Must be a resistor to drop the voltage?

That would be a logical assumption. If it exists, it would be 3.5 ohms, and dissipate 1.5 watts.

There are differences between AK2 and EK2 other than the heater Grid 2 is 90 V on AK2 and 200V on EK2 and that one was superseded by EK32. EK32 cathode resistor in data book 500 Ohm

I would do some extensive careful tracing. I often, when reverse engineering put red texta on the plate pin or socket with "P" base, blue on the screen & black on the cathode. Circuit board cleaner removes it.

Stock take the transformer wires that's always a clue. Find the primary it may have a common & two to three taps (Ohm meter)

HV secondary three, trace from 5Y3 (pins 4 & 6) & ground (not always directly) 1936 was when 5Y3 was released.

Two for 5Y3 filament

Two for heaters (sometimes tapped)

Perhaps another two or a tap on 6V winding for 4V if it's AK2? A centre tap in 6V winding is not uncommon, no heater pins or dial lights will ground if that is the case.

If you find a single wire with no owner, that's likely the shield.

And there's a valve missing in the initial pre photo post.There no 2nd detector first AF

Marc

Now that we have some blurry photos, the label says 6B6G and no sign of a 6A6G ! This is getting confusing. No sign of a 6A6G in the other photos either. What's going on?

An underneath photo would be nice. (not blurry please)

Okay, so from the label the set's original line-up is AK2, 6U7G, 6B6G, 6F6G and 5Y3G.

I can find nothing for that line-up, but then the set appears to predate AORSMs, so if it's documented anywhere it's probably in Australian Radio Weekly, Radio Retailer, etc.

The chassis looks very similar to a Breville. I believe Breville did supply chassis' for the generic house brands.

What is the letter on the ARTS&P sticker? (E or F, etc.)

I agree with Robbbert - a good photo of underneath the pan would be very helpful. Armed with some more info we might be able to tease this one out.

I thought I logged a comment on this ... unless I stuffed up or there is a double post on the same set: That should never be done

There was a valve missing from the pre-photo valve line up. No 2nd detector audio valve. And there are not enough tubes to drive a 6A6 (no top cap).
You either need a transformer or a twin Triode to feed a para phase Push Pull.

6B6 is that missing valve. That on the red card is not an uncommon line up even with the earlier valves that only had a base change.

Below are some that start the signal train with a similar pattern (not all same OP tube) Looking more & more like a badge engineering job?

Britton 30 & B352
Genelex 505 & 510
Gulbransen 150T

Marc

Yes I made a mistake, 6B6G, not 6A6G, I will get a couple of pan shots up for you asap, sorry about the wrong valve. The arts sticker doesn't give me a clue as the letter prefix has either rubbed off or is gone... The dial lights do not appear to be grounded, supplied by a black and red wire , the lights themselves are insulated with rubber grommets. I think that the resto was done a bit on the cheap, leaving the tone out of circuit. I've taken a couple of pan shots.

Yes I made a mistake, 6B6G, not 6A6G

So my original thought was correct after all... glad we got that sorted out.

You may find that the black wire is grounded under the chassis.... or not.

Waiting to see what surprises show up in the underbelly photos.

"I think that the resto was done a bit on the cheap, leaving the tone out of circuit." That could also be on of those know it all's that thought they could fix it without radio knowledge. If the pots still there "check it". In many cases it is on the Plate of the OP valve. In older sets with wax paper caps, or under rated ones (below 600V often 1KV+) that was the most likely of all NP caps to fail. That may have cooked the pot, or diddums forgot where he got it from?

Two wires to the globes is not unusual especially if the rubber is used to hold them into a tube, or channel. Do check their wiring. Pins 2&7 of the 6B6 should be a clue to the transformer heater wiring if neither are grounded to chassis, the heater winding is floating, but may have a centre tap.

Very desirable ask & to make sure what you have (if you don't know, before doing something crazy like plugging it in unchecked to see if it works. 99 to 100% of the time it won't and will be damaged.

Marc

Well when I bought it it was advertised as "Restored and working" with a great sound... I only discovered the tone pot not connected to anything when I looked inside it, Also the volume pot only has the scraper and one side connected, both to shielded cloth wires with the shielding soldered together and soldered to ground as the photo's will show when they come up.
I was very lucky to obtain a speaker, which looks Identical, so yes I plugged it in said speaker and connected the aerial and powered it up, it seems nothing is working out of the short wave, not a crackle or pop even and the broadcast channel seems to find stations but apart from crystal clear whisper quiet, once right on the station, it sounds like scratchy as anything, like somebody with a speech impediment stuttering through tissue paper against a comb??? Somehow I don't think it is the speaker, I haven't measured the impedances of the original one yet against the new one, however the newbie is 2000 ohms, which sounds about right for an electromagnetic speaker, funnily enough when I gently tap the AK2, it directly affects the scratchy sound, maybe this valve is crook, but another strange thing is the other side of the volume pot has a thin black wire attached about 3 inches long which is not connected to anything at the other end at all??? Very odd, but it is scratchy to the point of being unlistenable and the volume control has no effect on the output whatsoever, so I'm guessing the black wire going nowhere should indeed be connected to something but must have broken off as no restorer would just leave it like that surely... Hmmnn interesting.

Arghhh, the plot thickens, I plucked out the valve supposedly designated AK2 to find it has EK2 written on it, NOT AK2!

Well well well, not only the wire from the volume pot that went nowhere, if it were to go anywhere, there was only one place it could have possibly gone, so I thus soldered it there, having also noticed a capacitor, a 650v green mica variety from the power amp valve to ground had come (barely noticeably) detached from where it was soldered to ground, so I carefully re-soldered it. popped the valves back in and powered up and kybunga!!! She burst into song on cruise 1323 (5DN) remarkably clear, a little tinny (probably due to the fact the speaker was sitting on top of the cabinet) So yes when my bag of capacitors arrives, I will attempt to re-connect the tone, however apart from that the old girl is working now like a charm, I am pleased to say, now to mount the speaker properly, the volume pot now working perfectly as it should, so thank you very much for the speaker PA man, I am very very thankful indeed!!! Now just the short wave to nut out and the tone and all shall be magnificent!!!

If it has EK2 instead of AK2, why it won't work on SW would seem obvious. Go back to my post re the differences.

The EK2 screen needs 200V not 90V and the self bias is probably wrong. SW needs a lot more energy & a dying Pentagrid will always have issues on SW

So the thing will either not oscillate, or not modulate, on SW. Surprised it works on BC.

Not only that, the heater voltage of 4v will not allow the valve to work to its full potential.

Perhaps whoever substituted the EK2 changed the heater voltage? But you will have to check this out.

I think so Robbert, cannot see anything of 4v, I think it has been "restored" for want of a better word, "Pragmatically" as it is a good strong performer on the broadcast band, getting excellent reception, I honestly haven't checked the short wave yet as my wife intervened with celebratory apple vodka in a very big glass with lemonade (thankfully) and two straws, so I'm shut shop until tomorrow in terms of working on it, having the speaker nicely mounted and it's sounding really good. I could not see any (remaining) evidence of 90v, so I'm sure that valve is running off 6.5v with 385v, possibly dropped appropriately with a resistance of some sort, but it's working great with broadcast band, not struggling whatsoever, on the contrary! So will get back on the short wave asap. Cheers and thank you.