[clockman1954]

Ok, it's beat up, but I love it. I grew up pushing the buttons on the radio that never worked. Now that Gram is in assisted living and the house is being cleaned out, I have the Philco! Oh, before I forget, Grandpa was an avid train collector who had a whole train layout on the third floor of the house (right through the walls!). At some point, long before me, he took the turntable off the phonograph and used it for his roundhouse on the layout, never to be seen again!!

Well, now what? My brother and I plugged it into an extension cord and then into the wall (the old plug is falling apart) and it did light up and crackle a bit, but that's it. The phonograph motor works, too. If I remove the radio chassis and blow it out with compressed air, how do I know if the capacitors, tubes, etc. are good or bad? Anyone in Massachusetts or Rhode Island willing to help?

Thanks, Chris.

[Radioroslyn]

For starters read this before plugging in the radio the first time:
http://www.philcoradio.com/tech/plugin.htm
http://www.antiqueradio.org/powerup.htm

Diagram can be found here http://www.nostalgiaair.org/Resources/617/M0013617.htm

here's an article on changing / replacing the capacitors.
http://antiqueradio.org/recap.htm

Hope this helps.
The humming/buzzing might be due to a leaky filter capacitor that has lost it's ability to filter out the ac ripple from the power supply.. I'd really start by the basics and replace the electrolytic caps before trying to get stations.
Terry

[clockman1954]

Well, I'm getting ready to start working on the chassis, but I have several questions.

I'd like to "pre-order" the capacitors and resistors since I have none. Can you tell me what caps and resistors I should order and in what quantity? Thanks!

[codefox1]

Short answer is all of 'em except for wirewound resistors and candohms if any, that you have measured out of circuit and are still OK. You will find that one order for everything will not be too much, considering shipping and handling charge, so if you are doing a restoration rather than a repair, why not?

Others might disagree, and that's fine.

[TA Forbes]

Were the trains still there when you got your Philco? I was into that myself many years ago. Sounds neat!

[codefox1]

We can help you get the radio working. Trains, another thing. Lionel O guage was my stuff, long long gone . Son had HO guage but we only dragged it out for Xmas. Acrtually I hate trains, after commuting from Long Island to New York City for decades only to take another trip on the subway to do work that I could easily have done at home. Choo Choo.

[clockman1954]

Ok, I counted and listed out all the resistors and condensors listed in the parts manual. Would they all be the same wattage? From whom should I order them? Thanks!