I am trying to get the chassis up and running on this for a friend who"s mom owned this many years ago. I tested all the tubes and replaced all the lytics, and cord. All that I can get out of the speaker is a low volume scratching when I push the buttons. This has a 10 button system, 5 for power and bands, and 5 for stations. I cleaned the switches also, but no difference. Should I recap all the bypass paper caps next? I am a novice at this and could use some guidance. This is one of the nicer beam of light combo units.

If you have the test equipment and electronics skills to do so, you probably should pull the chassis and speaker, put them on a bench, and troubleshoot them. A dead set with tested-good tubes could be silent due to an open or shorted paper capacitor... but it could also be suffering from an open IF transformer or antenna/oscillator coil, open speaker field, or burned-out resistor which new caps ain't ever gonna cure, and may just obfuscate the real problem.

There are plenty of "how-to" guides for troubleshooting tube radios on the 'net, and there isn't much point in reproducing them here for the Nth time. The process is pretty much cut-and-dried; if you get stuck on associating a specific symptom with a problem, this forum can help.

:If you have the test equipment and electronics skills to do so, you probably should pull the chassis and speaker, put them on a bench, and troubleshoot them. A dead set with tested-good tubes could be silent due to an open or shorted paper capacitor... but it could also be suffering from an open IF transformer or antenna/oscillator coil, open speaker field, or burned-out resistor which new caps ain't ever gonna cure, and may just obfuscate the real problem.
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:There are plenty of "how-to" guides for troubleshooting tube radios on the 'net, and there isn't much point in reproducing them here for the Nth time. The process is pretty much cut-and-dried; if you get stuck on associating a specific symptom with a problem, this forum can help.
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:I noticed that the 3rd IF transformer can has the insides loose, dropped down inside and it rattles when you move the chassis. How can I test this transformer, it has 3 wired exiting on the bottom. Perhaps this is the issue.

You can ohm out the primary and secondary windings. The schematic has typical ohmic values for each winding. You can ohm the primary winding (red and white wires) without removing the coil from the can; but because there is a series capacitor on the secondary, it will be necessary to remove the can to ohm out the secondary.

With the coil loose in the can, it's possible that one of the coil's solder lugs is shorting out to the metal can. If the plate side of the primary winding has shorted to ground, it has probably burned up the transformer. If one of the secondary sides has shorted to ground, it won't ruin the transformer but the set won't work.

:You can ohm out the primary and secondary windings. The schematic has typical ohmic values for each winding. You can ohm the primary winding (red and white wires) without removing the coil from the can; but because there is a series capacitor on the secondary, it will be necessary to remove the can to ohm out the secondary.
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:With the coil loose in the can, it's possible that one of the coil's solder lugs is shorting out to the metal can. If the plate side of the primary winding has shorted to ground, it has probably burned up the transformer. If one of the secondary sides has shorted to ground, it won't ruin the transformer but the set won't work.
I removed the cover off the transformer and it was fine, no broken wires, and not touching anything. I repositioned it so that it is correct, but nothing was different with the radio. The oscillator coil wires appear unbroken also. I am going to work on the paper caps and see if it helps.

Did you ohm out the IF transformers? You can't tell much from just looking at them.

:Did you ohm out the IF transformers? You can't tell much from just looking at them.
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No, I am going to do that next. I thought that if the wires appear unbroken that it would be working. Does a bad IF result in the lack of volume as well as tuning? The radio is very quiet except for slight scratching when I push the buttons.

If either of the windings in the IF transformers is open, you will get NOTHING out of the radio.

The IF transformer primary winding is more likely to fail than the secondary since it is the one that carries a fair amount of current from B+ to tube plate. This winding can burn out and open up, or internally corrode (and open up). This usually can't be seen by looking at the coil, but it can be easily confirmed (or ruled out) by just ohming it. If the winding reads a few ohms, it is probably OK. If it reads zero ohms, it is shorted. If it reads infinite ohms, it is open.

:If either of the windings in the IF transformers is open, you will get NOTHING out of the radio.
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:The IF transformer primary winding is more likely to fail than the secondary since it is the one that carries a fair amount of current from B+ to tube plate. This winding can burn out and open up, or internally corrode (and open up). This usually can't be seen by looking at the coil, but it can be easily confirmed (or ruled out) by just ohming it. If the winding reads a few ohms, it is probably OK. If it reads zero ohms, it is shorted. If it reads infinite ohms, it is open.
:I will work on that soon and see what results. Thanks for the info.
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