Well, it's been long overdue. Here is the re-vamped and consolidated radio information I have collected and provided on the Web for Philco and other generic topics as well. I started The Philco Repair Bench about 5 years ago with enough web design knowledge to get a site up and running and have tried to upgrade the site over the intervening years with new information, and fixing html inconsistancies and compatibilities.
When I created my original home page on AOL, it was a typical collection of links, info, pictures and such. After a short while, I noticed I had started to accumulate a lot of Philco service, sales and memorabilia. The Philco bug had bitten. I had seen other radio websites that had radio service data and thought a site dedicated to early Philco service information and data would be beneficial. Since in the early years, Philco was inconsistant and sketchy with parts values and service data, it seemed a good idea to compile and make an on-line clearing house for this data. Since then, this site has continually grown and become one of the de-facto Philco sites on the internet thanks to the support of not only my site-partners, but also the radio collecting community as well.
Always on the lookout for new acquisitions to add to the archives, I was able to obtain a copy of the Philco 1937 List Price Catalog. I have other Philco parts catalogs from other years, but this very colorful and decorative 1937 edition caught my eye. I had been looking for a new design structure for the site and the bold cream and red-orange color scheme lent itself well to the new "physical" design and navigation structure I had in mind.
As you can see, I've taken not only the basic color scheme from the catalog, but also some of the graphical elements and rectangular sectioning that lends itself well to a webpage format. I am of the opinion that the KISS principle is vital to a website; Keep It Simple, Stupid. There are times when dancing pictures, shockwave and flash elements are called for, but these can be frustrating design features that can "break" when viewed by different browsers and computer platforms and operating systems. I prefer to create a site that is cross-browser friendly. So, if there are any suggestions for improvements or "adjustments" you'd like to see pertaining to the new look, just contact me.
