Posts: 48
Threads: 11
Joined: Mar 2012
City: Media, PA
Well, I know young boys like to play with their toys(like blocks)--but do men? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. For example my radio restorer seems very hesitant to "play" with the blocks on my Philco 38-690 even after I told him people on the Phorum say they are often bad. He's got my radio playing pretty well from what I can hear over SKYPE but is that good enough? He told me: "IN YOUR RADIO ARE 3 BLACK BLOKS : 32-2752 , 6287 SU, 3793DG". I would appreciate opinions from my learned members before this radio gets shipped to me! Thanks much and hope all have a Happy Easter or Passover.
Posts: 13,776
Threads: 580
Joined: Sep 2005
City: Ferdinand
State, Province, Country: Indiana
Sam
There is one block in the upper chassis of the 38-690 that absolutely should NOT be touched! It is part (97), and does not contain any capacitors, but instead a coil which is the set's 10 kc audio filter. Unpot that, and you may destroy that coil. That block is part no. 32-2752.
The other two are conventional bakelite block caps, and should be unpotted and the inside replaced with new caps.
--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
Posts: 403
Threads: 40
Joined: Feb 2011
City: McPherson, KS
Those bakelite cap blocks will test your patience, but if I can do them, anyone can. Just takes time.
Here are the 2 links you need to know about:
http://www.philcoradio.com/tech/blocks.htm
http://www.philcorepairbench.com/capbuild.htm
Posts: 438
Threads: 15
Joined: Jul 2008
City: Anacortes, WA
The bakelite block in my 40-190 was the very first thing I did in the re-build. Heck, haven't gotten much farther than that because nice weather's been taking me outside. Bakelite blocks are not complicated critters, but they do require patience.
And a nice handy guide like the two listed above, plus:
http://www.philcorepairbench.com/bblokcap.htm
Which is essentially the same info but with larger pictures. ;)
