This is always a tricky question. To modify or not to modify.

For me the decision is simple if the radio is a wreck and not likely to be restored to original condition, then anything to find it a home so that people enjoy using it and maybe foster an interest in old technology. Even radios in good order so long as it is reversible if that is what the owner wants.

I turned a 99 cent eBay buy of a Healing 49A console into a daily use radio and gave it to my brother in law as a Christmas present last year. Not much of the chassis was left, but everything that was there was saved. The missing bits were generic service parts that were in my parts box and it was converted from vibrator 6 volt to 240 volt. I thought it would be his shed radio and a Bluetooth speaker for us to use at our family gatherings, but it is now in the living room and used daily. The best possible outcome for a radio that was destined for the tip.

Whats it worth, probably stuff all in dollars and cents. Original, no way. Did I destroy its value, not likely. What are its chances of surviving after my brother in law passes on, very good because every family gathering where music is played it will be listened to and someone will make space for it. Will it be the last example of a Healing 49A console cabinet left in the future? Quite probably.

After all people need to want to have an old radio in their home so that the radio has a home to bring it into the future. It might not be worth anything to the purist looking for an original radio, but if that radio fosters an interest in radio in general there will be a home for the pristine original radios that are in our collections when we pass on. Otherwise they will all end up in the tip.

Me personally, I like a radio to look as original as possible and work. So I do stuff new capacitors inside old cases and try to keep the under chassis as much as possible as it was. I would not recommend that to anyone who repairs radios as a business, but I repair radios because I love doing it and it is a hobby (or as my wife says a total waste of time.)

What would I do if I came across a rare untouched radio, probably leave it just as it is and have nightmares about which of my other radios I will have to give away to make room for it. After all I would still have plenty of working radios to listen to.

I do draw the line at turning TVs into fish bowls and fitting digital screens into console radios.

Just my two cents worth. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Just do what you and your conscience can live with and ignore the rest.

Regards, Frank.

Will it be the last example of a Healing 49A console cabinet left in the future? Quite probably.

The Radiomuseum site lacks a photo of that model, so one or two would be welcome.

While I generally just fix the radios I get, some radios get used for experiments, and usually end up with modifications to give a bit of a boost.

For example, I have a standard-looking Kriesler 11-81 in the kitchen, just using the internal ferrite antenna, over 100 km from Sydney and it picks up 2CH like it's a local station. The modification is pretty simple - replace the 6N8 IF amp with a 6BY7 (and rewire the socket to suit of course), plus a slight tuneup.

The same change could probably be done with the heaps of other radios that use a 6N8 or 6AD8 as an IF amp, as long as the diodes are not used.

Once the valve socket has been rewired, other types could be tried, such as EF89, 6EJ7 and so on, but I found the 6BY7 gave the best result without unwanted side effects.

Yes, SC did a macrovision remover. Mine!

Mine goes a bit further than just removing Macrovision, I included white level clip to avoid the buzz on captions etc. And of course the modulator with the vintage TV appropriate vision to sound carrier ratio.

Hi GTC,

Although the Healing presents quite well, I feel because it is not completely original it would only taint the good quality of the Radio Museum.

If it had a set of original knobs and I knew the colour of the dial pointer was right I think it would certainly be a candidate, but as it is I don't think it is worthy. As it is, it looks nice and works but I think a picture would only confuse people who might be researching the radio.

Regards, Frank.

P.S. I am happy to email you a photo for your own curiosity.