Wanting to freshen up a Philco 40-180

I just got my hands on a Philco 40-180 from a neighbor and I would really like to clean it up a bit and give it to my grandparents since its the same kind they used to own. I plugged it in and it does seem to work...it hums and if I put my hand on the antenna in the back it will pick up a station or two. The front buttons are shot and the light seems to be out behind the station selector. Other than dusting it off and ordering some replacement buttons what should I check for or do to the radio to get it back to working order. I pretty much have no radio knowledge at all so any help you guys can give would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Tom Bavis]

Well, the capacitors are bad. Pretty much a given for a radio of that age. Replacing them will make it MUCH less likely to let the smoke out... The transformers and field coil speaker are about the hardest parts to replace, and they are at risk until that is done. I would also add a fuse.

Larry Bordanaro makes replacement buttons, I think - a web search will find him. The service bulletin is on my Philco page: http://www.audiophool.cjb.net/Philco.html

Where would be the best place to find new capacitors? Also, I am assuming to change them I need to remove the radio from the cabinet? I see bolts on the bottom of the radio where it is attached but I am afraid I will damage the knobs on the front when sliding the radio out. Should the knobs just pull off? Are there any steps that need to be taken before trying to pull the radio away from the cabinet?

[Sandy G]

Yeah, GENERALLY the knobs just pull off, but some mfgers get cute & put a little set screw in 'em, making it fun...Sometimes the speaker is mounted to the case of the set, & if you pull the chassis out, you must disconnect the speaker wires from the chassis. When you finally do get the chassis out, the caps are underneath in that rat's nest of wiring. I would seriously recommend you send this set to a guy who works on old radios-there is voltage in a set like this that can kill you, & you can easily ruin the radio if you don't know what you're doing. No offence, but I think this might be yr 1st foray into the wild, wonderful world of old radios...<grin>

[Fran604g]

Hi, do you have some suggestions for repair work? I fear sending mine into the great unknown.

[Tom Bavis]

The Antique Wireless Association in Bloomfield NY might have suggestions for repair... Also Radiodaze in Victor did restorations - maybe they still do.

http://www.antiquewireless.org/
http://www.radiodaze.com/

[Fran604g]

Great Idea with the Radio Museum, I've forgotten about them. Thanks.

[Arkay]

I think you should fear treading into the great unknown world of repairs without adequate preparation MORE than you should fear sending your radio into the great unkown world of specialist repairmen.

That said, if you are determined to repair it yourself, that's great, too. Just be prepared to LEARN FIRST, by reading enough and practicing enough to acquire sufficient knowledge and skill. If you don't already understand the basics of electricity and electronics, you will need to learn this, as well as the correct and safe techniques for troubleshooting and repairing old gear. Start with books on the subject from the library or bought from Amazon. Get the relevant "Sam's" manual for your unit and/or a service manual before you begin, assuming you can find them.

It is fascinating and fun to learn audio repair, but it also takes time and effort. Be paitent and disciplined. Properly learn the theory, then assemble the right tools and manuals and learn the techniques for using them correctly/intelligently, and you'll end up with a very satisfying hobby, one which can become a profession. If your goal is JUST to get this unit working for your grandparents, and not add this art to your life, it probably isn't worth the investment of time you'll have to put into it.

If you are in a hurry to give this to your grandparents and you don't want to invest the time "doing the homework", then I'd suggest you should let an expert restore it properly. As Sandy G pointed out, there are voltages in that radio that could kill you, and you could just as easily "kill" the radio.

Hope I don't sound too negative; I think it's great when people repair their own gear. I do my own repair work, and I'm still learning to fix these things, having a blast learning as I go along. But I also have a related background/education going back for years, which makes it easier. I remember a few near-fatal mistakes early on (years ago), and just hope to save you similar experiences.

[Fran604g]

Arkay,
Your points are all valid, thanks. I have enough of a background in electronics to get into trouble. When I was young, I helped my Dad build all of our own stereo's and TV's, my friend and I built everything we could, from power supplies to Oscopes. My problem is the age old question of..."do I want to buy the tools, or have someone else do it?" I would love to repair my old electronics, but I don't have the equiptment.

[Fran604g]

...OK...I've decide to start with Morgan Jones and go from there. Maybe build a simple amp like the S5 (get my 10yr. old daughter involved, that'll be fun.) The Philcos and other things will have to wait, I don't want to screw them up! Any suggestions for a Newbe, as to test equipment that is fundamental to the work bench? I have the tools for assembling circuits, but need things like a DMM or VTVM and possibly a variac? I know that I need to bias my Lafayette, and need to check the DC offset on my Altec 714. Will I be able to buy one or two devices that I can use on all my old stuff as well as my SS stuff? After looking over the Philcos and Hallicrafters and Lafayette and searching for replacement caps at the values involved, I realize that rebuilding an old radio is, in some ways, more difficult than just building from scratch. Kind of like this 200 yr old house I've been working on for the past 20 yrs! Is this a good place to start?

[Chad Hauris]

One other thing I have found in these Philcos is often bad brittle wiring. Some of these we have done have needed all wiring replaced, including disassembling the power transformer and IF cans and re-insulating the wiring with heat shrink tubing.
It is a lot of work but usually once you replace all the caps and the wiring it will work...sometimes we have had to adjust alignment for best performance.

It may be better to start on a simple radio such as a later table top 5-tube model which is simpler...once you learn the concepts of how the circuits work this applies to the larger sets too.

We have had no trouble at all finding good new capacitors for tube equipment, there are several sources.

[Fran604g]

Hi Chad, thanks for your response.
The problem I'm having is locating the multi value cans. I dread pulling the old ones apart and stuffing separate ones into the can in place of the originals. How does one keep things from shorting out on each other, (Just use shrink sleaves?) and what about heat buildup? Do you know someone that sells replacements that aren't NOS? I apologise for the multitude of questions, I've searched threads here and haven't found too much on the subject. Is there a how-to somewhere that I've missed?
Thanks again

[Chad Hauris]

I just use a terminal strip to mount the modern caps under the chassis and disconnect the old cap electrically but leave it in place so the chassis looks the same from the top.

Here is a 1939 Philco we just did...you can see the new electrolytics up at the top left corner of the chassis.

[Fran604g]

Great idea, thanks Chad! It makes so much sense. I see the new wire and fuse, too.