Philco 41-221C chassis restoration - Printable Version
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RE: Philco 41-221C chassis restoration - DaleHCook - 05-10-2026
Mike -
When I design something I always overengineer it. I love my thermal camera, because it lets me see how well I have overengineered.
Most of my work involves repairing and maintaining of some one else's design. In some cases a circuit is already overengineered, and I just have to keep it working that way. Unfortunately, I have sometimes had to (and have long tried to avoid having to) work on relatively inexpensive broadcast equipment that is poorly designed, poorly built, or prone to failure because of design or build. I have sometimes had to improve on the original poor design or build to keep it running, and to avoid having to repair it again.
RE: Philco 41-221C chassis restoration - morzh - 05-10-2026
I would love to be able to do this, but then they give me little PCB space and little budget.
So, while what I do, I try to move as far as possible from the failure zone, I am not always able to move it as far as I consider "OK, I do not even have to think of it anymore".
The recent advent of GaN semiconductors actually is revolutionizing the semiconductor industry as we speak. Especially the last 3-4 years. It exploded (in a good way) and, GaN is just overall superior to Si in every single respect.
RE: Philco 41-221C chassis restoration - DaleHCook - 05-10-2026
morzh Wrote: GaN is just overall superior to Si in every single respect.
Perhaps so, but I cannot forsee retrofitting broadcast transmitters to replace large numbers of power MOSFETs.
RE: Philco 41-221C chassis restoration - morzh - 05-10-2026
Of course it is unlikely for the existing ones.
But those that are coming will beat the old ones.
RE: Philco 41-221C chassis restoration - electricroo - 05-31-2026
Finally finished the Philco 41-221C. I put a lot of time in it but it's a great little radio. Great reception many stations. This one is has better reception than some of the others that I have. I'm in Western PA. Picking up as far as Cleveland Ohio and stations in Eastern Pa. I ended up replacing the veneer on the front. I also need a heatsink on the field coil replacement regulator. I didn't want to hack the chassis in case I ever run across an original speaker. I wanted to make it easy to put it back to original. The heatsink is on the right side of the cabinet in the rear photo.
RE: Philco 41-221C chassis restoration - morzh - 05-31-2026
Congrats, great job!