Clarke & Smith Schools TV

[Colourstar]

I wonder if this is a familiar sight for anyone who was of school age in the 60s. It's a Clarke & Smith dual standard tv with a Thorn chassis. The chassis looks tiny in the cabinet, so I wonder what size the crt is? The cabinet has lockable doors.

I'd guess it dates from around 1964. The control knobs are the same as those found on the 850/900 series of models. Interesting also to see front mounted hold controls, which is helpful as if they were around the back of this monster you'd need incredibly long arms to see what was happening on screen! I'm not sure if the control panel and tube surround really are mauve or if it's just the photos.

Steve

(PS- I don't own this set!)

[Nickthedentist]

I didn't know C&S made TVs. I suspect this is a very rare survivor.

Nick.

[Colourstar]

Yes, it was news to me too.

Just noticed that the crt looks like it's suffering from a 'cataract', as seen on certain American sets, although it's behind a flat glass implosion screen. The additional pic here shows the doors and anti-glare shield.

Apparently the set was found during a house clearance at the home of an elderly school teacher. It was about to be hammered to a pulp but was saved in the nick of time. A Decca model 333 combined 17" tv/radiogram was also unearthed.



Steve

[Nickthedentist]

Blimey, that was a close one! The vehicle is a giveaway.

My Hacker Serenade came from a similar kind of rubbish removal outfit. The chap said he normally broke up radiograms, weighed-in their chassis and burnt the cabinets on his wood burning stove but decided to save it because he thought it would make a good guitar amp!

[terry123]

Yes this is a very rare find. Clarke and Smith always had problems with televisions and gave up on them in the late sixties. Decca won quite a large contract to supply the special sets used on the ILEA cabled system and I suspect that ended it for them. When the Wallington factory finally closed its doors back in the early 1990s, one of the C&S owned houses nearby that had been used at one point for redundant stock and also a service department was cleared out ready for sale and apparently there was a significant number of spares for these models along with some sets, that had been long forgotton. All went in the skip I am told.

I have amassed a fairly large archive of C&S stuff of the years and some of this was used in the Clarke and Smith history that appeared in the BVWS bulletin in 2008, the attached picture (although a differant model to the one here) is a rare glimpse of one in action in a classroom setting. the clarke and smith story can be found here: http://www.ferrographworld.com/c&s.html

Facinating and quite probably the very last one ! keep us posted on the restoration.

Best regards

Terry

[Graham G3ZVT]

I certainly repaired some 27 inch 850 schools sets in the early 70s , the symmetry of the front panel looks familiar. I don't remember the name Clarke & Smith, nor the Bulgin socket, but I have a feeling I have worked on a set like this, probably with 4C making rude comments while I worked.

When I was at secondary school in the mid-late '60 the school set that I remember did not have an isolation transformer built in, a separate metal-clad transformer had to be lugged out of the stationary cupboard by one of us boys and connected up.

There was no real need for it, as there weren't any external connections made to the set other than the aerial, but as I remember, schools sets were always isolated, so there must have been some sort of rule about it.

Graham.
G3ZVT

[FERNSEH]

In the servicing notes for the Baird schools TV set model 638 it states that certain education authorities demand that television receivers must have a fully isolated chassis. Baird model 638 employs a 23" CRT, it looks like the 850 series schools set has a 27" tube.
The attachment shows the circuit of the isolated power supply employed in the Baird schools TV receiver. It's likely the Clark and Smith schools TV uses a similar power supply circuit.

DFWB.

