Grundig Emden III Car radio

[Mark Hennessy]

Speaking generally, when I've had an AM oscillator fail to play ball, it's usually caused by the decoupling electrolytic going O/C. Next, volts to low - perhaps caused by the same cap, but leaking this time. I've also had problems with the oscillator stopping as you go down the band, and that is a problem with a lack of Q in the coil. I've also had leads inside the can corrode away.

Naturally, switch contacts and dry joints are another factor, but I'm sure you'll have already thought about that.

There's a famous adage among analogue designers: Amplifiers oscillate, oscillators don't