1930s Philco Model 50 AM Radio Restore Early Tube Superheterodyne Receiver Grandfather Clock

[@sgath92]

Some early sets were very picky about 24 type tubes. RCA wanted a monopoly on the superhet circuit; before 1930 they would not license the patents to anyone else and in 1930 started letting others pay out the butt in license fees to use it. So manufacturers got creative to try to get around RCA's superhet patents. RCA caught on and redesigned the 24 tube with the "new and improved" 24A which used less filament current and was internally just different enough to brick some of the sets that were trying to use 24s in unlicensed superhet circuits. 1930s techs would keep a bunch of used 24s & 24As to swap them in/out of 1930-1932 era sets to get around the problem. RCA made so many enemies at Philco that they later refused to use the eye tube (an RCA invention/patent) just to thumb their nose at RCA and went hard on Sylvania's loctal tubes to avoid RCA's patented metal octal tubes. Zenith would omit pin1 on sets so metal RCA patented tubes would not function (no metal shield connection to ground if pin1 is missing) forcing customers to use glass G or GT types!

[@agostinodibella9939]

These very old radios are cool time capsules, looking at these ancient components! Nice job repairing this one.

[@anonymousmeme8458]

A little history for you (you may already know): Tesla (as in Nikola Tesla) once having to find work, worked for Marconi for a short stint building radios for the government. But the ironic part was that Tesla actually invented not only the "radio" but the components that made it possible; to which he once said "...I don't mind so much others using my components I invented, I wish they'd invent their own too..". Foot note: Though Marconi was credited for the invention of the radio, Tesla later posterioly was rightfully credited so. 😅

[@Srinathji_Das]

Wow! I'm so happy to see this old tech getting the love it deserves! Thanks so much for sharing!

[@EsotericArctos]

The owner of this radio may be right in the original guys who had a passion are dying off, but there are certainly a lot of younger people that also have a passion for fixing, restoring and preserving these radios too. I am 50, old by some standards, but young as far as tube radios, and I have a passion to restore and keep them around. I know people younger than me that love them too.

[@lorenzorentniop717]

I do it too and I'm 19

[@paulm3079]

Glad you typed it so I didn’t have to

[@lorenzorentniop717]

@@paulm3079 nice!

[@rolliedoughlie8464]

I’m 29 and do it too, usually I’m more for leaving this era of sets when they’re all original inside, but there aren’t many good stations on the AM band where I live so it’s more for the older folks who want them working no matter what

[@JerryEricsson]

Fun to see that old set up and running again great work!

[@jamesbruno5896]

You saved a piece of history bro!

[@timaitken5539]

Pure genius as always !! this video was worth the wait ! I have a 1930 Regal that was professionally restored 15 years ago and with the right ant. you can tune in a lot of stations from the west , I'm in a NorCal valley so getting reception is a challenge, I also have a mid 20s Atwater Kent bread box radio in beautiful condition with all the globe tubes, its all still there , I even got a special power supply for it that's specific to the model but will need the proper horn speaker to complete the ensemble , I haven't hooked it up yet because I'm a scaredy cat ! LOL , I bought it all 10 years ago , so now I'll resume shopping for the correct 100 year old speaker horn , so after a few glasses of gin and tonic I might have enough courage to power it up , it even has its original instruction manual , it should probably be in a museum , love those old radios !!

The Philco model 50 dates from somewhere around 1931 or 1932. I have a Philco Model 70 cathedral that has a chassis that looks almost identical to the Model 50 that was produced in 1932. The bakelite caps are fun to work with. They either have to be heated to remove the tar or they have to have the tar chipped out and a new modern cap installed inside.

[@robertbenkelman947]

I have a mid 30’s Philco Tombstone (I need to look at schematic for model) that I need to go through. This model used the older 6 and 7 pin tubes-later models used octal tubes. Haven’t played it in 15 years but stored in a dry environment, will need to dim bulb it. I agree with Shango066 on the clock, a clock maker should look at the clock.

[@Christopher-re2hl]

Hey Shango good to see your videos again 👍 ACE

[@frankowalker4662]

I'd love to see it when the cabinet and clock are fully restored.

