The Fine Things are Always Hand Made
Dial Mystery
Kent and Dave can I pick your brains? Please look over the nine photos I added and tell me what you think. I removed the dial scale glass and was expecting to see a cut off pointer shaft that would have gone through the hole in the original pointer scale glass, here's what I found... is the logging scale supposed to be soldered on? The cut out in the green dial material questionable, I also read that the pointer sets would have 9 dial lights four on top scale for those 4 bands and 3 on bottom for the bottom scale bands along with the two on the side and a 7 band switch to match that. The early BOL had 8 dial lights 3 0n top and 3 on bottom along with the two on the sides. This receiver has a 6 band switch along with the three on top and bottom? Is this an early BOL set where someone installed a 39' dial and logging scale?
adding 9 pictures....
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kent King
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As I suspected, the entire dial assembly was swapped. I happen to have a pointer dial face off a chassis I'm working on, and you can see the gearing for the two speed pointers, which is missing on your face. As you have already found out, it is fairly easy to remove a Philly face: unsolder the "tree" connections, loosen the two screws on the tuner shaft and remove the four mounting bolts...the fact that you have a logging scale is another indicator of the full mechanism swap.
At this point, I firmly believe your set was originally built as a standard pointer dial set. Somewhere in history it got smacked hard in the face, and rather than replace the crystal and dial scale glass, they just swapped the entire face. I'd bet the ultraSW band goes up to 80MHz when you test it. For me, that would confirm its a pointer set with a later face.
Kent
The 2nd image is a later face, like yours.
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Permalink Reply by Scott Seickel
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That whole dial assembly is correct for a later model AM set. Chassis is clearly an early dial pointer set.
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Permalink Reply by Ray
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Thanks for the pics Kent, so definitely a complete 39' dial swap. Can you send me a front pic of your pointer set? On your pointer set are there 3 indicator band lights for the top scale and 3 for the bottom? Do the band indicator lamps go around when tunning pointer sets or are they fixed in a straight up and down line? Just wondering to leave it alone or put it back to original.
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Thanks Scott this one had me puzzled.
Scott Seickel said:That whole dial assembly is correct for a later model AM set. Chassis is clearly an early dial pointer set.
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Permalink Reply by David C. Poland
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Two variations on the pointer dial mechanism, for four different dials for 1937-8.
One variation for the "standard" dial with 3 lamps up and 3 down, that traveled with the dial pointer for 6 bands.
Another variation that had 4 lamps up - for the extra lamp to a 7th "band" for call letters for thesis regional dials thus: 1) Chicago 2) East Coast general NYC area and 3) West Coast, say, Los Angeles area.
Here is my Chicago dial with altered graphics of upper dial to squeeze in the call letters at top of the dial. As you reached, say, 700 for WLW, the traveling lamp reached a hole in the mask behind green plastics sheet
And so, the holes in the metal back plate are different locations to provide for the call letter graphics.
The dial mechanical for the dial you have is redesigned for 1940 to accommodate the big round metal disk with the logging scale graphics that appear at the top of your dial as your tune the radio.
On my pointer dial Scott, the stations call letters above about 900 KC are off by 20 KC as a result of the reallocation of stations upward when the standard AM Broadcast band was increased from 1500 KC to 17O0 KC.
May have played a part in Scott developing the new BOL dial to avoid dealing with requests for a revised dial graphics if stations were shifted again.
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David thanks for all your help and the picture, I'm guessing my chances of finding a complete 6 band pointer dial set up is slim to none? I saw the four different dial scales Radio Daze offers. Since mine is the 6 band, I see the six band dial scale with the pointer hole is what this should have. Not sure to leave this alone or make it closer to the original and modify this dial to make it a late 38' BOL dial. Thoughts?
David C. Poland said:Two variations on the pointer dial mechanism, for four different dials for 1937-8.
One variation for the "standard" dial with 3 lamps up and 3 down, that traveled with the dial pointer for 6 bands.
Another variation that had 4 lamps up - for the extra lamp to a 7th "band" for call letters for thesis regional dials thus: 1) Chicago 2) East Coast general NYC area and 3) West Coast, say, Los Angeles area.
Here is my Chicago dial with altered graphics of upper dial to squeeze in the call letters at top of the dial. As you reached, say, 700 for WLW, the traveling lamp reached a hole in the mask behind green plastics sheet
And so, the holes in the metal back plate are different locations to provide for the call letter graphics.
The dial mechanical for the dial you have is redesigned for 1940 to accommodate the big round metal disk with the logging scale graphics that appear at the top of your dial as your tune the radio.
On my pointer dial Scott, the stations call letters above about 900 KC are off by 20 KC as a result of the reallocation of stations upward when the standard AM Broadcast band was increased from 1500 KC to 17O0 KC.
May have played a part in Scott developing the new BOL dial to avoid dealing with requests for a revised dial graphics if stations were shifted again.
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Actually, you might find a parts chassis somewhere. I do not (presently) have a pointer Philly parts chassis, but I have had them. Radios in general are down in price, and a rough set simply isn't worth restoring anymore. With collectors passing away, many large collections come up for auction and a reasonable parts chassis maybe found. My recommendation, since it is fairly easy to swap the face: Restore the set as you have it, with the same face. Start advertising for, watching for, a rough pointer Philly tuner. Once you acquire one, you can remove, clean and swap the face onto your set at any time in the future.
Kent
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Thanks for all your knowledge. I might install a late 38' BOL scale in it to make it look more correct or just leave it as is until one is found Ray.
Kent King said:Actually, you might find a parts chassis somewhere. I do not (presently) have a pointer Philly parts chassis, but I have had them. Radios in general are down in price, and a rough set simply isn't worth restoring anymore. With collectors passing away, many large collections come up for auction and a reasonable parts chassis maybe found. My recommendation, since it is fairly easy to swap the face: Restore the set as you have it, with the same face. Start advertising for, watching for, a rough pointer Philly tuner. Once you acquire one, you can remove, clean and swap the face onto your set at any time in the future.
Kent
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