The PHILCO Phorum
It just won't die.. - Printable Version

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It just won't die.. - Jayce - 12-28-2017

I figure this might be right place to post this little thread. What I am talking about are those radios we've picked up that seem to refuse to die. Radios that were working when we got them and have either never done a full rebuild on or lasted a really long time before they finally had to be rebuilt. This would also include radios working on very old rebuild/servicing jobs. Basically, radios that we found and haven't done much more than replace the old cords, any bad tubes, and aligned just to keep them going for a while, yet they just refuse to die.
In my collection I have four that seem to fit that definition. The biggest is my Crosley 819M Curveflector, which only got a new cord, two new rectifier tubes, and an alignment by the previous owner and radio restorer before I bought it. The other three are table radios. My Zenith C845Y (two new tubes), a little Arvin 444 (has a new cord), and finally the battered Philco 42-322 AKA The $10 Philco (two new tubes and an alignment). Actually just pulled the Philco out and it still seems to work as well as it did before I parked it.
So, what radios do any of you have that 'Refuse to Die'?

RE: It just won't die.. - Phlogiston - 12-28-2017

None.

RE: It just won't die.. - Ron Ramirez - 12-29-2017

Me either. I have had my share of sets that refuse to work right, though... Icon_crazy

RE: It just won't die.. - John Bartley - 12-29-2017

I guess I belong to that "other" group of old radio people .... the ones who always try their sets first and only repair and/or restore those sets that we plan to keep or use regularly. I would say that more than half the sets I've owned have worked half decently without any work and because many of them have simply passed thru my hands I don't know if they still work.

I am down to a couple of dozen sets in total now, and I'd guess that better than half will work just fine and have not been touched by me.

On the other hand, I am still plagued by memories of a National NC57 that I could not fix. It's the only one to ever gain that distinction. It came to me completely butchered and while I could get it to "play", there was a mechanical issue with it that caused it to change alignment every time the chassis was moved. I waved the white flag after too many weeks of trying.

My mother was given a Northern Electric "Midge" set in about 1950 as a "going to college" gift and when she threw it out (drats) in 1987 it had only ever had tubes changed. It spent it's entire life sitting on the kitchen counter of whatever house she was living in.

RE: It just won't die.. - Jayce - 12-29-2017

Really, if it wasn't for the recent snapping of the dial cord, my Philco 42-322 would be the winner of the 'It Just Won't Die' contest for me. It is truly a beater radio that I got for $10 and just keeps on chugging along. Even my late radio repair friend was left scratching his head over it after stating "That thing is going to need recapped!" When I brought it to him for alignment. He said he didn't know why, but all voltages were fine, so he let it be with just the alignment. Heck, I'm going to get that dial string redone. It's my first and most reliable Philco, beater or not! The little Arvin 444 I mentioned is the same. A bit of a beater, but still keeps chugging along. The Zenith and Crosley both fit into the nice end of the spectrum.
Ron, I feel you on the radios that refuse to work right. I lost count on how many I have resold over the years because of issues that could not be ironed out. The name "Crosley" comes to mine as the worst sets I've had for that. One reason why I am so happy the Curvflector works well and am refusing to touch it until something actually does go wrong!

RE: It just won't die.. - Brad Winder - 12-29-2017

The radio in my 1958 Cadillac is the winner for me...it has never been worked on, since the car was new! The original owner never used it. I have been playing it for the last 17 years, and still playing strong. Icon_smile

RE: It just won't die.. - Arran - 12-30-2017

I think that the only sets that I owned that always worked well, without service, were three way portables thanks to the cool running battery tubes not baking the capacitors to death. I was going to say a farm battery set but I never really ran those consistently enough to know whether they would die or not. Not dying is a different thing entirely, I have had lots of sets that would still play, didn't die, but ran like crap so that they were deaf to all but the strongest stations. The sort of sets that used to be reliable, such as those with disc caps, are often coming down with mica cap issues in the IF cans now.
Happy Christmas
Happy New Year
Arran

RE: It just won't die.. - Paul Philco322 - 12-30-2017

I have some solid stae stuff old but never serviced, ply well. Generally on borrowed time with the tube sets, I am always afraid of a meltdown if I did nothing to a tube set.

Paul

RE: It just won't die.. - TV MAN - 01-29-2018

I am almost afraid to say - (you know how things go) but, I will take the chance. I have an old Truetone console stereo that we use frequently. It was a $5 yard sale special. I have had it for years, went into storage after I caught our toddler pushing the speaker grill cloth in. She is now a teenager, and we have had  it back in service for at least 2 years. I use it with a CD player mostly. The only thing I did was inspect it and replace the cartridge in the phono. That's it. I am sure it is long overdue for a full recap, but she keeps plugging away. Oh yes, everything works, and it is tube.  Icon_biggrin Sssshhhh! Don't tell anybody lol!