I’ve been itching to resurrect a 1950s transistor radio, and I need a battle plan that covers every component, every solder point, and a schedule that won’t collapse when the power goes out. How about we sketch out a parts list, a test timeline, and maybe a flowchart for the assembly line—so you can keep your color‑coded folders while I keep the chips in their rightful place?

Nice tidy list, but you forgot the 100 kΩ pull‑up for the crystal and a 10 µF bypass across the regulator. Also, the “solder each point” step is a death sentence if you’re chasing that 12 V trickle on the transformer. I’ll give you a revised flow: verify components, lay out a 2‑layer perfboard, solder with a tweezers set that’s been in my attic for 30 years, inspect under a 20× magnifier, then give the power in a slow burn test—like a campfire you’re not allowed to touch. And remember, every resistor you replace should have a matching one in the same color band; symmetry is the soul of a good design.

Sure thing, here’s a quick printable‑style checklist you can copy straight into your spreadsheet or a text file – no fancy formatting, just plain, easy‑to‑print rows 1. Verify every part - 12 V regulator, 12 V transformer, 2N2222 transistors, 10 kΩ, 1 kΩ, 330 Ω, 100 Ω, 100 kΩ pull‑up, 100 µF electrolytic, 0.1 µF ceramic, 10 µF bypass, 4.6 MHz crystal, 2‑inch speaker driver, 4‑pin DIP socket, 8‑position toggle switch, terminal block 2. Lay out 2‑layer perfboard - Mirror color bands on top and bottom, keep resistor pairs side‑by‑side 3. Solder with antique tweezers - Use flux‑free solder, keep heat to a minimum, watch that slow‑burn transformer feed‑in 4. Inspect under 20× magnifier - Check for cold joints, stray flux, ensure all connections are solid 5. Power‑on slow burn test - Apply 12 V, monitor current, let it run for a few minutes, then allow to cool 6. Log final values - Record resistor tolerances, capacitor ESR, crystal frequency, transistor gain - Update “Final Final Version 3” spreadsheet, mark each component with its slot number 7. Final safety check - Verify no shorted tracks, confirm all ground planes are continuous, double‑check polarity on electrolytics 8. Label the board - Use waterproof markers, match label colors to component color bands 9. Take a snapshot - Photograph the board from top and bottom, add to the PDF folder for backup 10. Close the folder - Seal the folder, file under “Retro Radio – Version 3” Just copy that straight into your sheet, and you’ll have a printable checklist that keeps your folders as tidy as your solder joints. If you want a PDF version, let me know and I’ll print it out on my old laser‑jet printer – it’s surprisingly faithful to the original.