The volunteers selected one of the Atwater Kent Model 10 radios in the collection as the first restoration project. We used modern ARBE-III power supply instead of lots of batteries or an antique battery eliminator (that we would also need to restore) to power the radio.
We started by using the signal generator in a modern Rigol oscilloscope to make a modulated AM signal that we fed into the antenna connections. Then we installed a 01A vacuum tube in the first RF Amplifier socket and used the oscilloscope to look at the grid (input) and plate (output) signals of the vacuum tube. We tried a several 01A vacuum tubes to find enough working ones for the radio. Then we worked our way through the second RF Amplifier, Detector, first AF Amplifier, and the second AF Amplifier getting all of the stages working and tuned, and connected an external antenna. We were rewarded with a broadcast from a local AM radio station.
This receiver is now on display in the Wireless Building and can be demonstrated to visitors.