[DeckApe]

Jim--

Please check your Private messages.

[DeckApe]

So, with Jim's help, I have now fabricated a new antenna brace and a new speaker board for my 40-190. At last, I am gearing up to deal with electronics!

[DeckApe]

Gents, I have no idea where to find this on the forum and have no chance of remembering which thread it was in, so...

...does anyone have any recommendations for painting the chassis to a metal finish that looks like the original chassis? My chassis has a nasty build-up of rust (as pictured elsewhere in this thread) which needs removing, and of course the top of the chassis will then be a lovely oxide-black instead of the zinc-color that it's supposed to be.

[Ron Ramirez]

Here's a few links to cleaning/painting a chassis:

http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=132

http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=1146

http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=4220

http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=3345

For a newer Philco like a 40-190, I think the Krylon satin nickel would look very good.

I've painted a few Philco chassis with the stuff, such as a customized 89 (the "Super" 89 I have spoken of on here before), a 630, and a bare 97 chassis waiting for me to populate it with parts and wiring. I really like how they turned out.

Oh, and I also found that Krylon also makes a satin black spray paint...it looks great on those old power transformers, filter chokes, and other parts that were originally satin black in color.

Whatever you do, don't use that gaudy aluminum paint...yuck.

[DeckApe]

Whatever you do, don't use that gaudy aluminum paint...yuck.

Please. I have my dignity!

Thank you for the pointers. I'll see if my local hardware stores have a rattle-bomb of the right stuff lurking about.

*edit* And I just caught that... "for a newer Philco like a 40-190..."

[DeckApe]

Found a can of the right stuff. I still think I'll overhaul that 40-180 chassis as a practice unit before I go bananas on the 40-190--which, given some of the corrosion issues, may be a lost cause... I think the tuning gangs may have some corrosion on them as well, which (unless someone has a great method for cleaning them) may well signify 'game over.'

Anyway. Next question. Does it matter what type of capacitor I use as long as the capacitance and voltage are right? i.e., axial vs. radial (though I can see where chassis 'fit' might come into play), that style of kidney. I need to acquire the necessary capacitors (including new electrolytics) and would like to not spend a lot of time or money buying the wrong thing. (Ideally I'd like to try e-cap re-stuffing but I think I'll work up to that. )

[mgutierres]

From everything I've read, both here and elsewhere, there's no practical difference between axial and radial caps of the same value. As you suspect, it's mostly a matter of what fits best. I've noticed that most restorers prefer the axial tubes, probably because they can stretch quite a ways between components, but I've found that the orange drop radials are very handy in tight quarters, particularly around the RF section of your chassis.

Hope that helps.

Mike

[DeckApe]

Indeed it does. I think I'm going to be acquiring a pile of capacitors soon and getting on with the rebuilding of the 40-180 chassis that is, quite honestly, in better shape than my 40-190. Once I get up the confidence after getting the '180 airborne, it can sit in my "Mighty 190" cabinet while I persuade the '190 to fly again.

[mgutierres]

I just finished a complete re-cap of a 40-180 which included replacing a generic power transformer with an original (which was poorly wired in after what appears to be a catastrophic failure of the original), along with a new output transformer, and I can tell you it's pretty much a no-sweat, by-the-numbers operation.

One caution: normally the mica caps remain pretty stable and don't need replacement, but I've found the mica caps that control the pushbutton oscillators & trimmers are usually BAD and need to be replaced. Those are parts #23 & #24, and I've had great results from the 350 uuf replacements.

Good luck!

[Ron Ramirez]

I wonder if the reason why the mica caps in the pushbutton section go bad is because, unlike most mica caps of the period, these usually only have wax insulation instead of the hard plastic used on most mica caps?

The originals were usually 390 pF; I use 370 pF dipped micas as replacements, which work quite well. 350 pF would also be OK.

Whatever you do, don't use ceramic discs to replace the two caps in the pushbutton assembly unless they are NP0 (temperature compensating) caps! Normal ceramics will let the preset stations drift after the radio warms up (don't ask how I know this). Micas will hold the adjustments steady.

[Joe Rossi]

Ron,

Whatever you do, don't use ceramic discs to replace the two caps in the pushbutton assembly unless they are NP0 (temperature compensating) caps! Normal ceramics will let the preset stations drift after the radio warms up (don't ask how I know this). Micas will hold the adjustments steady.

You know because you are wise!

Joe

[Ron Ramirez]

Actually, I know because I learned the hard way. I installed some ceramic discs in the pushbutton circuit of one of these sets once, only to discover the adjustments would not hold as the radio warmed up. Lesson learned! I only use dipped mica caps to replace these now.

[Joe Rossi]

Ron,

That, my friend, is where wisdom comes from! Have a great week!

Joe

[DeckApe]

Getting ready to order the last of the bits-and-bobs for re-gutting my 40-190 and 40-180 chassis... finding the right capacitance e-caps wasn't too hard, but asking another nOOb question...

...the e-caps are rated at 200V for the 16uF and 350V for the 12uF. Stepping up to the 450V-rated caps won't upset any apple carts, will it? It's just a case of putting slightly burlier components in than what is currently there, if I remember my basic electronics.

[Ron Ramirez]

No, it won't hurt anything.