The PHILCO Phorum

I pulled the chassis out to have a peek at what I got myself into. Looks pretty good. Don't think it was a mouse house but there is a little rust here and there. Checked the output transformer and it good! Spkr needs a recone vc rubs pretty badly and has silicone on the spider. Although the chassis does that an extra IF transformer. Checked the original and it seems to be ok resistance wise. Don't think the shadowmeter works (see pic) and the dial drive needs some rubber work. Low gear works but high not so much. Seems to have been serviced before but those parts have gotten some cracks and flat spots. Will probably check to tubes and see how many 77's and 78's it needs.

Not quite sure when I'll get started on it but just wanted to do the quick survey to see what it needs. The cabinet had a major problem (tried to flip it's lid) so it needs a piece made to reattach the top to the side.

Let me know if you need IF parts, I have some from a buy I made when restoring my 16X

Tnx Ed,
I may have something around here that would be a suitable but will keep your kind offer in mind.

You are welcome Terry!

Well I succumbed to the calling of the 16B chassis and it's a head scratcher. It looks like in the library the schematic matches pretty much but the under chassis pictorial is for a later version w/the tone control update. Riders has the later schematic with the later pictorial so think it all matches but doesn't match the early chassis. To make it even more confusing the parts list doesn't give any cap values just the Philco part#. Then you have to enlist the Libary's Bakelite block list to find the proper value. A lot of triangulation to get it sorted.

Have gotten abt 70% of the blocks done and measured some of the resistor and it's not looking good most seem to be more than 20% out. I'll be busy replacing those.

I may make a color pictorial of the bottom of this set with cap, resistor values, and what they do to make them easy to find on the schematic. Maybe put it the downloadable files so others can make use of it.

There is also that volume control that is almost always something one has to look in service bulletins to figure out.

>There is also that volume control that is almost always something one has to look in service bulletins to figure out.

This one follows the early schematic it doesn't have the updated tone control circuit. The updated one incorporates a different switch so their not completely compatible. I thought about putting the circuit for the 116X (I have a spare) but it makes my head spin when I try to figure it out. If I don't like how it sounds I just adjust some of the values to get it to my liking.

Working on this set makes me really like the 116B and 116X. The 16 is a bit of a job to get at the bank of bypass caps (in the big metal can) and the filter caps. Lot of wires and parts in the way to get to them. Have to take copious notes to get it all back together. It's no Predicta but...

Waiting parts, cloth covered wired, and such before I can continue.

Nutz! the parts came in today so I guess I got to get busy again. Next is the filter caps. It's pretty cramped back there and gotta get the qavc pot and spkr wiring out of the way. Pics later...

16b......cramped??......NAAaaaaah..... 

Still running on the original resistors, why? cuz i dont know how to read the suckers. hehehe..

Steve

Compared to Philco 20, yes - it is cramped.

I keep originals when within 20%. Works fine and looks good. With rare exceptions where the divider is needed with better accuracy.

Hi Steve,
Haven't gotten that far yet. Got the can out and back in but need to get at the filters before I put the big resistors back. Wish Philco had put a spkr plug on this set It's a bit of a nuisance having the spkr tethered to the chassis. I must be getting old all I want to do is complain!

I was wondering myself about the plug.
Cheaper sets have it.
16 is a high end set.

I didnt remove the big can when i changed those inside.  I loosened the bolts, snipped the wires to separate the big can from base, unsoldered a lead or 2 from the resistors to get the base to lift up an inch or more and began to work both sides of the pins with a pencil iron and a LONG pair of needlenose pliers to manipulate the old wires out, then to add the new caps in.. Since my speaker wires were frayed, i clipped em out since the speaker was on a trip to soundremedy anyways. I later went with a 4 wire cable and tucked the caps in as seen in the pic i posted.. But yeah, that surgery was quite a pain in that corner..

Cant wait to see that corner after your upgrade...  

Steve

That back corner is a bit tight especiailly when you use a manly soldering iron. It's a little like a flamethrower as it tends to burns up everything in it's path.
Made up a color correct cable for the spkr and tacked it to the spkr. Gripe #54 don't know why Philco couldn't use the standard RMA color code for these wires. In my mind it makes it simple to follow. The spkr will be taking a trip across the bridge the NJ later but want to get the chassis working before I send it.
Did pull the can apart but used some low capacitance eletrolytics instead of the paper style (mylars to replace) used in the original (ecaps are less expensive). The values aren't particularly critical as they are used for decoupling. The resistor in the power supply were within abt 10% so they are going back in even though modern ones are abt 1/3 the size. If my lower back allows I may give it a try tonight. Can only work on it for abt a hour 1 1/2 at a time before my back gotta sit in the recliner for a while.

I got the spkr wiring sorted and the big resistors so I thought I give her a go. Hook the voltmeter across the hv to detect a short and click it on. Makes abt 300v B+ from the 80 filament to the chassis. Oh and it plays. Still a bunch of things to repair but it does work.