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Tropic 3104 identification - Printable Version

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Tropic 3104 identification - drotosis - 02-19-2018

                    Hallo Forum Members,

I live in Hungary, and have a Philco Tropic 3104. I renovated this nice receiver, and now works fine, but I like to know how when it was manufactured? I found very similar pieces, for example 53-960 or 55T_1942. My model number not set into Philco number system. I know this is manufactured for export, and near the II. WW ( or after II. WW) many pieces arrived to Europe for example to Switzerland. I attached some photos about.

Best Regards
Istvan

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - radiohenry - 02-22-2018

Istvan,
 Welcome to the Phorum.
                               Henry

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - klondike98 - 02-22-2018

Welcome to the phorum!

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - Ron Ramirez - 02-22-2018

Hello Istvan,

That is a really neat Philco Tropic receiver! Icon_thumbup Icon_thumbup

I do not have an exact year of manufacture for your 3104. I have no information for 1949, 1951 or 1954 production of Philco Tropic sets. Therefore, I would have to guess that it is probably a 1951 model as it is very similar to the USA model 53-960 but while still managing to look a bit "older" than the 53-960.

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - Arran - 02-25-2018

It was made in Canada, very interesting. However that doesn't necessarily mean that it will  be found in the RCC manuals since it was clearly an export set. If it was a domestic Canadian set it would have either a 120 V 40/60 cps power supply, or a 115 V 25/60 cps power supply, not a 120/240 volt 50/60 cps power supply.
Regards
Arran

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - Ron Ramirez - 02-25-2018

I looked - it isn't in the RCC manuals.

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - radiohenry - 02-25-2018

I wonder why the documentation is treated like an ugly sister on exports? Years ago I had a Westinghouse export set that I still regret selling that did have a schematic in a misc. section in Riders.
                                                      Henry

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - Ron Ramirez - 02-25-2018

I would say the reason is that export sets were not expected to be encountered in the USA after they were built and shipped out of the country, so documentation was not provided here for the most part. Notable exceptions being 1939-1942 Tropics in the RMS Year Books of those years, and 1948, 1950, 1952 and 1953 domestic service data. And the 1948, 1950, 1952 and 1953 data might be incomplete.

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - radiohenry - 02-26-2018

Ron,
 I understand what you are saying but you would think we would be able to find the data if it was sent overseas. It should be somewhere.
                                                       Henry

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - Ron Ramirez - 02-26-2018

Somewhere...perhaps...but obviously not here.

Oh, it was probably retained at Philco in Philadelphia. However, in spite of the Philco archives having been transferred to the Ford Historical Archives after Ford bought Philco, I wouldn't count on Ford still having anything on this subject.

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - radiohenry - 03-02-2018

Istvan,
  I see your radio is posted in Radiomuseum along with a schematic. I am curious to know what publication the schematic and information is from.
                                              Thanks,
                                                    Henry

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - Ron Ramirez - 03-02-2018

The schematic there is a Philco service bulletin for (USA) model 53-960.

RE: Tropic 3104 identification - radiohenry - 03-03-2018

Thanks Ron.