The PHILCO Phorum

OK, so I'm surfing the bay kinda late and all of a sudden this Philco accessory antenna pops up. Well I have never seen one before and it even is in it's original box. I don't know if it is all there, but I know I want it! So I hit the BIN button and here it is. I figure I won't hook it up, but display it with my Philco's.






Gene

Now, that was a great find

Steve

Outstanding find though I'm a bit preplexed, where does the AC power cord come in to play? Surely not an RF amplifier or is it an earlier version of the 60's phony TV antenna advertised in cheap magazines proporting
the use of the house AC system as a fantastic TV antenna. If so it
would be much more sucessful on AM and SW frequencies than on
the NTSC VHF and UHF bands.

Very nice Gene! It is interesting how many were purchased and never used. I have a 1938 that is very similar to your 1937 antenna, and I have this one from 1939 or 1940. I'd like to use one and
see how well they perform

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The AC type plug is where the antenna plugs into the side of the radio cabinet in most cases. I bet some folks got a shock when the did put AC voltage into that connector by accident....

Great find. Maybe you can post a pdf of the instruction manual so we can replicate.

Thanks,

Mike

MIke,
I will try to get the info scanned a post it.

Gene

My uncle (born 1910) told me a long time ago they would run one wire from the antenna lead directly into the neutral side of the electrical outlet for reception. This was around 1975, he had an old Airline SW receiver. I didn't really believe him, but he demonstrated (after i sought shelter on the other side of the room). Yes, it actually made a huge difference in the reception. I believe he said that all the wiring in the house had to be correct for it to work. I would never try this myself, nor recommend it, but it did work.

You're right, it's not a good plan.

Steve

Gene,

Thanks much. Look forward to seeing it.

Mike

Here are two pics of a second antenna I picked up. Note on this one as in the pic from thirtiesradio there are two coils of copper wire that may have been cut off of the first one I bought??


Gene

Thirtiesradio,
I have seen that bakelite box in your set with the dial on it on the back of a radio that came up for sale on the bay. I didn't know what it was for but now it becomes very clear.

Gene

Yep. the bare twisted copper lines were cut from the first kit shown. What the AC plug was for is a mystery. Don't try to use it for anything!

The kit had this stuff: Two lengths of bare copper twisted wire, which were the two doublet legs. They connected to the "balun" transformer in the aluminum can. The lead-in to the set goes from the balun to the set. There is an insulator tube for the lead-in or the ground wire (The single conductor insulated wire). There is a ground clamp for a water pipe, and the porcelain lightning arrestor. there should be an instruction sheet in the kit.

My father bought a Philco 37-650 new for Christmas, 1936, and one of these kits was supplied with the set. Father never did install the antenna kit as recommended, and probably very few ever were. The lead-in nhad rubber insulation on the conductors, and that will be all dried out, long since.

Whatever that

The early AC sets often had features that allowed the owner to use house AC service wiring as an antenna. Many pre-1930 Philcos did this.

Thanks for the info on these Doug! I would love to be able to hook one up.
Maybe I can splice some copper wire onto the one that got cut and then see if I can assemble it to one of my Philco's.

Ya never know, I just might pick up Sir Winston Churchill broadcasting..............................in the "Twilight Zone".


Using the house wiring as an antenna is a pretty uncomfortable idea

Gene

Maybe that's why so many of those antenna are still left in good condition today - you had to plug them in, and people were leery of getting shocked or burning their house down. Like I said earlier in this post - that little trick actually DOES work, but who among us is brave enough to try it?