Test Equipment

[james_s]

IMO u shoud start with spectrum analizer or VNA.Generator can be easily done with filter, amplifier, level control loop and adf43XX or similar. Sure - to measure receiver u will need some signal - but u may need only antenna or transmitter to get it - but without measuring result / parasitic frequencies etc generator cant help enought.

I have a spectrum analyzer and I have never once used it while restoring an old radio or amplifier. What on earth would you even use one for in that context? I find it strange that you would suggest such an expensive and specialized piece of equipment for that task. Maybe if you were trying to align tranmitters?

[Wallace Gasiewicz]

I use a spectrum analyzer all the time in aligning amateur radiosMany radios have filters that remove spurs. Nice to see them go away with the adjustments.
Not necessary for most Rx radios and a bit expensive, it is very helpful to get clean transmit and to see transmit sidebands.There are lots of cheap SAs around now but I have not even tried to use any of them and do not know how easy they are to use.They do look like fun though.
Edit, SAs include a freq readout which is very helpful.

[n4u]

U dont have to buy sth pricey even rtlsdr is cheap - frequency characteristic is not linear but having a multimeter its all what you need for measurement / diagnostics of receiver in 500k-1.75GHz when u have some input for it. Fixing an FM radio u already have signal, already have some noise - u need just use it. For am u may make simple transmitter with sound card and oscilator. Generator is needed only when u havent any input for your device. But u may buy some dds and use it as noise source - but imo spectrum analizing is more important

[Wallace Gasiewicz]

Another thought:Evaluating big old capacitors is problematic. Many of these old radios have caps rated in hundreds of volts.Most current cap testers do not provide the hundreds of volts necessary to test them. Tube radios commonly use hundreds of volts.
Old cap testers like the Heathkit, Eico ones have high volt test capabilities.These testers had a "Magic Eye" tubeTheir accuracy is not important mostly but the ability to test for leaky big old caps is necessary, unless you just replace all the old caps which is not a bad idea.The accuracy of the caps is secondary consideration to their leakiness. Most of these old caps had quite a range of stated capacitance relative to their actual capacitance
Again, old "magic eye" testers are really cheap.Testing these caps is more important now than when the radios were built since the caps deteriorate with age.