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n7lrg

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I've been helping a lady get ready for her yard sale and came across this. It's an E.F. Johnson 223. They were only made between 1969-1972. I wish I had taken the "before" pics. I literally had to blow the 1/8" of dust from the inside with my air compressor. I scrubbed the insides with a brush and also used popsicle sticks wrapped with a terrycloth. The speaker grill was badly pitted and paint was chipped off. I dropped the front face, removed it then lightly sanded the roughness off with #240 sandpaper, cleaned it with rubbing alcohol then gave it 3 light coats of black satin.
I got an on the air check and all good but this rig will be added to a little museum I have of some other old tube equipment.
 

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n7lrg

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Thanks, tubes check good. I haven't messed with the switch above the channel selector but I figure it adds channels. If you look close near the crystals there is one suspended between that and the pc board. Maybe next weekend.
 

K4EET

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Very nice rig that you have found there. The cleanup exercise appears to have gone very well. Jolly good show! Dave K4EET
 

WA0CBW

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The "223" was a Messenger II turned sidewise with an added 23 channel crystal synthesizer? Yours has an aftermarket frequency synthesizer probably with added channels. Nice referb job.
BB
 

n7lrg

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Thanks.
The dust layer may actually have worked as a protective coating. The inside looks unusually smooth and unpitted.
Yes no pitting. I don't have a pic but the chrome trim...real chromed steel is shiny and smooth too.
I'm still contemplating the transformer shell...Maybe sand it, mask it off (literally bag the whole radio first) and paint it with high gloss).
 

n7lrg

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The "223" was a Messenger II turned sidewise with an added 23 channel crystal synthesizer? Yours has an aftermarket frequency synthesizer probably with added channels. Nice referb job.
BB
I see now...had to look it up...the Messenger II had ten channels.
 
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