UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post - At Last One Of My Collections Is Complete

dazzlevision · 11th May 2018, 9:57 am

I'm very pleased for you on having acquired this rather uncommon version of the EL3301.

An interesting product from the Croydon factory of Philips UK. I also have one of these in my collection of Philips/Stella/Pye/Norelco machines based on the original "monoknob" deck mechanism used in the EL3300 up to the EL3302P (and the derived models, such as N2202, etc).

My first tape recorder was an EL3301A/15T (if my memory is correct), bought from Currys circa 1964-5 at £27 (a lot of money in those days). It was made in Austria. I do remember a fellow school class mate who had the UK version, as it was easily identified by the "Made in England" legend on the tape transport controls/meter escutcheon.

I suspect that the phrase "Made in England" really ought to have been "Assembled in England", as it's surely the case that a fully assembled mechanism and PCBs would be imported from Philips in either Holland or Austria and wired up in the UK, before fitting into the cabinet. I would have thought that any other approach would be uneconomic...?

11th May 2018, 9:57 am	#6
dazzlevision Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Near Swindon, North Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 3,621	Re: At Last One Of My Collections Is Complete I'm very pleased for you on having acquired this rather uncommon version of the EL3301. An interesting product from the Croydon factory of Philips UK. I also have one of these in my collection of Philips/Stella/Pye/Norelco machines based on the original "monoknob" deck mechanism used in the EL3300 up to the EL3302P (and the derived models, such as N2202, etc). My first tape recorder was an EL3301A/15T (if my memory is correct), bought from Currys circa 1964-5 at £27 (a lot of money in those days). It was made in Austria. I do remember a fellow school class mate who had the UK version, as it was easily identified by the "Made in England" legend on the tape transport controls/meter escutcheon. I suspect that the phrase "Made in England" really ought to have been "Assembled in England", as it's surely the case that a fully assembled mechanism and PCBs would be imported from Philips in either Holland or Austria and wired up in the UK, before fitting into the cabinet. I would have thought that any other approach would be uneconomic...?