Ah men Fred. When I was a 100% purist that trick cost me a couple of those fancy expensive reproduction antennas.
Now a days I finally gave in and submitted my sole to the 95% purist in me and use one of those $15 spring mounted
antennas found on the end cap at the NAPA store. Now when I forget and back into the garage with the whip in full
erection, I can simply reach out and bend it around till I can collapse the telescope.
Chuck.....if you found an original replacement on/off/volume/tone control.......you found not only a piece of history,
but you found a piece of gold.
I've been looking for one of those since 2005, and I at one time was VERY heavily into tube radio. Back ten or fifteen
years ago, I was a member of the Antique Radio Club of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and made all the swap meets
for those clubs for a couple of decades. I was in regular contact with hundreds of collectors and parts hordes in the hobby.
I'm still stuck with 300 tube radios which are collecting dust in the basement. They range from 20's AK breadboards, one tube
RCA Radiolas, thru 40's table and console units, 25,000 tubes and hundreds of vintage test pieces......but still...... no
on/off/volume/tone control for an early AD radio.
So when you're holding that control........remember.......you're holding gold.
Hope you're still staying healthy Fred, take care my friend.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
