The AM Forum

THE AM BULLETIN BOARD => QSO => Topic started by: K7NCR on April 08, 2008, 01:31:26 AM



Title: WHAT DO YOU THINK, SEEMS LIKE A BARGAIN??
Post by: K7NCR on April 08, 2008, 01:31:26 AM
What do you think? If I were closer, and richer$$, this seems like a pretty decent price for these radios.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Antique-Radios-and-Riders-Books_W0QQitemZ160227764619QQihZ006QQcategoryZ38033QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Norm K7NCR


Title: Re: WHAT DO YOU THINK, SEEMS LIKE A BARGAIN??
Post by: N3DRB The Derb on April 08, 2008, 06:25:09 AM
the philco 90 is the bomb, rest of them not worth all that much. If you want to start a collection without hunting and dont mind paying more at one time, it's a ok deal, but not a great one.


Title: Re: WHAT DO YOU THINK, SEEMS LIKE A BARGAIN??
Post by: W9GT on April 08, 2008, 02:24:09 PM
Like Derb said....The Philco 90 is the greatest prize.  Those old consoles ("uprights", Hi-boys, Lo-boys, etc.) look very nice and seem like they should be valuable, but, in fact, they just do not bring a lot of money.  Would be a nice collection, however, to get started.  Takes up way too much space though.  I have a garage full of 30's-40's vintage consoles.  Great fun to collect and restore...but take up far too much room needed for workshop..  I still really enjoy collecting antique radios, especially cathedrals, tombstones, and other wood-table models.  I love the consoles, but need to reduce my collection to more manageable space.

73,  Jack, W9GT


Title: Re: WHAT DO YOU THINK, SEEMS LIKE A BARGAIN??
Post by: W3RSW on April 08, 2008, 03:13:46 PM
Why is the 90 better?  I'm very green on this stuff. Older tubes and better components?, TRF?


Title: Re: WHAT DO YOU THINK, SEEMS LIKE A BARGAIN??
Post by: k4kyv on April 08, 2008, 08:22:40 PM
I believe it's the AK 66; I have one that looks almost identical to it, but in mine, an AK 55, the dial and knobs are on top and the speaker is at the bottom.  The one shown in the photo was designed ass-backwards.  The controls and tuning dial are way down near the floor.  You had to squat down or stoop over to tune it.  Weird!  Wouldn't have made a very good radio for grandma and grandpa in their old age.


Title: Re: WHAT DO YOU THINK, SEEMS LIKE A BARGAIN??
Post by: N3DRB The Derb on April 08, 2008, 11:34:47 PM
the Philco 70 and 90 are considered the standard in styling for cathedral radios of that time period, and have been popular with collectors for years upon years. they dont even have AVC. The coils in them tend to break as well, leading to a dead radio.

I have a GE reproduction cathedral sitting bedside, and unlike the "Thomas" crap repros you cant tell it's a repro by looking at it. It actually has a lacquer finish on it and real grille cloth with a natural aged looking brass tuning dial surround. Unless you look hard for the FM switch, it looks like a 30's GE.

Once i get the ham stuff fixed one way or the other, I'm looking forward to restoring the RCA 6T2 console I got up in PA for 40 bucks. 160, 75, 40, 20 coverage, tuned front end, good audio with a 12" electro dyno-ramic speaker. Not as good as a P-P chassis but no slouch. The
pre war RCA's and GE's, along with the Zenith's with more than 7 tubes, all can serve as a main station reciever for am but not for bsttle conditions. I'm going to use the RCA in the guest bedroom with it's own longwire antenna switched to ground to avoid blowing out the front end.


Title: Re: WHAT DO YOU THINK, SEEMS LIKE A BARGAIN??
Post by: W4RON on April 09, 2008, 06:40:40 AM
I have seen Philco 90s bring $600 or more for a nice one.
The AK is a model 66 and if I'm not mistaken it has
a pair of 50s in the audio output stage, they're worth
good money by themselves.

Floor models are neat be like others have said, they take up
too much room, I have about 12 and there's no more room.

73, Ron W4RON
http://radioheaven.homestead.com/menu.html 
http://cloughbrengle.homestead.com/ 

AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands