[NostalgiaRadioTime]

I just came up from the basement workshop. Just like I have every night since January 17th when I received this radio. Only tonight, I came up the stairs with a smile on my face.

I took out the #44 RF tube completely and hooked the antenna grid cap wire on to the #36 tube and was still getting short wave. Only I was getting a few more short wave stations tonight.

I was all set to put in the spare OSC coil I rewound Sunday night when I thought of something Will mentioned he was thinking of trying.... reversing the Term 1 and Term 2 wires to the tickler on the OSC coil. I figured I had to unsolder them anyway, so before I unsoldered everything, I'd just reverse those two wires and see what happens. So now instead of Term 1 - to pin 4 of 36 tube and Term 2 - to resistor 10 and cap 8, Term 1 goes to resistor 10 and cap 8 and Term 2 goes to pin 4 of the 36 tube.

I left the #44 tube out, and the grid cap wire from the antenna coil hooked up to the #36 tube, plugged it in and held my breath. When the set came to life I heard music! And not church organ music. So that was a promising sign. Then I began tuning through the dial... got to AM 720, heard WGN Chicago, some 120 miles south of here. Dialed up to 780 AM, got WBBM Chicago, then AM 920 WOKY Milwaukee, 1130 AM WISN Milwaukee.... in other words all of the local stations in the correct place all across the dial!!

I then put the #44 RF tube back in, put the correct grid cap wires on the #36 and the #44 tubes and tried it again. It STILL played as good as before!! Then I turned it off once more (after letting it play at least 15 - 20 minutes) and installed the tube shields. Once more, it fired right up and played as it should across the dial.

I honestly almost cried I was so happy! I don't even think I'm going to do an alignment as the dial is right on where it should be.

So, fingers crossed, it keeps working tomorrow night when I put it back into the cabinet and (hopefully) can call the job completed.

By reversing those wires, it would seem to indicate that the tickler is wound backwards, but whereas the set is playing and working as it should, I'm not about to tilt the pinball machine and try rewinding it the opposite way.

Will, and Mondial I cannot thank you enough for your patience and your kindness and willingness to help me. You are WONDERFUL people and helped me through my most challenging restoration to date. I'm forever grateful.