Hi Everyone,
New member but have been reading this for awhile for tips!
Vaccum tubes were before my time so bear with me on my ignorance!
I'm just an old DeVry Phoenix grad from the beginning of the digital age. We had to fix everything back then.
I worked for Fairchild Systems and then 42 years Tech Service for same company. Systems and industrial controls.
I just completed a 46-350 and it got me interested again in doing a Tombstone I was given many years ago.
It was barn/shop find and had a few things living in it.
I don't know how to ID the model number since the label part with model # is torn off.
It is a 11 tube Philco.....By looking at the components I'm guessing mid or earlier 1930's?
I enclosed pictures of the cabinet, dial and labeled the tubes I could get to without disturbing the brittle wires.
It's not to bad underneath, has been worked on - (1960"s)? a couple caps/components replaced.
I can't read some values because they black taped Caps together and paper on Cap's is peeling off with tape. So I will need to locate a schematic.
I have never put power to it. It will need some work before that happens.
As you can see that 1 of the #8 tubes top wire is broken off and It's missing one of the knobs
Dial has 4 scales. Darn thing weighs about 40 lbs.
If anyone can point me in the right direct I will really appreciate it!
Thanks
Ken
When my pals were reading comic books
I was down in the basement in my dad's
workshop. Perusing his Sam's Photofoacts
Vol 1-50 admiring the old set and trying to
figure out what all those squiggly meant.
Circa 1966
Now I think I've got!
Terry
(This post was last modified: 04-11-2025, 11:14 AM by Radioroslyn.)
Philco 16 is not intimidating at all. Despite being an 11-tuber.
37-116 is indeed intimidating.
16 has good space underneath and so allows to work without major hassle. Some 16B have a tin can filter caps assembly, and this is a but inconvenient, but the one you have is not likely to have it.
All in all it is not 16 (have 4 of them, 3 restored by me) that would be my nemesis. Not even 37-116.
In fact some measly Zenith Transoceanic is way less convenient to work on.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
If you want a radio that's difficult to work on, get a 37-620. The one side of the chassis is packed pretty tightly and deep, not to mention the separate RF chassis. I still have one on disassembled on the work bench for an embarrassingly long time (busy with other stuff also).
Can't think of anything witty.
Greg O.
Whitehall, PA
I remember Philco 45 being awkward. If I am not mistaking it for some other set. I think there is a phenolic board, or even two of'em with bunch of parts on it and the wires coming in in a very inconvenient way.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
When my pals were reading comic books
I was down in the basement in my dad's
workshop. Perusing his Sam's Photofoacts
Vol 1-50 admiring the old set and trying to
figure out what all those squiggly meant.
Circa 1966
Now I think I've got!
Fortunately, I did not have to do much to my GE S-22 (RCA R7A) Almost all caps and the 2 audio transformers packed into cans, and need to remove the IF transformers to get to the tabs mounting the cans. I cheated and wired the replacement caps externally to the cans and left them in place, and was able to get to the resistors on th resistor board. Fortunately the power and audio transformers were good. Ditto on the 3 1936 RCA farm sets (5BT, 6BT and spare 6BT chassis). Otherwise, you are right, early 30s RCAs can be interesting. Maybe the easiest (and least work I have done) is on my Zenith 6S52 (chassis only). Lots of room, not many parts. Yes, the 8G005 TO and 6G001 (Broadcast band only) are tightly packed. Bothof these are unrestored but function well. I believe that the 8G005 has the original filter cap.
"Do Justly, love Mercy and walk humbly with your God"- Micah 6:8
"Let us begin to do good"- St. Francis
I did R73 RCA. It has a phenolic board with all stuff mounted on it.
And the wiring is deep under everything including the longest possible antenna coil and two IF cans.
And the filter can is 1.5mm thick, probably steel as it did ot bend easily at all. I gave up trying to remove it and also cheated by mounting all the caps right on that board.
Not fun at all.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
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