UK export models?

[alexisahmc]

Hello everyone,
I know that there are several "Export" models from the US for Europe and also I have seen many German "Export" models here in the US (I have a couple), but I am not sure I ever heard or seen radio export models from the UK.
Were there any?
Any info, models etc will be appreciated.

[vidjoman]

I suspect that UK models probably went to Commonwealth countries as a first export market.

The Ekco A22 had a south American version with longwave replaced by another shortwave, there where many others usually doing something with longwave.

[radioman]

Hi Alexis,

Yes, there were quite a few 'Export' radios made in Britain.
There's some information on Bush models here :- http://www.***********************/bush...t-radios.shtml
Also, I have one made by GEC which is pictured in this thread :- https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=110869

Andy

[alexisahmc]

Thank you all. I will follow your suggestions and do my due diligence with research.

[paulsherwin]

The US was a tough market in the 50s and few European makers sold radios there, the exception being the big German manufacturers who specialised in expensive upmarket sets. There were also substantial import tariffs in most countries including the US. Most British export sets of the 50s were 'tea planter specials' marketed to middle class British expats living in Africa and Asia.

The British domestic radios you'll find in the US will have arrived with immigrants or will have been imported privately fairly recently by enthusiasts.

American sets are quite rare in the UK, though some arrived through lend lease during WW2, and some were brought over by US servicemen stationed here in the 50s.

[emeritus]

RGD radios and radiograms, the electronics at least of which were actually manufactured by the Plessey company, were made for export to the USA in the 1950's: when I worked for Plessey in the 1970's, manufacture of domestic radios and TV's had ceased, but one of the engineers I worked with had been involved in that part of the business, and gave me a service manual for the US version of the UK model of the 1957 vintage Radiogram that I had. The US version had FM, AM and two Short Wave bands, whereas the UK model had FM (87 to 100MHz only), Long Wave, Medium Wave (AM) and one Short Wave band. I think I still have the manual somewhere in the loft. I think that the US export model had a more powerful (push-pull) amplifier than the UK model, which had a single output valve operating in class "A".

[Synchrodyne]

Information on Murphy export models may be found here: http://www.*****************************/export2.html.

There was some discussion of the more elaborate British export radio receivers in the middle of this thread: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=107413.

Notable British export or export-oriented domestic-type receivers from the 1950s valve (tube) era included: Ambassador Viscount, Bush EBS24/EU24, Bush EBS44, Ekco A182, GEC BC6738, Murphy TA160/TU160 and Pye PE80. As far as I know quite a few of these lacked long wave coverage, indicating that their primary destinations were further afield than Europe.

Attached is an advertisement for the Ambassador Viscount from Wireless World 1953 October. Its shows the 928 model as the “overseas” version and the 928E model (presumably with the addition of a longwave band, perhaps at the expense of one of the shortwave bands). From this one might infer that the 928 was the “standard” model, and that 928E was a variant that allowed incremental sales at home and into Europe.

Cheers,

[Synchrodyne]

As another example, the attached excerpt from the 1962 Radio Show catalogue shows that PAM range included quite a few export models. These were listed ahead of the domestic models, too.

The PAM export range included TV receivers, albeit 625-line only. But there was also British activity in respect of 525-line export receivers, as shown in the Ferguson entry from the 1955 Radio Show catalogue. And even before then, as shown by the two Wireless World excerpts. I imagine though, that export 525-line receivers went more to other countries using this system than to the USA.

Cheers,

[alexisahmc]

You guys have given me plenty of material to work with. Thanks!
So, let me hit the books for a while and see where I get.
As a general question which deals with the Bush TR82 transistor AM/FM radio, which was recently posted on the US E- Bay. I read that these were reproduced at a later date. Pretty good reproductions, I understand. Is there a way to tell the "fakes" from the originals? Do the reproductions have any special labels, or other indications which help with identification?
Cheers

[Nickthedentist]

The reproductions have an earphone socket on the control panel, the originals don't. You can see it here between the 3 pushbuttons and the RH edgewise control: http://argos.scene7.com/is/image/Arg...id=312&hei=312

A photo of the inside would tell all too; the originals have a Celstion speaker and aluminium chassis.

There are loads of more subtle ways of telling too.

Nick.

[paulsherwin]

The TR82/97s aren't true reproductions but are rather 'inspired' by the original model. The obvious giveaway is the full 87-108MHz FM coverage. They're actually not bad radios for people who like the retro look but don't want the hassle of restoring and using a real vintage set.

The TR82 was an AM (MW/LW) radio. The VTR103 looked almost identical and had FM, but didn't tune all the way to 108. Bush used the same case for a number of other models including the MB60 valve/tube set and an export model with SW replacing LW.

[kalee20]

And there was the Berec Commander, the export version of the Ever Ready Sky Emperor valve portable.

Both models had VHF, SW1, SW2 and MW but no LW, the only difference apparently was the nameplate.

[alexisahmc]

Oh! What a great forum!
Based on your information it is very clear what is being sold. Here is the link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/251721029368...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I don't have anything against this, I just like to only invest time and $$$ in original equipment. Still a nice looking radio.
Thanks again to all of you!
PS You know our US forum is also an excellent place to visit . If you have never looked at it, here is a link:
http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/index.php

[Synchrodyne]

The attached item provides information on the “dimensions” of British radio and related equipment exports as they were in 1956. Perhaps not surprisingly, about three quarters of the exports to the USA comprised audio equipment. Generally I think that the UK audio equipment manufacturers were quite export-oriented and for example Leak was an early mover into the American market. Some Leak products, such as the TL50 Plus amplifier (KT88-based) were evidently developed primarily for the North American market.

Cheers,

[Synchrodyne]

There is information on Bush export models at this site: http://www.bushradio.co.uk/bushexport.html.

Also, I came across an intersting statistic in Wireless World 1962 June. Pye had noted that in the previous year (1961), it had sold more radio receivers into the export market than into the home market.

Cheers,

[dave walsh]

Alexis, you might also be interested in a thread by Synchrodyne "UK Bandspread Receivers [2/4/11] which morphs into export sets! Sadly, I've never had another EBS4 with "Teleflic" but I did finally get an A92 last year [and it turned out to be the superior Station Master version as well].
Dave W

[Synchrodyne]

Interestingly a couple of the bandpsread models mentioned in that thread have since been the subject of enquiries from forum members in North America.

This one:

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=78342

was about a Chapman S6BS located in western Colorado.

And this:

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...light=londoner

was about what turned out to be an Armstrong BS125 in Calgary, Alberta.

Cheers,

[jsbhavsar]

National Ekco Radio model A731 in India can be considered one such Ekco UK export radio, chassis from Ekco UK and radio assembled in Mumbai downtown facility.

My A731 radio is a set from 1960. It has 8 bands but no FM or LW. MW, MSW and six SW bands with bandspread kind of feature having 13M, 16M, 19M separated etc. Radio is very easy to tune any frequency on SW.

However the MW and MSW bands have become too weak (inspite of outdoor long wire) as I replaced the EZ80 to EZ81.

Thanks

[Synchrodyne]

That Ekco model certainly suggests that the market for that kind of export receiver, that is with good shortwave coverage, relatively easy shortwave tuning, and reasonably good shortwave performance (as measured by the requirements of comfortable program listening, as distinct from DX’ing) held up into the 1960s.

I have attached a couple of Ambassador advertisements from 1956. One refers to the availability of an export model sales brochure, suggesting that the export market was still important to Ambassador at that time.

Cheers,