03-08-2011, 01:14 PM
Hello, Daniel: nice find! It looks like it is in good shape. The 38-2 is a good 11 tube set, and worth doing right if you are going to attempt any restoration.
How you do this really begins with what knowledge you posess with respect to electronics, troubleshooting, and soldering. In order to replace the power cord you must remove the chassis from the cabinet and remove the old cord and solder a new one to where the old one was connected. Bad solder connections, even here where 120V inputs, will result in potential additional resistance and heat buildup, which is ungood.
The rest of the electronic resto again depends on the condition of the components. Tubes should be checked and replaced as required.Replacement of electrolytic capacitors is never a bad idea, as these components are prone to failure. Remember, they are 70-plus years old if original.
Other capacitors are next, the wax/paper ones also tend to age and become leaky. Resistors on these early Philcos also get out of tolerance but are easy to check in circuit.
Read as much as you can about these sets. This Philco site and the Philco Repair Bench site are two of the best for Philco and general electronic topics. Books are good sources. Free schematics can be had from Nostalgiaair website and other sites. And talk to other collectors. This is a great hobby with many nice people who get a kick out of helping other collectors.
How you do this really begins with what knowledge you posess with respect to electronics, troubleshooting, and soldering. In order to replace the power cord you must remove the chassis from the cabinet and remove the old cord and solder a new one to where the old one was connected. Bad solder connections, even here where 120V inputs, will result in potential additional resistance and heat buildup, which is ungood.
The rest of the electronic resto again depends on the condition of the components. Tubes should be checked and replaced as required.Replacement of electrolytic capacitors is never a bad idea, as these components are prone to failure. Remember, they are 70-plus years old if original.
Other capacitors are next, the wax/paper ones also tend to age and become leaky. Resistors on these early Philcos also get out of tolerance but are easy to check in circuit.
Read as much as you can about these sets. This Philco site and the Philco Repair Bench site are two of the best for Philco and general electronic topics. Books are good sources. Free schematics can be had from Nostalgiaair website and other sites. And talk to other collectors. This is a great hobby with many nice people who get a kick out of helping other collectors.