[1100 man]

Hi Steve,
What an interesting set- do you have a possibility to become it's new owner?
It made me think though. When I started school in 1978, the school set was a huge Thorn 1400 on a tall wheeled stand. I've a feeling it was branded 'Baird'
It had connections (PL259 and 1/4" jack) for video & audio in/ out. It also, consequently, had a hefty isolation transformer.
When not in use for a class, it was connected to a Sony CV2100 open reel B/W video recorder to record programs for future classes.
When I was 15 or so, I persuaded dad to buy a second hand CV2100 ACE (which I still have!!) I already had a 1400 chassis, so I traced out the in/ out PCB fitted to the school one and made a copy and modified my one accordingly.
No isolation transformer of course .However, I did fit a relay between chassis and earth to disconnect the supply if the chassis became 'live'- quite safety conscious I thought!!
I had never come across RCD's then so connecting neutral and earth together via connected equipment never caused me any problems!
I took it into school for some reason and discover that when I connected it to the video recorder- the whole science block tripped out!! That was my introduction to RCD's
Sorry, just rambling, nothing much to do with the thread in question!!
All the best,
Nick

[Focus Diode]

Wow, that's not something you see everyday! Fantastic stuff.
I'm familiar with Clark & Smith equipment seeing them at school but had no idea they also had TVs under that name.

Will be fascinating to get this one working.

Cheers
Brian

[Colourstar]

Originally Posted by 1100 man

Hi Steve,
What an interesting set- do you have a possibility to become it's new owner?

Hi Nick

I am in contact with the set's owner, but it's miles from me, all the way down in Uckfield, East Sussex, so safely out of my range!

Steve

[neil29]

If you want the set steve then go for it. and despite the fact I don't really like driving long distances I would if it was something I wanted, like a GEC fineline tv .


Cheers
Neil.

[Brigham]

Billy Butlin had some huge, wardrobe-like 405-line sets at Filey Camp in the 1960s. I often wondered who made them.
I had the impression that they were ex-schools sets. The memorable feature was that they switched-off when you closed the doors.
When the picture rolled, the bloke nearest the front closed and opened the doors, which put things right for a while.
I watched Merton beat Richmond by 9 points to 6 in 'It's a Knockout', on Sunday 2nd. June 1968 on the BBC one. (There was one for each channel).
A year or so later, they were gone, and something 'ordinary' took their places.
Growing-up is like that.

[jayceebee]

Never come across one of those before but I have serviced a few similar sized D|E|R school models fitted with the 950 chassis. The CRT used in them was a Sylvania 27AFP4 if I remember correctly. Great find.

John.

[DangerMan]

Wow, that brings back memories.

My primary school was just about being brought into the 20th century in the year that I left, 1965, and one of those [or something very, very similar, and I'm certain ours was a 27 inch] arrived just a few weeks before I left.
I only ever saw it working once, and that was as a "treat" for the pupils who were about to leave, as both the syllabus and our primary education were finished.

Sadly, the High School successor was firmly back in the 19th century where it was to remain for quite a few more years!

What a nice survivor.

Pete

PS.
Apologies for drift off-topic but earlier the same year (? 1965/4) we had a new schools radio... a great big flat-baffled speaker with a smaller chassis containing box at the base behind it... definitely C&S colours with three switched stations (all FM judging by the sound quality).
Anyone recognise the description?

(mods, please move if considered OT)

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
My secondary school had a huge Baird B/W TV, also on a tall stand with castors and doors, It was set up on the stage of the assembly hall to watch the launching of the QE2. I was about half way back, so could just about see!
It lived in our English classroom and was in the wrong corner away from the power socket. Our teacher sent me and a mate out to a local hardware shop for some cable, a plug and a surface mount socket, plus cable clips, and we installed an extension. Can you imagine that happening today!
Anyway, back on topic. It seems odd to have an isolating transformer as well as a dropper resistor. Most other 'public service' tellies had redesigned power supplies with the transformer providing heaters and HT.
Cheers, Pete.

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by DangerMan

Apologies for drift off-topic but earlier the same year (? 1965/4) we had a new schools radio... a great big flat-baffled speaker with a smaller chassis containing box at the base behind it... definitely C&S colours with three switched stations (all FM judging by the sound quality).
Anyone recognise the description?

Possibly... http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/s...d.php?t=108142

[DangerMan]

Yes, that's the one! Many thanks Nick.

Pete