OK new to the site, but as I keep tripping over "old" Philcos, I thought I would join in with what I find here in the Great White North.
Just purchased a Model 20 which I see is referred to as the "Baby Grand". Looks to be a complete set although after research I has a couple of vacuum tubes that are incorrect for this set. I have seen a couple of online sites that feature restorations of this set and I have an idea of what I am in for. This is one of the oldest sets that I have run across locally. There had been a Radio station established in Fairbanks Alaska in 1923.
So, I'll try to post a couple of images here and will post questions and other images in the respective threads for electronic and cabinet repairs as I go along.
That chassis looks to be in nice shape. The grill work on the 20s is the fragile part that is often broken.
You'll be looking for an 8" K speaker. See the speaker.zip file that Ron has in Downloadable Files.
update...looking closer at your pic, I think I see the speaker on the left so maybe you don't have to find one...
Hello Steve. The model 20 was the first Philco I started with. It was my grandparents, and was in about the same shape as yours. At first look it appears someone put an octal tube substitute in the chassis. That should be an 80 rectifier. Chuck Schwark has a great set of paperwork available for this set that you can order from him. You'll get plenty of practice rebuilding bakelite blocks with this radio, and the filter block can look a little intimidating at first but really isn't that difficult to gut and rebuild. There are lots of posts here if you research about this set. Hope the speaker checks out OK. K type speakers are getting pretty scarce. Take care, Gary
"Don't pity the dead, pity the living, above all, those living without love."
Professor Albus Dumbledore
Gary - Westland Michigan
Yes the speaker is complete. I will need to replace the grille cloth. As for difficult to rebuild.......I started my auto mechanic career at a Buick agency rebuilding Dynaflow trannys.
Other than the big cap block 20 is one of the easiest. Plenty of space.
I guess if you have a designated "stink-tolerant" place you can use a hotplate or other heat device to set it to heat and melt off the guts. Otherwise lots of chiselling and dirty language, plus tar chips that are everywhere and smear readily when stepped upon.
20 (console) was my first radio too.
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.
On the last 20 that I refubished I put the large filter block can in a slow cooker and heated it up slowly. Not too hot ! Just hot enough to soften the tar but not enough to melt it.I had left the leads in place and pulled on the leads with pliers while holding the can and everything came out in a lump.It appeared that the can was lined with I don't remember exactly what was used for insulation but after pulling out a couple of leads it all came out and the can was very clean inside.
Henry
(02-22-2016, 08:36 AM)GarySP Wrote: Hello Steve. The model 20 was the first Philco I started with. It was my grandparents, and was in about the same shape as yours. At first look it appears someone put an octal tube substitute in the chassis. That should be an 80 rectifier. Chuck Schwark has a great set of paperwork available for this set that you can order from him. You'll get plenty of practice rebuilding bakelite blocks with this radio, and the filter block can look a little intimidating at first but really isn't that difficult to gut and rebuild. There are lots of posts here if you research about this set. Hope the speaker checks out OK. K type speakers are getting pretty scarce. Take care, Gary
Actaully I think that may be a later production type #80 tube as the rivets look original and undisturbed. Believe it or not they manufactured #80s in Japan right into the 1970s with a GT style envelope, I've run into them a few times over the years. Just like in North American radios the type 80 became kind of a default rectifier tube and was used in many radios over a span of 20+ years.
Regards
Arran
Thanks for the information, Arran. I did not know the 80 tube was built in a GT casing. I've always seen globe or ST only. I agree with you after taking a closer look; those look to be original tube socket rivets. Steve, if you don't have it you will want to locate a tube shield. They pop up from time to time on Ebay, and I don't recall where I saw it but there is someone out there that makes reproductions. A little patience and some sheet metal and you could probably fabricate a working version yourself. Original-style speaker cloth will be a bit more of a challenge to locate. Take care, Gary
"Don't pity the dead, pity the living, above all, those living without love."
Professor Albus Dumbledore
Gary - Westland Michigan
This may be a little off topic but I collect tubes as well and thought I would add this picture of some NOS 80 GT style tubes with a Philco 80 chassis as a back drop. Yes these tubes do exist!
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