The PHILCO Phorum

I picked this thing up a few months ago. It's in the early lowboy cabinet with the sea shell grill and wooden insert. Cabinet is in good shape but the top has some chips out of it.
I was glad to see that it had it's 45 tubes still in it, globes none the less. All in all it's in good shape but the metal dial cords are broken. And someone tried to fix it by starting to disassemble the tuning condenser piece by piece. Mostly the stator plates are unscrewed from the frame and some of the hardware is missing. I think I can fabricate the lost parts.
So just took the tuning condenser out and remounted the dangling plates and got them aligned so there are no shorts.
Next is to make up two new wire dial cords then the worst job is trying to get it all back together. I did one about 40yrs ago on my model 87. As I remember it it wasn't any fun. Anyway got to find a couple of small springs and make up the cords and then the fun begins! As an aside took my 61 ford in for state inspection all good but needs one ball joint replaced. Don't know which I'm going to enjoy doing the most!

Any of you guys done one lately? Any pointers? (the cord not the bj)
Tnx!
Terry

Quote:Any pointers? (the cord not the bj)

I had to read your post again after seeing that last sentence... to make sure you meant ball joint. Can't help you there...

I'm afraid I can't help you on the cord, either. I've been lucky enough (so far) to not have had to do this work. All I can tell you is that no springs were used, only metal cord.

Hmmmm
I'm pretty sure that it or the 87 has springs. If it doesn't I think it will be easier to make it work with them. It will help keep tension on the cables. Even if I use one rather than two I think it will be a help.
Terry

The "metal" dial cord Philco used was called phosphor-bronze cable, I believe. It's a braided cable.

McMaster-Carr sells various diameters of dial cord:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#dial-cable/=dg0zhw

Bare cable is what you want - not coated, it will slip.

Chuck

Chuck & Terry, Thanks for having this discussion. I have a US Radio & Television Model 80 that I have restored excepr for a broken metal dial cable. I had no idea where to find something that would work. Looks like you guys got me to a product that will work. Thanks again.

Dave D

Back 40yrs ago I used that steel picture hanging wire for the 87. The P/B stuff, can you solder to it?
Terry

I do believe phosphor-bronze will solder, but I'd use 2-3% silver bearing solder
for hardness and durability so the solder joint won't fatigue over time.
I've seen some with crimp ferrules - a neater looking repair and also available from McMaster.

Chuck

So what's the difference be twixed between the early & later model 95?
Terry

Yes! There are two springs, on each end of the two cables, inside the "wheel" that the dial scale is attached to.

I stand corrected.

Early and later 95? There is no difference except for the lowboy cabinets; the earliest production lowboys still had the ornate cutouts in the grille while later 95 lowboy models used the "tapestry" cloth and an otherwise completely open grille, no wood insert.

The only reason I mention it is that in the schematic section you mention on the schematic that it's for the early model.
Terry

OK, found the difference...

In the early version, part (15) is .05 uF with no associated resistor.

In the later version, part (15) is a combination .05 uF cap and 250 ohm resistor. The resistor is actually resistance wire wound on the tube which contains the .05 uF cap.

What's wrong with me today? Must be "old-timers" setting in. Or as Charlie would say, "DUH! Winning!"

Ron Ramirez Wrote:...
What's wrong with me today? Must be "old-timers" setting in. Or as Charlie would say, "DUH! Winning!"

Welcome to my world... jump in, the water's fine. 8)

Chuck

Ok I'll admit it I didn't follow Chuck's sage advice. Being cheap and in a hurry I went over the the local Lowes and picked up 2 springs and small spool of steel picture hanging wire. Each cord is 16" loop to loop so out came the flux and solder 10mins later I had two dial cord ready to go on. After figuring out what holes where for what I started to install them. Back one goes on first wind it up onto the spool. Drop the rotor assembly and shaft assembly. Pull the front cord tight a wind it onto the front spool. Hook the loop onto the peg and that was it. I played with it for about a hour getting it together.
The tuning condenser is back together but still need to fabricate the two end bearing caps. Someone took them off and lost them for me when they tried to restring it.
Terry
Listening to Gunsmoke On the 87 via WNAR

Terry, I'd like to hear more about the 61 ford......I narrowly missed a 61 starliner many years ago. A 390 single 4 barrel car, which I believe was rarer than the 3-deuce starliners. I do remember that the intake was aluminum, and that the 61 390 was the only year that ford offered adjustable valvetrain in a 390 engine. Paint was bad but it was a SC car and rust free. I do not remember what kind of tranny it had or where the shifter was.
I came back a week later with the cash and the car was gone. #!#!#!!!!

Noting exciting. Tiz a little Falcon 144 I6 3spd manual shift. Have had it for 20yrs or so. Here's a pic


The N3GTE mobile by TBS-50, on Flickr

Hope to do some work on it this fall. Needs the cowl repaired and the interior is beat too but is fun to putt around in.
Terry