Philco Puzzlement

[Titan1a]

I'm the proud owner of a Philco 37-665 (or so the case says). The radio operates on only one shortwave band: the others are deaf. The rectifier is supposed to be a 5Y4 but is using an 80. The tube socket is a four pin. The shadowgraph meter is missing. Why? How easy is it to find a replacement? Is this really a 37-665? The dial indicates so. Where does the shadowgraph meter attach? Where can I find the bracket that holds the dial secure at the top? Where can I find a new dial and clip? Any help appreciated.

PS Any web sites recommended would help too.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Titan1a

I'm the proud owner of a Philco 37-665 (or so the case says). The radio operates on only one shortwave band: the others are deaf. The rectifier is supposed to be a 5Y4 but is using an 80. The tube socket is a four pin. The shadowgraph meter is missing. Why? How easy is it to find a replacement? Is this really a 37-665? The dial indicates so. Where does the shadowgraph meter attach? Where can I find the bracket that holds the dial secure at the top? Where can I find a new dial and clip? Any help appreciated.

PS Any web sites recommended would help too.

The 37-665 schematic is located at the Nostalgia Air website. Click on resources.
Does it look like the 5Y4 socket was replaced? The 80 is electrically the same as a 5Y4, but only with a 4 pin base.
IIRC, the shadowgraph bracket also supports the dial at the top. I'll have to look at my chassis.

[bgadow]

I know that Philco tended to do a lot of production changes. They also tended to shy away from all things octal-based.

It could be that the chassis got swapped out at one point from a similar model without shadowgraph? Someone should have a donor.

[Winky Dink]

These two websites can answer all of your questions:

http://philcoradio.com/phorum/

http://www.philcorepairbench.com/

Here's a photo of a 37-665 (not mine) and a 1936 645. Philco had many versions of the shadow meter, so make sure you have the right part number if you find one.

[Titan1a]

I found a like-new shadowgraph on a spare parts web site. It's the one on the left picture. I just hope I get it before someone else does! I have the dial open on a parts query: perhaps one can be created?
I frequented the recommended web sites and I'm stoked. My major concerns are factory changes to the chassis and reassembling the chassis into the case. Those completed still requires refinishing the case; a fairly straightforward affair.

[Winky Dink]

At the Philco Repair Bench website, if you click on "schematics" you'll find that Chuck Schwark has nearly all of the original Philco service documents. For $7.00 to cover his costs, he will make high quality photocopies of the schematic and all the service bulletins showing all changes during the production of a model.

[Titan1a]

Out of 9 tubes four are marginal/bad and one is a substitute. From your help and others my friend Walter Beers and I are making progress. She's still rough but I have confidence!