Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Printable Version
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Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Joe Rossi - 08-27-2026
Good Afternoon, I am doing the preliminaries for component replacement, cleaning the chassis and cabinet. As the photo's will show, The cabinet is identical to the US Philco 50-520, 51-530, and 52-540 Transitones. There are some slight differences in components, which normally wouldn't be a problem, but a previous owner made modifications. They jury-rigged a 12AV6 for the 14B6 and added some caps. I can't find a schematic for the Canadian Philco 81. I ordered one, but got the schematic for the 1934 model 81. There is a dial-string instruction on Radio Museum, and a schematic for 4-5 other models, but not the 81.
This model was offered in Brown, Ivory, Grey, Delft (Blue), and light Green. I've attached photos of the cabinet here:
I believe that the color here is the original light green. You'll note that the bottom has the Philco labels on it, and appear to have been put on after it was painted. The inside of the cabinet is brown.
Does anyone have a achematic for the Model 81 Transitone I can purchase? Also, is there a color chart I can look at to verify the color? Probably grasping at straws, but if anyone can help it'll be youse guys! Joe
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Paul Philco322 - 08-27-2026
I hope you got a Licence from the Transport Minister. btw I have always liked that little set, something about the shape, simple yet attractive to me. A 52 540 was the model in the States, Radio Museum confirms it was offered in green. I cannot say the schematic would be the same. Good luck. Paul
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - MrFixr55 - 08-27-2026
I have a "Canadian Victor Talking Machine" (RCA) R28 that has the same "Licence" (sic) tag, only red. His Majesty must have had a heckuva radio collection!!
I wonder how they knew of unlicensed (oops, unlicenced) operation? Were they looking for outdoor antennas, Were thy DFing and triangulating local oscillator emissions?
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Arran - 08-27-2026
Mr. Fix;
Up until 1953, when they finally abolished the license fees, my neighbor told me they had radio inspectors who would go around and look for outdoor antennas, so on his childhood home they nailed the antenna wire along the soffits of the house. These were garden variety government employees who spent much of the day "flying a desk", not RF engineers, they didn't have "radio detector vans" not even fake ones like they had in Britain.
As for a schematic, try this page https://pacifictv.ca/schematics/philco94data.pdf he has a lot of schematics for Canadian built sets if this doesn't work https://www.pacifictv.ca/philcoschematics.htm#philco.
Regards
Arran
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Arran - 08-27-2026
Joe;
I think that the diagram that has the model 81 on it doesn't show the model 81, it's mostly for a model 95 AC/DC which has a TRF amplifier stage, I think it was lumped in there because of the alignment instructions being similar. I would try the one for the model 83/84 which has the same five tube lineup, though the chassis is narrower https://pacifictv.ca/schematics/philco83data.pdf. The 14B6 is a triode-double diode like a 12AV6/12AT6 so the former tinkerer was not that far off in terms of the substitute he chose, but you might as well get the proper tube
Regards
Arran
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Joe Rossi - 08-28-2026
Arran, You are absolutely correct! The 83/84 schematic closely matches what I have in the 81 chassis. I just noticed that the number “83” is painted on the inside of the cabinet. Coincidence? You’re a wizard! Thank you, Joe
Paul: I’m doing a runner from the Transport Minister.
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Arran - 08-28-2026
On the older sets it used to be the "Ministry of Marine" I think, these days it's the Department of Industry that handles the frequency allocations, Ham licenses, and such. The other day I was looking through a file folder that my late uncle had, and found a 1920s version of one of those licenses that the threat refers to, they are not that commonly found these days so I kind of think that many were bought when the sets were new, and then forgotten as they expired, and never renewed. I only found one in an actual radio, it was folded up and stuffed under the chassis of a Westinghouse, that I still own.
Regards
Arran
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Joe Rossi - 08-28-2026
Good Afternoon! Working on the Canadian model 81, and there is a component in the chassis that does not appear on the schematic:
What appears to be a dogbone resistor is soldered between pins #2 & 7 of the 14B6. It doesn't appear on the schematic (attached). It looks to have a Red (Brown?) body, a Red end, and a Black dot which works out to 220 (120?) ohms. It measures open. I'm inclined to remove it as part of the modification someone did to replace the 14B6 with a 12AV6.
Any thoughts? Thanx, Joe
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Arran - 08-28-2026
Joe;
It's a small value cap, likely an early version of a C0G/NP0 ceramic cap, which is why it would read open, and they are sometimes marked with a resistor type code. Where is it connected on the socket? There is a C-202 which is marked as 220 uuf/pf, so I don't think that 220 value is coincidental.
Regards
Arran
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Joe Rossi - 08-28-2026
Arran, There are 220uuF caps soldered between pins 8 and 5 of the 50L6 and one at pin 6 of the 7A8 per the schematic. Those are the only 220uuf's. The schematic for the 50-520 is near identical if you'd like to compare. I'm going to "bypass" this one and come back to it later
. I have plenty of 220uuf micas. This component measures 330uuf. I'll keep the cards and letters coming!Joe
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Arran - 08-29-2026
Joe;
I though that it may have been put in there by the factory because that was the era in which they were starting to replace small value caps with ceramic, because it was cheaper then mica, and in non critical circuits it didn't really matter even if they were not C0G/NP0. There were some that look like "dogbone" resistors but are hollow, that style started turning up in sets back in the early 40s. As it turns out they may be more reliable then mica, I have had issues with some Aerovox mica caps from that era, assuming they are actually mica, the colour was sort of a caramel rather then dark brown like they usually are. Anyhow I started finding bad ones, in the 47 mmf/pf range in a Viking (Electrohome) built radio, one went bad in the antenna circuit, which was odd since there is no appreciable voltage there. Since then I have found bad ones in at least two other AC/DC sets from the late 40s-early 50s, it's quite possible that they were war surplus that was rejected by the military.
Regards
Arran
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Joe Rossi - 08-30-2026
Arran, I will go forward leaving it out. It is between pins #2 & 7 of the 14B6. When I slowly fire up I'll keep an eye out for smoke or fire, or bad noises from the speaker. I've some mica's that I can plug in and see if it makes any difference. The thing doesn't show on either the Canadian Philco or US Philco schematic, but you're correct in that the factory may have added something undocumented. Thank you for your good guidance. Joe
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Joe Rossi - 09-01-2026
Back again. I have replaced 3 of 5 Mica caps. In fact, as Arran deduced the cap between pins 2 and 7 of the 14B6 was a factory addition. I found a reference to it from the documenation I received from the CVRS. I have replaced EVERY resistor but one, and every paper and electrolytic cap. The output transformer measures perfect, as do the IF cans. I replaced 2 of 5 tubes, the 14B6 and the 12BA6, with NOS. The new line cord has the hot side on the switch. I've revisited all solder joints and wire and component placement. Fired it up through the variac and motorboating! I realize that IF can SMD could cause this, but any other suggestions? I can pick up the local station (less than a mile away) with no antenna, the signal is very scratchy and the voices sound like robots. I have replaced each tube with known good tubes, but no change. Thanks, Joe
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Ed Locker - 09-01-2026
Make sure your AM loop antenna is connected. ?
RE: Canadian Philco Model 81 Transitone - Joe Rossi - 09-01-2026
Ed, Yes the loop antenna is correctly connected to the radio. Schematic says it measures 3.0 ohms and it measures 3.9 ohms. Motorboating is often connected to bad caps, but they're all new except one solver mica that was spot on. Joe