Philco 471

Philco was an American manufacturer with substantial sales in the U.S.A. who decided to break into the U.K. market. Until about 1933 U.K. manufacturers had managed to restrict the import of foreign receivers, but (together with Majestic Radio) patent swap deals enabled Philco Radio to commence production in the U.K. As Philco had an American parent it was not surprising that their receivers tended to employ American valves with UX type bases. 

The receiver pictured on this page is the model 471 from 1936. This is in fact one of the famous "Peoples Set" series of  receivers in a wooden cabinet. The basic models were available in the now famous bakelite cabinets, but "deluxe" versions of the receiver could be purchased with veneered wooden cabinets, although the chassis's were similar. 

Now to continue from the first paragraph - British valve manufacturers were none too happy about the prospect of foreign valves being imported to the U.K. Therefore Philco contracted to employ one valve on the chassis that was British made. This placated (well to a degree anyway) the British Valve Association (BVA), and so valve type PENDD61 entered production in  the U.K., the other three valves in the set being American UX base types. As the receivers were being manufactured at  Perivale in West London, Philco could market their receivers as U.K. made, though many of the parts were of course imported. The PENDD61 was made by Philco and has no direct equivalent, although it is electrically quite similar to the AC2/PENDD from Mazda. The main (and important!) difference is that the PENDD61 utilises a heater voltage of 6v, whereas the AC2/PENDD has a heater voltage of 4V. The PENDD61 is pretty much unobtainable now, but the AC2/PENDD can be used in its place if the additional 2v is dropped from the valve heater by a resistor. Fortunately my receiver still has a good working original PENDD61, pictured in close-up left. Full valve line-up for the receiver is 6A7, 6F7E, PENDD61, 80.

Continue for the Philco _A537

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