Just Another Pretty Face?

My new-to-me Heathkit Mohican receiver is due for some TLC

Heathkit Mohican general coverage receiver

This is for all of you who remember the wonderful Heathkit devices of yesteryear. Just look at that front face and try not to smile. Quite simply, this is a lovely radio.

Recently, I picked up a Heathkit Mohican general coverage receiver from an eBay seller. The photo above shows it just as it came out of the box. I haven’t wiped the tuning face or cleaned or removed anything.

For a radio that was born around 1960, this old fellow is in pretty good shape. The worst of the chips and nicks are visible below the front panel dials. Everything else looks almost new.

The aerial antenna works and is not bent. The battery tray is intact and not corroded. There is no rust anywhere. A very thin layer of fine dust uniformly coats the interior, suggesting this radio has been on the shelf for quite some time.

A complete manual is available at Vintage-Radio.info on the Heathkit page, under the title of GC-1A.

I am most concerned about the capacitors. Fortunately, most of them are silver mica or ceramic disc capacitors. I only count four electrolytic capacitors in the spec sheet.

I’ve not yet applied power. This radio did not come with a mains power adapter. Back when this was built, portable meant lugging around a 17-pound mass and powering it with C-size cells. It takes 8 C cells. When operating well, it draws little power; on battery, it is said to operate for up to 400 hours of typical intermittent service.

I plan to power it up later this week after blowing the interior clean. If I’m lucky, it will operate and we’ll see no magic smoke. Then it will be a matter of more thoroughly cleaning the chassis, perhaps using DeOxIt on some of the front panel switches and drives, and aligning the receiver.

Fingers crossed.