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Philco 116B Technical Features
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Philco 116 Baby Grand (116B) Tombstone Radio (1936)
..precision control over every broadcast on the air!
The Philco 116 Baby Grand (116B) tombstone radio was
introduced in June of 1935 as one of the company's line-up
of 43 models for 1936. It had an initial list price of $97.50 in
the Eastern and Central USA and was Philco's top-of-the-
line table set for the 1936 season.
The 116B's 11-tube chassis, new for the 1936 season, was
an evolution of the one used for the previous year's model
16B (basically longwave coverage was added). An altern-
ative version of this chassis was incorporated into Philco's
model 116X High-Fidelity console radio, introduced to the
marketplace along with the 116B; that version of the chassis
featured an upgraded audio output stage as well as long-
wave coverage. Unlike the floor model, the 116B seems to
have not been heavily promoted by Philco and as a result
it sold comparatively few units; according to philcoradio.com
15,750 sets were built, about half the number of the rather
more expensive 116X.
At mid-season, in early 1936, the 116B received a new
shoulder-less cabinet containing a smaller (8") type K-17
loudspeaker in place of the 10.5" type H-13 used on the
version of the set featured here.
The 1936 season would be the last for Philco's 16/116 line,
although the models 37-670B (1937) and 38-670B (1938)
ostensibly carried the line forward for another two years,
albeit with completely updated electronics.
I came across this radio in an antiques store in Southern
Maine. The grille scrollwork was damaged, the lacquer finish
all but gone and the grille cloth was torn. I refinished the set
in lacquer after repairing the grille. The cloth was replaced
with an authentic reproduction.
Technical Details:
The 116B is a 5-band ac-powered super-heterodyne using
11 tubes, with RF stage, dual IF amplifiers and a 10W "super
class A" push-pull audio system based upon a pair of triode-
connected type 42 tubes and a triode-connected type 42
driver. The tube line up for this set's code 121 chassis is:-
78 (RF amp), 77 (mixer), 76 (LO), 78 (1st IF), 78 (2nd IF),
37 (2nd detector), 77 (1st af), 42 (driver), 2 off 42 (push-pull
triode connected af output) & 80 (rectifier). The schematic
is available here, courtesy of NostalgiaAir.
In contrast, the 116X floor model uses the code 122 chassis,
having 6A3 output triodes in place of the type 42s and a 5Z3
rectifier in place of the 80. Its audio output is 15W. Also of
note is that the 116B uses a type H-13 10.5" loud speaker,
which although of the same diameter, is of a much lighter
construction than the type U-9 speaker used in the 116X.
Band coverage is:-
Band 1) 9.7 - 22.5mc (daytime shortwave)
2) 4.1 - 10mc (night time shortwave)
3) 1.5 - 4.1mc (1.5-1.6mc experimental
Hi-Fi band, old police band & amateur)
4) 540 - 1500kc (standard broadcast)
5) 150 - 390kc (long wave)
For further details on the 116 radios, see my 116X page.
introduced in June of 1935 as one of the company's line-up
of 43 models for 1936. It had an initial list price of $97.50 in
the Eastern and Central USA and was Philco's top-of-the-
line table set for the 1936 season.
The 116B's 11-tube chassis, new for the 1936 season, was
an evolution of the one used for the previous year's model
16B (basically longwave coverage was added). An altern-
ative version of this chassis was incorporated into Philco's
model 116X High-Fidelity console radio, introduced to the
marketplace along with the 116B; that version of the chassis
featured an upgraded audio output stage as well as long-
wave coverage. Unlike the floor model, the 116B seems to
have not been heavily promoted by Philco and as a result
it sold comparatively few units; according to philcoradio.com
15,750 sets were built, about half the number of the rather
more expensive 116X.
At mid-season, in early 1936, the 116B received a new
shoulder-less cabinet containing a smaller (8") type K-17
loudspeaker in place of the 10.5" type H-13 used on the
version of the set featured here.
The 1936 season would be the last for Philco's 16/116 line,
although the models 37-670B (1937) and 38-670B (1938)
ostensibly carried the line forward for another two years,
albeit with completely updated electronics.
I came across this radio in an antiques store in Southern
Maine. The grille scrollwork was damaged, the lacquer finish
all but gone and the grille cloth was torn. I refinished the set
in lacquer after repairing the grille. The cloth was replaced
with an authentic reproduction.
Technical Details:
The 116B is a 5-band ac-powered super-heterodyne using
11 tubes, with RF stage, dual IF amplifiers and a 10W "super
class A" push-pull audio system based upon a pair of triode-
connected type 42 tubes and a triode-connected type 42
driver. The tube line up for this set's code 121 chassis is:-
78 (RF amp), 77 (mixer), 76 (LO), 78 (1st IF), 78 (2nd IF),
37 (2nd detector), 77 (1st af), 42 (driver), 2 off 42 (push-pull
triode connected af output) & 80 (rectifier). The schematic
is available here, courtesy of NostalgiaAir.
In contrast, the 116X floor model uses the code 122 chassis,
having 6A3 output triodes in place of the type 42s and a 5Z3
rectifier in place of the 80. Its audio output is 15W. Also of
note is that the 116B uses a type H-13 10.5" loud speaker,
which although of the same diameter, is of a much lighter
construction than the type U-9 speaker used in the 116X.
Band coverage is:-
Band 1) 9.7 - 22.5mc (daytime shortwave)
2) 4.1 - 10mc (night time shortwave)
3) 1.5 - 4.1mc (1.5-1.6mc experimental
Hi-Fi band, old police band & amateur)
4) 540 - 1500kc (standard broadcast)
5) 150 - 390kc (long wave)
For further details on the 116 radios, see my 116X page.
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PHILCO MODEL 116 SERIES
Complete PHILCO MODEL 16B and 116B series
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