The PHILCO Phorum

OK I promise this is last one, then it's back to hollow state.. Anyway I don't have another worthy of mention..  

I've had this 1958 P-746A for probably 20 years but till yesterday it's never played a note.. Clean, apparently seen little usage.. 
After posting about the newer(1959) P-806A in the other GE thread I was fired up to repair it.. 

Replacing the electrolytics restored audio amp operation, otherwise still nothing.. Naturally not a easy one, found osc dead, voltages in ballpark.. I pulled xistor and checked with ohm meter, seemed OK.. Resistors all OK, caps mostly ceramic disc that I refuse to change..  I dig out the B&K xistor checker.. It's dead.. Arghhh... Got it open and found one of the P/S electrolytics shorted, replaced that, wa-la it's working(next in line for recap).. Checked transistor and found it somewhat leaky, approx 1.5X over allowable.. 

Naturally out of probably 500 ECG, SK, GE etc replacements, I don't have a low power RF germanium NPN on hand(several PNP).. OK since I had to be in Norfolk yesterday, I swung by the the only distributor remaining in area.. Well NTE 101 has such a limited calling these days, they don't have it..  BUT do have a 2N1994 that crosses to 101 and if I want that, its 50 cents!! Sure why not??

With the new xistor it sprang to life..  

Chassis just before reassembly, new transistor in upper right, beside osc coil

[attachment=15802]... 

Leaky 2N168A transistor and old caps, out of six one was still good

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Back together and playing tunes...

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Nice looking little radio! Another GE brought back to life!

As long as it's Germanium transistors I think we can make an exception, it's a 1958 set after all, I have plenty of tube sets newer then that, or at least as old. Those Nashville capacitors are awful, many a dead transistor radio has been brought back to life just by replacing those, same with those radial lead Japanese ones with the plastic shells, I'm surprised that one was still good. Those are like the electrolytic equivalent of Hunt capacitors, the way to test if it's bad is if it makes a clunk or ping when it his the bottom of a garbage can.
  With regard to replacing germanium transistors that was a stroke of luck finding a replacement over the counter like that, and for a realistic price. Some suppliers have absolutely stupid prices on germaniums, if they have them at all, some people have switched to using Soviet/Russian substitutes, apparently they were still making them until the mid 1990s, if not later. I have a Nordmende that has some problem transistors in it, they are the infamous Phillips/Valvo/Mullard AF117s, notorious for forming tin whiskers between the can and the elements shorting them out, which I believe is why the Nordmende doesn't work. Apparently if you remove the transistor, solder the three elements together, and then discharge a capacitor between the three tied together elements and the can you can blow the whiskers out of them without damaging the transistor.
Regards
Arran

I don't think there is any issue talking about the older transistor radios on here. When I tried to get into transistor radios years ago, there was really no support for repairing them. The BIG money transistor radios were the Japanese ones and people usually just bought them to sit on a shelf and look pretty. Now that I have a few working, US built units (one restored), I think there is room to discuss them here. Actually, I think the US built radios have been ignored long enough as far as transistor radios go. Only the Zenith 500 series was popular when I tried 20 years ago, though rightfully so. Good radios when restored. Now, if only I could find some more units at the antique shops. Transistor radios have always been hard to find around here.

Jayce;
  Actually most of the more valuable transistor radios are not Japanese, except for maybe the more unusual ones, and the early ones made under the brand "S" label up to about 1957 or so, and the odd one after that. Most of the more valuable ones are early U.S brands like "Regency" or "Raytheon", and some of the brand Z "Royal" series like the 500 and 1000, the G.E, Philco, and RCA ones always seem to be one the low end, but they don't have the cult following like the brand Z stuff does.
Regards
Arran

Maybe I'll try the cap discharge trick on that 2N168, can't hurt, though I should probably stop by and get another one of those 50¢ xistors... I was expecting at least $3-$4... 

Those Nashville & plastic radial lead caps usually have small cracks, no doubt electrolyte dried out...  

I have probably 150 xistor radios but maybe only 30% are in very good or better condition... Got a laundry basket full at a auction a few years back, paid maybe $10-$15(auction was mostly tube sets)... There was a 500 something Zenith, a Regency TR-1, Hitachi 666 etc... Not horrid but far from very good... 

I did collect variants of the Toshiba 6P-15, counting the Toshiba have eight different brands incl a Philco, Marconi, RCA Victor LTD, Trancel, Penneys, Norwood & Truetone... The Penneys & Marconi are black, others all various colors, no two same...  The little GE is a fake, is four or five years newer than the Toshiba built units.. All but the Penneys, Trancel & GE are players, none recapped..

Turned on end, three are approx size of a P-806 GE..