[John Bartley]

First question ... what would I buy ... even today when I am "trying" to downsize even more than I did some years ago (very traumatic) ...??

I would like to find either an RCA AR77 with cabinet (RCAF model GR10) in good working shape so that I can just "use" it without having to redo it.
Alternatively, I would like to find a GE model X or CX 371. This is a consumer set, but with the ham bands instead of the full 500kc to 30mc spread.

I've owned each or more than one of the HQ120, HQ140, HQ145, AR88L, CR91A etc, etc and enjoyed them all, but the CX371 would be most appropriate for me these days. I still have the CR91A as well as a National NC240D with speaker and a couple of others.

My CR91A is the first boat anchor I owned. I was working in the radio room at "Bradley Air Services" in Carp Ontario in 1977 as a summer student and during an exploration of the stock room I found this ex-NRC radio, in it's original crate. They let me have it for $50, which they deducted from my pay and home I went with it. Some years later, married and with a child I sold it .. needed the money ... and then about twenty years later I bought it back from that same guy that I had sold it to.

I enjoyed the SW radio programs that were government sponsored. I guess every country has it's version of NPR or CBC or ... and listening to them was educational and entertaining. You've all watched the movie "Enemy at the Gate"? I remember listening to a VOR english language service broadcast that was an interview with the original Russian sniper (translated of course), with the English over top of the muted Russian.

EDIT : one of my favourites, due to it's historical importance to Canada, was a Marconi CSR2 that I owned. It was original, complete with power supply and speaker, all rack mounts and it was unmolested. I carefully and reversibly subbed in a couple of filter caps and used it on my bench for several years before donating it to the Canadian Signals Corps Museum at Kingston Ontario.

cheers