Working RCA AR-88 for sale to a good home

[Mike Langner]

Hello everyone on the list!

I would like to sell at a fair price into a good home my RCA AR-88 receiver.
Based on the quite yellowed/brownish paper "licensing and patents" sticker
on the back of the chassis I assume this is an original production model --
no suffix letter appears with the AR-88 legend.

Phenomenal audio quality -- particularly on AM.

Email photos are available -- I'll take pictures as soon as I finish this
email.

The unit is the usual rack mounted receiver with the desktop cabinet with
the top opening for adjustments, alignment, and re-tubing.

All bands receive signals well. All tubes have been tested on my Hickok 600A
tube checker and are good or better.

The unit does not have the "S" meter, but has a pilot light attached to an
IF can with a tie-wrap illuminating the "RCA AR-88 + logo + FREQUENCY 540 KC
TO 30MC" plastic that is fitted to the hole where an "S" meter might be. The
light looks original, but I cannot be certain.  It is as if some small piece
of metal is missing requiring the tie wrap. A previous owner had removed the
plastic label plate and stuck an ill-fitting Hallicrafters S Meter in the
unit at a jaunty angle.  That may be the cause of the now tie-wrap mounted
pilot light.

The knobs are not all the round knobs I see in many photos -- the RF and AF
gain knobs are knurled round knobs with the word "Volume" engraved into
them.  The function, range, selectivity, and AVC/MVC controls have
rectangular knobs with engraved arrows.  The Tuning Control knob is a black
crackle spinner type.  The remaining knobs are the typical round RCA type
found on nearly all RCA commercial equipment.

As the photos will show, the chrome strips on the front panel are in place
and are in excellent condition, as is the entire unit.  There are a few tiny
"white paint dots" on the top of the cabinet.  I'll have all of them (or
nearly all of them) removed by this afternoon.  A previous owner must have
painted the room the radio was in and gotten the paint dots on the radio
cabinet's top.  The white paint dots come off with the nudge of a
fingernail.

The bandswitch and other controls could use a shot of "Caig Pro Gold" or
other contact cleaner -- or simply will benefit from being turned more than
once in 10 years.

The radio is, as you know, quite heavy.  Given the recent exchanges about
shipping damage, I would recommend having it crated for shipment.

Why am I selling it?  Four years ago I survived (by 30 minutes) a near-fatal
heart attack.  Recently I had another "both sides" heart catheterization.
While I don't intend to leave this mortal coil any time soon, clearly I
won't get to determine the moment.  So, rather than stick my wife and
daughter with a bunch of wonderful old radios they won't know what to do
with, I'm continuing to pass my treasures on to good homes where there value
will be appreciated, and into which I can sell them for a fair price --
rather than just try to get every possible dollar from someone who only sees
resale as their interest.

Please let me know if you may be interested in this great old radio, in
photos of it, and your opinion of a sale/purchase price that would be fair
and perhaps of interest to you.

Thanks for taking time to read my post!

Mike/

Mike Langner
K5MGR
Albuquerque, NM

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