[morzh]

Arran

yes it was motor-boating and howling and I immediately thought of that cap. And I knew I recapped every cap that was there. So it was a surprise when I found the cap wasn't even there; I know the radio was repaired before, but then it would barely work after that; I could not stand it first when I heard it play, so why would anyone repaired it and then remove this cap.....is beyond me.

As for the repro electrolytic cap tubes, indeed they look nice and would definitely augment the looks except that it comes to 15 bucks a pop after shipping and two of those would amount to half of what I paid for that radio. Considering it is not a Cadillac of a radio in the first place.....you know, I will forgo it for now until I get to rebuild something that indeed requires immaculate appearance and short of doing that to E.H.Scott I am yet to see a radio that truly requires that.

For the AA5 and the Soviet Union.....it could be a safety thing, after all one thing is when you get zapped from 110V and another when it is 220V.
But, Europeans did build those; I wrote about a Latvian VEF AA5, it is exactly the same as any of AA5 Mains-powered units schematic-wise and the tubes' lineup is the same.
When the USSR inherited VEF, I think by that time they did not make any of those, and if they did, I am sure the safety concerns were voiced, and safety was taken seriously, at least the obvious one like being killed on the spot (no, not asbestos and such).

I could ask on the Russian forum whether anyone saw AA5 of Soviet production. I have never seen any.