[Guest]

Hi all, new guy here although I've been on A.R.F. & Audiokarma for years.
I'm looking for any info I can get about a Philco 49-1280 Television.
It's a 12" TV with a radio and two speed phonograph.

I've been unable to find any advertising or literature on this model other than the Beitmans "Most Often Needed" book which says it's the same as the 49-1278 but in a "Custom-Classical" console type cabinet.

It's a very large and VERY heavy set in a very well built cabinet with Veneer inlays and brass hardware.
There are a lot of 1276 & 1278 models floating around but I've never seen another one like this.

I'd like to find some vintage ad's for it or dealer literature and also find out what it sold for back in 1949 and maybe how many might have been made?

I've attached a couple of pictures taken while it was still in the back of my truck, it was hard for three people to load this thing up, I had to remove the TV chassis so two of us could unload it

Thanks much for any assistance you can offer.

Note from site admin: Sorry, but the photos which were attached to this post are no longer available.

[Jim Berg]

I am not really up on TV's or collect them as I only have one, a Pilot TV-37, but this one you have looks real nice. Rider put out TV books similar to the radio ones. I am not sure if it would be listed in there or not. Might check and see if your model is listed in the Rider TV series.

[radiorich]

Hello Eric,
Wow that is great looking home theather the cabinet seems to be in nice shape hopefuly the picture tube and fly and yoke are good what size of tube is that anyway.
Sincerely Rich

[Guest]

Hi Jim, Hi Rich,

I have a schematic for it, it's in Beitmans so no problem there, I was more interested in original factory literature on this set, advertising, MSRP and whatever else there is to find out.

The cabinet's in decent shape, some scratches but I think a touch up will suffice, no way would I even attempt to refinish something this complex (that is all real Veneer inlay, no photofinish!).

The original Philco CRT was complete toast, so dead it wouldn't read on the tester, (though it does make a dim picture in another chassis), fortunately the man I got the set from (darn near free)
gave me another 12LP4 that checks good so I'm OK there.

[radiorich]

Hello Eric,
Far as the schematic goes that is good news well I'm also glad you got a good picture tube .
can't wait to see more prgress on this set it makes me wait to start one of my tv's to restore
sincerely Rich

[Arran]

Is there any chance that it could be a Canadian made Philco? The Model number doesn't seem to indicate that but who knows?
Best Regards
Arran

[Guest]

I don't see anything on the set that suggests it was made in Canada.

It looks like this one's going to be really easy to restore.
I've only replaced the B+ filters and the paper caps in the horizontal section and I already have a terrific picture.
Not bad for a chassis that was a filthy mess and a home to mice, the area right next to the tuner was really cruddy with mouse pee and dirt.
I removed the tuner, completely took it apart and washed it in an aqueous parts washer.

Note from site admin: Sorry, but the photos which were attached to this post are no longer available.

[Arran]

I always wondered if early Philco TVs used loctals, it looks like I've had my question answered. Looks like you have a little more work ahead of you, a slow and methodical rebuild, replacing the rest of the old paper condensers and drifted resistors, should put it mostly right. The CRT looks nice and bright, that's a good sign. You have a late 40s version of an entertainment center there, the only other thing to include would be a wire recorder or record cutter, and maybe some a few shortwave bands on the radio portion.
Best Regards
Arran

[Guest]

Hi Aaran, Oh yes, most of the Philco's from 1950 or before use Loctals, not sure when they stopped but I'll guess 1951 since my 51 and 53 sets don't have any.

The CRT in the picture above is a 5" test CRT that's why it looks so sharp. I put it back together with the 12LP4 and it still looks good but not as sharp.

Eric

[Fred R]

I junked a 20 inch split chassis set from about '53. It had one locktal still used, a single 7N7 for the horizontal oscillator. The year before, with a split chassis, had two, a 7C5 audio output and the 7N7. I always thought it was strange as the split chassis models often had a 7N7, 12AU7 and 6SN7-GT on the same chassis. At the same time, along with the 7C5 audio output, the video output was 6AQ5. Why didn't they use one or the other?

Eric, a very nice set. I never saw that style cabinet before.

[Bob Andersen]

My 50T-1401 from 1950 has a 7X7, 7B4 and a 7F8. I thought it rather strange too the first time I saw the chassis.

[codefox1]

If I had to guess about the oddball tubes, I would suspect they got a good deal on large lots of surplus tubes that were becoming somewhere between "used principally for renewal" and obsolete. By the early 50's miniature types were taking over for small signal applications.

[Don Lind]

Philco TV engineering worked from a list of approved or preferred tubes. It was based on what Lansdale could provide in production quantities and second sourced as well. Engineering had no way of knowing what tubes were laying around, nor did it care. Tubes were shipped somewhere as soon as they were made so few were laying around to be used in product designs that started two or three years earlier. Every tube had to undergo extensive evaluation and documentation so it was often more expedient to use one from the list than to undertake a crusade. New products had to get to the market on time.

Designs were frozen before production material was procured, not the other way around. Tube line up was determined by engineering, not purchasing.

Often old circuit designs and associated tubes were used because of an engineer's personal preference or proven reliability. That's not always a bad thing. A review of the year to year service information will show some circuits carried over for several years with few changes. Typically, the top line would incorporate the newest components and designs. Next year, that design would move down a tier and something new would move in on top. Cost improvement was on going.

Loctal tubes were more reliable and lower cost than their octal equivalents because there was no plug. The pins that extended through the glass plugged directly into the chassis socket, like 7 and 9 pin miniatures, eliminating the need for the additional plug and solder connections. This design allowed loctals like the 7F8 to work at higher frequencies. You will not find many octals working at channel 13.

Your project TV looks great.

Don

[Guest]

Hi all, I haven't checked in in a while, I appreciate the comments on the set, I still haven't found any literature about this particular cabinet style.

The TV and Radio are pretty much done and working well, I haven't had the motivation to do any more with the changer besides cleaning and lubing it.
Fitting cartridges and getting everything adjusted right is just too frustrating to deal with at the moment.