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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc. |
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6th Aug 2012, 12:28 pm | #1 |
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Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Well here's a real oddball for you: A swedish Dux combination tv/radiogram from the early 60s.
A little research shows that Dux started as a company on their own right, but were swallowed up by Philips and ended up being pretty much badge engineered versions of the parent company's product. They were made in the Philips factory in Sweden and I guess were pretty much the equalivalent of Stella or Cossor deritives of Philips over here. There is a very close relative of the Dux model here: http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/philips_complett.html Mine came from a house clearance outlet, who tell me it turned up at a general household auction in Boston, Lincolnshire. Frustratingly it's history is therefore unknown! The big question is of course why would anyone go to the not inconsiderable bother of importing a hefty thing like this, when only the radio and record player sections would have been usable in the UK? Perhaps someone came to settle over here and brought it with the rest of their furniture, not realising the difference in television standards... It's been fitted (not very professionally) with a 3-core British mains lead in the old wiring colours, so it's probably been resident here for some considerable time. The TV and radio chassis are rated at 220v, so it may also have been somewhat overrun! The TV standard is 625 lines VHF with a 13 channel tuner. The CRT is a 21" Philips AW53-80 and it appears an even bigger 24" screen version was available. The chassis has an interesting valve line-up (see pic) and features no less than 5 fuses! The television has already seen 'first light' producing a very narrow and very short raster with a squashed bottom and expanded top. There are lively-looking flashes when the tuner is clunked round. No doubt plenty of black caps to change, but at least the LOPT is OK and the tube looks good, presumably not having had much to do for the last however many years. The television and radio are entirely separate units, each independently powered, so it's not a really integrated unit (much like the British Pye Slimline Trio). There are seven thumbwheels in a recess below the CRT, for voume, tone, brightness, height. Two pushbuttons on the side of the case select TV/Radio sound, by simply switching either output to the dual cone speaker (you can in theory watch the TV picture and listen to the radio). Three more buttons are the main tv power on/off, with the other two seeming to translate as 'Pilot' and 'Clear'... Work on this beast will have to wait for a while, but it looks promising. Could anyone suggest a source of a suitable VHF modulator? Steve J Last edited by Colourstar; 6th Aug 2012 at 12:37 pm. |
6th Aug 2012, 12:33 pm | #2 |
Octode
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
And some internal photos....
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6th Aug 2012, 12:50 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Not that different! The swedish system is PAL B/G, with 7 or 8 Mhz spacing respectively.
Negative video modulation and sound (FM) is 5.5 rather than 6 Mhz. As it's monochrome, the colour content does not matter. (4.43 Mhz I think.) You probably need to check a few things as the mains input is lower. (220v rather than 230v, in our case usually 240v.). You might have problems with that record player as it seems to have a Philips cartridge. Aurora do a world converter which will provide the signals for it. Of I'll check in my shed as there are a lot of Cable TV modulators in there and these are very handy... Lucky you! Cheers, Steve P.
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If we've always had it, why is the Car Boot open? You're not sneaking another Old TV in are you...? Last edited by Steve_P; 6th Aug 2012 at 12:57 pm. |
6th Aug 2012, 1:05 pm | #4 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Thanks for the info Steve.
Yes that record deck is going to be horrid. The cartridge is the same as fitted to several players I've seen over the years, although it's not the one you twist with two parallel styli. I think the deck may possibly be either be belt drive or if not, it might be idler drive with a belt for the auto return. I've had one similar. I found this at the back.... I think it used to be a belt.... Anyway, I'd better stick to tv related matters under this section. |
7th Aug 2012, 1:14 pm | #5 |
Banned
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
It is from 1959. Here is the service manual for the TV chassis.
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7th Aug 2012, 2:48 pm | #6 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Fascinating! Indeed I wonder if it was imported not realising the different TV standards. I understand this was encountered with USA purchased VCRs in the '80s with customers not realising they wouldn't work on getting home!
What a great find! Cheers, Brian |
7th Aug 2012, 2:53 pm | #7 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
I did one that had been lugged all the way from OZ.
I changed the modulator for a pull from a scrap set and replaced the sound filter and tweaked the sound trap. It was a good one. |
7th Aug 2012, 3:45 pm | #8 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Very nice, I like the scandinavian style! But not even I, as a swede, can make sense out of the push-buttons? "LOTS" means "maritime pilot" and "KLAR" means "clear", "bright" or "ready". The round socket on the back is for a remote control.
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7th Aug 2012, 4:21 pm | #9 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
"LOTS" seems to be some kind of on-screen tuning indicator. I read the service manual section regarding adjustment of this function, and it seems a white horisontal ribbon is created on the screen and increases in width with increasing signal strength. Really interesting! When the Swedish word used on the button is considered it makes sense. Like Hampus pointed out, "lots" means maritime pilot or navigator!
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7th Aug 2012, 7:28 pm | #10 | |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Thanks very much indeed for the service data Fredrik. Very much appreciated. The under-chassis plan on page 2 is mind-blowing! I wouldn't have liked to be the one responsible for drawing that correctly.
So do I Hampus! It still looks good today and hasn't dated (as long as you keep the doors closed!) Quote:
I'd love to know why, when and how this tele-radiogram was imported to the UK. It's a long way from home and may just be the only example in the country. Thanks again Steve |
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7th Aug 2012, 9:13 pm | #11 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Going by what Oskar.B says it is also likely to translate to shortwave or marine band and would be more likely for the period.
