Old Radio I Used To Have

 

RCA Victor 1-X-55 Serial No. U 031126

I was going to sell this radio.  This radio is no longer for sale.

Radio was going to be sold "as is".  With no guarantees.  It would have been best if this radio was bought by someone who knew how to "fix" it or make any repairs it needs.  This radio is probably a "fixer upper". (Vacuum tubes or just simply "tubes" are also known as "valves" in the U.K.)

I found this radio in a neighbor's house.  They had moved and left stuff in the house.  The new owner let me have some things out of the house.   I saw another Model 1-X-55 radio online. It was made in the 1950's.  The people who owned the house lived there beginning in the 1950's.  This radio was found in the attic.  No telling how long it was there.  The house this radio  was in is similar to our house.  Our attic is not 100% heated in the winter, and it gets very hot up there in the summers.  If the radio was in the attic a long while, it probably went through extremes of temperature through the seasons.  There was a very strong distinctive odor in the house next door.  It was a mix of "old house" and cat smell.  As the radio heats up there is an odor that you smell.  It smells similar to the house it was in.  It sort of smells like burning rubber maybe.  I am not sure.  I assume it is "dust" on the tubes that starts to smell as the tubes warm up.  I don't play this radio much because I don't know if it will catch fire or not.  Also I am very sensitive to smells and the smell is not pleasant to me. Because I am so sensitive I could be "prejudiced" against it, when I try to listen to this radio.

The radio works--to a point.  The plug and cord are original.  I haven't noticed any damage to the cord.  But, I haven't inspected it thoroughly. There is a hum when you turn it on and try to listen to it.  When you use the tuning knob there seems to be a "short" in it.  This means, that sometimes the radio works and sometimes it "cuts out".  It seems to "cut out" when you push the tuning knob hard.  I tried to get it doing this on video, but wasn't completely successful.  (see below)

There is a brown mark across the top of the radio cabinet and going down one side.  If the radio is on a while, the cabinet gets warm.  The heat has also tried to melt the side of the radio.  (see the still photos below) 

I have no idea what the white stuff (splatter) is on the front of the radio.  I haven't tried to clean it. I don't know more about this radio than is listed here.  If you have any questions, let me know.

Two Videos Showing Operation of Radio

They came out sort of dark on here.  On the camera they were much brighter.  But you can hear how this radio works.  This one is 2:24 minutes long. 

This is the second video I did. The picture came out a little better in this one.  You can at least hear the radio.  There isn't much to the picture anyway. This one is 4:45 minutes long.

Click on the photos below to make them larger.  They should fill the screen.

front view of the radio

another front view of the radio

yet again another front view of the radio

side view showing brown mark made from heat as the radio is played. You can also see how the cabinet has a "kink" in it from the heat.

Trying to show "kink" in the cabinet of the radio caused by heat.

more of the brown mark on the radio

The sticker on the bottom with schematic and other information about the radio

sticker from back of radio