I've just restored a HMV Little Nipper 61-51, and IT WORKS! However the volume is not great, as I only have a short length of wire for the aerial connection - about 50 cm. In my youth 50 odd years ago, we had a long length of wire outside about 20 m set up high off the ground. I'm past climbing ladders to set up a long wire aerial, and yard space prevents it anyway. Is there any merit in connecting up a ferrite MW rod inside the radio's case? I know it's not kosher, but if it works for me, who cares. If the ferrite rod approach doesn't work, I guess I can run a few metres of aerial wire round my study?

I've thought of this too. Haven't tried it, but it looks like you would disconnect the existing antenna coil from the tuning cap signal side (the lug that connects to the stationary plates) and tube (valve), and connect the ferrite rod to that lug and tube, and the other end of the ferrite coil connects usually to the AVC bus (the old antenna coil would also be connected to this, you can just connect this ferrrite rod wire to the AVC terminal on the old antenna coil (leave it there so you can restore the radio back later). You should select a ferrite rod where the coil can be slipped back and forth (this adjusts the inductance). Tune in a station near the low end of the dial, like around 558kHz, and slide the coil on the rod to maximise reception. Check the high end of the dial, the antenna trimer might need adjustment.

Some radios may not be that sensitive with the ferrite rod, the engineers may have depended on a long long wire to make up for poor sensitivity.

Thanks for that Wa2ise. I'll see how that works. Where is Oradell, excuse my ignorance?

Here.

Thanks Brad.