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i just got a Philco chairside - Printable Version

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i just got a Philco chairside - Dan Walker - 09-17-2022

I just bought this Philco chairside,and have not taken the chassis out yet,so I don;'t know if it is a
model 38-14C     38-15     or a 38-15C.
 I like the style and it should clean up nice after I do the chassis and strip the cabinet.
 Dan in Calgary

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - GarySP - 09-17-2022

Nice grab, Dan. That should be a showpiece when you're done. Take care and BE HEALTHY! Gary

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - RodB - 09-17-2022

Looking good, Dan. Classy!

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - radiorich - 09-17-2022

Hello Dan,
Very nice the cabinet looks in fairly good condition !

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - klondike98 - 09-17-2022

Great find!

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - Dan Walker - 09-18-2022

I took the chassis out and everything is original,even the tubes.
  All of them were very good.
    After bringing it up on the variac it plays good with out any hum.
 I will replace all the caps, but  leave the old electrolytics  in place [disconnected].

  Is there a replacement for the thin metal gold dial that has the station numbers on it?
 This one is very thin, and fragile.Here is a photo    
 Dan in Calgary

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - Radioroslyn - 09-18-2022

The dial looks to be in good condition. If the foil is not badly torn I would leave it alone. With that being said if you can put a thin piece plastic between the pointer and the foil that would be good. Radiodazes sells a replacement but it not as nice as the original. I have the console version 38-17F https://philcoradio.com/gallery2/1938c/#Model_38-17F  and back about 40 yrs ago I had that same chairside but bcb only and push button tuning. It was 39- something. Good player as is 38-15 and good sw coverage too.

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - Dan Walker - 09-18-2022

The one that is on the radio is not torn or ripped but it is pretty thin.  I have taken it off and kept it flat.
  I will be putting it back on after I do the cabinet.
 Thanks for the information
 Dan in Calgary

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - Dan Walker - 09-19-2022

When I recap this radio do I have to replace  #37 which are two .01 caps across the power input. If I do what voltage should I use.
These caps are in a Bakelite block

 This radio has all the original Philco tubes, and has not been messed with . Right now it plays very good with no hum, but I   will replace the caps.

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - klondike98 - 09-19-2022

Replace those with X1/Y2 0.01uF Safety Caps @250v (or in this application you can use Y2 0.01 uF Safety caps).  There is a nice safety cap tutorial on the Justradios.com site.

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - Radioroslyn - 09-19-2022

Another thing on the dial is that you can repair small tears in the foil. The foil is stamped after it's put onto the cardboard. So the cardboard has the wavy patterns in it too. You can find gold foil at the hobby shop. Carefully slip it under the edges of the tear. Use a small roller to press the new foil into the pattern in the cardboard. Make a nice repair as long as there is no print involved.

I would have repaired in this fashion but the cardboard had gotten wet and was mess up.

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - Dan Walker - 09-19-2022

I just ordered some caps from Just radios, but I didn't order any of those caps.
  Are they marked different;  such as having     X1 or   Y2  labeled on the cap itself? with the voltage.
   
 What would I look for in ordering them?
 sorry for all the questions, but I have not used these caps before.
 Dan in Calgary

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - jtiner - 09-22-2022

They're a disc type capacitor, usually blue or yellow, with very fine print on them. I usually order them at Justradios if I have a larger order going in, but when I only need a few things I get them from Digi-Key for about 60 cents each. Digi will ship USPS for ~$5 as long as it's under 14oz. The last time I ordered I bought Kemet C981U103MZVDBA7317.
Also, I originally planned to use a 3 position (middle grounded) terminal strip to mount the two caps, but I ultimately decided to scrape the goop and caps out of the original block and then mounted/soldered the new safety caps inside the block. For me it was more about saving space and not having to find a new, safe mounting hole for the terminal strip. But of course it also looks more original in the end.
safety cap:

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - klondike98 - 09-22-2022

If you scroll pretty far down on JustRadio's order sheet you will see X1/Y2 caps that look like the blue disc that jtiner mentioned. There are also Y2 and X2 caps that are a yellow square shape. I just buy the X1/Y2 0.01uF caps.

RE: i just got a Philco chairside - radiorich - 09-22-2022

Hello Dan Walker,
It sounds like you are getting a good start on the radio !

Sincerely Richard