The PHILCO Phorum

Hi All,

I'm very new to Philco and Vintage Radios having just gotten a taste with a 46-1201 I'm learning things on. That said, my curiosity has gotten me interested in other Philco combo models.

I found a 42-1010 on sale for $150 on the C-List and was wondering if:

• Is this a "Point of Light" phonograph?
  
• Is $150 a good price, given the amount of work, time parts, needed to get it back to health?
  

I like a challenge (as that's the best way to learn), but I also don't wan't "Mission Impossible" at least not at my level.

Here are a few pics:






The only thing I know about it is what is posted, and that it is "complete" and comes with extra tubes. That vagueness may or may not be a sign of bad things. The LP on the turntable also makes me wonder if this had been modernized at some point before it was retired to dustier places.

Thanks all!

PS - My other "interest" would be this for $145, where no restoration has been done and the owner "believes" it to be functional. While not a phono combo, it's nice looking enough to allow me to negotiate with the Mrs to make room for it! .

Hello, and welcome!

Yes, the 42-1010 is a "Beam of Light" Phonograph. When right, they are very good record players for 1942. The radio is a 10 tube model and should sound pretty good once restored. The wiring on this set is mostly of the rubber-insulation variety, which is usually brittle and can be a major P.I.T.A. to repair/replace. Also, these sets are fairly tight under the chassis. Cabinet may clean up enough to be left original.

150.00 for it is a medium-high price for it, bottom line is if it is worth it to you. The BOL is an added plus.

The second set is a 1929 model, the number of tubes will tell what model it is.. Also should have a label somewhere on the chassis that denotes the model. These sets are an older type of radio called a "TRF." But with a decent antenna they perform fairly well. Also, they were made before thee was a standard color code for the resistors and othe components, so you have to pay close attention to the location of the component in the circuitry as compared to the schematic in order to determine it's value. It is in nice shape, depending on the condition of the chassis 145.00 is not too bad....

Thanks for your thoughts!

If I do decide to go anywhere on these, it would be to go and kick the tires first on the BOL. What should I look for, especially in regards to the BOL system itself? Is there an obvious giveaway that something may be terribly wrong?

Admittedly I'm intrigued by the technology, so any price, I suppose, is "the right one" due to my curiosity, but that cat has led me astray too often. An older/wiser me has reservations about how much I might be looking to spend additionally to get things back up and running.

Are BOL's common to come across or is this a rare find? Are parts scarce?

I wouldn't pay that for that model.
Too bad your not on Minnesota.
I have a much nicer 42-1012 for sale for $125.
Re-capped the radio, and it still has an issue with the volume not being what it should.
I gave up as I have others to work on.
This 10 tube chassis is a bear to work on.
Layers of junk and working around and under the pushbutton assembly really sucks.
I guess if it were me I would pass.
We have a 42-1o15 for sale here on CL for $100 with a box of spare tubes to boot.
I know that one could be had for $50.
murf

You will rarely get out what you put into restoring an old radio in terms of dollars. The payback comes from the enjoyment one has working on and ultimately bringing back to life one of these sets.

BOL sets are "out there." Not rare, but not common either. Parts can be tough depending on what it is you are looking for, but if you are patient you will find it. If you are going to have it to listen to often as I do, it is a good idea to learn how they work and what to do when they malfunction. They are not that difficult, the maintenence and adjustments are easy to understand and perform. Recommend you keep an eye out for a Philco RMS Manual for the year of your set,(1939-42) as in it you will find ALL the info you need. In lieu of this, go to Chuck's site philcorepairbench.com and order the pertinent info for your set. It will be the best 7.00 you ever spent. Trust me. Additionally, Chuck's site has an excellent artical on how to adjust the BOL head, which the RMS manual does not.
One last thing. If you are going to have a BOL as a player, it's a good idea to acquire exta parts for them when you run into them. Not because they are unreliable, but because they can be tough to find.

If you like the 42-1010 I think it's maybe worth $40-75 at most in the shape it's in. The escutcheon is a ten pushbutton type and those are not being reproduced. As mentioned the chassis will need rewiring, and assume that the output transformer will be open. One thing that concerns me is why there appears to be a piece of paper scotch taped to the top?
The second radio is a 1929 or 30 model, no idea what chassis is in the back but they used several starting with a 65 up to a 95. In my opinion $145 is a little high for that one as well, I would have a look at it in person first to see if everything is there, we know from the picture that a knob is missing at least. I'm also not too sure about the condition of the finish, it has a dull look like maybe someone had been messing around with it in some way.
Regards
Arran

Thanks guys. As always I'm loading up my "bench" faster than I can work through it.

In the last year since I got laid off ( ) and moved to MA, I've painted/rewired guitars & pedals, restored/refinished Victrolas (technically Columbia Grafonolas and Viva-Tonals) fixed a gummed up 1970's Garrard SL95, and now my current 46-1201.

The profit in my doing all of this, has been the enjoyment of learning and playing. I'm in no way into any of this for investment / flipping.

I search Craigslist and eBay usually for parts for whatever I am working on. The danger is as you all probably know, is that these other tempting finds pop up and get you dreaming.

If I got the BOL, it would be to play it / listen to it as I love the music and recorded radio shows of the time (the Mrs and I collect shellac 78's). In fact I've been toying with the idea of getting an AM transmitter kit so I can gerry rig it up to our Wi-Fi so I can stream old radio shows to the Bing.

All that said, I'm wondering if a BOL is just a bit too far out of my reach. I still have yet to recap the Bing (it was serviced in '92 but from what I can see, while it works - it's all a big mix of modern and period caps / wires in the chassis.)!

You guys have been great and I thank you for your input. Seems like both Philco's are something I should pass on. I can only hope I find another BOL once I get more experience. If I had the funds and the space (we moved out of our house and live in an apartment for now) I suppose I could pick it up to queue it up, but given the mass of things I'm working on, I guess I'd better deny myself the temptation, and get more time under my belt with what I have.

Thanks all. If any of these looked interesting - and you're in New England, I can let you know where to find them - if you haven't already found them!

Quote:All that said, I'm wondering if a BOL is just a bit too far out of my reach.

The BOL is not that bad. It's a photocell, mirror, and a light bulb.

Chuck Schwark's site has pretty much all you need to know about it:

http://www.philcorepairbench.com/phono.htm