EH Scott Radio Enthusiasts

The Fine Things are Always Hand Made

One-Owner McMurdo-Silver Masterpiece VI found in Canada

Hi folks! 

A few weeks ago I was forwarded an unusual email by a fellow S.Q.C.R.A. member. A certain gentleman up in Picton Ontario was looking to pass on his father's beloved Masterpiece VI to an appreciative home. After much consideration I decided to inquire for more details about the set and eventually came up with an offer. Over the following days the seller was kind enough to send more pictures, details as well as a quick inspection report from Gord Rabjohn, a C.V.R.S. member. We eventually agreed on a price and set a date for the transaction, which took place on Saturday.

His father, George B. Publow (G.B.P.), ordered the set new in 1936 or 1937 and drove all the way to Chicago from Picton, ONT to pick it up. The gentleman was a member of the Prince Edward Yacht Club and ran a local marina, which means he was extremely busy in the summer fixing boats, selling gasoline and sailing. However, when the winter came, he would work on old clocks, tinker with radios and listen to amateur operators (Note : We've actually found at least one occurence of him partaking in a DXing contest with his Masterpiece VI, in the May 1937 edition of Radex).

Needless to say I am thrilled with the opportunity of being the 2nd owner of such an incredible radio, with a lot of background history to boot. Attached are two pictures of my radio dating from the 1930s and 1940s, one featuring G.B.P. himself while he was DXing.

It is now time to start assessing the work that needs to be done in order to get the radio up and running. Prior to my purchase, it was brought up on a variac and could pick up local stations, however the audio was extremely faint. Upon flipping the bottom chassis over, I've begun noticing quite a few changes made to the set, such as the transition to 5U4 rectifier tubes, as well as modifications to the circuitry inside the base of the speaker (addition of a switch and RCA jacks). I plan on reversing these modifications. I believe what happened was that the O.T. failed, and someone tried to figure out a way to retain headphone functionality and the possibility of connecting an external PM speaker, while keeping the field coils in the circuit. 

My main concern at the moment is the absence of an audio ouput transformer (T10) inside the bottom chassis, having been substitued by a couple of orange drop capacitors and a couple of resistors.

I am slightly overwhelmed in regards to chosing a replacement for the transformer. For packaging reasons, I think the Hammond 125E might be a good substitute. However it seems a little underrated to me, especially since its frequency range begins at 150Hz.

What would you use (have used) in this set as a substitute O.T. ?

A clear schematic can be found here : https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=389342

Here is a picture from a few minutes after I unloaded it from the car :

Thank you in advance for your help.

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Good morning Robert,

Sounds like I owe you a round of beer or ten. Thank you SO much for taking the time.

I'll put this information to good use. Cheers from Quebec city,

Felix

Next time you're in Michigan....

Nice find Felix, congratulations!

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