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Philco Mystery Control - Printable Version

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Philco Mystery Control - bridkarl - 08-21-2025

Found one of these for $30. Don’t have any radios it works on but it’s interesting.

RE: Philco Mystery Control - Brad Winder - 08-22-2025

Well, now you need to buy a suitable set to match.  Icon_razz

RE: Philco Mystery Control - bridkarl - 08-22-2025

After I move across the country it will be one of the first things I look for. Apparently this only works with large console sets -- which surprises me. I would have thought making it work with a smaller table size model would have been good marketing.
These links explain the operation and background of the device.

https://philcoradio.com/repairbench/mystery/operation.htm
https://philcoradio.com/repairbench/mystery/history.htm

RE: Philco Mystery Control - GarySP - 08-22-2025

That mystery control is in better condition than most I've seen. Usually the dials have warped over the years. This was a top of the line feature, and commanded a premium price. That is the reason it was teamed with top-end consoles. 1939 to 1941 various models had the feature until the war effort ceased radio production.
An interesting note gleaned from the Philco Radio Gallery, located at the bottom of the page, was that with this introduction Philco ceased development of high-fidelity receivers! Good luck on your search! Take care, - Gary

RE: Philco Mystery Control - bridkarl - 08-22-2025

This has some warpage. Ron had an article about fixing that but I have not found it yet

RE: Philco Mystery Control - GarySP - 08-22-2025

Also found in the Philco Radio Library! Take care, - Gary

https://philcoradio.com/library/index.php/shop-talk/techniques/a-fix-for-warped-mystery-control-dials/