1939 Westinghouse 780-B SW Radio "A Christmas Story" Relative
Not Enough Space for the "A Christmas Story" Console? Take this Table Model Relative 780-B
In a Nutshell
There are 3 Model 780 Table Radio Relatives of the Christmas Consoles. Who is the Fairest one of All? Pristine, Restored, Serviced, the 780-B
Introduction:
It is widely known (ref.s 1-4) that it was the 1939 Canadian Westinghouse console radio model 780X that was used as a prop in the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story", directed by Bob Clark, and starring Peter Billingsley as Ralphie. The movie is still an all-time classic, shown numerous times on television during the Christmas season and was selected eight years ago for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". More recently however, as we witness racial disparities to be vehemently critized we have to note, that the movie has a serious racist problem in its Chinese Restaurant scene towards the end (ref.5). It is less well known, that the Christmas Story radio model 780X has 4 more relatives, 3 table radios 780A, B, C, and one more console 780Y. All five were only produced by Westinghouse Canada for the Canadian market of 1939/41, and differ slightly in their cabinet styles as well as in their chassis' specs.
model (year)
table/console
5th band
# horiz. bars
phono switch
speaker size
dial escutcheon
780-A (1939)
t
49m
4
back
6"
metal
780-B (1940)
t
SW
1
front
6"
ceramic
780-C (1940)
t
SW
2
front
6"
ceramic
780-X (1939)
c
49m
4
back
12"
ceramic
780-Y (1940)
c
SW
3
front
12"
ceramic
After having restored 4 consoles before (ref.1 for sale, refs.2-4) I now bought, restored and intend to sell this very rare table model 780-B. Among the three it mostly looks like her big sisters, almost like a child console. Common features are the slanted control section of the cabinet, the dial and its escutcheon, and the knobs. Differences are: the push-buttons are from bakelite (not from catalin); the 49m band is replaced by a full SW band; the phono switch is integrated into the band selector; a smaller (6") speaker. Otherwise the chassis with its extra 6SK7 RF amplifier stage at the front, slug (permeability)-tuned IF filters, 6 automatic tuning push-buttons, a tuning eye (mine refurbished with a NOS/NIB Sylvania 6E5's, is essentially the same. Again I installed a new 3.5mm closed circuit phone adapter, that can be used to connect cellphones, mp3 players, etc.
About my Radio:
This radio is in best condition, with original (except the top) finish and decals, original knobs and push-buttons, original speaker and speaker cloth, and 7 tubes selected from my stock, including a new old stock unused magic eye tube 6E5. The 5Y4 rectifier tube's socket has been universally wired to accept also a 5Y3 rectifier. The chassis has been thoroughly cleaned and moveable parts treated with contact spray. The radio was recapped and plays without hum. A youtube video showing the radio playing various devices is available by clicking on thumbnail 32 or by going directly to ref.8. And don't forget to read the documentation for the original Christmas radio (ref.1). Please
e-mail me (Kris) for any questions, ich spreche Deutsch, je parle Français.
For the techies only:
No techies this time, it just works fine
Here are the specifications:
Technical Description of Item
Manufacturer
Canadian Westinghouse Co., Limited, Canada
Model
780-B
Type
5-band SW console with 6-push-button automatic tuning