[@55benchguy]

Cool Old Radio ! Just think of all the programs that were played on this ole guy. I'm so glad that someone still understands all the styling and workmanship that was put into these. Please give your customer a pat on the back form all of us old farts out there.

[@andymouse]

So cool what you can do with a piece of cardboard and a light bulb, just beautifully simple and elegant. Shame about the knobs !

[@Skyler_Hagen]

Bob Anderson has a great video on those Bakelite blocks that I’ve followed. They’re actually fun to restuff, and make a very convenient place to hide/mount the new caps. Small drill bit to break the original capacitor lead wires inside the brass eyelet, then heat slightly and pop the tar block out by poking a pin or drill bit through the eyelets. Doesn’t even take much heat because you don’t have to soften the whole tar block, just the boundary layer where it contacts the Bakelite

[@waltschannel7465]

4:46 "Tubes...are easy, it the coils that make (diagnosis) difficult." Never thought about that, but it's true. " where's the pleasure when the music is a continuous square wave. " Yesss, preach it, brother! 😆

[@mjg263]

Awesome job, can’t believe how well it works with just a clip lead for an antenna! 90+ years old and still working!

[@Seiskid]

Thankyou shango. Really interesting seeing how they made these things prewar. Blows me away how nice it sounds. Lo-Fi, but very clear. They optimised that speaker design very well.

[@bigalsmallengines]

Very cool to see all the old technology in that Philco. The parts and the design are facinating indeed. What luck that it's all untouched and you can see it as it was made with all the original parts. Great piece of history there. The form factor with the clock puts it over the top to me.... Awesome video!!! Thanks!!! Glad you shared this adventure. 🍻

[@RickO.-vq8oh]

Nice! 94 minutes of Shango for my Saturday morning!! 0.05V X 100 = 5.0 V

[@ralphj4012]

A challenging one, especially the oscillator. Don't normally comment on other people's knobs (1:30:52), yours are functional, and that's the important thing.

[@kabuti2839]

Absolutely 'spellbinding! Thanks!

[@raymondleggs5508]

I'd get 600 volts surging through my body trying to work on that thing, and even less hair than I already have. Ad I have 40 percent less hair than I used to! 🤣🤣

[@audubon5425]

25 cycle was common on farms that used "windchargers" for electricity.

[@hestheMaster]

Used also for power in Ontario, Canada so the radio could use 25 cycle AC line voltage line. It was model 51-A!

[@CLUBNEON-m6i]

Feels kinda sad thinking that every single one that was involved in the development and manufacturing of each part of this radio (and the radio itself), people that sold and transported these things, even the families that owned them new, all long gone! Even the ones born in the 30s are most all gone.

[@alexpinkerton7459]

Amazing to think that you're working on a radio from the era of Bonnie and Clyde. Who knows, maybe that was their radio!

[@wacoflyer]

We have over 400 members in the New England Vintage Electronics club. (NEVEC) And of those, at least half are into restoring and collecting prewar radios such as these. Plus there are numerous other similar clubs around the US. We're not all dead......yet!

[@MrCrystalcranium]

There’s a kit available to comprehensively restore those block caps. Bob A pointed me to it. Drill bit you rotate in the top exit grommet to cut the wire and a push tool to push out the wax cap. Heat it before and it usually comes out clean. Then restuff. I did a Philco 90 with a half dozen of these in it and it went quickly.

[@AndyHullMcPenguin]

I came for the tips and the cynical joviality. I stayed for the industrial archaeology and the revivification. I left with mild lead poisoning symptoms and a heightened awareness of mesothelioma, to answer the door to the frantic knocking from the heath and safety goblins. A perfect start to my Sunday.

[@Pablo-he7gm]

I admire your perseverance and skills. Thanks for sharing.

