The PHILCO Phorum

Hello all. I'm new to the forum but have been a dabbler in old radios for years. Just a hobbiest for now. I will post some photos when I can. My current project is a 41-280 console and I'm trying to restring the dial. I Just can't get it right. moves about a third of the way then binds up. I have the diagram.... I need a DUMMIES GUIDE . I can't get the search field to work for some reason. So I'm asking. Could use some pointers..

Btw I had to manufacture an actual pointer for this set. Its not pretty but it will work. ( It is not yet on the string, so that is not the problem) If you have an extra (?)

Welcome to the Phorum!!  Never restrung a 41-280 so comments are only general.  All the pulley wheels move smoothly?  I'll post a pic for others to view.  Looks like there is only 1 complete turn around the bottom shaft.  You can try putting a little rosin on the cord to make it sticky.

thanks bob
I tried 3 turns, then 2.will try 1 today if the cord isn't ruined. any common household substitutes for Rosin ?

Here's a thread with some suggestions.

Some knots in this thread.

The tension spring is installed?

I read that folks have used other cords but I think you can get cord fron RadioDaze.

Assuming all the tuning capacitor bearings and the little pulleys turn freely, you might not have the tension spring pulled tight enough. It has always worked for me to oil the bearing with a little light oil and pull the tension spring a little tighter by shortening the cord.

I use a simple loop knot as described in the threads Bob posted the links for. Make a loop at the end of the cord and simply tie a half-hitch with 1/4 inch or so of loop sticking out. It will hold; you don't need a fancier knot. It is pretty easy to tease the knot loose if you need to shorten or lengthen the cord to change the spring tension.

I did have one experience with a new cord stretching a little overnight when I first installed it. I shortened the cord a tiny bit, pulled the spring a little tighter, and it has been fine ever since.

 It's purely speculation regarding what you may have done wrong in restringing the dial cord for this set since we can't see what you did, but on this or any other set with a slide rule dial there is not end of ways to get it wrong.
If the dial only travels about 1/3 of the way before binding that usually means that you don't have enough turns of dial cord wrapped around the drum on the tuning capacitor, if that's so then the dial will stop moving once you hit one of those knotches in the edge of the drum. Another common reason why it may bind is in how the cord was wrapped around the tuning shaft, if you started wrapping around the shaft in the wrong direction with respect to where the cord is coming from, it can snarl itself. It's actually easier for me to show someone then explain in writing how to string a dial cord, I've restrung so many I don't even think about it anymore, I would go by the diagram Philco produced and follow it until it works.
  By the way, if you need a proper 41-280 dial pointer I'm sure someone can come up with one, they literally built 100s or 1000s of things, as well as several table and console models that used that same basic chassis layout.
Regards
Arran

got the string all rosined up and gonna restring this morning. will let you know.

ok of course the rosined string i've prepared is too short to go around the tuning cap wheel again, i added another loop around the shaft and put more tension on...

it works fine in one direction (tuning cap going down) and seems tight going the other way but it DOES work....

I'll play with it some more.. Thanks !

the cord is binding on the tuning shaft with 2 wraps

Ok gonna redo the whole thing. With Bob and Arran's input Im gonna re rosin a string, one turn around the tuning shaft and a full turn around the tuning cap.

ok... tried all that. not a happy camper. I realized that there are 2 diameter cord strings. found some of the smaller and gonna try that next. maybe it'll stop the binding on the shaft.