GALLERY HOME
HISTORY
AGE GUIDE
VALUE GUIDE
SET INDEX
AUTO RADIOS
AROUND THE WORLD
SCHEMATICS
TECH SECTION
RESOURCES
BOOKSTORE
RADIO REPAIR
LINKS
SITE MAP
SITE SEARCH
ABOUT RON
CONTACT RON
PHILCO PHORUM
|
Philco
for 1928 (introduced June 1928)
This marked the battery
and "Socket-Power" company's entry into the radio manufacturing
business. They aimed to "make a splash" by offering a number of table
model sets in different colors, as well as a few console models.
Collectively, this early
line of Philco models are known as the "511 series" since all of the
sets below used the same 7-tube TRF chassis, which performed quite well.
All were designed to operate on 105-115 volt, 60 cycle AC: versions made
to run on 25 cycle AC were also available. All had power supplies built
as part of the main chassis, unlike most of their competitors which were
still using large, separate power supplies.
Of course, these sets
received only the AM band, and not the entire AM band as we know it
today. These Philcos were designed to receive between 550 and 1500 kc,
which was the entire AM (standard broadcast) band as it existed then.
The weak points of these
new Philcos were the high-impedance magnetic speakers used, which by
1928 were already becoming obsolete.
The original selling
prices of the radio below did not include tubes, or (in the case
of the metal table models) speakers.
Philco would finish the
year in 26th place in the radio industry, not bad considering their
radios had only been on the market during the latter half of 1928.
| TABLE MODELS
Model 511, the basic
entry-level Philco, came in a "Spanish Brown" color scheme. The
matching Model 211 speaker, sold separately, was painted
to match the radio.
The cabinets of all of the table
models, and the speaker housings, were made of stamped metal.
A version of Model 511 made to
operate on 25 to 40 cycle AC current was Model 521. It is
otherwise identical to Model 511.
Original selling price: $115
(511), $25 (211 speaker)
Number made: 68,850 (NOTE: Number made includes all of the 511
series table models, in their various color schemes.) |
 |
 |
Model 512
was the Mandarin Red model with a Chinese-type flower motif and
a bird painted on the lid.
The matching Model 212 speaker could be purchased
separately.
The 25-40 cycle AC version of
this set was Model 522.
Original selling price: $125 (512),
$27.50 (212 speaker) |
| This is Model
513, known as the Labrador Grey set. It is pictured with its
matching Model 213 speaker.
A version made to operate on 25 to
40 cycle AC was Model 523.
Original selling price: $125 (513),
$27.50 (213 speaker) |
 |
 |
Model 514 is
in a Nile Green color scheme, and is shown with the (optional)
matching Model 214 speaker.
The 25-40 cycle AC version of this
set was Model 524.
Original selling price: $125 (514),
$27.50 (214 speaker) |
| Model 515,
the Impressionistic, is the rarest of the 511 series of table
model radios. It is illustrated here with its matching Model
215 speaker.
The 25 to 40 cycle AC version of
this model was Model 525.
Original selling price: $125 (515),
$27.50 (215 speaker) |
 |
 |
CONSOLES
This is Philco's 1928 Lowboy, Model
531, which has its dial and control hidden behind a
drop-down front panel which could be used as a small writing
desk.
The 25-40 cycle version of this
set was Model 541.
Original selling price: $215; number made:
9,009 (NOTE: This figure includes production of the January 1929
Model 86 lowboy) |
| The Highboy was Model
551,
a large set with double doors which concealed the radio's dial,
controls and speaker..
25-40 cycle AC versions of this set are known as Model 561.
Original
selling price: $275; number made: 7,910 (NOTE: This figure
includes production of the January 1929 Model 86 highboy) |
 |
 |
RADIO-PHONOGRAPH
Philco announced a radio-phonograph combination in its 1928
dealer catalog. Model 571 would have combined a 511
series chassis with a single play 78 rpm phonograph.
It appears, however, that this model
was never put into production. None are known to exist, and
there are no records of its being produced.
Two years would pass before Philco
would again offer a radio-phonograph combination - a model that
did make it to production. (See the June 1930 lineup for
details.) |
| TABLE SPEAKER
This was known as the Console
Grand Speaker. It combined a table large enough to hold one
of the 511 series table model sets with a built-in speaker of
the same type used in the console models and the small
metal-enclosed speaker units.
Original selling price: $50; number made:
20,025 |
 |
© 1997-2006, Ron Ramirez. All
rights reserved. Unauthorised duplcation prohibited.
 |