[@anonymousmeme8458]

Considering its age, your experience and limitations the owner imposed (as most do) I think you did pretty well. Me, that's the biggest difference in owning and having the liberty and limitations. You are correct on so many levels, especially this being an earlier model. When your dealing with 5 pin tubes its a dead give away. Reminding/remembering too that these sets (though some claim up to 120VAC) typically like the 105-115 range, and if the unsuspecting try to make them a daily driver buying & replacing tubes becomes an experience. Lastly, the Philco's are nice and not overly complex really. Zenith's my favorite brand used VOO- DOO in my opinion but hey......Borg Warner, RCA, G.E., Crosby, Silver Tone, they're all American history and representation of real brain power at work. Thanks for tackling this on Shango. Nice spice in the soup mix.😊

[@dddevildogg]

ALL of them tried to get around radio and circuitry patents owned by RCA by designing new circuits- in reality RCA spawned much more competition from those that would not pay licensing fees

[@rafasviana]

This is incredible! A good piece of history!

[@blitzroehre1807]

Manual mentions tube shields.... which are not there? Will that maybe make a difference?

[@hpc4uandme]

Yep did a 1936 Philco 624 6 volt farm set, had to restuff a few bakelite blocks, ALL my resistors were open, and the speaker has an enormous permanent magnet. Its amazing how much the technology advanced an a few years. Mine has normal-ish IF cans, a much smaller tuning capacitor with vernier gears, synchronous vibrator, normal volume pot, AVC....

[@bobbyk6585]

Beyond impressive diagnostics.

[@krz8888888]

This resistor looks very much like what I would have cobbled together as a pennyless kid, incredible

[@anonymousmeme8458]

These older set's resistors are often referred to as "dog bones". 😊

[@krz8888888]

@ Talking about the one in the pouch

[@johnsampson1096]

Shango check out Ray Blintliff's book on Philco condensers, it explains these blocks quite well. He was a great radio friend of mine who worked for David Sarnoff in the RCA days....

[@jamesplotkin4674]

Wonderful job bringing this one back. I do wonder if that lamp isn't a bit too hot and will damage the dial. That would be a shame.

[@RichiVelasquez-i3u]

That is a really nice historical old radio, and you can see the inside electronics are ancient.

[@paulm3079]

I work at a rather niche, highly technical sort of company and we often have students do a semester of work to learn (co op). I go out of my way to teach them about historical ideas in electronics to give them a more well rounded understanding of where it began and where we currently are. On my own time, not necessarily for work directly. Vacuum tubes and discrete semiconductor stuff are my main topics, with the birth and maturity of radio being center stage to illustrate the arc of a particular practical application I think it really helps them appreciate the subject of (electrical) engineering in a more intuitive way I go out of my way to teach anyone anything if they’re willing to listen The last decade or so I’ve noticed that there is a slow disappearance in semiconductor devices and analog design knowledge in general It is a shame, but the topics most useful are those that are in demand. Everything begins as analog though so…not sure what they’re thinking.

[@hestheMaster]

For what I know the replacement of the components in a bakelite block from start to finish is about 2 hours for each block if you have all the right tools. Now Bob Anderson found a way to do it faster. No need for repotting it as no one will see the bottom when put back on the chassis. Just make it safe to operate on line voltage. The 35 and both 24 tubes once had a continuous cover over all three of them and that has gone missing. Nice seeing an otherwise all original chassis (1932). Of course Shango did get the radio part working just as the owner wanted!

[@Anonymous24-7]

Love to see the old sets being restored, much love from over the pond ♥

[@My1925World]

I restored one of these Philcos a few years ago. I only set it on fire once, maybe twice. Mine is missing the crowning trim on top. Thank you for the fun video. Steve

[@0386rm]

You did well on this one even though you admitted that you have never worked on something this old. Once I would have saw those weird caps I wouldn't have touched it like you said in the video.

[@markmurray5619]

I will be starting an electronic restoration on a G-E J-107 (RCA R-77) soon, and this video kind of show's me what I am in for. My radio is from 1932 yours has a similar date of birth and might be an RCA clone as well. And like you I haven't not done a radio this old before; so it should be challenging but fun. I enjoy your post's. Be safe.

