Re: Sears Silvertone table radio, model 5021
Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2026 7:51 pm
Silvertone radio update:
Right this minute it is working, but I have had that scenario more than once over the past month plus.
This past weekend totally redid a bunch of solder joints around the two audio output tubes. Plugged it in and it took off and I played it for 5 hours straight without a hitch. Next day I turned it on and it played just fine. Finally! I should not have said that. I decided to carry it upstairs to the kitchen so I could play it for a couple of days just to make sure. Got it upstairs, plugged it in, ZIP, back to the same old thing. Grr... Back to the basement, plugged it in and it worked just fine. Double Grr...
At that point I grabbed my plastic poker thing and started to push, wiggle and move the PC board. Nothing I did made it act up, it played just fine for several hours.
Next day I went to the basement, turned it on and it was acting up. Again, I took my plastic thing and started to do my usual to see if I could make it do something positive. As I was wiggling, pushing and beating on things I noticed a faint crackle when I pushed the long wire that goes to one of the wire wound resistors. It sits right beside one of the output tubes. As I moved this wire I could make the radio play. Moving it back to the original position it would fade back to not working. Instead of just trying to re-solder it I decided to replace it, kind of a just because thing. I called Mike, he had one, 300 ohm 5 watt. I drove over and picked it up, installed it, and right now it is playing. Been down that road before but keeping my fingers crossed that, dare I say it, it is finally fixed.
Stay tuned!
Bill
Right this minute it is working, but I have had that scenario more than once over the past month plus.
This past weekend totally redid a bunch of solder joints around the two audio output tubes. Plugged it in and it took off and I played it for 5 hours straight without a hitch. Next day I turned it on and it played just fine. Finally! I should not have said that. I decided to carry it upstairs to the kitchen so I could play it for a couple of days just to make sure. Got it upstairs, plugged it in, ZIP, back to the same old thing. Grr... Back to the basement, plugged it in and it worked just fine. Double Grr...
At that point I grabbed my plastic poker thing and started to push, wiggle and move the PC board. Nothing I did made it act up, it played just fine for several hours.
Next day I went to the basement, turned it on and it was acting up. Again, I took my plastic thing and started to do my usual to see if I could make it do something positive. As I was wiggling, pushing and beating on things I noticed a faint crackle when I pushed the long wire that goes to one of the wire wound resistors. It sits right beside one of the output tubes. As I moved this wire I could make the radio play. Moving it back to the original position it would fade back to not working. Instead of just trying to re-solder it I decided to replace it, kind of a just because thing. I called Mike, he had one, 300 ohm 5 watt. I drove over and picked it up, installed it, and right now it is playing. Been down that road before but keeping my fingers crossed that, dare I say it, it is finally fixed.
Stay tuned!
Bill