Headless Black 1958 Philco Predicta Model H838-124 Vacuum Tube AM Radio Sounds Great ~ WeIrD!
DESCRIPTION: If you know Philco Predicta clock radio, then you'll recognize this decapitated radio cousin. Touted as a vision of the future back in 1958, it has come to epitomize retro-futurism. The radio-only Predicta without the clock on top is harder to find. Tabletop AM vacuum tube radio manufactured by Philco in 1958 in excellent physical and working condition.
CABINET CONDITION: Original factor molded black plastic. No cracks, chips, or missing pieces anywhere on the cabinet! Not repainted, no touch up, no over spray. None needed. Gold controls top trim plate is shiny un-rusted condition with some minor scratches. No dents no dings. Factory printed functions are not faded or rubbed off. Original factory grill gold fabric is clean, no rips no water stains. Has a phono jack which was installed by a previous owner that has been disconnected.
WORKING CONDITION: Picks up AM stations clearly and loudly around the dial without need of external antenna attachment.
LOGO: No missing logo. Front bottom edge Philco gold metal logo strip is original not dented or dinged. Often these Philco labels come off over the years but not this one!
KNOBS: The factory original matching knobs are in excellent condition no cracks no chips. Round and planar rotating. A previous owner used red magic marker to mark a position on the tuning dial.
LETTERING: No missing ink, smudges, or rub-off on tuning dial lettering. The tuning dial works fine and smooth no slipping.
DIAL LIGHT: Dial light works.
SOUND QUALITY: You can almost hear Theremin coming out of this thing even if it's not turned on! Has original elongated oval speaker special to the Predicta radio and clock radio series. It measures 9" x 2.5" Wow! There is no loud or pervasive hum. There is no loud or pervasive static between stations unless you operate near modern megahertz devices. The set has been aligned according to factory specifications.
CLOCK: No clock
INTERNAL ELECTRONICS: All out of tolerance paper and wax capacitors have been replaced with modern equivalents so this radio has another 50+ years or more of playing time! The tubes are working fine. Both Intermediate Frequency Transformers (IFTs) have been rebuilt to ensure static-free performance. All out-of-spec resistors have been replaced with modern correct value and voltage equivalents. The radio has been thoroughly cleaned and inspected. All wiring has been thoroughly checked for possible bridging and weak solder connection.
BACKING BOARD: Original factory bottom backing board is in excellent condition.
POWER CORD: The factory original power cord and plug are in excellent original working condition with no cracks, or splits. No exposed wiring.
FACTORY LABEL: No missing factory labels. Clear and readable.
COLOR: black. Like outer space. And BEYOND!!
YOUTUBE VIDEO here
DIMENSIONS: Approximately 11" x 7" x 6" (l x w x h)
WEIGHT: 3 lbs 7 oz
ADD BLUETOOTH MP3: See info here
ADD SMART SPEAKER: See info here
ADD DIAL LIGHT: See info here
Product: antique radio, vintage radio, retro radio, vacuum tube radio, AM radio, art deco, mid-century product.
Category: radio
Cabinet construction: plastic
Period: 1950s
Country of manufacture: USA
Electronics: Mounted circuit board or chassis. Vacuum tube circuit.
Vacuum tubes: tested and working. Amplifier, converter, detector, pre-amplifier, rectifier