Jewel Radio-Bedside Lamp

Ever seen one of these? I am restoring it and I'm sorry I don't have pictures of it yet. The plastic lamp cover piece on mine has been replaced at some point with a clear, rather than frosted one so you can see the radio chassis and tubes when you look down inside it. At first I thought it was modified into a lamp by a previous owner and that the radio dial was removed, but then I noticed the tuning knob has the frequency numbers on it so there never was a dial in the top. This is a four tube radio, by the way, not a fiver.

Not mine, but similar. Mine is brown with mint green knobs.
http://www.tubesvalves.com/uploads/3/1/4/3/3143887/492327_orig.jpg

I have never seen one but I got it at a collector's estate auction a couple weeks ago.

That is an interesting radio.  A long antenna and strong local stations will be your friend when you use a four tube radio.  As a suggestion, I have found that the bottom of an old Tupperware container makes a good opaque light lens.  I know where there is a '63 Buick running around with a Tupperware "welcome lamp" lens.......

LOL...thanks for the tupperware idea!
I was going to matt coat a peice of plexiglass, but I may have to see what I can find in the kitchen. Also. even though it's a small departure from originality, I am temped to leave it clear so one can see the tubes.

I have had only one four tube AM radio before, and I know what you mean. This on actually came with a long wire antenna. There is a dedicated slot for it to pass through on the bottom panel and it is soldered in--so I believe it's how it came.

And, to keep your lamp cover in good shape, you could use an LED as opposed to a hot incandescent.

Good idea, but I don't think an LED bulb wil fit very well. I am using a frosted 7-1/2 watt night light bulb with an edison base. Anyway, I finished it but no pictures yet. Been busy with an Air King 252 and a friend's EICO 360 sweep generator. I decided to keep the clear lens. It looks original, but I think someone just did a very neat job of cutting out some plexiglass. It comes out with two thumbscrews to make it easy to change the bulb from the top.

You are right, too, on the reception. It is very poor without a long wire antenna. That extra 100 plus voltage gain of an IF stage really makes a world of difference.

That Air King model sounds strangely familiar. I think I've got that model. Mine has a ballast tube that somebody bypassed with resistors. It is a middling to decent performer if I use my long outside antenna.

I ended up opening the resistor tube (it's metal and had tabs that could be bent outward) and putting power resistors inside it.

Neat fix!