[dmblackburn]

Update : i decided to take this radio off the isolation-dim bulb-variac setup and plug into the wall. Previously my variac was set to 115 volts. My wall voltage is 120 volts.
What a surprise- now I'm getting full volume on all the local stations. Sometimes the volume decreases then increases. I have also noticed in doing this, I am getting pretty severe static when the HVAC and HVAC fan are running. 

I keep monitoring the ohms on the 13K resistor (PN59) with the set off and now the value is up (approximately 14-14.5 K)