The PHILCO Phorum

Today, I received in the mail an incredibly well packed Bing Crosby. The cabinet is totally intact, the dial unbroken. They even packed bags of peanuts inside and under the turntable to stabilize everything during shipping.

I've already got the radio working and it sounds great, though I'm not really happy with the dial calibration at the top end. If I set it to get 1600 at the very top, then 1440 shows up at closer to 1350. If I set 1440 to the proper spot, it will not tune to 1600 at all. Perhaps I'll go back in and check the resistors in the LO section.

This set has the oddest power supply I've ever seen in an AA5. I'm sure most of you are already familiar with it, but for those who are not, they actually drop the line voltage going into the set to make up for the difference between line voltage and the combined filament string (93 volts). This drop is also reflected in the DC supply, such that they need to use a voltage doubler circuit just to get 120VDC for the B+ line. They could have done better, IMHO, by using a 50L6 instead of a 35L6. Maybe they would still have used a much smaller resistor to drop the rest of the filament voltage, but they wouldn't have to use the doubler. Filaments using a 50L6 would add up to 108V. And didn't they have 12 volt tubes (14 series loktals) they could have used?

Next, I need to find something appropriate to replace the dial backing plastic (white). The one in the radio has a huge light bulb shaped black spot right in the middle of it. Odd thing, it's not brittle. It's more like maybe someone painted it to block the light directly behind it??

On to the turntable. It's mechanically in very good condition. It took a few seconds to spin up the first time, likely due to dried out lubrication, but has good torque once it did spin up. All levers and switches seem to work well. Main problem: I need a cartridge. This one's toast. I get no response at all working the stylus back and forth, but I do get a noticeable output on my scope when I tap the sides of the cartridge.

So, anyone have a cartridge, or someone that can rebuild this one for me?

TIA

There is West Tech Services

Hi Brenda. Not being an electronics wizard, I don't know what to say about your power supply. Almost sounds to me like some bean counter got involved in the design. "We've got a whole warehouse full of these parts. Make it work with what we've got!" Just my observation... Take care, Gary.

I doubt you will get the dial calibration to be spot on. The later Philco's have very approximate dial accuracy. I would try to get it to tune 1600 at the fully open position of the tuning cap and be done with it. You can then try carefully bending the outer osc section plates to bring 1400 closer to cal, but I would not expect much improvement.

The 1930's Philcos have spot on dial calibration, but the post war models in general are not very precise. I guess they no longer considered it important.

Brenda

I am sure (I saw at least two websites to that effect) there are NOS and used working cartridges and somehow I think rebuilding might not be that much cheaper? Considering shipping to/from the Morning Calm?

Which radio are you talking about - 46-1201, 48-1201? probably not 46, it does not have a doubler.

As for the doubler - a doubler (made one yesterday to form a cap - need some high voltage) involves one more cap and could be done using same tubes they usually do as they are typically dual diodes anyway.
And in 48-1201 they do not drop anything prior to doubler.

Brenda
out of curiosity how big is your house ? the way your going you will need a museum over their
but I do admire you what ever it is you pick up and repair like it`s nothing
sam

Brenda, the way to go is rebuilding. There are lots of NOS around but they are old and personal experiance is they dont dont last as the crystal is fragile at this point due to age. I have West Tech rebuild mine and they work perfect and dont quit a week down the road.

Gregb

Morzh,

It's the 46-1201 Code 124. But it definitely has a doubler. Was the first thing I noticed when I pulled the chassis out: three separate 'lytics, two of them wired negative-positive-negative-negative. Was only then I bothered to get the schematic.

Just looked at the 48-1201 in Nostalgia Air. My 46 is much closer to that one electrically, but uses a different tube lineup. It uses a 50Y6 rectifier and a 35L6 output. Red-headed step-child? Interesting though that the schematic in Beitman's just happens to be this particular run.

The Nostalgia does not have code 124. I was looking for Code 122.
Do you have the link to 124?

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByModel...013584.pdf

No link. It's in Beitman's though. 1947, page 115.

Well, I do not have it. I believe you.

I just got the entire set of data for this radio from Steve. They sure played a lot with this one over several code runs. Looks to me like the only run that didn't use the doubler was code 122.

Brenda,

You might be able to find a suitable cartridge here: http://thevoiceofmusic.com/
They also have an exact replacement idler wheel, which you also will probably need as the rubber will most likely be dried out and the wheel out of round:

idler wheel:
# 1434

http://thevoiceofmusic.com/catalog/part_...Categories

The early 46-1201's didn't use that white plastic dial light cover that almost always warps and burns tight to the dial bulb, causing a dark black / brown burn spot in the middle of the dial. My 46-1203 has the same problem with the dial. I haven't looked into replacements, but you may be able to find some suitable white plastic from Mark Oppat?

As I have absolutely no experience with these turntables, I need to ask what I need to do to complete this one.

In the first pic it appears that there was originally some sort of block attached to the tone arm lever so that it can activate the pinion to operate the mercury switch. It also appears that there may be some other parts missing from that assembly, as the pinion doesn't do anything to the mercury switch anyway. The mercury switch itself, sans activator, works properly (motor turns on and off).

[attachment=3770]

In this second pic, there appears to be some spring or linkage missing.

[attachment=3771]

I hope someone can help clear this up for me.

Oh, I also need to find someone to reflock the turntable.