Drive cord for a Philips L3X88T radio

[Vintage_RC]

I am currently restoring an early Philips transistor radio and it needs a new tuning drive cord. The original cord is a strong waxed thread with good grip. Any suggestions about the best currently available material? I've got some rigging cord from model yachts which is something like Dacron or Dyneema but it has a slippery feel and doesn't grip adequately. The re-lacing looks like a bit of a nightmare with six pulleys to direct the path of the cord.

[G6Tanuki]

Kite cord? I've used that in the past with success.

[paulsherwin]

The easiest stuff to get hold of is monofilament fishing line, which you can buy from any tackle shop amongst other places. Use the thickest you can find, as lightweight line can introduce backlash into tuning arrangements. It will probably be OK for short runs though.

Waxed cotton jewellery thread is better, but harder to find and more expensive: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Waxed-Cot...e/281622203213

[Jolly 7]

@Alan

I have some drive cord. Please PM me if interested.

[Jolly 7]

Here's a photo.

[Vintage_RC]

Jolly7, I've sent you a PM

[DonaldStott]

I've used Ben Dijkman in the past for Dial drive cord:-

https://www.bendijkman.nl/index.php?...oduct&ipath=16

[Mr 1936]

A little off topic, but I have had success when replacing the thin metal wire "drive cord" used on Eddystone and Philips sets. The stuff I used was described as "pike line" and easily sourced from a local fishing tackle shop. However, this term seems to be applied to any strong line so you need to check it's metal and of the right diameter.

[Stylo N M]

Hi Alan,

I've used nylon chalk line in the past on larg set's, which is extremely strong and virtually impossible to snap once it's on.

Paul

[Gabe001]

Originally Posted by Vintage_RC

I am currently restoring an early Philips transistor radio and it needs a new tuning drive cord. The original cord is a strong waxed thread with good grip. Any suggestions about the best currently available material? I've got some rigging cord from model yachts which is something like Dacron or Dyneema but it has a slippery feel and doesn't grip adequately. The re-lacing looks like a bit of a nightmare with six pulleys to direct the path of the cord.

Replacing a Philips drive cord can be a nightmare, as you've already realised. Once you have completed a segment and you're confident it is correct, it helps (in my limited experience) if you use bits of sellotape to hold the cord temporarily in position before you move on to the next bit.

I had to replace a cord in a Philco recently and although the replacement seemed to be of similar thickness and the tension was right, it was still slipping. If this happens to you, wax the replacement cord using a wax block - it sorted the slipping for me and has been fine ever since

Gabriel

[Vintage_RC]

Replacing the drive cord in this Philips radio was indeed a nightmare with several failed attempts. I have now succeeded and I thought a few notes might be of interest/help to others.

The choice of cord proved to be important in order to give the combination of ease of getting round all the pulleys and having adequate grip. After quite a bit of online research I decided to try waxed whipping twine (see photos) and it proved to be ideal having similar characteristics to the original waxed cord (but much stronger) and is available in several sizes. I chose 0.8mm as the closest to the original cord.

The other key to success was using small squares of insulating tape at strategic points as I went around all the pulleys to prevent slipping off or unwinding. The excersise wasn't helped by an error in the service sheet which if followed exactly resulted in only half the dial to be accessible before the cord reached the end of travel. One more turn around the main drum was needed.

[Kentode]

Originally Posted by Vintage_RC

Replacing the drive cord in this Philips radio was indeed a nightmare with several failed attempts. I have now succeeded and I thought a few notes might be of interest/help to others.

The choice of cord proved to be important in order to give the combination of ease of getting round all the pulleys and having adequate grip. After quite a bit of online research I decided to try waxed whipping twine (see photos) and it proved to be ideal having similar characteristics to the original waxed cord (but much stronger) and is available in several sizes. I chose 0.8mm as the closest to the original cord.

The other key to success was using small squares of insulating tape at strategic points as I went around all the pulleys to prevent slipping off or unwinding. The excersise wasn't helped by an error in the service sheet which if followed exactly resulted in only half the dial to be accessible before the cord reached the end of travel. One more turn around the main drum was needed.

Well done Alan!

For the sake of future restorers, it would help if you posted a snippet of the service sheet highlighting which pulley required the extra turn and the service sheet number.

If the moderators could amend the thread title to include the model number this would enable a forum Search to return a result and prevent further"nightmares"!

Any pictures of the work in progress, Alan?

[Vintage_RC]

Good idea Ken. The set is a Philips L3X88T, drive cord diagram with corrections is attached. The revised length of cord I have shown allows some surplus to work with.

The set is unusual in a number of ways, I'll add some more photos and a few notes and thoughts.

[Kentode]

1.3 metres? Good grief! No wonder Philips have a reputation.

That's the reason I've got two of their sets, including a monoknob , at the bottom of my roundtoit pile.

Thanks Alan.