[@LiquidRadio]

1:08 That looks totally safe to plug right in. 😃

[@RPike-bq3xm]

Hey! Awesome video. Seriously - very informative and entertaining. Your fudging your way through it just like I would have. Its like we think alike. Not sure that’s a compliment. I love the way you tackle these projects. I did say “Your going to miss the B+”. Nice work! The short buss comment kinda hits home😉. Definitely not a compliment.

[@Tony770jr]

Good job especially withose ancient components. 6 .months of work too!

[@WC0125]

Those moulded Philco caps can be put on a rack with an under tray and put in the toaster oven,. Heat them up and the wax/tar will melt out. Clean it out with brake clean and re-stuff a new cap in there.Easy Peezy

[@paulm3079]

Great video Shango as always.

[@TonyButchT]

Very fine work! That speaker reminded me of the Scattershield on my 55 Chevy.

[@Runco990]

What a novel Radio!!! Actually really liked this one! All the best to you in LA land.

[@phillipyannone3195]

I enjoyed seeing you deal with old Philco, well done. I’d like to see you do the same thing on a Sparton 61/62

[@nyki7fykxtjxyi]

This reminds me of Mr Spock “stone knives & bear skins” electronics

[@NickDalzell]

"City on the edge of forever" was an excellent episode.

[@mjg263]

@@NickDalzelloh yeah, that had what’s-her-name in it…Joan Collins. That was an excellent episode!

[@robertbenkelman947]

Great video, now to tackle an earlier radio, say 1920s. Knobs are available!

[@defaultuserid1559]

Cool. Most Model 50s from that era were cathedral style cabinets.

[@michaeldeloatch7461]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing so many details.

[@shango066]

I have been waiting for a new video like this for 4 years

[@Blutnase]

Permission structure. That's hillarious.

[@4nk8r]

This little clock radio is quite cool , looking forward to see this back in action 😊

[@Funkybulb]

Wow that a tough recap job.

[@mikefinn2101]

Great new experiance nice video something new on channel learned a lo will use it on my Crosley radio I need to restore.

[@peterbondmusic]

Those resistors are wild…

[@tuckermichael24]

Nice video, awesome looking radio, with dial at 6 o'clock position , cool clock face!

[@BrianG-x4u]

You're now a 1930's radio mechanic. Some of those old type condensers were filled with a liquid.

[@jeremiahm4374]

I think it was a boric acid solution if memory serves

[@andygozzo72]

@@jeremiahm4374 yep those 2 power electrolytics would almost certainly be 'wet' types, the holes on top is the giveaway, to let any gas pressure out when theyre in use, philips uses similar ones a lot , and they need to be kept and used upright or the liquid will eventually drip out !

[@roberts.3712]

I love this complicated stuff.😊

[@dontknowbrian]

Another great show and yes, your knobs look just fine:)

[@user-uz1yv2oc9v]

Hour and half!? Have to get some more coffee for this one! I really, really admire 30's era radio sets. The quality of manufacturing was usually very high and there was also a lot of variation in tubes / circuitry as manufacturers were trying many different things once heterodyne sets started to mass market and take over from the older trf style. By the time the 40s ended everything had been more or less standardized and manufacturers were no longer trying to build the best radio (same with every industry really, consumerism took over) and the bog standard regular joe grade radio had shifted toward whatever the manufacturer could make as cheap and thin as possible with the fewest amount of components that won't immediately break once somebody has bought it.

[@BruisersBeaters]

Inspired by you and that Packard Bell television running it hard and daily to see how long it will last; I am doing the same thing with a Philco 38-10 BulletRadio. I run it 14 hours a day. I had to replace most of the resistors and major capacitors to return strong functionality. It's a very sensitive radio surprisingly for only having 5 tubes. All those resistors have to be replaced. As long as they aren't shorted you can leave the caps in the audio section. I had a hard time finding modern replacement caps for the tone control in mine where it didn't sound like a tin can, or a muffled fart. The micha caps have also gone bad. Mine was deaf when I first got it working. If I hit those micha caps with a pocket torch real quick, and get them hot, the radio would suddenly hear for a split section, so it's best to just replace them. The 38-10 is only a small few years newer, and you can see the parts relation, with those tar buckets, and resistors. Some of the other rubbish this one has was gone by the time they were making the radio I have.

