[MrFixr55]

Hi Kurt,

Impedance of the output transformer primary is about 7KOhm, but resistance will be lower, and 460Ohm is not out of the question.  In fact it sounds fine to me.  Hum bucking coils are in most electrodynamic speakers (Speakers with an electromagnet for a field as opposed to a permanent magnet like a modern speaker).  Its purpose is to cancel any 60Hz fluctuation in the field coil by having a magnetic field exactly opposite it (Think the concept of noise canceling headphones, common mode rejection, etc.)  If the transformer secondary, hum bucking coil or voice coil was shorted to ground, this would cause low or no sound but is not the kind of short that would cause excess current draw.

Now a short to chassis ground in the field coil or the output transformer primary would be a different thing entirely.  The field coil being shorted to ground would be catastrophic.

By R38, do you mean C38?  

Accidentally connecting R18 to the negative of the 2 filter caps would cause no power to be delivered to the plate circuits of the convertor and RF, but would not load the power supply down.  

Try the following:

• Disconnect the speaker, remove all tubes.  
  
• Ohm between the green /white wire (junction between cathode of rectifier and R37) and ground.  The reading should be infinite (after charging of the Cap R37.  Repeat the test measuring between the green / white wire and the HV secondary center tap.  Again, the reading should be infinite after the cap charging.  A low resistance or short indicates a short in the wiring, C37 or a grounded Rectifier filament winding.  Look for frayed wires, solder splashes, etc.
  
• Leaving speaker disconnected, measure between white wire (junction of C38, the field, output transformer B+ Radio B+ circuit, etc.  the reading should be the sum of resistors 30, 31, 32 and 33, approximately 90K Ohm after C38 charges.  A low resistance indicates a short in the power supply or these resistors. (Short in R32 or r33 would contribute negligibly to the issue but would cause bias problems in operation.
  
• Again, with speaker disconnected, measure between plate pin of the 43 (output) tube and ground.  Reading should be infinite after charging of bypass and tone caps.  Low reading or O Ohme indicatres a short in wiring or the tone control cap C47) or switch or HF bypass cap (C48)
  
• Leave speaker disconnected.  Run current / dim bulb test.  Current should be negligible but monitor voltage between green / white wire and chassis.  Do not allow the voltage to increase to a level higher than the "WV (working voltage) of the capacitors.
  
• Leave the speaker disconnected, install all tubes other than the 80.
  
• Repeat the dim bulb test.  Current should be substantial, I would think at least half or more of the rated value, as the filament of each tube draws 0.6A except the 42 which draws 0.7A, so the total load on the secondary is 3.1A at 6V. so 0.3A transformer current draw is not out of the question.
  
• With the speaker disconnected, remove all tubes and reinstall the 80.  The 80 filament draws 2A, therefore you will draw 0.2A just from the filament.  Measure between chassis ground and the junction of the 80 Filament, C37 and the green / white wire (goes to the field coil).  You should get about 350-450V.
  
• Power down, touch the green / white and white wire together.  This will discharge the charge on the cap through R30, 31, 32, 33 (voltage divider).  Verify. 0V between the green / white wire and the transformer HV secondary center tap.
  
• By this point, with only the 80 installed, you should only be drawing 0.2-0.35A.  Connect the green / white and the white wire together.  Install all tubes other than the 42 (I will tell you why later).  Repeat the dim bulb test.  It should be less than specifications.
  
• OHM between Field coil and speaker frame.  Ohm between output transformer primary and speaker frame.  Both readings must be infinite.
  

IMPORTANT NOTE:  
         NEVER run a pentode tube with the output transformer disconnected but B+ supplied to the screen.  With no plate current, the tubes
         entire current would dissipate to the screen, causing it to glow bright yellow to white and burn out, likely shorting to the suppressor grid,
         rendering the tube useless and possibly damaging other components.

Once you find and correct the issue, connect this way:

• Cable from junction between rectifier cathode and C37+ (should be green / white) should connect to the field connection that the output transformer primary is NOT connected to.
  
• Cable from junction of C38, R30 and B+ (should be white wire) should connect to junction of one leg of the speaker field and one leg of the output transformer primary.
  
• Cable from plate of 42 (output tube, should be green) should connect to the leg of the output transformer that is not connected to the field coil.
  

Hope this helps.