Please bear with these questions of a rank neophyte;
What is the function of the bakelite condenser?
What are the symptoms that a malfunctioning one would exhibit?
I'm attempting to tackle my first restoration (a Model 40-130) and I'm trying to learn as I go. The bakelite assembly may be in need of help (bulging tar), but before I do a rebuild and replace the two caps I'd like to know more about it.
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Joined: Oct 2005
City: Grand Blanc, Michigan
The bakelite condensor/capacitor serves the same function as a regular paper capacitor but it also gave Philco the option to use the multiple lugs on the bakelite block instead of terminal strips. So the bakelite block may only have one capacitor in most cases, in some situation dual capacitors and combo with capacitor/resistor. I disconnect mine noting the connections and remove it and snip the cap leads (tiny wires soldered at the lug rivets) and then I heat it up with a heat gun after I have screwed in an eye screw and after it is heated up and the tar is hot and soft and you can pull the old cap mess out. I use yellow tubulars but you can also use drops replace the old ones. You can go to Chuck's site,
http://www.philcorepairbench.com/capbuild.htm for additional information.
Posts: 1,703
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Joined: Sep 2005
City: Evanston, IL
A bakelite block capacitor is just one or more wax-paper caps potted in a bakelite shell. Occasioanlly there is a cap and resistor.
Just like any other "to be replaced" wax-paper cap. Philco's way of making easier assembly in the factory. Many times, unused terminals on a bakelite block were used as a convenient terminal for other passing-by wiring or components.
See my site for identification of types/values and re-building instructions.
http://www.philcorepairbench.com/capbuild.htm
Chuck
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Whew!... another bedazzled future Philco chassis restorer with a *caps* question(s), "imagine that"!!!... concerning those orig mystery "Philco Pfactory bakelite condensers"?!! (hee hee)... with a built on terminal-strip! Very true!! That was Philcos way of making easier assembly in the factory", but now, lets discuss the *real reason* those mystery caps were buried in tar with only a "part #" engraved on the bakelight housing.
Those engraved bakelight housings with part #s only,(stamped one 1 side of the bakelite housing(s) ( Many different from each other depending on part #s),... at the time of orig manufacture, were really produced so the Philco Radios would be returned to a authorized Philco Dealer/ Repair facility back in the days of Tube Radio MFGR sales wars so only the Philco techs knew what really was under that tar!!! Now, thanks to Chucks website, and a book called "Philco Condensers and More", avail at AES , newbies can easily decipher the orig Philco condenser parts (secret codes) with ease!
Am I the only one posting here that ever had to (de-code) & rebuild a orig Atwater Kent (mod 42) orig Power supply buried in mucho-tar in a large rectungular metal case with a large ceramic -wound wire wound bias resistor attached? You HAVE to leave those in place!! Not so with orig Philco mystery condensers. Using retrofit modern type terminal-strips can easily take the future mystery out of rebuilding those old bakelite blocks! Just an idea!!
Randal
