The PHILCO Phorum

Greetings!

Well after moving around a Philco 39-116 since I bought it in 1992, I am ready to start the refurbishing of the chassis and the Mystery Control. Retirement, as a Broadcast Engineer, means I have the time and hopefully the energy to take up this project.

The cabinet is in great original condition. Only need to replace the grill cloth that a cat used as a scratching pad during the years. I found the new cloth as Philco #27 and will order it soon. Is there a way to season the new cloth so that it will look as if it has some age on it??

I tested the chassis in 2002 and received stations at that time.... now 8 years later I will start it all over again with a Variac start up after the initial checks. My notes from 2002 showed the volume control was inoperative and not sure if it is the motor stuck with age or open but know this is a problem area. What are the possibilities of finding a workable replacement if it is shot?

I am also in need of getting the Mystery Controller fixed as the spring bringing it back to rest position needs some help.

I am so glad to find this Phorum for Philco.
Peace
bob
KD5CE

You could try staining the new cloth with tea or coffee, it will give you a slight yellow/brown color. Just brew up a pot and soak the cloth for a few minutes, rinse and lay flat to dry. Be sure to test a small piece or two first to get an idea of how long you need to soak it to get the color you want, and to make sure it wont shrink. I've never done this with grille cloth but I've used this method for staining some other stuff, works great.
-Dave

Hi Bob, and welcome!

Good luck with that 39-116...it will mean quite a bit of work, but the end result will be worth the effort.

Hopefully that Mystery Control only needs some lubrication? We've had a couple people here lately that had broken return springs on their remotes. I'm afraid I have no answer for that problem.

Thanks Ron for the encouragement. I think I talked to you back in 2002 as I was getting ready to look deeply into the 39=116 chasssis. I even considered sending it to you, but thought it would be a good retirement project and now it is becoming just that.

I will probably need more help as I come to the volume control motor. According to my notes it wasn't working but was stuck at a usable volume which allowed me to make other checks. I was surprised at the sensitivity from my notes. I checked it out with a SG on all bands and it was surprisingly good. I purchased this set from a collector in Galesburg, Il, while visiting my mom. I hauled it back to Texas, then to Kansas and now its my next project.

i plan on a complete rewire with original type wiring. Can you lead me to a good source for the similar wire?

Have a great day.
Peace
bob