ŠJ.S.

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Philco 17 - CLOSED           Philco 17 - OPENPhilco 17RX
1933

Bands: AM & SW
Tube Lineup: 78, 6A7, 78, 37, 37, 78, 77, 42, 42, 42, 5Z3

Not quite a console radio, but close enough. This lovely Philco 17RX chairside (with the model 17 chassis) was a nice auction win. This Philco has a neat swivel top that reveals the radio controls and doubles as a small storage area. The 17RX is one of a series of "Lazyboy" models of which only 4,500 were sold perhaps because of the relatively steep prices of the model line; the earlier "Lazyboy" model 14RX sold for $150 and the 16RX for $195. These chairsides were originally equipped with a nice remote (separate) speaker. However, this Philco was neatly modified for a speaker at the bottom. The cabinet did not need any refinishing work, and the radio only needed new filter capacitors.

Philco 640X - BEFORE           Philco 640X - AFTERPhilco 640X (later version)
1936

Bands: AM & SW
Tube Lineup: 78, 6A7, 78, 85, 42, 42, 80

This beautiful dark walnut Philco console turned up at a auction and was purchased for a flat twenty bucks. The unique oval dial and Shadowmeter tuning indicator, a famous Philco trademark because they never used tuning eyes, characterizes many Philcos of the 1936 year. Although this Philco was missing the grille cloth, all the tubes, and needed refinishing, it was a good deal. This later version 640X sold for $89.50 in 1936 and about 10,000 were sold.
Coronado 47LLCoronado 47LL (series 7LL)
Circa 1937

Bands: AM & SW
Tube Lineup: 6K7, 6C5, 6K7, 6K7, 6Q7, 6F6, 6G5 (eye), 5Z4

This large and splendid Coronado 47LL (series 7LL) radio was purchased at a VRPS auction. The cabinet was in very good shape and retains its original finish. However, the electronics had several problems especially in the first audio stage, which caused the radio to squeal. The problem was solved by bypassing a 1000pF capacitor from the first audio amplifier tube grid to chassis ground.
Detrola 163             Detrola 163 BackDetrola 163
1937

Bands: AM & SW
Tube Lineup: (3x) 6K7, 6A7, 6H6, (4x) 76, (4x) 42, 6G5 (eye), 5Z3

A 5-tube radio is nothing compared to this 15-tube behemoth. This Detrola made its way into my collection from a VRPS auction for a measly twenty dollars. The radio has two huge Utah speakers (one is a field-coil type and the other is a permanent magnet type) and fifteen tubes! According to my references, this is the only model made by Detrola with fifteen tubes, and has the most tubes of all Detrola models. The audio output stage consists of four 42s, two of each in parallel in a push-pull configuration, which pumps considerable power through the Utah speakers; four 76s were needed for phase inverting and to drive the 42s. One would expect that such a colossal radio as this should have mechanical tuning. Interestingly, this Detrola model does not have mechanical tuning perhaps because the tubes take up most of the chassis space. The cabinet was stripped and refinished completely, and the electronics only needed recapping and some new resistors.
General Electric F-65 - BEFORE            General Electric F-65 - AFTERGeneral Electric F-65
1938

Bands: AM & SW
Tube Lineup: 6A8, 6K7, 6H6, 6F5, 41, 80

There is not much to say about this radio because its performance is marginal. This is one of GE's radios in the 1938 line with the familiar GE dial with multiple pointers for each band and even individual pointers for the volume and tone controls. The cabinet was refinished with oak stain and the electronics simply needed new filter capacitors.

Howard 718Howard 718
1940

Bands: AM & SW
Tube Lineup: (3x) 6SK7, 6SA7, 6H6, (2x) 6SF5, 6J5, (2x) 6V6, 6U5 (eye), 5Y3

This magnificent Howard was discovered in an antique store. It made its way into my collection because of the marvelous 12-tube copper-clad chassis, push-pull 6V6 audio, beautiful gold dial, automatic phonograph player, not to mention a tuning eye! What more could anybody want?

Philco 40-180 - BEFORE           Philco 40-180 - AFTERPhilco 40-180
1940

Bands: AM & SW
Tube Lineup: 1232, 7J7, 7B7, 7A8, 7C6, 41, 41, 84

The Philco 40-180 is a successful and generic console that sold in numbers exceeding 125,000 for a price of $69.95. The cabinet design was obviously favored among consumers compared to other lower-cost models that year. My Philco 40-180 mainly needed refinishing and straight-forward electronic repairs. The dial was reproduced by printing out the dial scan provided by another 40-180 owner on paper and sandwiching it between two plates of thin glass.
Airline 54WG-2500AAirline 62-2500 (chassis model 54WG-2500A)
1945

Bands: AM & SW
Tube Lineup: 6SJ7, 6J5, 6SK7, 6SK7, 6SQ7, 6V6, 5Y3

This simple Airline was my first console, which was found at a nearby antique store. The paper sticker inside the cabinet explicitly says "MODEL 62-2500" but no trace of this model can be found in any books or references, which leads me to believe that the chassis is identical to the model 54WG-2500A. The 54WG-2500A had a phonograph built-in, but mine did not. However, the chassis does have a socket for the phonograph motor and a phonograph input jack.
Clarion 105AClarion C-105A
1946

Band: AM

This interesting square-prism Clarion console was found at the Salvation Army in Virginia, and has a phonograph that is accessed from the top. The performance of the radio is rather marginal so it is better as a end table instead.
Majestic 8FM776 (8B07D) CLOSEDMajestic 8FM776 (8B07D) OPENMajestic 8FM776 (8B07D)
1947

Bands: AM & FM
Tube Lineup: 6BA6, 6BE6, 6SG7, 6SG7, 6SH7, 6S8, 25L6, 25Z5

Restoration Notes

At a VRPS auction in 2001, this Majestic console, equipped with a phonograph player and FM, didn't win any bidders at an auction because of its poor shape. FM was new in the forties, so ironically this radio was probably expensive back then. However, I innocently glanced at it after the auction and ended up taking it home for free because the owner didn't want to haul it back home. It was my first major restoration project that served as a valuable learning experience. The restoration notes outlines my repair process on the radio. A few years later a man who had fond childhood memories of a such radio made a generous offer on this Majestic, so I sold it.
Zenith 12H090Zenith 12H090
Circa 1947

Bands: AM & SW & FM
Tube Lineup: 6AG5, 6SB7Y, 6SG7, 7W7, 6SH7, 6S8, 6J5, 6V6, 6V6, 6AL7 (eye), 5Y3

This monstrous Zenith 12H090 boasts a wide range of capabilities, including playing records automatically, playing AM, shortwave, and even FM! Although this sounds like a technological marvel for 1947, the cabinet certainly was not commendable because of the extensive amount of "photo finishes" used on it. "Photo finishes" are made by using paper printed with expensive-looking wood patterns that covered cheap wood, and these finishes generally degraded over the years. Perhaps Zenith used this method to keep the costs reasonable. Fortunately, the "photo finish" on this Zenith was mostly intact.
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