[FStephenMasek]

Is the wiring in the 42-355T rubber? I saw one yesterday, but I may not be able tor emove the chassis to check before deciding if I want to buy it.

[Ron Ramirez]

Yes, it is.

All Philco sets made in the USA between 1939 (June 1938) and 1942 have rubber-covered wiring inside.

Just a FWIW here even though this does not apply to a 42-355, but most 1939 models even have rubber-covered wiring coming out of the power transformers.

[FStephenMasek]

Thanks. I've found one, along with something else I want in a shop, and will use that fact to get it cheap, or pass on it.

[Ron Ramirez]

Well, good luck to you.

I mentioned the rubber-covered wiring being used in USA-made Philcos between 1939 and 1942, because I have a Canadian Philco 39-330AT which looks just like a USA Philco 39-25T but has a chassis similar to a 39-30T. One major difference - it has six pushbuttons instead of eight in the USA models. Also, all of the wiring under the chassis, with the exception of the two IF transformers, is cloth-covered wire. Only the wires from the IF cans had the dreaded rubber insulation. That made this set much easier to restore.