[morzh]

Strange thing though.

Unless the tube panels were changed (and the rivets look good enough to be considered factory, but then I cannot figure if the soldering is factory - the cord was changed and the soldering clearly not factory-like - but the rest of the ballast panel looks nice enough, so the pin 2 of the ballast that goes to the first lamp, it is not soldered AND it looks like it was NEVER soldered, it is pristine.

So: the pin for the 1st light is not soldered, and the lamp is only one, and the ballast installed is L49B.
Back then in the 1950 when the radio was repaired (there is a writing on the back that confirms that) to get an original ballast was easy enough I think. Why L49B and one lamp?

So, what do you think, should I go for the 2-lamp L49D ballast and buy a second socket or should I say "screw it" and order the L49B and leave only one socket which is there now?