The PHILCO Phorum

I pulled the chassie out of my 39-CI[also found 39-6CI on the bottom of the cabinet so it was originally painted] I was surprized to find it is not a AC/DC set ,it has a little power transformer with tube filaments not in series, and 215volt "B" voltage! seams to be a expensive way to build a cheap radio?

Yep, the 39-6 is an AC-only set with a transformer. Did you also notice that the wires coming out of that transformer are, like the rest of the wiring under the chassis, insulated with rubber? A disaster just waiting to happen.

Philco wised up in summer 1939 and went back to cloth-covered wires for their power transformers in the new 1940 models. Too bad they did not go back to cloth on the rest of the wiring.