[CR220]

I have a model 37-690 that needs 're capped and 're resistored, and I am seeking some tips from the experts. I have worked on antique radios off and on for a few years now, but I have never taken on one this big. The radio will come on and does tune in stations on all bands, however, it has a hum/Buzz coming mainly from the left "tweeter". I am new to this forum, and I am looking forward to making this radio great again.

[klondike98]

Welcome to the Phorum!!


37-690 is one of Philco's best. I have not worked on a 37-690 but just like the smaller radios, recap it one cap at a time to keep chances of miswiring it down and keep us posted with questions here. A number of the pholks here have restored this model.

[CR220]

Welcome to the Phorum!!


37-690 is one of Philco's best.  I have not worked on a 37-690 but just like the smaller radios, recap it one cap at a time to keep chances of miswiring it down and keep us posted with questions here.  A number of the pholks here have restored this model.

Will do.  Thanks for the response.  Would anyone out there have a schematic for it that I could get electronically? 

[morzh]

I'd say experience will be akin to working on a 37-116 (the main chassis is the same size and complexity)....in all honesty, except having to handle a big chassis (if you dread this, there are contraptions made or sold, someone even sold it here I think for mounting the chassis and then being able to rotate it freely into any position desirable) and accessing things in the tuner chassis it is no different from a smaller console chassis, and, for that matter, much easier than to work on small ones with their insane wiring density.

I am soon to start my 38-690....I think 37-116 prepared me for it

[CR220]

I did a check of the resistors in the power unit, and found the all to be high-better than 10%. I did find a part that does not show up on the parts diagram. It is a tapped resistor with a Philco part number of 33-3311. The literature says it should have a number of 33-3302. I believe that the original was there at one time, and was replaced with the one that is there now. The one that is there now only has 3 taps. The one that is supposed to be there had 5. If this part does the job of the old one, that would be fine. I would just like to know what the values of the current part are.

[CR220]

I got the 37-690 playing quite well, but the volume won't turn all the way down. The volume control according to the schematic is supposed to be around 500k, but the one in mine is around 1 meg. I have completely recapped and re-resistored the entire lower unit, but I have not tackled the upper unit. Could a faulty volume control be causing this? I plan on recapping the upper unit, and am hoping that it will take care of this as well.

[klondike98]

I merged your "volume control" thread with the original 37-690 thread to keep the same subject area together.