Need help on PhIlharmonic in Los Angeles, Central Valley area of California

[Scott Dickson]

Hi all,

I just acquired a Philharmonic with pointer (as per our instruction manuals).  It looks to be complete... but it has obviously been "serviced" by someone as several of the can filters have been replaced by older filter caps.

The fact that this is my first Scott set leads to believe I will probably need help figuring out what to do... especially with the ampilfier stage.  4 transformers - wow, what a beast.

Is there anyone in the Los Angeles, Central California valley area that could help me out.  This seems a bit more daunting than the Philcos and Zeniths I fixed before. 

I will take some pictures of the set & amp section in next day or so.  The picture I've included was taken by the man I bought the set from.  By the way, there was no cabinet.  

Thank you all for any encouragement and guidance you can give me. Scott

[Kent King]

Scott -

Welcome to our little corner of the web! You can find all the manuals and service data for this set in the "Scott Info Archive" link at the top of the site. Look in Set Folders -> Philharmonic for all the PDFs. 

Your set appears to be complete and the chrome is excellent, that is a huge plus! I see one tweeter, there should be two...do you have the second one?  One last set item...please let me know the serial number of the set. I track all Scott serial numbers and I may be able to date the production.

As far as restoration help - this is the place to ask questions. Many folks here will help you out. I also have a large "graveyard" of chassis for parts. A Scott set can look pretty frightening if you are used to working with the AA5 size sets...BUT...if you take ANY radio one stage/one step at a time, you'll figure it all out. The amp is really straight-forward, just really heavy. :-)

Post more pics and ask questions. Once again, welcome!

Kent

[Scott Dickson]

Thanks Kent... yes, it has the 2nd tweeter.

I'll post more pictures soon.

Thanks again!  Scott

[Scott Seickel]

Nice looking set.  The chrome is missing from the power transformer.  2 of what you call "transformers" on the amp/power supply are chokes.  The amp/PS is the really easy part to restore, the tuner chassis is a bear to get in top working condition and requires a great deal of patience and skill.   Post some quality pictures of the undersides and we can give you some guidance. 

[David C. Poland]

Yes - Welcome to this Scott site.  What a great model to have as a first Scott. Feature laden and highest quality design and construction. My first Scott was a relative's pointer Philharmonic, as a teenager, about 60 years ago. I still have it.

You are so fortunate to have very good chrome, the big speaker, the optional tweeters, correct knobs and what looks like an outboard after market audio preamp for a phono. Do read through the owners 22 page instruction manual available to download and print it as per Kent's comment. It explains features and operation.

You can you search this site for "Philharmonic" for past threads in the Forum for photos and discussions, which may help you get oriented before you get far into yours.

With the voltage regulator VR-150 being located directly behind the big tuning capacitor, your Scott dates from 1937, over 80 years ago.  Figure on replacement of the filter caps and wax caps, and any older replacement caps before powering it up. There are also number of caps hidden inside some assemblies: 4 inside the rectangular tone reactor rear left (between the 3rd AF 6J5's and the volume expander 6L7's) and 7 more inside  a soldered box below those 6L7's.

The output transformer is inside the pedestal of the 15 inch speaker. The round cover on the end of the amp holds an interstage transformer. This radio is true high fidelity audio, which E H Scott Labs helped pioneer in the 1930's. Never try to power up this Scott without the amp, main speaker and receiver all connected.

Enjoy the adventure.

[Scott Dickson]

Thanks Scott and Dave.  I have already begun reading the instruction manual.  Very helpful!

I will begin looking through it this weekend.  I wondered if the small extra was a pre-amp for something - phono make sense.  I realized after my first post that the smaller units on the amp chassis were chokes.  

Well, I won't be bored working on this!

Scott

[Scott Seickel]

David P.,  have you ever seen a dial pointer with the VR-150 at the front that wasn't a factory remote?  I can't say I ever recall seeing one.  It seems to me that the VR-150 went to the front of the chassis (and stayed there) with the introduction of the 7 knob Beam of Light set in late 1938. 

[David C. Poland]

Scott - Hmmm. Haven't made a careful study of VR-tube location.

My two standard pointer Phllys have the VR at the rear. Rear VR location would block the extended tuning condenser shaft to the station pre-set housing of a remote control version. My owners manual shows VR at the rear. I seem to recall Kent has a remote control pointer Philly. Wonder if Kent has pointer Philly manual with tube layout diagram with VR at the front by the oscillator?

