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Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - Printable Version

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Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - GregL - 07-21-2013

Hi Guys,
New here, great site. I've been the owner of a vintage Radiobar since about 1968 when I inherited it from an uncle. The years took their toll on the unit and I am currently having it restored by an accomplished antique restorer. He asked me for the model number, which I used to have written down somewhere but cannot find. I had saved a good Radiobar site in my favorites but it seems to no longer be on line. I'm certain it was built in 1936 and I thought the model number was something like 508-36-610 or 507-36-620 something like that. Anyway, here is a picture of the chassis if someone could please help me ID it, and the cabinet looks identical to the one pictured. Is this enough to determine the complete model number?
Thanks for your help,
Greg
   
   
   
   
   

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - TimC - 07-21-2013

Hi Greg,
Welcome
Go to the home page, then under knowledge base there is a guide that will help you Id your set.


Tim

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - GregL - 07-21-2013

My sticker is missing.

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - Arran - 07-21-2013

I think it's a model 660 chassis, what Radiobar called it I have no idea. Most of these came with a 620 chassis so this one is better then average.
Regards
Arran

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - GregL - 07-21-2013

Thanks Arran,
I know a lot of the Radiobars came with a 610 or a 620. What is the difference between those chassis' and this one if it is a 660?
Best,
Greg

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - Ron Ramirez - 07-22-2013

GregL Wrote:What is the difference between those chassis' and this one if it is a 660?

Four more tubes, four bands instead of three, and more weight Icon_smile

Yes, that is either a 660 or 665 chassis. Nice! Not quite a 116, but the chassis is the same size as a 116 and it has the same audio output circuit as a 116B. It will perform much better, and sound better than a 620.

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - GregL - 07-22-2013

Well, thanks for clearing that up Ron. The 4 bands you mentioned, are they short wave bands?
Greg

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - Ron Ramirez - 07-22-2013

If you notice on your dial scale, it tells what each band is Icon_smile

1 - Long wave - 150-390 kc - not much down here.
2 - Standard Broadcast - The normal AM band.
3 - Police, Amateur, Tropical SW - You'll find some tropical shortwave on the high end of this band (around 5 mc) at night. Police departments have long since abandoned these frequencies in favor of VHF and UHF frequencies.
4 - Shortwave - All of the usual SW bands are crowded into this fourth band on your set.

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - Arran - 07-22-2013

In some areas you can pick up beacons on the longwave band though I have heard that you can sometimes pick up longwave stations from Europe from the Eastern end and sometimes the middle of the continent with the right antenna. Other then that if you can pick up anything at all it's usually a navigation beacon. Apparently there is some interest, and some proposals, for using the longwave frequencies for amateur use so it may not be as useless in the future.
Does the lens in front of your dial have a window at the top?
Regards
Arran

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - GregL - 07-22-2013

Thanks for all the input guys. Arran, I don't seem to have any additional window at the top of my lens. What would that indicate?
Greg

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - Ron Ramirez - 07-22-2013

Greg

Is this an actual photo of your Radiobar, or does yours just look like this?

[Image: http://philcoradio.com/phorum/attachment.php?aid=2218]

That looks like it has a 610 or 620 chassis inside, smaller escutcheon with no provision for a shadowmeter. A 660 chassis is much larger than a 610 or 620 chassis, and needs a much taller escutcheon with a window at top for the shadowmeter screen. Plus, the shaft spacing of the 660/665 is different from the 610/620, a 660 or 665 chassis would not fit inside a Radiobar made for a 610 or 620 without some cabinet modifications.

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - GregL - 07-22-2013

The picture is not of mine. It is of one that looks identical to mine.

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - Arran - 07-22-2013

Well the model 620 and 610 do not have a shadowmeter but the model 660 and 665 do have a shadowmeter. The shadowmeter, if still functional, works kind of like a magic eye tube where there is a shadow, viewed through a little window of slot just above the dial, that narrows when the radio is tuned to a station and widens when it isn't. The dial lens should have a clear window right at the top of the oval, if it doesn't then someone swapped a 660 chassis in place of the original 620 chassis. This may or may not be a problem in that the escutcheon and dial for the 660 may have more viewing area then the 620 since it has four bands instead of three, maybe Ron or someone could tell you if the escucheon from a 660 or a 116 would physically be larger too.
Regards
Arran

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - Ron Ramirez - 07-22-2013

The 660/665/116 escutcheons are larger...much larger...than the 610/620 escutcheons. Plus, as I mentioned before, the spacing of the control shafts is different - the bottom three controls are a bit further apart on the 660/665/116 than on the 610/620/630.

RE: Chassis & Cabinet Model ID? - GregL - 07-23-2013

Arran,
I have to amend my reply. It looks like there is a small window above my dial. I didn't really understand what you were asking before but when I looked at my dial I see there is an area above the dial that aligns with a light socket behind, which would illuminate the amber area as seen in the picture below. I assume this is what you were asking about?
Best,
Greg