[Jayce]

Check one radio off my Bucket List! I just picked up the little nine tube console today in Canton, OH: the home of the AK consoles with sawn-off legs. This console is complete, the legs are intact, and it uses a model H chassis and I think a model N speaker if I recall right. Speaker weighs about as much as the chassis, but looks good and intact. Hopefully the speaker is good as I've had my share of headaches with the AK speakers over the years, usually with the later AK radios.

P.S. This came from the same guy who has the four Philco 20's and it was another "Never for sale" radio. I traded a few little items he wanted and managed to snag this radio and he is moving to a 'maybe' on one of the Philco 20's by the way he talked today.

   

[Ron Ramirez]

Congratulations!

I like the dials on those AK 70-series consoles, but from what I have read and heard, the power transformers in those are often bad, or go bad easily. I once had a 76 I believe, several years ago, with a bad transformer. I got rid of it later on, never did anything else with it.

[TA Forbes]

Nice set! With an antenna connected to the "distant" terminal and the switch set to "distant" you will be surprised with how well this TRF set receives!

[Jayce]

Actually, this set claims to be a Superheterodyne on the tag and right under the dial. Maybe this might be the 'H2' version of this chassis? It has one antenna hook-up, but it does have an little knob marked, "Antenna Adjuster" right beside it.
Ron: I am keeping my fingers crossed that the transformer is ok in this one. AKs are too hard to come by around here anymore.

[Phlogiston]

You know, I have never had an AK with a bad power transformer, and I have at least 25 of them restored and working, models 20 through 447.

I think that it simply depends on whether a former owner turned it on to see if it worked, saw the nice lights and noticed the smoke too late.
This would apply to all brands of radios that old.

[Ron Ramirez]

Regarding the smoke - Excellent point.

The 70-series AK I previously owned was a TRF. I admit that AK is not my specialty.

[Arran]

I think a lot of it has to do with the year and the model, I always thought it was models like the 84 that were more prone to having smoked power transformers then the 70 series consoles. If you want to know a make of radio notorious for having transformers go up in a smoke show then the order of the big black dial would fit that roll much more so then Atwater Kent, the current rating on a brand Z power transformer is marginal at best.
Regards
Arran

[Jayce]

Well, I will keep my fingers crossed. I pulled up the print and the 72 is indeed a Superheterodyne and there were two chassis versions, H1 and H2. I will have to check the serial on mine to see which one it is. I was looking at a model 74 table that was right beside this radio and it looked the same, but I think the chassis in it was TRF. Odd, because to look at the two, you can't really tell the difference other than mine having 'Superheterodyne' proudly stamped on it. If all goes right, this looks like it should be a good performer.

[TA Forbes]

Well..... I WAS an AK guy. Interesting, the older AKs (1930 and before) are usually a good candidate for reforming the factory electrolytics. I have had very good results from these early sets. In fact, the model 42 and 70 I currently still have have been playing on their factory electrolytics for many years, by me.

HOWEVER, I would NOT do this with the 1931 and later models.

Like any set, if the filters go boink they usually take the power transformer and other formerly good components with them.

I will say that AK used quality components and workmanship in their sets. I suspect that this made it difficult to make an "affordable" set compared to other brands. Compare a four or five tube AK, like the 944 or 165, to other brand four and five tube sets and you will see what I mean.

[radiotvnut]

That's a nice set that I'm sure will be a good performer.