For newcomers to the hobby and seasoned radio collectors not familiar with Philco, this handy chart will help identify parts and also disspell a recurring mistake in identifying Philco radio model numbers. Up until 1937, Philco used 2 and 3-digit model numbers, not counting any suffixes to denote cabinet styles. Hence, we have models like 20, 16, 80, 610, 680 and the like. Starting in 1937, Philco changed their numbering scheme to include the last two digits of the model's production year. So, the "new" models for the 1937 model year were 37-10, 37-610, 37-89 and so forth. Philco kept this scheme up to the end of radio and television production.

   As you will notice, Philco's parts numbering scheme is very extensive and also has some numbers that appear to be just like model numbers from 1937 to 1945. Not so! These numbers all have 4-digit sequences and, to the untrained eye, look just like model numbers. This is where the confusion sets in, especially with Printed Matter that has a prefix of 39-xxxx.

   Many newcomers mistake these small printed numbers to be the model numbers, but actually are the part numbers for the paper tags themselves! Sometimes that's all that's left of a destroyed or torn model number tag. Other part numbers would also be ink-stamped or metal stamped into chassis, sub-assemblies and other parts causing more confusion in finding a model number on a new set. Hopefully this chart will help clear things up.

   Chuck Schwark, The Philco Repair Bench

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Many Advantages Discovered in Philco Part Numbering System
[Re-printed from the PHILCO SERVICEMAN, April, 1936]

   For the benefit of many dealers and servicemen who are not familiar with the PHILCO part-numbering system, we are giving the details which explain the six-digit part numbers employed.

   Two-digit prefix numbers are assigned to various classes of parts, sub-assemblies, and assemblies which are encountered in radio manufacturing. Each part number under this system consists of the two-digit prefix plus a four-digit part number. In writing the numbers a hyphen is placed between the two-digit prefix and the four-digit suffix. This part numbering system was started approximately January1, 1933, and all new PHILCO part numbers have been assigned in accordance with the new system. Wherever part numbers have previously been assigned, however, the older numbers are still employed.

   The following are the various classifications under this later system:

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