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Bought another console! Pictures added!
#1

Well, yes, I had enough room for one more. I have its brother, a 112, so I found a 111. As soon as I can get it out of the car back seat I will post some pictures and on with the restoration. Probably more questions about the cabinet, which is pretty good. The chassis is close to the 112 so I will know my way around. Off to Chuck to get some nice documentation.
Jerry

A friend in need is a pest!  Bill Slee ca 1970.
#2

Aye. Picture please.
#3

They are a pretty good set! Best to re-stuff the bakelite blocks, as the chassis is very shallow. The metal cans with the .25 and .5mfd caps are easy to do......The large can with the filter caps in it can be a pain to rebuild, but once you get them out it's not bad. Several of us have posted photos of our own techniques for doing this here.
#4

Not familiar with how to get the "thumb nail" pictures added but will try. If I bomb out, will go the photobucket approach.
Jerry

[Image: http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn129...0001-4.jpg]

[Image: http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn129...0005-2.jpg]

[Image: http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn129...0004-4.jpg]

[Image: http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn129...0003-3.jpg]

A friend in need is a pest!  Bill Slee ca 1970.
#5

Well couldn't wait until I finished my other project and pulled the chassis. Well, really dusty. I thought the dial scroll was toasted, all I saw was white. A little light dusting with one of the wife's blush brush (one she gave me) and it came out nice. Same with the rest of the chassis. Did a little cleaning of all and here are the pictures. Will need to find a couple more screws to hold the chassis in. There was only one and one in the bottom of the cabinet. Need to source some rubber grommets to mount the chassis and another chassis bolt for the speaker mounting. Who ever played with it didn't believe in putting back all the hardware.
Here are pictures after cleaning. I really didn't believe the speaker was going to work as pressing a little around the voice coil yielded no movement of the cone. Did a dim bulb and things looked good with the rectifier out. Checked for A/C on the plates and filament, looked good. What the hay, brought it up on my variac and I'll be darn, it plays! Time to put it aside but I'm happy. One more project to finish first. The sound quality sucks and is distorted but the sensitivity isn't bad. Will need some caps changed but waiting on finishing what I have and Chuck to send his nice schematic package.
This at least on the top side looks much nicer than my 112. Couldn't ask for much better. Only 2 tubes appear to have been replaced, all the others seem to match. Engraved Cunningham tubes. I thought they would be marked Philco. Perhaps not then?

[Image: http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn129...e002-1.jpg]

[Image: http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn129...e003-2.jpg]

[Image: http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn129...age005.jpg]

[Image: http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn129...age004.jpg]

Thanks for looking and any comments.
Jerry

A friend in need is a pest!  Bill Slee ca 1970.
#6

Thanks TA, the bakelite caps and the smaller metal cans I have experience with. The large can on the 112 did not hold the electrolytics as it appears to do on the 111. Looks like a totally different disassembly. The 112 was a piece of cake. Will be looking for the links you suggested when I get there. Would still like to know if the cunigham tubes would be normal? Perhaps the set was sold without tubes? Buyer buy his own?
Jerry

A friend in need is a pest!  Bill Slee ca 1970.
#7

Hmm.., not sure about the set being sold without tubes, but my 111 had several Philco globe tubes in it that I assume (yes, the "A" word) came in the set originally. Based on when the 111 was manufactured, it would have had globe tubes in it originally.

Cunningham/RCA tubes are fine replacements. It could be that the set was bought with no tubes, but more likely that they were replaced. The owner may have gotten a deal or a repair shop may have talked them into replacing them all.
#8

Jerry

The 111 was originally sold with a set of Philco globe or S shaped tubes. Philco advertised a selling price "less tubes," but then added the cost of the tubes to the sale. This practice continued until June 1931, when the 111 was replaced by the 112 and the 70 and 90 appeared. Then, sale prices included tubes.

The story of Philco branded tubes is an interesting one. Originally, RCA supplied tubes to Philco. Philco and RCA got into a tiff in 1930, resulting in Philco contracting with Hygrade and Sylvania to manufacture tubes stamped with the Philco name. The Philco models which came out in June 1930 were the first ones to use "Philco" tubes. Your 111 was introduced to the public in January 1931.

Cunningham tubes would not have been original to the set, and "ST" or taper-top tubes would certainly not be original as these came into being around 1933.

That's right...your 111 left the factory with all-globe Philco tubes, including a pair of Philco globe 45 output tubes.

--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
#9

Thank you for the response T.A. Yes, my 112 had a number of globe Philco tubes in it, and a number or replacement non-globe tubes. I was surprised to see no globes and virtually all the Cunnigham tubes. But they look old with the engraving. All measure weak to pathetic on my tube tester. Only good one was the 80. The radio seems to work well. I will just wait until I have time to go through the electronics. Perhaps someone just sold them a complete new set of tubes in the past as you suggested.
Jerry

A friend in need is a pest!  Bill Slee ca 1970.
#10

Thank you Ron, I was apparently typing my response to T.A. as you were entering yours. Appears at some time early in life of my little girl she was totally restuffed with new tubes. I appreciate the information and will start the electrical restoration in a few weeks. Doubt that I will go totally "global", just fix what needs to be fixed. Those 45s certainly test very weak and would show nicely with globe tubes but, cost is high. If they really need replacement, ST tubes probably. As of right now with short runs at limited line voltage, seems to be adequate volume.
Going to be a fun project.

Jerry

A friend in need is a pest!  Bill Slee ca 1970.
#11

Yes, you will be very satisfied with your set when you get it right. The early eleven-tube superhet Philcos sound and play great, especially when you have the local/distance switch set to "distance."
#12

Thanks TA, I don't normally listen to any OTA AM where I live. Really only get a couple local stations. Most of my listening is off my SSTRANS and playing FM/ MP3/ or CDs. With this, I really don't need any kind of antenna. Most of my radios have a foot or so of antenna. Plenty of reception for our two stations and more than enough for the SSTRANS. Not certain where I left the local/distance switch on my 112 but it does fine. My main worry when I get to it is the speaker cone which seems very stiff. Does play but seems to lack bass. I has been reconed. Seems like my 112 speaker, which needed and was reconed was more flexible when putting a couple thumbs on the voice coil and pressing lightly. We will see when I get to the electronics.
Appreciate your thoughts, Jerry

A friend in need is a pest!  Bill Slee ca 1970.
#13

I saw a Majestic console in Colorado at a garage sale that is a dead-ringer for this Philco. Wonder if the same company built them for both.
#14

Very nice set Jerry-I once had the 211 model which was very similar with an RP on top. The 11 tube chassis in mine was just a so-so player though and I later sold it to a Philco collector, Big Scott.

These Philco's had wonderful cabinets. I believe mine said Red Lion or something similar inside as the furniture company who made the cabinet.
#15

Quote:I saw a Majestic console in Colorado at a garage sale that is a dead-ringer for this Philco. Wonder if the same company built them for both.

No they were not built by the same company for Philco or Majestic, Majestic was built by Grigsby-Grunow in Chicago, Philco was built by Philco in Philidelphia. I don't know who built cabinets for G.G but it was more then likely one of the Rockford Illinois based cabinet companies, Philco had their own cabinet shops and sometimes farmed out work to outside regional makers if they needed extra production capacity. The chassis are completely different, the Majestic was more then likely a TRF set, probably a model 93 or such which has a similar cabinet style, the Philco 111 is a Superheterodyne.
Regards
Arran




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