Skyrover 588 - 1937 model

This is the "before" photo from the guy who had it listed for sale.



"after" pix

This radio is a new acquisition, (late June '98). It was made in 1937. I've yet to find a schematic for it, but its got Philco-clone written all over it from the wooden case to the circuitry. Uses 5Y3-Rectifier, 6A8-Osc/Mx, 6K7-IF, 6Q7-2 Mix/Detector and 6F6-Audio. Band coverage is BCB and 2-7 Mcs.

Every radio has its story, and this was a "kitchen model" in the literal sense. Granma cooked up a lot of good meals beside this radio judging by the hardened grease covering the chassis. But there's a good side to that being that the innards were well protected from rust. After a good cleaning (with paint thinner), the chassis looks almost new. I'll take kitchen grease over barn rust anytime!

It wasn't hawked on eBay as working (or non-working). I'm not brave enough to plug in a new acquisition without some inspection. The eBay DREAD - somebody's failed project! Lots of new components pig-tailled in a very amateurish attempt to revive the radio. After cleaning up a few loose wires, I plugged it in to find at least some sound if you get close to the spkr. A little tweaking got me the local AM station on 1370 showing up on the dial at 670 or so and a 393 khz aircraft beacon 60 miles away showing up at 800! Huh?

A check of the SW band showed fairly normal operation, but I still haven't been able to align the BCB to where its supposed to be. Suspect the previous restorer gave up on this one. Lots more things still left to try.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Update 13 Aug. - Skyrover was no match for the Sparkbench. Never could find a schematic but it turns out that somebody had tied the Osc and RF sections of the tuning cap together. Maybe there was supposed to be a 'gimmick' capacitor there. The little diagram inside the case makes it look that way, but I couldn't figure how it could be so. After separating the two, she tuned right up. I think the frustrated eBay seller put all his bad tubes in this set too because every one tested bad.!

I did some regluing and re-finished the pretty little two-tone cabinet. This little radio has come out so perfect, electronically and visually, that I sprang for a $15 plastic dialcover replacement. This radio now looks like a new model on some 1937 display, just waiting to be purchased! Its so cute!

I guess that this is a fairly rare model radio, given that no data is available. But is sure is a classic 30s deco model that has been revived to perfect condition. I'm kinda partial to it, even if it ain't a Walton's radio.
Sold!!!





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Updated August 26, 1998 and June 6, 2022