[Ron Ramirez]

Several months ago, I won a 1950 Philco Tropic 3010 on eBay.

Before it was shipped, it looked like this:

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...before.jpg]

But once it arrived, it looked like this:

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...e00001.jpg]

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...e00002.jpg]

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...e00003.jpg]

Proper packaging would have prevented this disaster.

Fortunately, the 3010 uses the same cabinet as the USA Philco Transitone 51-532.

The 51-532 was made with a brown Bakelite cabinet, an ivory painted Bakelite cabinet, and an ebony cabinet.

The 3010 was made with a brown Bakelite cabinet or an ivory painted Bakelite cabinet.

Recently, I won another set like this...only this time, it was a brown Bakelite 51-532. It was purchased with the intention of using its cabinet to replace the badly broken 3010 cabinet.

Here are the two together, before the switch:

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum..._00004.jpg]

Once I removed the 3010 chassis, the broken cabinet literally fell apart in my hands - it was the chassis that was holding what was left of it together.

I then removed the 51-532 chassis from its cabinet. I also removed the loop antenna, as the 3010 does not use a loop.

The two glass dial scales were then removed from each cabinet, the dial of the 3010 was carefully cleaned, then mounted inside the 51-532 cabinet.

The 3010 chassis fits inside the 51-532 cabinet alright, but the holes for mounting the 3010 chassis are different from the 51-532 mounting holes - they do not line up. I will have to (very carefully) drill new mounting holes for the 3010 chassis. That should be easy...not.

But for now, enjoy the 3010's formal portrait:

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum..._00005.jpg]

The cabinet still needs to be cleaned and polished, and the chassis will require complete restoration. The 3010 uses a hot chassis! Yep, one side of the AC line is connected direct to the chassis! I'm debating converting it to a "floating" B- instead, if it can be done without too much trouble.

Another mod I am contemplating: The 51-532 uses a pilot lamp while the 3010 does not. I think the dial would look better if it were lit up while the set is in operation, so I might perform this mod to the set.

I also noticed the 51-532 uses a larger speaker. Hmmm...

The 3010 was made in three different versions. The set pictured above is the early version. There was a later version with a different dial scale, plus another later version in a different cabinet.

[Arran]

Ron;
I hope that you put in a claim on the broken cabinet, that is the breakage that was caused by the improper shipping. It's rather a mixed blessing in a way since the Philco Tropic already had a damaged cabinet that someone had glued back together, you would have needed to repair or replace the cabinet anyhow. I'm not sure but I think that they sold some of the Bakelite Philco Tropics in the Canadian market as I've seen at least one that used the same cabinet as the U.S FM model 49-905 or 50-925 but had a shortwave band (or two) in place of the FM band. One thing I do know is that a hot chassis set would not have been allowed as it contravened the Canadian Electrical Code.
Just a guess but maybe the hot chassis had something to do with the Philco Tropic 3010 being an export model, although I can't imagine why unless using the usual isolating capacitor and resistor wouldn't work on some foreign power systems. In any event it's easy enough to change, you just have to copy the layout of the common negative bus used in a similar domestic model and then tie the chassis and the B- together through a .2 mf cap and possibly a 220,000 ohm resistor for the shielding and the tuning condenser and antenna coil grounds.
Drilling the Bakelite seems like a risky activity but it can be done, you will need to mark where you are going to drill like you would with sheet metal. Start with a series of smaller drill bits and work your way up to the size hole you need, but run the drill bits in reverse to start with so they don't catch, and unlike steel run the bit dry. Since you already have a broken cabinet experiment on that first, then you can figure out the best technique with no risk.
Regards
Arran

[Ron Ramirez]

Arran

I immediately contacted the seller, who gave me half my money back, no questions asked. I didn't pay a lot for it and intended to try and find another cabinet and restore it once it arrived damaged, so I thought that was fair.

Oddly enough, the chassis on this 3010 is rubber-stamped on the back "Made in Canada"! So I guess it was OK to make a hot chassis there as long as it was being exported to Central and/or South America?

I once owned one of those made in Canada "Tropic" models that looked like a 49-905 or 50-925 but had SW instead of FM. Another set I should have kept...

Thanks for the tips on drilling Bakelite. Good idea, I'll practice on the broken one first.

[Arran]

Ron;
Here's another thing you might experiment with on that junk cabinet for drilling holes in Bakelite, try using a drill bit metal for glass or tile. I think you may be able to use the twist drill bits anyhow but a glass bit may do a better job if you can find one the right size. I would measure where your holes need to go with a combination square and use the same to mark them on the replacement cabinet, that way the holes will be where they need to be.
As for the hot chassis in the Tropic being made in Canada I don't doubt it, but I've never seen a Canadian market set with a hot chassis. All of the hot chassis sets I've seen were imported from the U.S long after they were made. Even a scan through the Radio College Manuals doesn't show any sets with a direct power line connection to the chassis so that pretty well confirms that it must have been an electrical code stipulation.
In fact even in the U.S Philco manuals I have from 1939-42 I can't remember finding an AC/DC set with a hot chassis, but I may have missed one or two. I don't think that there was any requirement to construct sets with a floating common negative but Philco seems to have done so anyhow, why they made a Tropic model that way I have no idea but there must have been a reason at the time.
Regards
Arran

[codefox1]

If anything, CSA was more strict than UL up to the 70's when I was in charge or getting things done for a small technical firm that used contractors to produce some electrical products used by dental technicians. Of course it got complicated with some stuff made in Japan, etc... Always a specimen had to be provided, and always some recommendations or required remediation was returned, often never the specimen was returned. Once blessed a design was/is blessed forever. Now you know.