Philco 46-1203, radio doesn't work.
My brother picked up an old Philco 46-1203, code 122 for me at an estate sale for $2. You can imagine my surprise when I plugged it in and the phono arm lifted up, moved over, then dropped down on the old 78 that was left in it and started playing perfectly. I can't get the radio to play, though, even though all the dials work perfect. There may be a couple of blown tubes in it so I'll replace those first, then see what I'm dealing with. My question is, is there a volume control on this thing? There's no volume dial and the phonograph was a little low with no way to turn it up.
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In looking at the schematics that are posted here
http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel...013585.pdf
the volume control looks to be incorporated in the same control with the power switch. Looks like there is some radio/phono switch contacts which enable and disable some of the radio circuitry so you may want to take a look at giving those a shot of cleaner such as DeOxit and switching them back and forth a few times and then seeing if that helps.
Another thing with these old sets that usually needs to be addressed are replacing the paper and electrolytic capacitors. Are you getting a loud hum with little phono audio, or just low audio in general?
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Maybe someone who's worked on one of these can shed some light on the volume control. In looking at it again, it almost appears that the volume control is similar to a balance control on a stereo with the exception that the center position effectively shunts the signal being sent to the amplifier section. I'm guessing that turning clockwise from center increases the volume of either the radio or phono, counterclockwise from center the other?
Thank you Tony for the advice and link to the schematics. I'm going to try to replace the capacitors and 2 of the tubes after I clean it up some and see what it does from there. The unit has 3 knobs, one marked "dial tuning" that moves the radio's needle, one marked "tone" and I don't know what that does, and one marked "phono off radio" that switches the unit from phono to radio or off. When I plugged it in, it was set on phono and the arm moved and dropped down on an old 78 record that was left in it and started playing perfectly but very low. There was no background noise or hum or static, just the low sound of the music. When I switched the knob to "radio" and ran the needle across the dial, I got nothing, not even a hum or static. It appears to have an internal antennea.
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The tone control adjusts the 'brightness' of the audio, much like the treble and bass controls on modern equipment (although much more simplistic).
I know it's a silly question but, as I suspected it appears that the volume control is 'off' at the center position. When you switch to phono or radio, are you turning the control past the initial 'click'? To increase the volume for either function, the control needs to be turned further in the same direction as when switching the particular function on. Where in MI are you by the way?
That makes sense because the knobs do turn farther than the click. I'll try that, although I suspect two blown tubes and maybe some bad caps. Thank you so much! I'm in Buchanan, MI, southern Michigan just north of South Bend, IN.
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I'm a bit familiar with Buchanan as our company did a few projects for AEP over the past few years.
Good luck with the project and let us know how it turns out.
I'm in the process of restoring a 46-1203. This model has a volume control that is 'split" between the phonograph and radio. A radio/phono switch "piggybacks" over the volume control. Turn the volume control in one direction after turning on the power switch and you put the unit into phono mode; turn the volume control in the opposite direction and you are in radio mode. I've never seen the like of it before.
The 46-1203 that I'm working on has an intermittent filament circuit problem. The tubes and filament connections on the tube sockets seem ok, so I suspect a poor connection in the filament resistor that is mounted outboard of the chassis. The circuit seems to open up after the set has been running for a while.
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Hi Jola,
Not a bad deal for the phonograph.
Have a look here regarding the capacitor issue:
http://www.philcoradio.com/tech/plugin.htm
Your tubes might have been taken out from bad caps. How do you know they are "blown"?
If you have basic soldering skills and can read a diagram a little, you should be able to install them yourself with no problem.
Let us know how you come along.
Gary.
jola500 Wrote:My brother picked up an old Philco 46-1203, code 122 for me at an estate sale for $2. You can imagine my surprise when I plugged it in and the phono arm lifted up, moved over, then dropped down on the old 78 that was left in it and started playing perfectly. I can't get the radio to play, though, even though all the dials work perfect. There may be a couple of blown tubes in it so I'll replace those first, then see what I'm dealing with. My question is, is there a volume control on this thing? There's no volume dial and the phonograph was a little low with no way to turn it up.
You'll notice that two straight extensions go upward to actuate the actual phono/radio switch. Maybe I'm coming in way late on this. But I was just working with mine today. Counterclockwise from center actuates the phono switch just 1 1/2 " above the dial assembly and increases volume on the phono. Clockwise from center actuates the radio switch and increases the radio volume.
KevinMH Wrote:The 46-1203 that I'm working on has an intermittent filament circuit problem. The tubes and filament connections on the tube sockets seem ok, so I suspect a poor connection in the filament resistor that is mounted outboard of the chassis. The circuit seems to open up after the set has been running for a while.
Isn't that a candohm type resistor? If it is they seem to cause alot of problems by opening up or shorting out.
I'm restoring the same model, maybe we can help each other along. I have just recapped and have no sound...see my post...username is nom and my name is Neal
It turned out that the audio output tube had an intermittent heater filament. Once that tube was replaced, the radio stopped cutting out. I've read that audio output tubes can develop intermittent filaments because their power load. The filament didn't cut out when the tube was tested in my tube checker.
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Neal:
I opened up the heater circuit resistor, thinking that the wires might be crimped, rather than soldered. But the leads had been soldered at the factory before I was born. The ohm meter showed no open circuits. I ruled out that resistor.
If the receiver died on the table after you reolaced the capacitors, you obviously have to retrace your steps and find the tube socket terminal to which you mistakenly connected the new capacitor. (I've made the same mistake on a 42-327 Philco, only I was replacing crumbling insulated wire in the 2nd-IF and detector circuits. I haven't had time to trace the circuits, but I've gone so far as to purchase a secon working 42-327 in order to measure resistance at each socket terminal and make my own resistance chart for the set to find any deviant resistance.) To help troubleshooting here, draw a component layout sketch for your set. Draw a circle to represent each tube base in your radio and write numbers sequentially from 1 to 8 around the circumference of that circle. The numbers will represent the socket pins as seen from under the radio. Consult the tube data base in Nostalgiair and print out a diagram for every tube in the set; note what each terminal number connects to inside the tube, e.g., plate, grid, heater (the heater terminals in this set are all connected to pins 1 and 8.) Then referring to the set's schematic , draw resistor and capacitor symbols and connect by lines to the numbers on each of your tube base sketches. Compare your sketch to the actual hookups in your set. Eventually you'll find your mistaken connection.
Kevin
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