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Old 18th May 2008, 11:07 pm   #1
KeithsTV
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Default How long to build a radio or TV?

Many of us spend hours, days or even weeks restoring our old radios & TVs. This must be significantly longer than it took to build them in the first place.

I’ve seen modern surface mount machines produce a populated PCB in minutes and previous companies I worked for have had operators hand inserting components in PCBs which were then machine soldered. But how long would it have taken to build a radio or TV on a production line from the 50’s with tag strips and a hand wired chassis?


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Old 18th May 2008, 11:44 pm   #2
Michael Maurice
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Default Re: How long to build a radio or TV?

Quote:
Originally Posted by KeithsTV View Post
How long would it have taken to build a radio or TV on a production line from the 50’s with tag strips and a hand wired chassis?


Keith
It wasn't so much the time but how long the production line was and how many people staffed it. That's probably why they were so comparably more expensive than today's stuff.
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Old 19th May 2008, 12:01 am   #3
Skywave
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Arrow Re: How long to build a radio or TV?

Don't forget, Keith, that on the production lines of yesteryear, the assembly techniques were not as we rebuild those radios of today. There would be an operator / wire-person allocated to specific tasks. Tags strips & group boards with components would be built by one operator, fitted by another, several layers of chassis wiring would go in by several operators, transformers by another, etc. Must have been very tedious, repetitive & boring work. And then there would have been the valve testing stations - again, very repetitive.
In actual point of fact, very similar to the way cars are built today - but without the automated machinery.

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Old 19th May 2008, 8:47 am   #4
Alan Stepney
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Default Re: How long to build a radio or TV?

Although not a complete radio or tv, I am sure that many here will recall the Plessey valve UHF tuner that was used in many sets.

They took just over 1 hour on a production line with around 20-25 people on it. That was apart from some small sub-assemblies that were made off-line. Testing and retesting(employing between 12 and 18 people, depending upon the hours worked on production) took around 10 minutes each.

Faultfinding and repairs (another 6 or so people) would take 10-15 minutes each, and as can be seen from the number employed, was not unusual.
Hence, the lab employed half a dozen people (including yours truly for a while) to try to reduce the fault rate and reliability.
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Old 19th May 2008, 11:28 am   #5
davidw
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Default Re: How long to build a radio or TV?

This thread prompted me to watch again the spring 2006 BVWS DVD... 3 short films..1960 GEC TV production line, Rank Bush Murphy radio line and Mullard TV Tube manufacture. Fascinating stuff. Production lines staffed by ladies,with supervision and Quality control by men. Can't see this working in these PC days!!!!
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