[Spook50]

Hi folks. For a long time I've had a passing interest in antique radios, specifically ones from the mid to late 30's. Well for Christmas my family found me a Philco 37-9. What's cool is that it's in very good shape considering its age and the use it's seen. The cabinet just has a little wear and tear along with cracked veneer on the top, and the radio itself still (sorta) works! There's a missing knob, and one of the three is cracked. The tuning dial is very hard to turn and won't go more than a couple degrees past the left (clockwise) stop. But the amplifier and speaker both still work and we were able to tune in one of the very few local AM stations.

[klondike98]

Welcome to the Phorum!


Lots of friendly people here to help answer your questions!

[morzh]

Welcome, Spook.

37-9...is it the 39-7X, with the automated tuning dial?
It is a simpler version of the 37-116X and such.
The worst part should be the RF subchassis (the middle section) and the switch, but since the radio is fairly simple, this should not be too bad.
The manual for the automated tuning is available should you decide to take it apart if it needs cleaning.
Also the instructions for the alignment of the magnetic tuning is in the Rider's manual, pretty fascinating stuff.
And it should, when all done, have a very good sound.

[Spook50]

I'm having issues posting pictures, so hopefully linking my Photobucket will help...

[Image: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/Sp...q5qtgf.jpg]

[klondike98]

37-9X it is..

[Radioroslyn]

Hey Bob that must be the same set no bandswitch knob!

Hi Spook and welcome,
Here a little info on the automatic tuning.    https://web.archive.org/web/201702040249.../index.htm
It may be just something simple like the front of the chassis is sitting a b it low causing the part that turns to rub on the stationary dial escutcheon.

[Spook50]

I'm sort of torn on what to do with it. On one hand it'd be fun to do a totally factory restoration, but on the other there's very few AM stations here so I fear if I went that route I wouldn't get much use out of it. I'm debating on taking a stereo vacuum tube amp I've had stored away and placing that inside so that I could use it and its matched speakers with iPods or my Android phone's line out, then just be able to listen to 1940's music (and my favorite broadcast, 1938's War of the Worlds) through my phone tucked away behind the cabinet. If I went this route I'd find potentiometers with matching specs to the ones on my amp but sized right to be able to mount them on the cabinet and put the original knobs on them. The amp also has a 6E2 tube that I'd love to be able to place behind the tuning display window just for the sake of some sort of active visualization.

Obviously the cabinet will be fully restored, and I wouldn't get rid of the electronics. I'd still like to clean them up and store them should I decide in the future to do a factory restoration.

Decisions decisions. This is gonna be a fun project.

[morzh]

It's a shame to destroy the radio.
There are plenty of AM stations, and there are other ways to house a stereo amp.
Also, a stereo is not necessary when listening to 1940's music, and you could always make an input in the radio's amp to accept the output of a phone or an iPod.

[Arran]

I keep picking up an AM station from Spokane that plays hard rock/classic rock around 780 KC, I think it's simulcasting the programing from an FM station as they keep calling it 98.4 "The Bear". There is a station in the Seattle area called KIXI that plays popular favorites, as well as old time radio, at 880 KC, however there is a new and traffic station in Edmonton, Alberta broadcasting on the same frequency so one may jam the other, depending on conditions and location. If you want to listen to your own programing on an old radio you can get a low powered AM transmitter kit, one of the popular ones is called an SSTRAN, but there are also kits for what they used to call "Phonograph Modulators", no adding jacks or filling vintage cabinets with China junk, plus it works with every old radio in the house. I can't remember what the 37-9 has as a chassis, but I think it had a pretty good power output stage (audio amp) in it, a tuned RF amplifier stage, not to mention separate oscillator and mixer tubes, as well as automatic frequency control believe it or not, it's actually a decent performing radio that would allow you to pick up far away stations on AM broadcast, as well as shortwave.

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/pagesbymodel...013227.pdf

Regards
Arran

[Ron Ramirez]

Sadly, SStrans are no longer available - at least for the time being. Read the announcement here:

http://www.sstran.com/

The business became too good for a one-man operation and he found himself unable to meet demand, so he has stopped taking orders.

[klondike98]

Sadly, SStrans are no longer available

That's too bad...sounds like a business opportunity for someone.

[morzh]

Good thing I bought mine some 4 years ago.
It is strange though they cannot fulfill the orders: they are selling mostly kits, and kitting is easy: it can be done by the catalog you buy from.

[Arran]

As I mentioned there are also phonograph oscillator kits available, I think that AES still offers one that's a one or two tube wonder based on a brand Z design. https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/ki...ransmitter Here is another one tube wonder that uses a 117L7 tube on Phill Nelson's site. https://antiqueradio.org/transmitter.htm Signal generators also have an input for external modulation that you can use to put out an AM broadcast signal, though the quality can very depending on the signal generator.
Regards
Arran

[Spook50]

I like the idea of an AM transmitter that can be used near the radio. I figure I'll do a full factory restoration, but first I'll restore the cabinet and for an "in the meantime" solution while I do the chassis, I'll set my stereo vacuum tube amp in there. Obviously there won't be any permanent modifications done. This will allow me to take my time with the chassis and learn it and the learn more about vacuum tube setups and tuners and work at my own pace while still having something functioning in the cabinet.

Then when all is said and done it'll have a home front and center in my living room window, with a leg lamp on top during Christmas time!

[Electrothaumaturgist]

The leather (or whatever material they used) couplers that connect the tuner to the drive gear are more than likely dried out into a certain contoured position, making it really difficult to turn. That happened on my 38-1, and you have to handle that piece gently, lest it crumble completely...