The PHILCO Phorum

Hi all,

I managed to snag this Philco 38-2 off Ebag for $50 today. It is an 11 tube set with magnetic tuning so I think it should be a pretty good performer. As usual, it will need some work, both electronic and cabinet wise. But, that is what I enjoy! I will be in that area on Saturday, so it will be local pick-up, which is all the better. Supposedly, it is fresh out of grandpa's attic.







Somehow, I get a kick out of these big Philcos.

Regards,

Ed

I hear this set is a good player. Plus, another cabinet to restore.

Looks like a nice one. You can be sure that it will be a performer; all of those 36-38 Philcos were. (I'll see you on Saturday). Before you go off a cliff on the cabinet finish, clean it well with Go-Jo, and see just what you have. From the pictures, it looks like it never has been abused.

This is one of the models where the ads said: "No Stoop, no squat, no squint"

Quote:Before you go off a cliff on the cabinet finish, clean it well with Go-Jo, and see just what you have. From the pictures, it looks like it never has been abused.

Yes, I will definitely clean this one first, to see how it looks.

And yes, Andrea and I will be in Midland on Saturday for the swap meet. Doug we will see you there. Brian, how about you? Are you going?

BTW, after the meet, we will go over to Bay City to pick up this 38-2. It should be a fun restoration and a nice radio.

Ed

No, not this time around. But I'll make the Lansing meet

Hi all,

I picked up the 38-2 this weekend. I cleaned the cabinet and the bad news is that much of the original finish is gone. So, it will have to go into the refinishing Que. The good news is that other than a couple of easily repaired chips in the rear, the veneer is all present.

Ron- I noticed that there is a '4' engraved on one of the inside cabinet pieces, so I'm thinking this may be another cabinet from shop '4'.

Anyway, I noticed that the filter caps had been replaced, probably in the 60's, by the looks of them, so I decided to give the radio a try. Now, for you newbies, this is a risky procedure and should only be done with the proper equipment and procedures. I use a Sencore PR-57 isolated variac with full current monitoring.

I brought the power up slowly while monitoring the current draw. All was normal and at 100 volts the radio played very well with no hum. I was surprised at the performance and fidelity. It reminded me of the 37-116.

I think it will be a very nice radio and a good performer when refinished and fully recapped.

Ed