Hi Mike!
This is definitely a sign that something in the radio is getting worn out and likely will need to be replaced soon.? Based solely on the observations you've had, my initial suspect is a capacitor that is wearing out.? There was a pretty big problem with them between the late 90's and about 2007.? You can google "The capacitor plague" to read up more on that.
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If you have someone in your local club who can do some basic radio repair, it would be probably be worth it to have them take a look.? Replacing capacitors is a pretty straightforward process but can be a bit difficult in a radio this small just because everything is close together.? However a package of capacitors will run you <$30 and maybe a couple hours of your time compared to buying a new radio.
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Good luck with it!
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Ryan
NE1AM
