[NJARC] Help with RCA

[Nicholas Senker]

I would appreciate any help or suggestions from the membership regarding an
early
RCA AC-DC table radio I am working on.  It is circa 1940 and has a wafer
selector
switch for AM, short-wave, and pushbuttons.  It has five push buttons which
are wound
coils and trimmers for preset stations.  The set works although the back and
loop
antenna are missing.  When I connect a jumper lead to the antenna connection
for the
loop antenna, the reception improves but is otherwise poor.  When in the
push button
mode however, the reception is much better.  For example, WOR comes in loud
and
clear when the push button is in but when I switch to the AM tuning mode, I
can't get it
in, only a few stations on the high end of the dial come in.  There is a lot
of static when
I tune as if I am passing a station but can't really get it in.  My problem
therefore seems
to be in the tuning stage (tuning capacitor) as the rest of the set seems to
work with the
pushbuttons.  It seems the tuning capacitor is bypassed when in the push
button mode.
The tuning capacitor was very dusty and I vacuumed it and brushed it as
clean as I
could.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.  Nick Senker  It is a Mod 96T5