[sitiwoh]

Hello everyone,

I live in Bolivia, South America, and I bought yesterday the Philco-Tropic Radio 41-714 (which is different to the 41-714T picture on this website) on a local market. I haven't seen any info, pics or else on the philcoradio.com website or elsewhere so I was wondering if any of you had heard of/seen it before?

I'm attaching some pics here for your info.

thanks!

sitiwoh

[Ron Ramirez]

That is not a Philco - that's why it isn't on my website.

Notice the escutcheon is stamped "PILOT RADIO." I think someone stuck the back from a 41-714 on the back of your radio, and also affixed the 1950s Philco "P" insignia to the left front of your radio's cabinet.

At any rate, I think you should be looking at Pilot radios instead of Philcos to identify this one.

[sitiwoh]

thanks a lot Ron, that's very helpful!

Sitiwoh

[Ron Ramirez]

The Pilot 63 has a very similar cabinet, but the knob layout is different.

[sitiwoh]

Yes it's true. Very similar indeed, yet notable differences not only with the knobs but also with the 'facade'. So do you think it's another model than the 63?

[Ron Ramirez]

Most likely, but I must admit that I know very little about Pilot radios.

[sitiwoh]

Fair enough, and thanks a lot for your support!

[Joe Rossi]

You may find information on the back of the chassis or inside the cabinet that will identify the model. It could be an export version of the Pilot 63 or 65. Having the tube layout might help. Joe

[thirtiesradio]

Very nice radio. Pilot radios are hard to find and very collectable.

[sitiwoh]

Well I think I have the final explanation about this Pilot/Philco radio... I've opened it and took out the motor and stuff and realised that someone in the past has put a Philco motor into a Pilot frame, but had to made some changes on the facade (including moving the knobs) so that it could work. As of today, the radio doesn't work anymore, but it's truly a beautiful object anyway!

ps: if you want some Pilot radios for very affordable prices, you should come to the second hand market of El Alto in Bolivia and will find many for a very cheap price!

Thanks all for your comments

[skyscraper]

Do you have any pictures of the modifications? It seems like they would be extensive, especially to get that round tuning dial. I'm wondering how that would have ever been justified..

Yea, if it didn't cost $2,000 to get there


Thanks,
Will

[Ron Ramirez]

So you're saying that Pilot cabinet contains a modified 41-714 chassis?

And it would have to have been heavily modified...

[Eliot Ness]

I'd like to see pictures of that chassis outside of the radio also.

I suspected something was done to the chassis because of the strange knob layout.

[sitiwoh]

Yes indeed, check out the picture I posted earlier and compare it to this one (http://www.radioatticarchives.com/radio.htm?radio=8560), as you see whoever did this added a layer on the bottom part of the facade of 'my' radio in order to hide the holes where the knobs were previously located, and did a couple of new holes to 'relocate' the knobs...