10-09-2011, 07:35 AM
Hi Tom, and welcome.
The difference between the 41-255 and 41-256 is the frequency coverage. The two SW bands in the 256 cover a higher range of frequencies than the 255 does.
Both use the same basic circuit otherwise, and the same number of tubes (9).
Not good or bad, just different. Well, it also means your 256 won't pick up much shortwave at night - stations in the higher range of frequencies come in better during the day. The 49 and 41 meter bands (6 and 7 mc, roughly) open up in the evening, and your 256 will not pick up these frequencies.
Maybe this is why there doesn't seem to be a lot of 41-256 sets out there, compared to the 41-255 which was usable on SW day or night. Plus, the 41-256 was a mid-season set; it didn't come into the market until January 1941, while the 41-255 came out at the beginning of the 1941 selling season (June 1940).
The 38-620 will be the easier of the two sets to restore. No rubber-covered wiring. And even though you will have the headache of dealing with the RF unit in the 38-620, it will be a breeze compared to the rubber-covered wiring nightmare of the 41-256. You will have to either replace all of the wires in the 256, or do like I do and unsolder one end of a wire, remove what is left of the rotten rubber insulation, slide on some heat shrink tubing, shrink it, resolder, move on to the next one. It is very time consuming, but the radio should be a very good performer when you are done with it. You say you have already done some of this on a GE radio, so you know what you are facing.
I have, among other 1939-1942 Philco sets that also have this wonderful rubber insulation, a 41-616 that I plan to start on in the next few weeks. It's really going to be a nightmare, 15 tubes and Mystery Control.
The difference between the 41-255 and 41-256 is the frequency coverage. The two SW bands in the 256 cover a higher range of frequencies than the 255 does.
Both use the same basic circuit otherwise, and the same number of tubes (9).
Not good or bad, just different. Well, it also means your 256 won't pick up much shortwave at night - stations in the higher range of frequencies come in better during the day. The 49 and 41 meter bands (6 and 7 mc, roughly) open up in the evening, and your 256 will not pick up these frequencies.
Maybe this is why there doesn't seem to be a lot of 41-256 sets out there, compared to the 41-255 which was usable on SW day or night. Plus, the 41-256 was a mid-season set; it didn't come into the market until January 1941, while the 41-255 came out at the beginning of the 1941 selling season (June 1940).
The 38-620 will be the easier of the two sets to restore. No rubber-covered wiring. And even though you will have the headache of dealing with the RF unit in the 38-620, it will be a breeze compared to the rubber-covered wiring nightmare of the 41-256. You will have to either replace all of the wires in the 256, or do like I do and unsolder one end of a wire, remove what is left of the rotten rubber insulation, slide on some heat shrink tubing, shrink it, resolder, move on to the next one. It is very time consuming, but the radio should be a very good performer when you are done with it. You say you have already done some of this on a GE radio, so you know what you are facing.
I have, among other 1939-1942 Philco sets that also have this wonderful rubber insulation, a 41-616 that I plan to start on in the next few weeks. It's really going to be a nightmare, 15 tubes and Mystery Control.
--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
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