[@shango066]

If you changed all the caps and resistors all that's really being tested is the life of the tubes and coils

[@herbertsusmann986]

*mica caps

[@BruisersBeaters]

@ That is a good point. Either way its still enjoyable to use something this old daily. Everything on mine had drifted so bad replacement was the only choice. They're just so old at this point, its hard to make them work 100% original

[@williamralph5442]

Good job Shango. Persistence prevailed.

[@ricardosalesdemello4130]

Congratulations my friend Shango, congratulations

[@blitzroehre1807]

Another musing here: All those tubes, including the ones marked good from the estate sale may have gone sleepy regarding emission after all these years. I remember testing a stash of 30s, 40s brand new tubes and almost all tested weak. This was about 30 yrs ago and my boss told me to put them in the tube tester and run filament voltage at almost twice for 5 mins. After that they tested good. I have no clue how chemical degradation of the emissive cathode layer can take place in a vacuum, but it evidently seems to be possible....

[@badeadrian]

I think you should plug 🔌 in without dimm bulb 💡.. What could happen? 😂 A bit of a sparkly one 😁

[@user-nd8zh3ir7v]

well we havent all died out 🤣🤣🤣

[@chetpomeroy1399]

I've seen hobbyists use electrical tape to insulate the nut driver when doing IF realignment, as in some models there is voltage potential between the nut on the trimmer and the chassis ground. There appears to be some quality put in to the production of this chassis, which seems rather odd to me, considering the fact that this receiver rolled off the assembly line at Philco right in the middle of the Great Depression. Many radios manufactured at that time included some cost-cutting techniques in their assembly.

[@natechrisman5333]

What Oh really interesting little clock Radio that is an awesome little thing to have. And I love it.❤

[@Chems7308]

Shango time dudes!

[@401ksolar]

Good work, those are tough.

[@TheBigdog868]

It was probably always finicky. That would explain the low hours on it. I imagine they kept it around because it was still a nice clock. 😂

[@jonathanhughes380]

Hi shango. Cool new video out thank you.

[@idahoengineer6649]

Use class X and class Y capacitors for across the line and line to ground. Great job. 73

[@herbertsusmann986]

25 Hz was in Canada (Ontario) and some around Niagara Falls and Buffalo area in the early days. This radio is from early 30s like 1931-32 era. Philco had good quality back then. Not like later in the Predicta era.

[@dcorp80]

and silk insulated wire inside that resistor!

[@PatParker-s4k]

I'm glad your little plant seems to be doing fine, did you ever get an idea as to what it is?

[@KameraShy]

I was wondering about that plant. It's been a while.

[@maurasmith-mitsky762]

The day you need the short bus is the day when donkeys fly. 👍🏽👍🏽💕

[@abcsd1254]

The only time I listen to terrestrial radio is for AM when I need weather or traffic on the tens when I’m going to and from work. I assume with podcasting that will be the case too. Fully agree.

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

" Woodwork " best done first thing in the morning 😎

[@jimw7ry]

8:20 I was yelling at you... Well not actually yelling.... But telling you were on the short bus....

[@jimmyday9536]

I recall reading that the reason Philco used odd-value resistors was because the factory lighting (mercury vapor?) made it hard to identify and distinguish between certain colors.

[@anonymousmeme8458]

Sounds plausible. A friend who owns a machine shop showed me what a Duracell battery looks like after a year under LED lighting. Simply FADED.😊

[@gregorymalchuk272]

They were using mercury vapor bulbs for factory lighting before fluorescent became available? Were they coated mercury vapor or the really blue uncoated mercury vapor? The CRI was really poor.

[@markmarkofkane8167]

Interesting. I never saw a clock radio that looked like that.

[@volvo09]

It's a radio with a clock, not a "clock radio" that will turn on at a set time. If that's what you meant....

[@markmarkofkane8167]

​@@volvo09I was trying to be clever.

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

That had to be from circa 1945. Not too long after, speakers became permanent magnet. Your friend, Jeff.

