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Old 09-09-2009, 11:45 PM
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Adam Adam is offline
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early remote control radios

Again, I'm just putting back this thread I started that got deleted ...


Adam
1965 Zenith

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early remote control radios
I just picked up this 1941 Philco console. It has an unusual form of push button tuning. It wasn't mechanical, so at first I thought it must be some kind of motorized power tuning, but after getting it home and taking a closer look at the set and the schematic, it's actually all electronic with a switch that takes the tuning capacitor out of the circuit, and then separate little tuning circuits (adjustable from the back) for each push button.

Anyway, I was looking around for information on Philcos from this era and found out Philco even made a remote version of this set called the "mystery control" I never even knew such a thing existed until now. It used a similar kind of tuning, and the remote was a transmitter that worked down around 350-400kc. Until now I thought the first true wireless remote was the Zenith Flashmatic. Now I'm actually surprised no one ever used a scheme like this on early televisions, but apparently Philco didn't make any more of these mystery control units after the war.

I was never much interested in late 30s - early 40s Philcos because I never thought they were they were the prettiest of radios. But looking at the schematic of this model I have, it's well built with 11 tubes total, 2 stages of IF, and some kind of double push-pull output with a pair of 37s followed by a pair of 42s. I'm expecting a sensitive radio with good sound when I finally get it going. One of the "mystery control" versions of my set has now definitely made the top of my list of old radios I'd like to find.

Anyone know of any other early remote control radios, or even have one of these units?
Last edited by Adam; 08-26-2009 at 12:42 PM.

#2
08-26-2009, 01:39 PM

Ampico-kid
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam
I just picked up this 1941 Philco console. It has an unusual form of push button tuning. It wasn't mechanical, so at first I thought it must be some kind of motorized power tuning, but after getting it home and taking a closer look at the set and the schematic, it's actually all electronic with a switch that takes the tuning capacitor out of the circuit, and then separate little tuning circuits (adjustable from the back) for each push button.

Anyway, I was looking around for information on Philcos from this era and found out Philco even made a remote version of this set called the "mystery control" I never even knew such a thing existed until now. It used a similar kind of tuning, and the remote was a transmitter that worked down around 350-400kc. Until now I thought the first true wireless remote was the Zenith Flashmatic. Now I'm actually surprised no one ever used a scheme like this on early televisions, but apparently Philco didn't make any more of these mystery control units after the war.

I was never much interested in late 30s - early 40s Philcos because I never thought they were they were the prettiest of radios. But looking at the schematic of this model I have, it's well built with 11 tubes total, 2 stages of IF, and some kind of double push-pull output with a pair of 37s followed by a pair of 42s. I'm expecting a sensitive radio with good sound when I finally get it going. One of the "mystery control" versions of my set has now definitely made the top of my list of old radios I'd like to find.

Anyone know of any other early remote control radios, or even have one of these units?

Hi Adam;

Yes I have one of the Philco "Mystery Control" units. It's a 1941 model 41-616 which is also one of their "Beam of Light" phonographs and a Home Recording unit. It's quite well made and the sound quality is excellent.



[IMG][/IMG]


The Mystery Control is quite a contraption. It does seem a bit unstable however. I spent a lot of time doing the alignment on it, and had a working distance of about 25 to 30 ft. It's now been a few years since the restoration and it's aparently drifted off frequency. I'm going to pull it and align it sometime soon. My particular unit will allow me to remotely control the radio station I'm listening to, adjust the volume higher or lower, turn the set off, mute the sound, change over to phonograph function, and eject records on the phonograph.

Considering the time in which the Mystery Control units were offered to the consumer market (1939-1942) it's quite a remarkable device. That coupled with the astoundingly good sound qualilty from the BOL (Beam of Light) phonograph makes this (IMO) one of the technological highlights of the pre war Philco's.

When it works, it's a real showstopper, but all the planets and stars have to be in proper alignment for that to happen I think.....

Bob.
#3
08-26-2009, 05:16 PM

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I love that radio Bob, yours is the first and only one I've seen.
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#4
08-27-2009, 07:04 AM

Adam
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ampico-kid
Hi Adam;

Yes I have one of the Philco "Mystery Control" units. It's a 1941 model 41-616 which is also one of their "Beam of Light" phonographs and a Home Recording unit. It's quite well made and the sound quality is excellent. ...


Bob.
Very cool radio, with both the mystery control and the beam of light phonograph. My Philco is the 41-295.
Last edited by Adam; 08-27-2009 at 07:08 AM.

#5
08-27-2009, 07:14 AM

Ampico-kid
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam
Very cool radio, with both the mystery control and the beam of light phonograph.
Not to sidetrack your Thread...but if you'd like to hear my BOL (Beam of Light) in operation, here's a link to a demo I put together after a long and arduous restoration on it.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Ampicokid30

I'm going to do another Demo of the remote control functions once I get the Mystery Control System back in operation.

Bob
#6
08-27-2009, 11:42 AM

bandersen
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Awesome!
I have one of those mystery controls, but not a radio to go with it. I'd love to see one in operation.

Good luck getting it working.
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Old 09-10-2009, 12:27 AM
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bandersen bandersen is offline
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You just reminded me I have a copy of Audels Radiomans Guide from 1939 with a chapter on this remote control system. Here's a sample. I can scan the rest if anyone's interested.

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Old 09-13-2009, 08:38 AM
sprman55 sprman55 is offline
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E H Scott had remote control for many of the sets they made.Sprman : )
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  #4  
Old 10-11-2009, 10:58 PM
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I got one of the mystery controls, now I just need to find a radio to go with it.

Last edited by Adam; 07-14-2017 at 12:27 AM.
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