somebody....throw me a bone.