40-150

Home Philco 20 90 Philco 39-30 40-150 40-150 #2 40-180 40-190 Service Bulletins

 

The Philco 40-150 is a table top radio with three bands; Broadcast, Police and Short-wave.  It is a wonderful performer with a built in antenna [ Antenna ] .  There is a set of push buttons that allow selection of six different Broadcast stations.  

Addition of an external antenna wire allows for incredible night time short wave reception.  However, these are my personal opinions.  I suggest you listen to a fully restored and properly aligned Philco tube receiver for your self.

Fully restored chassis and cabinet.

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As received.

These pictures (below) is of the Philco 40-150 radio undergoing restoration.  It was received non functional.  

Visually - The chassis and tuning gang was extremely corroded and dirty by rodents. The finish on the cabinet was flaked off exposing bare wood. And all the push buttons were dry rotted and cracked.   

Electrically - The majority of the wiring needed replaced due to dried out decayed insulation.   Many of the carbon composition resistors were out of tolerance by more than 50%.  All paper/wax and electrolytic capacitors were replaced.

Chassis restoration.

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Fresh out of the cabinet

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Some one has been here before.

 40-180 2nd IF befor.jpg (35157 bytes)No need to remove IF Transformer if the wire insulation is OK.  The resistors within need replacing. 40-180 1st IF.jpg (74209 bytes)

This is a removed 1st IF that needed new wires.

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It's Alive!
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Electrolysis, steel wool and Dremel wire brushing.

See the Shiny Chassis page.

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All wires and bad components replaced.

 40-180 2nd IF after.jpg (32757 bytes)IF can resistor replaced.  If the insulation of the lead wires are questionable slip some heat shrink tuning over the whole wire.  No need to shrink it. night glow1.jpg (557386 bytes)

Gorgeous!

Shiny Chassis link.

The electronic and mechanical restoration to the chassis has been completed.  Multiple full alignments have been preformed after a 48 hour burn-on period to ensure stable and sensitive operation.  

This chassis had decayed rubber wiring with exposed live conductors both on the power cord and under the chassis (See Note).  It was replace with 600 volt rated cloth covered reproduction wire. 

NOTE - It is foolish to plug in and turn on a vintage radio that has not been properly restored or operated daily.  (There are rare exceptions - Some radios have been in relative use and daily operation by their appreciative owners since purchase).  Lethal voltages may be present on the chassis let alone the potential destruction of unobtainable vintage electronic components.

 

Cabinet restoration.

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This radio was purchase from a dry desert climate and the cabinet of this radio it in sturdy condition.  The finish is dried cracked and chipped.  Approximately 50% of the finish has been flaked off and missing from the light areas of the wood.  Stripping and refinishing is being done.  

Original finishes are maintained when ever possible.   This and many radios have suffered in damp basements, hot moist attics or simply left unattended.  Radio cabinets subject to these harsh environments can be restored to original factory character.

 

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