These two radios are in the
shop. The 2600USA works fine and has great looking cabinet and knobs but
needs the usual chassis restoration. The 2500 has a dull cabinet and a bad and
missing autotransformer. The challenge is to take the transformer out of
the 2600 and install it into the 2500.
I jumpered the B+ and the filament
lines from the 2600USA to the 2500. Then applied power through the ubiquitous
Dim Bulb Tester (DBT) and it crackled with some sound from the speaker.
Bypassing the DBT into the isolation transformer and adding a temporary 47 uf
450 volt electrolytic the radio began to receive static. It received
stations on all bands, FM, SW and AM.
So in principal the transformer
transplant will work. There will be no voltage selector as with the original
transformer.
What is gained? The 2500 has a
Short wave band that the 2600USA does not. And the 2500 much more
attractive dial scale (2500) in my opinion with all the foreign countries
listed.