SOLD! - July 19, 2014 - AQUA Atomic Age Vintage 1957 General Electric 862 Tube AM Radio WORKS!

AQUA Atomic Age Vintage 1957 General Electric 862 Tube AM Radio WORKS!X

DIMENSIONS: Approximately 12" x 5.5" x 8" (l x w x h)

COLOR: Aqua and White

YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiwtRW4sjqc

DESCRIPTION: Tabletop Tube AM radio manufactured by General Electric in 1950's excellent+ working condition. Picks up AM stations clearly and loudly up and down the dial without need of external antenna attachment. Cabinet is in very good condition. There are no cracks, chips, splits, or missing material anywhere on the cabinet. There a few light surface scratches on top not too deep. The front bezel is beautiful with no cracks, dents or dings! Look at the cool atomic motif! So Plan 9! This radio is over 50 years old! No dial light not designed with one (but should have). All the dial numbers are crisp and clear. No missing ink, smudges, or rub-off on dial lettering. The General Electric label on the bottom edge is wavy. Original knobs are chrome color and securely attached. The tuning dial works fine and smooth no slipping. The power cable is in good condition and securely attached. All paper and wax capacitors have been replaced with modern equivalents so this radio has another 50+ years or more of playing time! The tubes are working fine. All out-of-spec resistors have been replaced with modern correct value and voltage equivalents. There is no loud or pervasive hum. There is no loud or pervasive static between stations unless you operate near modern megahertz devices. The set has been aligned according to factory specifications. The power cord and plug are good original working condition with no cracks, or splits. No exposed wiring. The radio has been thoroughly cleaned and inspected. All wiring has been thoroughly checked for possible bridging and weak solder connection. Comes from non-smoking, mature, clean professional environment no pets. When this radio was new, tailfins were all the rage! This thing belongs in a museum!

OPERATION: These old tube radios are better sounding than solid state audio devices, in my opinion. Nothing beats high voltages and heat in generating a warm organic sound that seems to fill the room. By comparison, solid state or digital seems to just approximate this effect. It's for this reason that the highest quality audio equipment and amplifiers used by musicians today are still based heavily on vacuum tubes. Not surprisingly, rewards come with risks. Old vacuum tube technology until the sixties operate at high voltage and high heat compared to solid state electronics prevalent from sixties onward. Furthermore, these old designs are 'hot-grounded' to the AC line as opposed to the third prong "cold" ground. Most of the radios made in the forties were wired point-to-point which meant inconsistencies during manufacture. Never put your hands inside one of these old radios when it's turned on or plugged in. Never leave these radios turned on for an extended period of time unattended. Do not operate these devices on a metal table. Do not operate these radios on a wet surface. If the surface underneath one of these radios gets wet, pull out the plug before turning it off and dry everything off before attempting to turn it back on. For best performance, do not operate this radio near a modern electronic device; computer, microwave, home security, fluorescent light, etc. You will hear a constant humming or whining. All vacuum tubes take some time to warm up, no more than 30 sec to a minute at the most. The radio listed in this auction is restored only, not refurbished. With the right care and proper use, it should provide a (another!) lifetime of use. Great for décor, a conversation piece, etc. They getting more collectible and increasing in value too. Besides, everyone already has an fancy stereo, iPod or MP3 player!