General Electric H-520

Bands: AM

Tube Lineup: 12A8, 12SK7, 12SQ7, 35L6, 35Z5

The General Electric H-520 is affectionately known by collectors as the "Turbine" because of its distinctive machine age appearance. This model is one of a series that used the same cabinet with different options: H-500 (no pushbuttons, molded plastic back cover), H-501 (no pushbuttons, cardboard back), H-510 (pushbuttons, cardboard back), H-520 (pushbuttons, molded plastic back cover). All these models were offered in different cabinet colors including mottled brown bakelite, ivory plaskon and Beetle. The same chassis was also used in wood cabinet models including the H-503.

I purchased this H-520 from a 2019 VRPS auction in pieces as someone's unfinished restoration project. The radio was a fairly straight forward All-American 5 "AA5" design that was easy to repair with new capacitors and a replacement cord.