HMV and related models

[Julesomega]

I lamentably dismantled then disposed of an HMV 650 in the folly of youth, but my interest remains, along with many related questions.

First, Radiomuseum links the
10 Valve All-World Table Grand 650 to the Marconiphone 851, which is clearly incorrect - does anyone want to submit a correction?

Second, a search in this Forum finds several posts, some of which mention related models and faults encountered. To save everybody from doinf the same search, here are a few links:
HMV 650 receive
HMV 650 again
Unidentified HMV radio, chassis only
HMV 650 Anomaly

In my renewed interest I have downloaded the WW review that I had photocopied in the local library, now presented as a PDF

[Paul_RK]

I'm not clear what you mean by RM "linking" the 650 to the Marconi 851 - all I'm seeing is that it uses the same chassis as the Marconi 561, which is correct. The models with the chassis are -

HMV 650, table set
HMV 655, "armchair" console
HMV 660, conventional radiogram
Marconi 561, table set
Marconi 563, radiogram "with a severe case of Queen Anne's leg" as the late Chas Miller put it
Marconi 564, conventional console.

Thanks for the article, good to read. If I ever start restoring sets again my Marconi 563 will be among the prime candidates for attention.

Paul

[ms660]

The Marconiphone 851 is the six valve job.

Lawrence.

[stevehertz]

Huge sets with a weight and performance to match. Here's mine.

[David G4EBT]

You might want to add these to your list, which you can download and read at the links:

BVWS Bulletin Autumn 2010 - HMV total restoration by Gary Tempest:

https://www.bvws.org.uk/publications...olume35number3

BVWS Bulletin Summer 2012 - Refurbishing an HMV650/Marconi 561 Vernier dial, also by Gary Tempest:

https://www.bvws.org.uk/publications...letin_37_2.pdf

Impressive stuff!!

[David G4EBT]

Just to clarify, the BVWS Bulletin Autumn 2010 is about the HMV model 650.

As to HMV/Marconi radios of that era, in the Summer 2005 BVWS Bulletin, there is an eight-page restoration article, also by Gary Tempest, on the Marconiphone '561' entitled 'Th Best of British' which might be of interest:

https://www.bvws.org.uk/publications...olume30number2

That article lists the 1937 production quantities for HMV & equivalent Marconiphone sets:

Table ~~~ HMV 650: 5,000. Marconi 561: 5,000
Console~~HMV 655: 5,000. Marconi 564: 5,000
Radiogram HMV 660: 2,000. Marconi 563: 2,000

The Marconiphone 561 cost 24 guineas (£25.25) in 1937. (Equates to £2,120 in 2023).

I find it remarkable that so many of these high end radios were produced - 24,000 in all, during the period of 'The Great Depression' triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the effects of which were still being felt well into the late 1930s. From 5th - 31 October 1936, when the factories would have been gearing up to go into production, the 'Jarrow Crusade' took place, in which 200 men walked the 275 miles from Jarrow (Tyneside) to London to hand in a petition about unemployment and poverty. (The petition was received, but not debated in Parliament and the men walked home with nothing to show for their efforts). In 1936, UK unemployment levels were 13% overall, (more than one in eight), 7.3% in the S.E, 16.8% in the N.E, 33% in Shipbuilding).

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryU...20and%20beyond

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarrow...hese%20marches

Also, the pace of change in just a decade was astonishing.

Only ten years before these high-end sets went into production, crystal sets and basic valve TRF sets were the norm. Hats of the the engineers, designers and draughtsmen who designed, tooled up, procured materials, set up production lines, recruited and trained the workforce. No CAD - just drawing boards, T squares, sets squares and compasses. Slide rules, tape-measures, rulers and micrometres.

I'm full of admiration for those who have the time, inclination, money and multi-faceted practical and technical skills to competently fully restore (rather than 'do up') these sets. A real 'labour of love'.

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by David G4EBT

I find it remarkable that so many of these high end radios were produced...

Some at least must have been over-produced: I've two little books that each give release dates, retail prices and recommended trade-in allowances for five or six years' worth of models from all the major manufacturers. I'm not sure where they're currently hiding, but I remember that some drastic price reductions after a year or two are recorded: I think the Marconi 563 started at £70.7s.(67 gns,) then was reduced to something close to £40.

Paul

[McMurdo]

I suppose a lot of sets could be rented, it was no doubt big business.

[cathoderay57]

Having recently disposed of my AM-only woodies I retained my HMV 650, having put in a lot of work on the cabinet and innards, with help and advice from Gary Tempest and other Forum members. Although there's not much left on AM worth listening to (I'm not a sports fan) this set is still an excellent performer on the SW bands where at weekends I listen to current "pirates" on 48m band but also having recently heard Radio Delta on 25m band and Rock Power Radio on 41m. Not forgetting the unmistakable Johnny Tobacco playing Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again" when closing down, and Scotland's Weekend Music Radio which comes in strongly here in Bristol. OK, broadcast on SW is mainly Radio China and Radio Romania booming out on every band, but R. New Zealand and Voice of Vietnam pop up from time to time. I think the RF amplifier in the HMV 650 and associated selectivity, coupled to an external long-wire aerial, helps good reception here. When all else fails, it has a quality amp with 2 x KT63 (mine has 2 x 6F6G) in push-pull so sounds good with Bluetooth or a Minimod. Cheers, Jerry

[Julesomega]

I see that Radiomuseum now shows the same chassis being used in the HMV 650, HMV 655, and Marconi 561

That HMV 650 restoration by Gary Tempest is quite superb!

[Aub]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

Huge sets with a weight and performance to match. Here's mine.

Lovely set. I had one in my youth, which I let rot away in a damp shed
I don't think mine was push pull output though and I think the rectifier was a U19 ?

What model would that have been?

Cheers

Aub

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

Some at least must have been over-produced: I've two little books that each give release dates, retail prices and recommended trade-in allowances for five or six years' worth of models from all the major manufacturers.

And now one has turned up, and apparently all these models aside from the HMV 660 were offered at reduced prices in the year after their release: not a common phenomenon, few models were around for more than a single year.

HMV 650: £24.4s. 1937-8 (could be a mistake, all other prices are in round guineas), 19 gns. 1938-9.
Marconi 561: 24 gns. 1937-8, 19 gns. 1938-9.
Marconi 564: 32 gns. 1937-8, 22 gns. 1938-9.
HMV 655: 36 gns. 1937-8, 23 gns. 1938-9.
HMV 660: 62 gns. 1937-8 and 1938-9.
Marconi 563: 67 gns. 1937-8, 39 gns. 1938-9.

The mighty HMV 801 was 80 gns. in 1937-8 and 38-9, dropping to 55 gns. in 1940.

[Tony_Sterling]

i also love restoring Marconis. At the moment I'm restoring two Marconiphones mo.262 1933 vintage. But they have a very large Condenser block with 11 Caps inside and all the Resisters planted on top of the box. The first went ahead very well but the second after I had replaced the condensers and replaced the resistors I then discovered that the valve bases had gone rusty and now all have to be replaced. A long project. Tony

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by Aub

Lovely set. I had one in my youth, which I let rot away in a damp shed
I don't think mine was push pull output though and I think the rectifier was a U19 ?

What model would that have been?

Cheers

Aub

Must have been another HMV model if the valve line up was different to the 650.