Restoring a Philco 49-1280

[Eric H]

I'm planning on getting a large Philco console just as soon as I can figure out where to put it but I don't know which model it is, I suppose the model # is on it somewhere but it's in a dark old barn right now and I can't easily access it.

It's a 12" round tube, TV on the right side, radio on the left and phono in the bottom center, wider than it is tall.

Not much in the way of style but it has really nice inlaid doors.

I'm pretty sure it's a 48 or 49 model, it has the older style Philco type tuner and knobs like a 48-1001.

Any ideas or pictures?

[rld-tv01]

Most of the 1948-1949 Philco consoles have the TV on the left side. The following pictures of 1950 Philco Model 1479 are from the classified page on www.earlytelevision.org.

[Eric H]

It's not that one

This one has the phono centered on the bottom in a drawer with storage space on either side, at least I think it does, I could only open the doors a little ways and stick my hand in there and feel around.

The profile is low and wide like the 48-2500 projection set and it may use the same chassis as the 48-1001.

[Eric H]

I just got back from picking it up, it's a 49-1280.

This is the heaviest set I've ever seen, in the middle of loading it up (three people) a wave of fear came over me that I must be nuts to want this thing!!

I'll have to take it apart to get it in the house by myself, if it ain't 300 lbs it aint nothing.

[rld-tv01]

I got a Philco 49-1076 cabinet last summer. It was gutted years ago. If any knows of chassis, radio or turntable let me know. When I saw it I thought my Philco 49-1040 chassis would fit. It probably would fit but the 1040 mask is different and the 1076 mask is missing. I don't want to part-out the 49-1040 to make a frankenstine.

[newhallone]

rld-tv01 that cabinet looks pretty nice.

[rld-tv01]

Thanks newhallone. I would like to see what Eric's Philco 49-1280 looks like. The TVHistory.TV site doesn't have it listed on their Philco list. At one time I thought about collecting Philco sets since I was starting to get so many.

[Eric H]

Well, it's home, I had to take the chassis out to get it off the truck.

It's amazing you can always find room for one more monster console in the house, or garage as the case may be.

First thing I notice was the CRT is the original Philco and that someone had been soldering on the pins, not a good sign and sure enough it's dead as a doornail, got a heater but that's it. Looks like the cap had been off at some point and it's epoxied on, I may try to remove it and see if it's just a wire off, or broken :-(

There was a huge mouse nest on top of the chassis, there are some pee stains but nothing too bad and nothing eaten that I can see.
There was poo everywhere! Old poo It was old poo and I used a filtered vacuum to remove it but if I get Hanta I'll know where it came from.

I love the original green Philco changer in this thing, two tone arms, one for 78 and the other for 33.

The set is remarkably complete and unmolested, all the parts are there including all three back covers, even the cartridges in the changer are there, tho no doubt no good.

Anyway, here's the pics.

[batterymaker]

I'm with you it being either a '48 or '49 model, since the phono's equipped with a 78 and an LP arm. I'd lean towards '49 vintage.

[Jeffhs]

It certainly looks as if that set was in a barn for heaven knows how long! From the dust on the record changer, I'd guess it sat there unused for decades, and probably has the usual issues: bad capacitors, out-of-tolerance resistors and so forth. You will have quite a job on your hands getting this unit going, but it will be worth it as those older Philcos were very well made indeed.

I'd replace the record changer with a more modern one, unless you want to keep this console as close to original as possible. You may have problems finding parts for a changer that old and of that design, though, as this looks like it is actually two separate changers on the same motor board, one for LPs and one for 78s. Another manufacturer (I don't recall whom at the moment, although RCA comes to mind) had a similarly designed record changer in the late '40s-'50s which was used in some of its combination units of the period. It was known as the Twin-Seven. It could play, IIRC, 78s and 45s, again using two separate changers. The 45 changer was also available at the time as a standalone unit, model 45-EY-3, for use with a TV receiver that had a phono input. My folks' first TV was a 1954 RCA 21" console with such an arrangement; they had the matching changer as well. I had a similar changer myself in the late '60s, but mine had an amplifier built into the cabinet.

I agree with you in regard to the CRT in your set. If the chassis cables were soldered onto the CRT pins (!), you may have a problem unsoldering them without cracking the glass. I once had a Philco "Microgrid 390" 21" console TV on which the socket came loose from the CRT neck. I eventually got the set going again by soldering the chassis leads to the wires extending from the base of the tube, but the fix only lasted a couple of weeks, if that long. A lead broke off eventually and shorted against several others; needless to say, the tube was ruined after that, and who knows what other damage occurred to the TV as a result.

If worse comes to worst and you can't get the TV going, I'd try to get the radio and record changer working. If nothing else, this console could make a good vintage entertainment unit, as the sound from these older sets is very good, owing to their powerful, well-built audio stages and large speakers. I have a Zenith radio (C845) with an 8" speaker that runs rings around today's cheap transistor portables, in both sound quality and RF sensitivity. Many older radios of other makes were built as mine was, as well. The radio and phono in your RCA console are built for hi-fi sound, as were most early RCA radios, TVs and phonographs. RF sensitivity may be an issue, the radio requiring at very least a pair of TV rabbit ears as an antenna, but if you are in a good signal area, your FM reception on this console should be fairly good. I wouldn't put too much time or effort into restoring the AM tuner, however, as AM radio in most cities has next to nothing worth listening to.

[bgadow]

Looks like a handsome piece! Funny that I've never seen a Philco console that old around here. I know there are some oddball 12" crts but hopefully this one isn't so bad.

[Eric H]

I'm pretty sure this was in the barn for at least the last quarter century, I'll have to ask the person I got it from. BTW it's the same barn I got the Duo View from, it's not well sealed but the roof doesn't leak and it's in So Cal so not too much humidity, but yes. lots of dirt and Mouse poo, in fact I cleaned out a large nest that was built on top of the TV tuner!

It looks like the cap came off the CRT at one time, it's glued on with Epoxy and has solder on the pins, there's a slight possibility that one of the wires is just not connected but I have to figure out how to remove the cap to see, also it's the original Philco tube and the gun looks high mileage so odds are it's kaput anyway.

I have a junk Hoffman with a good 12" tube I could probably use if all else fails, I definitely want this set to work and be original, so no way would I replace the changer! I might see if there's a way to hook up a 45 player to it though.

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by Eric H

It looks like the cap came off the CRT at one time, it's glued on with Epoxy and has solder on the pins, there's a slight possibility that one of the wires is just not connected but I have to figure out how to remove the cap to see, also it's the original Philco tube and the gun looks high mileage so odds are it's kaput anyway. I have a junk Hoffman with a good 12" tube I could probably use if all else fails.

Is this still an issue? If so, what is the tube #? I have a cross reference book if needed...

[Eric H]

Originally Posted by Tubejunke

Is this still an issue? If so, what is the tube #? I have a cross reference book if needed...

I took the cap off the tube and redid it, it's still dead though it will make a dim picture.

The person I got the set from gave me a good 12LP4 for it!

[zenithfan1]

Eric, that thing is f*&%$8g beautiful! I have not seen one like that before. You are NOT nuts to want it!!