Philco 15DX restoration - Printable Version
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Philco 15DX restoration - Bob Andersen - 05-06-2012
And so it begins.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7143638479_f380b9a77a_b.jpg]
I'll pull the tubes and put them in a safe place.
[Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/7001111052_e141e9283c_z.jpg]
The two original 6 mfd caps have been replaced with 12 mfd Aerovox caps.
[Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/7147198859_9f15e470f5_z.jpg]
The metal cover has really protected the components under the chassis.
I think there's only one repair - a mica cap has been replaced. It's in the upper-left next to the red and yellow dogbones. There are two mica caps in parallel.[Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7044/7001114210_703db33d5b_b.jpg]
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Bob Andersen - 05-06-2012
The lamp for the shadow meter has been bent back and the bulb is missing. I hope that's not a sign of trouble.
[Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7196/7001113658_cd9fa45d75_z.jpg]
Someone penciled in many call letters on the dial. I wonder if those can be cleaned off ?
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8147/7147199245_c1cb5d5fd7_z.jpg]
The first thing I'm, going to do is replace the line filter caps and try firing it up without the 80 rectifier. That should tell me if the power transformer is good or not.
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Bob Andersen - 05-06-2012
I rebuilt the line filter cap and fired up the set with all the tubes out except for a couple ST style 42s.
[Image: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/7001613044_eb5c46229f_z.jpg]
It's alive !
All the secondary voltage look fine
[Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7001613242_aa01d2a5fe_z.jpg]
I bent the shadow meter light back into position. I hope the vane movement is OK.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8159/7001613640_9ea1093141_z.jpg]
I wonder what type of bulb will fit in this socket ? All mine are either too big or too small.
[Image: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5272/7147700559_e9817dc2d7_z.jpg]
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Ron Ramirez - 05-06-2012
Good luck, Bob - that set shouldn't be too difficult to restore.
Philco encouraged owners to write the call letters of stations on the dial scale back then - in fact, they called their dials "Station Recording Dials." I have an 18B that has call letters written all over the dial, and I decided to just leave it that way since it was probably done by the radio's original owner. But it seems that the majority of Philcos from that period do not have call letters written on the dial scale. I guess the majority of people preferred not to mar the dial scales of their expensive radios.
I used to own a 15X some years ago, and I remember finding some sort of appliance bulb to replace the original. I do not remember the exact type/number of the bulb, however. I need to find another, as I now have a different 15X that will need to be restored.
I think the green screens on the 1932 Philco sets look neat, quite different from the 1933 and later types that have amber screens.
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Ron Ramirez - 05-06-2012
I think this is the bulb you need to illuminate the set's grille area:
http://1000bulbs.com/product/5771/IN-0015T7INT.html
It seems to me that the intermediate base is the right size, but I'm not 100% positive on that. I do recall that the bulb I bought for the 15X I used to own had an envelope shaped just like the one in the link above. I remember that 15X had an old bulb in the socket that was burnt out, and the bulb was frosted. I could not find a frosted bulb then. But at that time, the Internet was just getting started so it wasn't yet easy to find almost anything you would ever need or want on there.
If a candelabra based bulb is too small, an intermediate base should be the right size.
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - morzh - 05-06-2012
I have those names written all over my dial on the 80 jr. Tried to wash them off with alcohol - very little effect. Eraser took much of it off, but not all. I guess they are there to stay in some shadowy form, as a reminder of those who owned them once....
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - 37silverstreak - 05-06-2012
(05-06-2012, 04:44 AM)bandersen Wrote: I rebuilt the line filter cap and fired up the set with all the tubes out except for a couple ST style 42s.
[Image: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/7001613044_eb5c46229f_z.jpg]
It's alive !
All the secondary voltage look fine
[Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7001613242_aa01d2a5fe_z.jpg]
I bent the shadow meter light back into position. I hope the vane movement is OK.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8159/7001613640_9ea1093141_z.jpg]
I wonder what type of bulb will fit in this socket ? All mine are either too big or too small.
