[Guest]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and frankly I don't know very much about old radios. Could any of you tell me a little history on the model 49-1602. The radio was my grandmother's and has great sentimental value, so I would like to try and repair it. It's in pretty good shape overall. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[gary rabbitt]

Hello and welcome!

Ron can give a little more historic info on your set, but I am happy you are dedicated to getting it playing again. Many times we see nice sets thrown away that have been in the family, or sold for a few dollars. Sentimental value wins out here.
Your cabinet is sort of unusual as there are the side shelves for your records. It should sound great when serviced. Your cabinet might only need a good cleaning, don't worry about every little dent and scratch. That's part of the radio's history. Some of the guys use waterless "mechanics" hand cleaner, the kind without the grit or pumice.
Then a coat of paste wax will have it looking great.

Here is a little illustration on how good the hand cleaner works.

This is a Singer 1930's sewing machine 'cathedral' cased top cpver.
I used only a soft cloth and no steel wool. That would have ruined the gloss.
It really cut the grime, smoke and other stuff that had accumulated over the years. As you can see, the finish is pretty shiny, original finish. I finished this off with a coat of paste wax.
[Image: http://antiqueradios.com/albums/temp/singercab2.jpg]

As for the electrical part, what kind of experience do you have with soldering , working with electronic parts, and/ or reading a diagram?
I don't know if you are aware about powering up old sets, and why it's not a good idea to just plug then in. You might want to have a look at this page.
http://www.philcoradio.com/tech/plugin.htm

Take care,
Gary.

[Guest]

Sorry, Not an electrical guy. I would probably take it somewhere to be fixed (If I knew where). Refinishing or restoring the cabinet is something I'm pretty good at. I guess I would be looking for somewhere to buy the tubes and other parts and then get it fixed. I also was wondering if the radio dial is supposed to light up or not. Thanks for the reply.

[Guest]

There may be an antique radio club near you, they are all over the country. You could probably find someone there to fix it for you or help you learn to do it yourself.