[Randy Ulrich]

Hello Everyone,
New member here and I wanted to thank you all for welcoming me aboard.  I had posted in the new members section yesterday and mentioned that I had just stumbled on to this very nice floor console. Please understand that although I've been an electronics tech for nearly fifty years, I have hardly any experience in restoring vintage radios.  So …. I'll get right to it.   

First, please help me understand the model.  From what I can gather this is a 37-610J (picture is in my post from yesterday). It appears there are table radios with the same model with only the suffix changed.  Is that correct?

On to the simple stuff ….

[attachment=18275]

   

This dial lamp doesn't look right to me.  Someone spliced a wire with a #47 lamp and holder.  Can somebody here tell me what should go there or if this is correct.

Thanks,
Randy

[Randy Ulrich]

oh, another quick question or two.  Can anyone provide the instruction manual for this radio?  If not, can you explain the function of the on/off control? There's on/off and then two additional stops.  Would this be some kind of tone select?

[sam]

randal
check out the new library  section
http://philcoradio.com/library/

info
http://philcoradio.com/library/download/...l.%202.pdf




sam

[Radioroslyn]

>Can somebody here tell me what should go there or if this is correct.
It can but it's a repair. The original used a blob of rubber inside the holder that over time gets hard and brittle. This in turn make the bulb difficult to remove. Probably someone replaced the lamp assembly instead of rebuilding the original.

> Would this be some kind of tone select? 
Yes. All the way ccw is off, next is on and some bass boost, next disconnects the bass boost, adds treble cut last adds more treble cut.

GL

[mikethedruid]

Go to a auto parts store and see if they have rubber grommets. Most do. Buy a grommet that fits inside the bulb holder socket. run the wire through the hole in the grommet, and presto, you have a bulb holder with new rubber. I have done this and it works. You may need to shave the grommet down a bit for the bulb to push in easily, but don't take off too much. It needs to have some spring to it to make good contact with the center contact of the bulb.

[Ron Ramirez]

The dial lamp holder you have isn't correct for your radio. I don't have a photo of the proper one handy, but it includes a hood or funnel, for lack of a better term.

The proper way to rebuild a Philco dial lamp holder:
http://philcoradio.com/library/index.php...lot-lamps/

[KCMike]

I think your dial lamp should look like this.
https://imgur.com/j1AG5j2

[Ron Ramirez]

Thanks Mike! That's it!

[Randy Ulrich]

Thanks Ron and Mike, that is awesome information. It's hard to see on my photo because it's out of focus but someone had bent the bracket to accommodate a slide-on lamp holder and then discarded the hood. As it is the lamp throws very little light onto the dial. I read somewhere that a guy used a small funnel he found at a dollar store that worked pretty well. Or maybe I'll run across an original bracket/hood someday. The two links you guys posted are excellent. I suppose a common #47 lamp will work? Thanks again.
Randy

[Ron Ramirez]

The original was a #55 lamp. A #47 lamp won't put out enough light to adequately illuminate your dial.

I prefer to use a high output LED lamp such as the following from Pinball Life (you'll want the warm white to mimic the color of the original incandescent):

https://www.pinballlife.com/ablaze-4-smd...-lamp.html

These are kind of difficult to get into the lamp holder since they are short (no lens), but worth the effort as they are somewhat brighter than the #55.

Of course you'll have to get an original dial lamp holder. The rounded "funnel" end of the original holder does make a difference in properly illuminating the dial.

[Randy Ulrich]

Thanks again for your help and thanks for the LED suggestion. I never knew there was a direct LED replacement for these old lamps.

[Ron Ramirez]

Oh yes, I'm sold on LEDs and I don't use incandescents anymore if there is an LED substitute.

[Randy Ulrich]

One more question about the lamp and then it's time to move on to other things. I'm finding the Phorum to have huge resources and being new here, I'm a little overwhelmed by all the info.

I would like to obtain an original lamp holder with the funnel-shaped reflector. Would you suggest I post a request in the ForSale/Trade section or do you happen to know a source that might have this part directly?
Again, thanks for your response and help.

[Ron Ramirez]

Yes, that is the proper thing to do - post an ad in the Wanted Ads section. Ads are not allowed in any of the regular discussion forums.

If I had one, I'd send it to you for the cost of shipping, but I'm not sure that I do. I will look, however. In the meantime, do place the Wanted ad.

[Randy Ulrich]

        I'm starting to dig into the electronics of this radio.  Attached are pictures of two 30uf caps that someone had installed.  I don't have the schematic right in front of me but I believe the originals were 8uf and 12uf ? 
Looking for advice here.  What values should I use and should I install a terminal strip underneath and use tubular caps or would you try to find some kind of can capacitor that more closely resembles the originals?