[Image: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5272/7147700559_e9817dc2d7_z.jpg]
I have a model 15x and I believe I ended up using a sewing machine lightbulb. It's not frosted but it works well. The 15 is one of my favorite radios. I bought mine 20+ years ago, and apart from my replacing the filter caps, it has never been worked on and it still works great! Good luck on your project!
Kevin
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Bob Andersen - 05-06-2012
Thanks for the tips. I ran over to the local Menards and found a couple 25W clear bulbs. They also have 10W and 40W, but none are frosted.
[Image: https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7003996924_1e5c79b5b4_z.jpg] [Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8150/7003996470_ab1502c28f_z.jpg]
The power switch has three positions created with two toggles for a very nice feel.
I had assumed one position had the radio on without the cabinet light and the other had both the radio and light on. Actually though, both positions power the light and radio. Looks like it's really a local / distance toggle ?
[Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7096/7004028040_e48c4d8a48_z.jpg] [Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7150087585_7cb0d23e01_z.jpg]
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Ron Ramirez - 05-06-2012
Yes, it is a crude off-on-local-distance switch in one.
Oh, your Westinghouse bulb more closely resembles the original in bulb shape.
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Arran - 05-07-2012
(05-06-2012, 06:38 PM)Ron Ramirez Wrote: Yes, it is a crude off-on-local-distance switch in one.
Oh, your Westinghouse bulb more closely resembles the original in bulb shape.
So it's a small candelabra bulb like they use in night lights and Christmas lights? I found out about a year ago that the local Walmart sells a screw in LED night light bulb if energy efficientcy and or heat is an issue. That would prevent the burned dial light diffuser problem with the 46-1201s, or heat problems in anything else that uses candelabra bulbs like Philco "Hippo" sets.
Regards
Arran
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Bob Andersen - 05-07-2012
Apparently, it's called an "intermediate" AKA E17 base. It's a little bigger than a candelabra base. It hangs down below the chassis to illuminate the speaker so I don't think heat will be much of an issue.
Lots of options here: http://www.bulbtown.com/Intermediate_Screw_Base_E17_s/312.htm
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Arran - 05-08-2012
(05-07-2012, 02:10 AM)bandersen Wrote: Apparently, it's called an "intermediate" AKA E17 base. It's a little bigger than a candelabra base. It hangs down below the chassis to illuminate the speaker so I don't think heat will be much of an issue.
Lots of options here: http://www.bulbtown.com/Intermediate_Screw_Base_E17_s/312.htm
According to Wikipedia, assuming it's correct, a an E17 is the same base as a C9 Christmas bulb, it's 17 mm in diameter. The night light style candelabra bulbs are a C7 or E12 which is 12 mm in diameter, the same base used for 120 volt Christmas lights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_screw
Here is a site on old fashioned Christmas lights of the series string variety which used C6 bulbs. Very interesting evn though I'm not a light bulb collector.
Regards
Arran
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Bob Andersen - 05-10-2012
I'm just about done with the bakelite blocks.
When I popped open this 4989K (0.18 mfd), I found two sections just like Philcofan did.
I'm sure a couple 0.1 in parallel or a 0.22 would be just fine, but I searched around and found a 0.18 CDE cap.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7168905982_4e530027c3_z.jpg] [Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7239/7168906368_618b5caf1c_z.jpg]
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - Bob Andersen - 05-10-2012
Now on to the metal box caps.
I was surprised at how easily these come apart. Just bend back four little tabs at one end, and the cap slides right out.
[Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7168908186_e978c912f7_z.jpg] [Image: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5200/7168907554_e3739bc767_z.jpg]
I used 0.27 to replace the 0.25 sections. I used a little wood piece as filler, secured them with black hot glue and attached some reproduction cloth covered wire.
[Image: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5117/7168905226_11dac96fa6_z.jpg] [Image: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/7168908840_4a99ae77db_z.jpg]
RE: Philco 15DX restoration - morzh - 05-10-2012
Actually these caps are even easier to re-stuff than the backelites. They come apart in a snap, and then you preserve the wrapping to insulate the new caps.
I even preserved the wires, though hey are covered with that tarry goo.