This a Westinghouse AM/FM radio, probably from the mid-1960s, looks like nothing special. Well, there is that wire sticking out from it. More on that coming up in this post.
The H950PN10 looks like the Forecaster's kid brother (The band switch is similar on both radios and is in the same location on the chassis, for example) with the kid brother not being the sharp dresser that big brother was.
Yes, but.
Upon the radio's arrival, I turned it on. The controls were a bit dirty but workable. The three-position tone switch was a nice feature, the volume control worked well once a little of the dirt had been knocked out of it, and the tuning was smooth. The radio did seem out of calibration, on both AM and FM.
And now for the punchline: this thing is hot on AM. It's not a GE Superadio, but it's close. Selectivity is good, sensitivity is very good, and the sound quality is more than respectable. Unlike most AM radios at my Oakland location, this one can pick up KKYA at 1200 kHz from Monterey, and pick it up at a good volume. Other fringe-area stations do well, too. Selectivity isn't quite as good as a Superadio, so 780 from Reno doesn't make it. Overall, though, I'd rate it as very good.
Does that wire have something to do with it? It's labeled "external antenna", and it's not an FM antenna. There's an internal antenna, too, and it works, easily determined by rotating the radio around. So what does that wire do?
FM, which is more important to me, is not quite the same story. The radio is adequately sensitive, but has mediocre selectivity and poor image rejection. A narrower bandwidth would help, and could let the radio's sensitivity shine through. It can pick up most of the weaker stations on the educational part of the FM dial in the Bay Area. So I'd rate the FM section as "fairly good" because of its sensitivity, but not "good" because it's not selective. It's roughly comparable to modern-day Sangean pocket radios. So I just wish the FM performance were a little better.
But on AM, this one was a surprise. The radio sounds good, the ergonomics are good, and with 4 "D" cells, it's likely to be easy on battery life. This one's not nearly as common as Zenith portable radios from the same era, and doesn't have an eyecatching design. But not every radio needs to feature a "Me Radio, You Listen" appearance.