Big and Heavy Philco 116B radio overhaul

Anyone here just loooovvve Bakelite blocks? Well, you're in luck!

[@terryblackman6217]

With all those tubes glowing hot you could use it also as a room heater in the winter.

[@THOMMGB]

Seth, That is quite a radio. Cleaning out the tar from those blocks can be pretty easy if you use a heat gun to heat up the bakelite block then use a small screwdriver or stiff wire to push the tar out as a solid soft lump. I've done it before and it does work.

[@michaelpetersonjr]

This is an awesome pre-war set you have done, even with an auxiliary input for Bluetooth, Seth. Keep up the good work on your content!

[@richroj]

wonderful job Mr. Radio, it sounds beautiful and I love the Big Band music. thats what belongs playing through that radio 👍👍

[@KennethScharf]

Those "transformers" could actually be filter chokes. I know it has a field coil, but sometimes there are several filter chokes in the power supply. Actually, according to the schematic, one of them IS a second filter choke, and the other is the driver transformer for the PP output stage.

[@ethelryan257]

That's interesting. I was speculating on it being an inverter for the push-pull circuit? The other one, of course, a filter choke.

[@MartinSBrown-tp9ji]

Seth is a very good mechanical person and an electronic parts changer. But he dose not have an electronic science education and most of his work and thoughts are of his own option, witch are limited. (i been watching his videos for years) Entertaining to watch.

[@michaelpetersonjr]

​@@MartinSBrown-tp9jiWhy are you still here, antagonizing Seth's work? Every time you comment on something you know nothing about, you will get attacked with replies. You don't want that, do you? If not, then please move on.

[@MartinSBrown-tp9ji]

Know Nothing About? I tough electronics in two colleges here in Illinois for 20 years (1984 to 2005) with an instructor rating above 95 . I only tell the truth and what I say is trying to be helpful. It is only jerks like you who can't see the real world, that we wind up with a president like Biden.

[@scififan68]

The way the output stage works is push-pull 42s with another 42 as a driver for the push-pull. I'd imagine at least one of those transformers is an interstage transformer between the driver and pp output tubes. It's the really old way of doing push-pull output.

[@LanceHall]

I have an unrestored Philco 41-280 I found in the trash

[@hestheMaster]

These are the most difficult to repair old radios and not for a beginner to try. Still it is challenging and wonderful when you get it working again. Bluetooth is not problem if you follow Seth's advice here.

[@sgath92]

The RCA way of dealing with loose wires running through grommets was to put a knot on both sides of the grommet to really tighten down the cord/wires so they can't move much. Philco made some nice sets but they sure weren't easy to work on. I have to think the reason for the bakelite blocks was to seal the caps away from moisture, which works to some degree anyway, or it wouldn't still have been working. On the plus side, no philco loctal tubes and no caps hidden in the IF transformers.

[@dontknowbrian]

Very nice radio set!

[@barfoonisland2003]

North Girard, PA is in Pennsylvania's Erie County. Not far from Ohio and by Lake Erie.

[@teacfan1080]

I like how you play period music through the completed radio. Gives an idea of what music played through it back in the day.

[@johnnytacokleinschmidt515]

I have one. I love it!

[@ethelryan257]

I am always impressed by your ability to work with these Philco's. Next to Philips (maybe it is the "P"?), they're the least repair friendly of all the commercial sets I've encountered.

[@jeffreysmith9369]

Bucking transformer ? Most likely a choke