Feedback for 42 355T

[Paul Philco322]

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the 42 355T? I have one in pretty good cosmetic shape and the chassis looks relatively original. Yes I know the rubber wire, but the thing has a awful sharp look to it in my eye, and the speaker looks mint, chassis seems like a console chassis in a jumbo table set. How do these perform/sound?

I would appreciate any information on the performance of this beautiful beast.

Thanks.

Paul

[Arran]

They should be fairly decent perfomer, they did use the same chassis in a floor model as well. Depending on how many tubes it has it may have used a phase invertor or used the screen grid inversion trick that Philco was famous for. One thing to watch for are bad output transformers, a very common fault with early 40s Philcos. If the rubber wire is rotted it's a bit of a pain working around the pushbutton assemblies these sets have, the rubber wire will also go up inside the IF cans as well. Use vinyl covered wire in an assortment of colours for replacement, 18 or 20 gauge preferably.
By the way, the edge banding is a faux finish like dynoc so it will come off with paint stripper or acetone if you get it on there.
Regards
Arran

[Paul Philco322]

Thanks Arran:

Looks like with the 2 #41's a push pull set up for that nice 6 inch speaker. My cabinet is OK, I love the cigarette butt burn on the back, small chunk of veneer missing toward the back. I am tempted to give the Howards and go with it. I do not think there were slant fronts like this after the war, pretty cool. Love the dial glass.

Will need a new escutcheon.


Paul

[Arran]

The push pull setup these sets had was mostly for improving fidelity and reducing harmonic distortion, not for output power. I think that the undistorted power output is 5 watts or under, the plate and screen grids are running at a B+ of 180 volts, and not having a proper phase invertor also impeads power output. It's more then adequate for a table radio with a 5 or 6 inch speaker though. Reproduction plastic escutcheons are available from a few sources, Larry Bordanaro being one of them, make sure you get the 1942 escutcheon and not the 1941 version, you may need the pushbuttons as well.
Regards
Arran