Day before yesterday I received my newly purchased RM5 Mk3 via UPS from New Orleans.
I fired it up and yes - it worked quietly and flawlessly as designed with the mismatched tubes supplied by the previous owner. Well, that was to be expected since the unit was hardly yet old enough to vote. However, while auditioning a new set of select tubes, I noted a serious design defect. From my perch, ten feet across the room, I could not make out the indicator mark on the volume control, much less the selection switch settings. Aha - I said, these smarty pants young designers who put small nearly unseeable gold marks on black dull finished equipment may get old one day and risk electrocuting themselves! With considerable satisfaction I sat back and contemplated my superior design insight. For those of you who are likewise truly discriminating in such matters, a company called Radio Shack carries knobs which are clearly marked with a large easily readable white line. (RS 274-407). These plastic insulated knobs will protect the user from shocking grounding voltage as well and render the notion of a remote control moot.