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7th Aug 2012, 9:53 pm | #12 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Here is a translation of the section in the manual dealing with "lots" adjustments. I am almost certain it really is some form om tuning indicator. Here goes, "lots" is translated to navigator:
Navigator (S63, R158 and R157) Press the navigator button. 1) Set the tuner to a silent channel. Connect a VTVM to junction R157/R161 (range +10V). Feed an un-modulated HF signal of 38,9MHz to test-point "M". Adjust S63 for maximum reading on the VTVM. 2) Set the tuner to a silent channel. Turn R158 so that the white ribbon takes up approximatly 1/5 of the totalt picture width. 3) Tune the set to receive a transmitter of average signal strength. Adjust R157 so that when the set is correctly tuned, the white ribbon takes up approximatly half the picture width. Check that a distinct maximum of the ribbon width can be found when tuning. It really sounds amazing for 1959. I would not mind us going further into how this clever function was realized EDIT: Oops. VTM -> VTVM (i.e Vacuum Tube Voltmeter) Last edited by Oskar.B; 7th Aug 2012 at 10:00 pm. |
8th Aug 2012, 3:26 am | #13 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
It'll be some trick involving the AGC voltage, which increases with received signal strength; and a voltage developed across a resistor in series with the line scan coil, which increases as the beam moves across horizontally, passing through 0V at the middle of the screen.
It's certainly a neat idea, using the cathode ray tube as its own tuning indicator!
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8th Aug 2012, 7:43 am | #14 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
It's not AGC-related.
The BL-switch is the 'LOTS'-switch and it's shown in 'normal' position. Push to activate 'LOTS' function. They tap-off the picture carrier frequency and make a parallel resonant circuit with S63/C192A to peak the amplitude. X10 /C186 produces a DC voltage based on the amplitude of the picture carrier which of course varies with signal strength. A suitable level is fed to B19/Pin2 where the anode will vary accordingly with amplified levels. This amplified and signal-amplitude dependant DC-level is fed through R158 to the junction where it connects with the line oscillator pulse tapped off by C189/R152. The resulting pulse with DC imposed is fed to the other half of B19 into Pin 7 and amplified. At the anode/pin 6 will now be a pulse whose width will depend on what DC-level was imposed at the grid-input. The valve may saturate earlier or later as the imposed DC is varied. Superimpose that pulse over the regular signal by feeding it to the Picture-tube grid-one, the one that normally controls brightness. The pulse will turn-up brightness for it's entire width varying with signal-strength as shown. Pretty ingenious rgds, /tri-comp P.S. Over the years I sold a LOT of DUX equipment where I worked in Denmark. Outside different design from Philips; inside 99.9% the same as Philips models. |
8th Aug 2012, 9:55 am | #15 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Oooh, that's even more fiendishly cunning than what I was thinking!
Only in a Philips .....
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8th Aug 2012, 11:29 am | #16 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Would've made a great DXTV receiver, for receiving those SpE signals which would often appear at entertainment quality allowing for some fading. It's most unlikely the set was imported into the UK for this purpose though.
Cheers Brian |
8th Aug 2012, 12:46 pm | #17 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Wow! What a thoroughly well designed TV set.
A frame grid valve in the tuner (PCC88) and four stages of IF amplification means this set was without doubt intented for use in difficult reception areas. A noise gated sync separator using the ECH83 triode-heptode and flywheel sync takes care of any line timebase sync misfiring. Unusual to see the two PL84 valves in the transformerless push-pull sound output stage. The circuit around B19 (ECC81) the on screen tuning indicator needed some further study. Thanks to Tricomp it is explained. BildLots (imagepilot?) It is a truly remarkable feature. All this in 1959! DFWB. |
8th Aug 2012, 2:46 pm | #18 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
I think I can speak for everyone when I say that I am lokking forward to the day it's time to press the "lots" button...
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8th Aug 2012, 8:29 pm | #19 |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Wow, thanks everyone for the information. It's especially great to have some input from the set's home territory.
I think this is the most sophisticated monochrome valve set I have seen. It seems oddly mismatched with the rather ordinary radio and cheap record deck... I'm sure no UK televison of this era used push-pull transformerless audio output. That really is quite something! Also it's the earliest I've seen a DY87 EHT rectifier make an appearance. Most of our sets were using the EY86 in the mid/late 50s. I'm pretty sure the DY87 didn't really come into use until fairly well into the 1960s. I believe the Swedish TV service began in 1958, only a year before this model appeared, so perhaps the fact that this set is designed to cope with poor signal areas suggests that transmitter coverage was not very comprehensive to begin with. Maybe one of our Swedish friends can comment on this? I also read that a second tv channel did not arrive until 1969 with colour following in the early part of 1970. I too am looking forward to pressing the 'LOTS' button, but I think there's a steep learning curve ahead of me. I'm glad I will be able to ask for help from you all you knowledgeable folk when it gets too much! Steve J |
8th Aug 2012, 8:46 pm | #20 | |
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Re: Dux/Philips Swedish TV-Radiogram!
Quote:
The narrow raster could be caused by a number of severe problems with the line-output circuit including a shot B14/PL36. If you're in luck it COULD also be caused by the linefrequency oscillator running wild. A good candidate for a culprit here would be C176, next to the lineoscillator coil S30. Good luck and be sure to report back with pictures of the 'LOTS' at work rgds, /tri-comp |
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