Restoring a Philco 41-295

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. Read 1402 times.

ArmlessAudioMan

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 6
  • You're valuable, even if you don't feel it
Restoring a Philco 41-295
« on: 17 Jul 2021, 05:56 pm »
I've always wanted a pre 1950 old school radio. Just thinking of all the news and entertainment its produced over the years brings me to a place of respect for its history. Yesterday I was looking around on facespace and ran across this Philco 41-295. I made the deal ($80) and brought it home. It's setting under a picture of a p-40 Spitfire and looks fantastic in all of it's vintage 1941 glory in my living room. My plan is to have the cabinet restored by a professional and I'll do the rebuild of the tube amp. Not afraid to tackle the project and I'm looking forward to suggestions, information and answer to my questions. I have a hobbyist experience with basic electronics. I'm good at soldering and figuring technical things out. I can muddle my way through a schematic with a few questions. Thanks!






 


 


 


 


[size=78%] [/size]


 
[/size]
[/size] 




[/size]Where it's sitting in my living room until I tackle the project.
 


Blackmore

Re: Restoring a Philco 41-295
« Reply #1 on: 17 Jul 2021, 07:22 pm »
That thing is so cool.  Nice!

Bob2

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 1835
  • De gustibus non est disputandum
Re: Restoring a Philco 41-295
« Reply #2 on: 17 Jul 2021, 07:27 pm »
That is a Spitifire. Not sure what MK.
Awesome radio!

SteveFord

  • Facilitator
  • Posts: 6384
  • The poodle bites, the poodle chews it.
Re: Restoring a Philco 41-295
« Reply #3 on: 17 Jul 2021, 08:18 pm »
This is going to be a great project to follow.

JakeJ

Re: Restoring a Philco 41-295
« Reply #4 on: 17 Jul 2021, 09:53 pm »
I'm interested as well.  I have successfully fixed one old table top radio and I fixed a vacuum tube based intercom system in a friend of my Dad's home.  This gent loved to tune in a baseball game and send it to all speakers in the house so he could hear the game anywhere.  It was a Silvertone intercom and all the speakers were full range 6x9 drivers that sounded quite clear and full.

FullRangeMan

  • Volunteer
  • Posts: 19849
  • To whom more was given more will be required.
    • Never go to a psychiatrist, adopt a straycat or dog. On the street they live only two years average.
Re: Restoring a Philco 41-295
« Reply #5 on: 17 Jul 2021, 11:28 pm »
That Alnico speaker may sound great.
What are the tubes ?
« Last Edit: 18 Jul 2021, 01:33 am by FullRangeMan »

SET Man

Re: Restoring a Philco 41-295
« Reply #6 on: 18 Jul 2021, 01:28 am »
I've always wanted a pre 1950 old school radio. Just thinking of all the news and entertainment its produced over the years brings me to a place of respect for its history. Yesterday I was looking around on facespace and ran across this Philco 41-295. I made the deal ($80) and brought it home. It's setting under a picture of a p-40 Spitfire and looks fantastic in all of it's vintage 1941 glory in my living room. My plan is to have the cabinet restored by a professional and I'll do the rebuild of the tube amp. Not afraid to tackle the project and I'm looking forward to suggestions, information and answer to my questions. I have a hobbyist experience with basic electronics. I'm good at soldering and figuring technical things out. I can muddle my way through a schematic with a few questions. Thanks!


.....

Hey!

    Congratulation on your new "old" radio!

   I have a 1935 Philco 84B (second style version) cathedral radio. I bought it back in 1998/9. The cabinet was restored with new grill cloth similar to the original style from that period and he did a pretty job on that. The electronic was mostly restored so I didn't have to do much, just changed some small capacitor inside there. There were some holes in the speaker but I patched it with paper and glue, works fine. I usually using it to listen to local AM news radio stations here in NYC while I'm cleaning my place. I built an AM transmitter so I can play my own music through it, but somehow the transmitter doesn't work right now, I'll have to go through it. Every time I listen to it, I can't help thinking of all the historical events that was broadcasted through the radio. I'm pretty sure the previous owners of my radio were listening to FDR announcing of Pearl Harbor attack, the end of WWII and etc through this radio.

   Anyway, you will have to replace those old capacitors big and small in there. With that you will need a schematic. You already know the model number but you'll also have to look at the amp chassis for a specific version of that radio model. You might be able to find that on the internet. But also a good place is the Antique Electronic Supply, they also sell tubes, and other stuffs that are helpful in restoring old radio.

https://www.tubesandmore.com/

  Good luck and keep us posted.

Buddy 

sfox7076

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 1327
Re: Restoring a Philco 41-295
« Reply #7 on: 18 Jul 2021, 02:54 am »
There is a forum dedicated solely to restoring old Philco radios.  Change all the filter caps before you plug it in. 

JDoyle

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 379
Re: Restoring a Philco 41-295
« Reply #8 on: 18 Jul 2021, 10:54 am »
I’m here to try to persuade you to also handle the refinishing too… it’s not that hard.
Then your DNA will be part of its future history.

Tons of stuff on YouTube, feel free to ask questions.

JD

cava

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 4
Re: Restoring a Philco 41-295
« Reply #9 on: 31 Jan 2024, 08:30 pm »
I have this exact radio from my great grandfather and would love to restore it but have no idea where to begin besides a little PineSol :lol: Similar to yours some of the papers are missing above the buttons and the plastic from the buttons are cracked. I would love to know the parts you ordered for your project if you have it available!

AllanS

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 497
Re: Restoring a Philco 41-295
« Reply #10 on: 1 Feb 2024, 01:56 pm »
What a fascinating project.  Until now the oldest tuner I’ve looked at was probably 70’s vintage so the frequency range labels were unfamiliar and especially intriguing considering the WWII vintage. 
Thinking of the radio history its antenna was immersed in is…I don’t have a word for it.