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Philco 46-350 portable - Printable Version

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Philco 46-350 portable - ccomer1955 - 08-14-2015

I just won a Philco for $5. What do we know about it besides its being a portable? Sources for the leather handle? Selenium rectifier, I would imagine...I can replace it with a resistor/diode combo? I hope the roll top works. I'm pretty excited. It was a local auction, so it really is just $5.

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - klondike98 - 08-14-2015

There is a service bulletin for that model available here: http://www.audiophool.com/Philco.html

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - ccomer1955 - 08-14-2015

Piece of cake! Thanks.

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - Radioroslyn - 08-14-2015

It's an excellent portable. Has a tuned rf stage for great sensitivity. As for the handle you might be able make one out of a belt. Do a search on the Phorum on this model, Bill (Codefox) has written about them in the past.

Terry

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - sam - 08-15-2015

great radio I have one picks up good too
I didn`t change selenium rectifier  but woks great with plug and battery
very heavy with battery
sam

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - codefox1 - 08-15-2015

Agree, these are very good and sensitive radios and not bad to look at either. Take care to tame the voltage divider so as to keep the heater string voltage proper especially if you decide to lose the 117Z3, selenium, or whatver and replace it with a diode. I've taken the sometimes troublesome AC/Battery switch mechanisms out of a couple of sets once it was decided that they would no longer be battery operated. "Dreaded mica disease" in the IF cans has happened.

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - Ron Ramirez - 08-16-2015

No selenium rectifier in this set, it uses a 117Z3.

Bill (codefox) made some good points, please heed his advice on the voltage divider.

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - Radioroslyn - 08-16-2015

Yeah that divider can make you scratch your head more than once. If the resistors have drifted and the filament is just a little too low it acts like the osc isn't running(and it isn't) cause there isn't enough electrons being produced be the filament. Too high and it will take out a tube.

Terry

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - ccomer1955 - 08-16-2015

Thanks for the advice. I haven't opened it up, yet except to look inside the cabinet. I closed it back up for now, and will start the massive clean up I'll need to do soon. For the record, you mean R13 and R11? Is R11 two 900 ohm resistors?

Now, I'm curious.

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - Arran - 08-18-2015

 Those sets are really packed under the chassis, I have two of them, one is a 46-350, the other the Canadian version of same. These sets use a string of miniature battery tubes, along with a 117Z3, and a 3Q5GT which is an octal tube of course. That voltage divider issue is something that I will have to look into, particularly if there are some carbon comp numbers involved, the main dropper seems to be a candohm much like many other portables from that era use. Both of my sets use the larger square IF cans with the trimmers in the top, so no issues with defective silver micas in those types.
Regards
Arran

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - Raleigh - 08-18-2015

Chuck Schwark's Philco Repair Bench page has an advert on the resources page for a guy who makes repro leather handles for the 46-350. No link, but it says, "Email: Wayne Thompson at state108us@yahoo.com for price and information."

The handle won't be a snap to replace. You'll have to take out the loop antenna to get access to the fasteners for the handle end caps. I've never done it. Maybe it's easier than it looks.

That is a good performing radio. I keep mine tuned to 620 WDNC to listen to Durham Bulls baseball in the summer. It's such a weak station that some of my radios can't hear it at all, but the 46-350 doesn't seem to care.

I'm pretty sure the voltage divider referred to above is R100A, B, and C in the Philco documentation. I think the Rider's schematic uses designators R-11 and R-13, but my Riders schematic is such a poor scan I can barely read it that part of it. It's a candohm power resistor if I remember right. It looks like a metal terminal strip riveted to the chassis. Inside is a strip of ceramic wrapped with fine resistor wires. The Philco service info calls the resistor values 60, 875, and 875 ohms. I think Riders says 65, 900, and 900, but it's hard to read.

I had to replace the candohm with discrete resistors. I think this is the one on which I cleaned out all the tiny resistive wires thoroughly with a sharp object and then used the remaining candohm as a terminal strip. I calculated the power requirement for each section and put one-watt resistors in series to get the resistance and power dissipation required. It's not very pretty, but since each resistor stands well away from the others, they dissipate the heat pretty well.

Now I operate it mostly on battery power, made from a dead battery that I found on eBay. When switched to battery power, the rectifier is cut out of the circuit, making the warm-up time about 1 second instead of the 20 or 25 with it plugged into the wall.

Chuck Schwark has the Philco service documentation. http://www.philcorepairbench.com/schematics.htm Well worth it IMHO.

These radios are also famous for open output transformers. The 3Q5 output tubes don't last forever either. The good news is the last 3Q5 I bought was only $3.50 or so from AES.

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - ccomer1955 - 08-18-2015

Rider's does in fact say 65, 900, and 900. I have one of those hi-res scans on CD. I'm excited to start in on it. It seems to be one of those radios that claims a place in folks hearts as well as their collections.

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - codefox1 - 08-20-2015

Yes, and thy made a '48 or so version too with all 7 pinners, just as good. Anyway, with a 2'X2' tuned loop not coupled, I got amazing DX results that rivaled "better" sets.

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - Paul Philco322 - 08-20-2015

Sounds like the little radio that "could".

PAul

RE: Philco 46-350 portable - Terry Bills - 04-01-2020

The Philly 46-350 is a great little radio -- One of Philco's Greats!!!

I have one that I've owned since 1954 when I was nine, and it works like a champion to this day.  Not that it hasn't had a rough road in the intervening years.  When I was ten, a ham pal helped me move it's tuning range up to cover the 80 meter ham band and add a bfo for code reception.  In that guise, the Philco was my first decently stable receiver while I was learing radio and practicing code.  Very sensitive. 

Three years later, having acquired a BC-348 for ham use, I converted the Philcot back to BC band (with a parts transplant from a junker since the 80 meter conversion had involved several forms of brutality including unwinding turns from coils. pulling plates out of the tuning condenser, adding the BFO and other mayhem).

Since that reconversion back in the late fifties, the little set has been a loyal companion, and about fifteen years ago I gave it a complete recap and alignment.  Still works GREAT!  Replaced the brown leatherette covering the cabinet with heavy blue denim and a coat of urethane varnish... Far from standard, but rugged as anything! 

For a while, it sported a replacement handle made from a military web belt.  Make Do! 

73

AL7ES