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when it rains, it pours...
#1

You may have seen my other thread about the 37-630 I had the opportunity to buy cheap....then within days, I found a good deal on a decent 37-116x (that I am going to pick up on Sunday)....I was a little hesitant about the complicated rebuild on the '116x....thinking I might want something a little simpler in order to build some skills, as I have little working experience....so I'm thinking I'll stash the 37-116x for a while, until I am more confident...and in the mean time, pick up some cheaper sets to learn on.

Yesterday, I was in my small hometown's hardware store chit-chatting with the help...the talk turned to projects we were working on ....and I mentioned old radios.  One of the guys said, 'hey I have my parent's old Philco in my basement, you want it?'......long story, short, it's a 40-195 with a cabinet in awesome shape...doesn't play (he said)...but he wants $20.  The style doesn't interest me...and I hate to see him get rid of his parent's radio...so I told him I'd think about it.  Like I said, I'd never seek one of these out....and would never consider paying decent money or driving to get one and I've read about the rubber wiring...but it's cheap, real nice shape, 3 blocks from my house.. and I could use the experience....so I might snag it.   

All of this happened in like a week.
#2

You know if you keep this up the radios are going to be pushing you out of your house, don't ask me how I know just trust!
All kidding aside the 40-195 is a good sounding set too. I have it's shorter, squat sister the 41-300. Electrically the audio stages are identical. The rf and if stages are a little more robust.
Common uncommon issues. One you all ready mentioned rubber wire, Don't remember if the '40 models have the off/on sw via the pushbuttons if so they are frequently burned out, open audio output transformer, Volume and tone control pots are hard to source. They have a short shaft and a gear welded to the end of the shaft.
Have been listening to my '300 all day today.
OBTW you ever get over to the corner of King and W Monroe sts? That where the Simplex Radio Co was or building is. Don't know if it's still around


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When my pals were reading comic books
I was down in the basement in my dad's
workshop. Perusing his Sam's Photofoacts
Vol 1-50 admiring the old set and trying to
figure out what all those squiggly meant.
Circa 1966
Now I think I've got!

Terry
#3

...and Philco later bought controlling interest in Simplex - I believe they eventually bought Simplex out entirely in order to increase their plant capacity.

A lot of their compact radios of 1938-39, including those first Transitone models, were of Simplex design.

Now you are a bona fide collector! Welcome to the sickness, er, hobby! Icon_lol

The 40-195 has a toggle off-on switch mounted underneath the dial, to the left of the dial, on the upper edge of the speaker opening. Yes, it is full of rubber-covered wiring, but the 40-195 isn't as much of a challenge as the 41-295/300/315 models are.

--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
#4

I'm still working on a 10s464 zenith with plenty of that crappy wire....not fun, but do-able.  I've read that the 40-195 is a good performer....but I'm really not sold on the style. Yet. 

Interesting info about Simplex Radio Co.  Do Simplex radios still show up?   I wouldn't mind having a decent example, sometime.

And as odd as it sounds, Upper Sandusky (where I have lived my whole life) is actually over an hour southwest of Sandusky....' Upper' (as it's known) originated as an Indian village located on the upper end of the Sandusky river.  I think the city of Sandusky was originally known as 'Lower Sandusky' on some old maps of the area, before statehood..being located at the mouth of the Sandusky river, on Lake Erie.  It is confusing.... many people get it mixed up.


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#5

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum.../spock.jpg]

Interesting...but highly illogical.

--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
#6

> Do Simplex radios still show up?
I've got 3 or 4 really beat ones. Think I can make 2 decent ones maybe 3. I bought one at Kutztown last fall that if you blow on it good and hard it would crumble, I mostly was looking for another chassis. All of them need the chassis stripped down as they and rusty. I did get one them working a year or two ago. Basic set four tubes #58 rf amp, #57 detector, #47 audio output, and #80 rectifier. From 1931 or 32.
http://www.nostalgiaair.org/pagesbymodel...043253.pdf
Here's some pics of other Simplex sets:  http://www.radioatticarchives.com/archiv...=s2#Simple
I'm pretty sure that they made a number of different chassis sold them to other outfits that would cabinet and rebadge them as there own.
Didn't know that Sandusky is such a large place! Tnx for the geography lessen!

When my pals were reading comic books
I was down in the basement in my dad's
workshop. Perusing his Sam's Photofoacts
Vol 1-50 admiring the old set and trying to
figure out what all those squiggly meant.
Circa 1966
Now I think I've got!

Terry




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