[@davidhollfelder9940]

Speaker filter coil .. an early form of hum bucker?

[@stormlord55]

The speaker field coil did two things. 1. It acts as an electromagnet for the speaker to act against. 2. It acts as a filter choke for the power supply.

[@LoganHester-1489]

I find the smell of solid state radios back bord smell while hot quite relaxing

[@mikek5633]

I believe the 60HZ North American standard wasn't "official" until after the second world war. My grandfather told me that their was a program here in Canada where the Government would pay to replace or rework what few electrical devices you had in your home. I still have some very old repulsion-induction motors here on the farm that have rework tags from the original 25HZ to 60HZ. I assume they are rewinds.

[@FlatBroke612]

I have an ammonia absorption cycle refrigerator that was a loaner from Niagara Falls/Stamford hydro which would have be given to customers during the 25-60hz conversion as it would run on either frequency.

[@mikek5633]

@@FlatBroke612 Oh wow... cool !!! So it was a real thing.

[@FlatBroke612]

@@mikek5633yes, my great grandfather was involved in the grid conversion. Back then people likely only had two electric motors in their homes, refrigerator and the oil furnace. They would loan you one of these “ASTRAL” refrigerators and as there were only a few oil furnace manufacturers hydro bought some stock of replacement motors so they would swap out your 25hz furnace motor with a 60hz which they then sent for rewinding to 60hz and the loaner fridges were because there were too many different motors/manufactures in use. I still use a GE 1/2hp 25hz motor as my shops wire wheel. Runs fine on 60hz just a little over twice as fast as it should.

[@jeremiahm4374]

I believe there is an operating hydro plant in Mechanicville NY that still use rotary converters to go from 25 to 60 cycles

[@sgath92]

With radios, tvs & similar what was made for 25cyl works on 60 cyl but not the other way around. Where you run into trouble is with motors instead of transformers so phonographs, clocks, coolant compressors etc. for 25cyl run on 60cyl will be at the wrong rpm (a big problem in the case of phonographs and clocks!).

[@a1wireless1964]

Another great video it's too bad the owner of that set doesn't care about it... as philco's go that's kind of an uncommon set

[@rennethjarrett4580]

For its age I am surprised with the sound clarity on AM radio, WOW!.

[@gennadyfadeev5955]

Nice repair! Hello from Russia!

[@williammitchem8274]

Yes, I am yelling at the screen!!!!! Damn , man!!! Watch some Bob Anderson or Mister Radio. They have done hundreds of these Philco blocks. Heat gun and soften it up and push the whole thing out. But otherwise, it's a great video. Everyone struggles in their own way.😊

[@shango066]

How many philco capacitor blocks have you done??

[@williammitchem8274]

@shango066 Me none. But I know how to do it. I am glad to get a reaction after all these years. 🤣🤣🤣 Most of the radios I have fixed are simple. Cold soldered joints . Tube replacement. I have been lucky. How long have I watched your videos and have been educated. Thanks for the reply. As my instructor would say ... Review the information and get on with it.

[@Findus-g6m]

The resistor is usually wrapped with silk, not asbestos ✌🏻

[@TimHollingworth]

That was an interesting journey. Would like to see the end product. It looks as though theres something missing on the wood panel behind the knobs. Just seems out of character. Maybe it needs a bigger older tuning knob. Bgreat content. 👍🏼 Edit: I did a google picture search and the knob board looks as it should. But the knobs are brown with a larger tuning knob. Oh, and there were three spikes on the top wooden curly bracket.

[@robmoffatt4997]

"dog bone" resistors are read BED, Body, End and Dot. Body, first digit, end second digit and dot is the multiplier

[@connorm955]

"They'd just plug it in" true. I bought a 1957 Westinghouse table radio for $35 at an antique shop this summer (my first truly vintage radio) and i assume it was already plugged in and messed up because it kept tripping my variac. So i plugged it in anyway and the prongs of the plug got welded to the contacts in the outlet 🤣i got my Portacolor running though.

[@krz8888888]

I think banderson has a method to extract these blocks whole, cut the leads and heat them a bit and use some kind of pusher from the lead side