The PHILCO Phorum
Farm radio consoles - Printable Version

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Farm radio consoles - Chris Drumma - 11-09-2006

Anybody have one of these in their collection or ever seen one for sale? I would like to have one in my collection. I like the 1941 year models.
thanks
chris

- Ron Ramirez - 11-09-2006

You could post a "Wanted" ad in the Philco Wanted section of the Phorum, Chris. Who knows, you might get lucky. Icon_smile

These sets usually go begging at swap meets and such, as there is very little interest in them. Most people prefer AC operated receivers.

Are there any antique radio clubs near you? Might be worth looking into. Perhaps the Kutztown, PA swap meets (held twice a year, spring and fall) are within a decent driving distance of you?

- Chris Drumma - 11-09-2006

Ron,
Yes I do belong to our local antique radio club. Schenectady, NY will ask around there. Where is the Kutztown meet in Penn? I don't get out that much due to work and family. I prefer AC also but the farm sets are simple and I find them neat.

thanks
Chris

- Bill Hutchinson - 11-09-2006

Chris,

I think I know what you mean about farm radios. I'm starting to run into them a little more often, and I actually enjoy working on them. Once I got past figuring out battery voltages etc., they wen't too bad to deal with. Although they can be a little intimidating.

All my farm radios are table models - 2 Zeniths, 2 Coronados, and 2 Philcos, a 40-95 and a 42-122. Pictures of the 42-122 can be found in an earlier thread on the Phorum.

http://www.philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=2

Haven't run into any farm consoles. Since it's the same problem as AC consoles (take up too much room), I don't foresee one in the future. Icon_smile

Good luck with your search.

Bill

- Ron Ramirez - 11-09-2006

Chris

Kutztown is southwest of Allentown, between Allentown and Reading, off US 222 on the south side of town.

More info may be found here (note: this page advertises the 2006 meets, but this will give you an idea):
http://www.renningers.com/kutzradio.htm

I've never attended this meet, but I hear it is a very good one. (I drove through on US 222 in an eighteen wheeler when I was driving a big truck earlier this year, which is why I sort of know where Kutztown is.)

- Bill Hutchinson - 11-09-2006

Chris,

Half the fun of working with farm radios is putting together power supplies and battery packs for them. Many of the simpler circuit radios require a 1 1/2V "A" and a 90V "B" battery, which are simple enough to either put together an AC supply or build a battery unit for them.

At a fall radio club meet last year, we had a theme for the meeting of "bring in your summer finds", and I brought in the 42-122. Mine was the only radio that worked - it had a battery pack in it that I built. I had more questions about the battery pack than the radio! [What I did was inside a Radio Shack project box, I had 10 9V batteries in series and 2 flashlight "D" cells in parallel - it'll run the radio for hours!]

Should you want to go authentic, contact Bill Morris, the "Battery Maker". He can be contacted at "batterymaker at gmail dot com". He does some amazing work building replica batteries.

Bill

- jsaxe - 11-12-2006

Chris,

There's one waiting for you about 2 hours west of Albany. It's a 39-85, details on that other forum, in reply to your post there.

John

- Chris Drumma - 11-13-2006

John,
Sent you a PM on this. Would like to see some pictures of the radio.
thanks a lot,
Chris