My remote control non-FM 1940  BOL 9 shaft Philly has the VR by the Osc in front. The owners manual for my  non-FM 9 shaft BOL shows the VR at the front by the Osc tube.

Never seen an owners version manual for a remote control Philly. Anyone?  (or Phantom, Sixteen, Laureate?)

I have seen a number of pointer Phillys at Estes Auction over the years, without noting the VR locations.

I just suspected once the remote control option became available for the Philly, that SCOTT would have gone in the direction of punching chassis consistently with VR relocated to the front, rather than stocking both chassis versions for build up.

Guess you are suggesting Scott stocked two versions of the receiver chassis for awhile - non-remote version and another version for the remote control  with relocated VR and punched for the Jones cable socket. I will have to keep an eye out next time I visit Kent and at any other venues.

*

The beauty of the Scott Enthusiasts Forum is the exchange of information and expanding our knowledge.

[Scott Dickson]

So, here is my first big question. I want to replace the caps in the amp section. But, I have no stock that will cover the wide variety of values such as listed on Rider 14-47: 60/300v, 40/450v, 30/475v, 60/300v, .1/600v, 16/475v, 500/475v?, 50/475v?,100/50v.

Where will I find these or their approximation for a fair price?
Also, where can I find a reliable supplier of resistors, if any are out of spec.?

Okay, you can stop laughing... I realize "fair" is probably non-existant... LOL

[David C. Poland]

Today, go for the closest mfd  value that is above the capacitance specified in documentation.

Commonly found electrolytic values today are standardized at 4.7 mfd, 10 mfd, 22 mfd, 33 mfd, 47 mfd. at various voltage ratings. I mostly buy 450 volt caps. Folks on Antique Radio Forum seem to like Sal's which advertises there (at far right). I usually by buy bagged amounts of, say 20 or so, instead of buying one or two at a time. Figure I will use them over time. For small quanities, Mark Oppat http://www.oldradioparts.net/caps_lytic.html

There is also Mouser Electronics https://www.mouser.com/Electronic-Components/

A terminal strip or two under the amp can be used to mount today's much more compact electrolytic caps. Leave the existing filter caps in place for looks, but disconnect them.

Choose the commonly available 450 volt filter caps. It is possible to find higher voltage units.

So - for 30 mfd, use 33 mfd.   For 16 mfd, use 22 mfd.   For 40 mfd, use 47 mfd.

For 60 mfd, parallel two 33 mfd. 450 volt caps.  And so on.

Be sure to observe polarity. Suggest you color code your amp diagram to aid clarity. Red for highest voltages, etc.

NOTE - A couple of the filter caps do NOT connect negative end to ground, but instead to the "below ground" center tapline off the high voltage winding which should be about -28 volts according to the diagram. That 100 mfd cap can be rated at lower voltage like 50 volts or so, and is connected negative to the center tap line and positive to ground. Study the amp diagram carefully.

For small mfd caps like .05,  .02,  .1 .0022,   I just buy 630 volt caps in bags of 25 or so, rather than stocking various voltages.

[Troy Taylor]

Hello-
I buy all my capacitors from

https://www.justradios.com/

They are located in Ontario but ship to the USA from a post office in New York, so shipping times do not include waiting for packages to clear customs. They specialize in supplying pre-WWII values of caps and resistors used in tube electronics of that era, so many times you are able to get exact values without rounding. The website is a little "busy" in the way it is laid-out, but not too difficult to use once you get used to it. They don't sell New Old Stock either, so everything you buy is modern production.

The retired tube electronics guru that has been coaching me through various radio restorations has been buying from them exclusively for a number of years and recommended them to me. I have been happy with my orders.
Best regards-
Troy

[Scott Dickson]

Thanks guys.  This information helps a lot.

[Scott Seickel]

Scott, were the original electrolytic can capacitors on the top of the chassis in a diamond pattern?  Not clear from your picture, but they almost look to be in a straight line which indicates a later version amp/PS chassis.  If you care to, post a picture of the bottom.  There were more than one version of this chassis so it may be best to determine which one you have especially in light of the fact that someone has already cut out the original electrolytics. 

I tend to purchase my capacitors from Mouser as I prefer the Nichicon or Panasonic brand capacitors.  The MIEC capacitors are an off brand that caters to the hobbyist as they are widely available with axial leads. I am not saying they are bad.   If you are restuffing existing cans or mounting on a terminal strip, then getting the much more common radial lead packages are generally preferred by me anyway.