03-04-2014, 09:54 AM
Greg, it appears that your problem is in the RF stage. If you can hear stations when you connect the antenna to the grid cap of the 36 tube that means the osc and converter is working properly. The 44 RF stage should amplify the signal from the antenna and transfer it to the grid of the 36 converter. This seems to not be happening.
Do you hear stations if you connect the antenna to the grid cap of the 44 RF stage? Have you tried another 44 tube? Are the tube voltages correct?
Something else you can try is to disconnect the grid cap wires from both the 44 RF and 36 osc/converter. Then connect the grid cap wire that went to the 44 to the 36 instead, leaving the 36 cap wire disconnected. You will have to extend the lead to the cap with a wire to make it reach. What you will be doing is bypassing the 44 RF stage entirely, feeding the signal from the ant coil directly into the 36 converter. If the radio now receives normally, then you have confirmed the problem is in the 44 stage or its associated interstage RF coil.
Do you hear stations if you connect the antenna to the grid cap of the 44 RF stage? Have you tried another 44 tube? Are the tube voltages correct?
Something else you can try is to disconnect the grid cap wires from both the 44 RF and 36 osc/converter. Then connect the grid cap wire that went to the 44 to the 36 instead, leaving the 36 cap wire disconnected. You will have to extend the lead to the cap with a wire to make it reach. What you will be doing is bypassing the 44 RF stage entirely, feeding the signal from the ant coil directly into the 36 converter. If the radio now receives normally, then you have confirmed the problem is in the 44 stage or its associated interstage RF coil.