The PHILCO Phorum

Hi there,

 I am working on a Philcophone Intercom set . It goes (now!) and uses 2x 6B7s a 6V6 and a 6X5. The "quiet listen talk " lever switch was broken  and I have removed it but in so doing I found I had a spare wire. I traced this back to the output transformer which has three wires leading from it instead of the more usual two. I say it goes and it does, being really only an amplifier with a couple of switches, and using crocodile clip leads as switches I can get it to work as an intercom and I am installing a new lever switch intending to use it as a two station master and slave set  between the kitchen and my radio shed .
 But that third lead on the output transformer intruigues me . I am wondering if it is part of a "call the  master station " facility  so the slave station can call the master to initiate a conversation. Does anyone have the schematic or can anyone tell me where to look to find it?
 Cheers and thanks to all,

 David Fahy

I looked around and couldn't find much on a Philcophone w/that tube set. The US models had a series strung heater rather than a power transformer like your set. Over here the model numbers for them start in the low 900's like 901- 908 or so.

GL

Thanks for your help and assistance on this one.
 You are probably right - this could be a New Zealand made set."Transformerless "sets were never popular here .Most sets made in N.Z. have used power transformers ( possibly because our mains voltage here is 240 volts) except in later years when many Philips sets were sold which were AC/DC.
Furthermore there is no sign of any model serial number on the chassis. 
But do the U.S. made ones seem to use a third lead on the output transformer?
 Cheers and best wishes,
 David Fahy

Hi David,

Another Phorum member who happens to also live in NZ recently sent me a picture of a New Zealand Philcophone - this was just the remote speaker. It was very, very different from any USA Philcophone remotes. I suspect the master unit is also very different. Both were probably manufactured by DRECO for Philco. As I recall, from 1938-39 onward all radios sold in NZ under the Philco name were actually made by DRECO.

Does the NZVRS have any old DRECO/Philco service information? It certainly would not be available here in the USA, unfortunately.

Hi Ron,

 Thank you for the quick reply. You are right about the DRECO aspect of the Philco line here in N.Z. To be honest , I had not thought of trying the NZVRS library (which I use extensively ) because I had assumed that this intercom was a U.S. product.
 I am making progress with the set , though, nutting out the layout of the lever switch this very morning and I've got the output to switch over nicely between the remote station and the master. Now to tackle the input.
Incidentally the case for this master is wooden, of the venetian blind variety, if you get my drift. I think someone else alluded to this cabinet style in another thread.
But  the third lead from the output transformer still mystifies me, though the whole thing itself goes.
Cheers and best wishes and thanks again for the reply,

 David Fahy

David

If it has a small metal tag on the back of the chassis that has "PHILCO RADIO" at the top and somewhere at the bottom states "Made in U.S.A." then it is a USA product; otherwise, no.

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