Philco 46-1226 question

[funken]

Hi gang!
I've been away for a while. Got a question. I found a a philco 46-1226.
the owner is asking $60 for the set. Apparently the set is operational and looking at the photo the wood looks to be in desent shape.

Do you have any information on this set. Is the price resonable?
I've attached a photo of a similar unit. This is not the unit in qestion.

Thanks much and Happy Holidays!!

Funken

[Einar72]

Take my advice and use your own discretion! If you like it, then get it. Sixty bucks for a console in good shape isn't too shabby. I'm just not a fan of the dial-area look these consoles have.

This chassis family came in many flavors: AM/SW (like this one), AM/FM, AM/FM/SW, with pushbuttons and/or phono, maybe even a vertical dial. I have had three of these over the years, and the one I kept was a table version, 48-482, with all three bands and pushbuttons. The 46-1226 I had flew off the roof of my car on it's voyage home, so I gave the chassis to a friend needing to replace a shorted output transformer in his. Nostalgia Air (.org) has the Rider's info as a .pdf for observation or download (donations greatly appreciated, BTW).

These sets have a maddening carryover from the '39-on prewar sets, namely a 2-gang front-end on AM and SW. They make up for it (sorta) by adding a second I.F. stage on this set. This is OK at BCB frequencies, but it does little to help with image rejection on the SW band. The audio is superb when all is recapped/reresistored as required, however.

Hope this helps!

[Celt]

As I recall, the first two digits on Philco model numbers designate the year of manufacture.

[Sandy G]

Hey-If it is talkin to you, & makin' yer Mercedes bend,GO FOR IT !! Those old consoles usually sounded pretty decent, they beat the little tinny transistor sets of today seven ways to Sunday. Yeah, you'll prolly have to do a re-capping job, maybe replace a tube or 2, but look what you'll have when you get done. Sixty bux'll barely but you & the missus a night out on the town anymore-this ol' guy will be around a lot longer than that...

[Tom Bavis]

If you do get it, there's an 8-page Philco service bulletin on my web page - http://www.audiophool.cjb.net/Misc/philco_46-1226.djvu

You'll need to get the DjVu plug-in from Lizardtech.com to view or print it.

[radio63]

Originally Posted by Celt

As I recall, the first two digits on Philco model numbers designate the year of manufacture.

Yes, that's correct, beginning in 1937. This numbering scheme went on well into the 50's.

Gilbert

[funken]

Thanks for the information folks!!

I think I'll stay with the Telefunkens and 1920s sets.

Happy Holidays!!!

Funken

[theblackknight]

Good luck

Iwant one of these.

I LOOOVVVEEEE art deco stuff.

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

Those old consoles usually sounded pretty decent, they beat the little tinny transistor sets of today seven ways to Sunday.

You said it, Sandy. I have six 1950s Zenith radios (table sets, not consoles--no room here for anything that big) that sound great, much better than even many transistor radios of the same era. Even my Zenith R-70 portable (1980 vintage) and my Zenith TransOceanic transistor portable (1958) sound better than today's transistors, even the new little headphone stereos and FM scanning radios you can get for a song at discount stores. (I have a radio with seven-channel weather band and FM that sounds absolutely terrible on FM, but I think that's because of the cheap and very small [about 3" or less, I think] speaker--it sounds much better through headphones.) As I have said here many times before, they don't make them like those old Zeniths (and Philcos, RCAs, just about any major brand of radios) anymore. I'd hold on to those old sets for just that reason; I know my Zeniths are keepers for sure.