04-12-2013, 06:59 AM
Update on my 42-380 project: With the weather warming up I was able to get the cabinet finished. Not a museum quality refurb (I call it a refurb, not a restoration. Restoration to me means it's back to original factory new condition, this is not), but I like it. Did not re-do the photo finish as the wood underneath was quite nice. I ordered some 6X5GT's from John Kendall's Vintage Electronics. I ordered 4 but he had a note on the page stating he was overstocked and he would send 2 for 1. So I got 8 for the price of 4!!! Cool. Figured since the set smoked, I may need several until I got it running again. Replaced the toasted 6X5GT, repaired the Candohm resistor that smoked and replaced the weak tubes with some known good ones I got from another 42-380 junker I got for 10 bucks. It's alive again, but just barely. I get 1 channel (a local channel about 5 miles from home) and there is very little volume. I still have a weak 7B7 tube in the socket adjacent to the 2 XXL tubes. I'll get that replaced and start on the re-cap soon as time permits. Prior to releasing the magic smoke, the set received fine and had volume to about the medium level I would guess, not full booming volume. Something else must have gotten toasty during the "smoke test". At first this unit was purchased just because it worked and was real cheap, but it's kinda growing on me. The wife says it's one of her favorites looking radios right now.