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Joined: Apr 2015
City: Decatur Alabama
Help! I just bought a Philco model 42-123 just because the antique store was closing and almost gave it to me! It's a battery operated radio, for goodness' sake! Do they even have batteries for these things anymore? Oh, just so you know how bad my addiction is, I bought my very first radio in February. I now own 13 consoles and five tabletops. I joined the Alabama Historic Radio Society last week and they promise to make me into a true restorer. I am going to master these things! I have two 42-380s, the aforementioned 42-123, a 37-116, and I'm going tomorrow to pick up a Philco radio/phono combo. Either talk me out of this hobby or throw some advice about batteries- or lack thereof.
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City: lawrenceville nj
Doc
We can try and talk you out of it but that never works
You have the bug and so the hoarding begins
Good luck pics are nice to see
Sam
Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this justice as a gift
mafiamen2
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Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson
State, Province, Country: NJ
No...the batteries are no longer sold (and why would they be). You can make your own by combining some of todays batteries.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
Posts: 142
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Joined: Mar 2015
City: Gardendale, AL
Hey, Doc! I'm also with the AHRS! I'd probably know you if I saw you. Good luck on your Philco. I'll be there every Saturday morning in the forseeable future.
Slave to an RCA Victor CTC-25
Posts: 7,323
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City: Roslyn Pa
Hey Doc and welcome to the Phorum,
Yes it is a battery set more commonly known as a Farm Set. As Mike mentioned you can replicate the original battery by using 10 9v batteries in series to make 90v (B battery) and 4 D cells in parallel 1.5v for the filament supply (A battery).
Before you start buying batteries I would take a few measurement to see if the audio output transformer is good. It's a common problem with Philco s from the early 1940's.
Ever hear of Shottsville Al??? Family hometown. Was there once in '69 for a reunion. I was much younger then.
Terry
(This post was last modified: 05-13-2015, 06:41 AM by Radioroslyn.)
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State, Province, Country: OR
Posts: 2,579
Threads: 338
Joined: Jun 2013
City: lawrenceville nj
doc
terry is best for trouble shooting battery sets 
batteries are easy to do also. I`ve done few now 
sam
Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this justice as a gift
mafiamen2
Posts: 18,427
Threads: 622
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson
State, Province, Country: NJ
Yep, easy.
Take some zinc, some manganese, some graphite rods.....or some led and some sulphuric acid, and a glass jar.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
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City: Sneedville, TN
What's up, Doc ? (sorry, I couldn't resist) I restored a 41-81T and had to build a new battery for it. Fortunately, it had its old battery still inside, and the outer sleeve of that battery, and the connector were still in excellent condition, which made it much simpler. Still, the technique is much the same for making any replacement battery pack, except you will have to make your own outside box for it. Here is a link to the thread I posted about making a battery pack for my radio. I hope it is of help to you... http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=10728 . ALSO, AND IMPORTANT, I checked the schematic for your radio on Nostalgia Air. It says the B voltage should be 80V. The connector of your set looks the exact same as mine, and I suspect it used the same battery. Look down farther in the link I posted, and you will see a discussion of this too. Best of luck with your project, and do keep us posted.
Posts: 62
Threads: 20
Joined: Apr 2015
City: Decatur Alabama
HaHa MiketheDruid, if I only had a nickel for every time I've heard that- wait, I do. It is unbelievable how much you guys know! So far I've been able to get two radios to work just by replacing ecaps and capacitors in them- a little Emerson 541 and a Wards' Airline console. Others- not so much. I WILL learn, though. I have a copy of Old Time Radio Restoration by Joseph Carr and Complete Guide to Reading Schematics by John Douglas-Young. I studied some theory when I was in college (in the 70s) but not nearly enough. I predict it won't be long before I'm posting pics of my conquests on this phorum!
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City: Merrick, Long Island, NY
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