Salvage Hunters - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

M0FYA Andy · 29th Mar 2020, 2:30 pm

I just caught an episode of 'Salvage Hunters' on Quest TV, where a number of splendid BBC Studio clocks made by Gents of Leicester were acquired (I didn't see that bit of the programme). Back at the restoration base it was declared "these were intended to be driven by a Master Clock, so we have to replace the entire mechanism", which they did, installing a ubiquitous quartz movement and replacement hands, thus totally destroying the originality and authenticity of a historic item.

When will people learn that a slave/impulse clock can be driven by a modern Impulse Generator in place of the original Master Clock, without any need to wreck the original item?

Andy

ben · 29th Mar 2020, 2:36 pm

Shocking. Ignorance disseminated on a grand scale.

M0FYA Andy · 29th Mar 2020, 2:41 pm

What really annoys me is that the perpetrators would claim to be professionals with a serious interest in history.

Andy

Refugee · 29th Mar 2020, 2:59 pm

They are stupid.
You only need to count down the mains frequency and feed them with the pulses as they would have been when they were new.

McMurdo · 29th Mar 2020, 4:16 pm

Here's the item in question if anyone missed the programme.

https://www.drewpritchard.co.uk/prod...-studiio-clock

cheerfulcharlie · 29th Mar 2020, 4:24 pm

Seen what Salvage Hunters do to clocks before...

They stick a 5 quid quartz movement onto the huge weighty hands of an even larger public building ancient clock (I wonder if the mech lasts longer than the battery?)

audiomagpie · 29th Mar 2020, 5:00 pm

Quick turn around, quick money, that is essentially what the program is about...

high_vacuum_house · 29th Mar 2020, 5:30 pm

Least they didn’t change the red bulbs for trendy blue LED ones!!

Christopher Capener

red16v · 29th Mar 2020, 5:35 pm

We had these all over our studio centre, I think they were driven by a bi-phase pulse from the master unit. In the end they were all replaced with modern time code versions, but, there was one that couldn’t be replaced. It’s quite common for a clock to be positioned high up in a tv studio so that people on the floor can see it and keep track of time. In our case, these clocks were mounted high up just below the lighting gantry. It must have been approaching 3ft in diameter and there was no modern equivalent being manufactured any more. One of my very clever colleagues designed and built a timecode>pulse decoder to drive the original clocks. To the best of my knowledge they are still there 50 years later and about 20 years after they were interfaced to the new decoders.

Alvin · 29th Mar 2020, 5:46 pm

Pure nostalgia.............my working life was ruled by these clocks when I worked as a tech op at Broadcasting House from Dec 70 to June 77 so very sad to see them end up like this!

Test Desk · 30th Mar 2020, 8:00 am

I think most larger GPO/BT Strowger telephone exchanges had these Gent clock systems installed at the time of construction. I remember an old boy explaining how it worked when I was an apprentice back in the sixties. Is Gents pronounced with a hard or soft G?
I nearly bought a car from a Mr. S. Windle. but I found a big hole in the cill. A least I gave him a chance with his dodgy name!

red16v · 30th Mar 2020, 8:50 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Test Desk

I think most larger GPO/BT Strowger telephone exchanges had these Gent clock systems installed at the time of construction. I remember an old boy explaining how it worked when I was an apprentice back in the sixties. Is Gents pronounced with a hard or soft G?
I nearly bought a car from a Mr. S. Windle. but I found a big hole in the cill. A least I gave him a chance with his dodgy name!

Soft ‘G’.

Junk Box Nick · 30th Mar 2020, 10:31 am

When ever I mention restoration to the uninitiated, especially the time involved, I get the "oh, I saw XYZ on TV and they did it in a week". They then proceed to tell me how it's all done. (Had an instance a only a couple of months ago. I change the subject.) Well, if it's on TV it must be right.

A lot of us on this forum must have wasted an awful lot of time - time that we could have spent, feet up, watching TV...

OT I remember Doolittle & Dalley in Kidderminster. Went past the office in, I think, Mason Road, frequently in my youth. About twenty years ago a friend of mine had his house conveyancing done by a firm called Wright Hassall.

Radio Wrangler · 30th Mar 2020, 10:53 am

I suppose the fun ends with Mr Box, the undertaker, whose shop I passed a few weeks ago.

David

Station X · 30th Mar 2020, 10:59 am

Indeed it does. Thread closed.

29th Mar 2020, 2:30 pm	#1
M0FYA Andy Nonode Join Date: May 2007 Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 2,511	Salvage Hunters I just caught an episode of 'Salvage Hunters' on Quest TV, where a number of splendid BBC Studio clocks made by Gents of Leicester were acquired (I didn't see that bit of the programme). Back at the restoration base it was declared "these were intended to be driven by a Master Clock, so we have to replace the entire mechanism", which they did, installing a ubiquitous quartz movement and replacement hands, thus totally destroying the originality and authenticity of a historic item. When will people learn that a slave/impulse clock can be driven by a modern Impulse Generator in place of the original Master Clock, without any need to wreck the original item? Andy

29th Mar 2020, 2:36 pm	#2
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	Re: Salvage Hunters Shocking. Ignorance disseminated on a grand scale. __________________ Regards, Ben.

29th Mar 2020, 2:41 pm	#3
M0FYA Andy Nonode Join Date: May 2007 Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 2,511	Re: Salvage Hunters What really annoys me is that the perpetrators would claim to be professionals with a serious interest in history. Andy

29th Mar 2020, 2:59 pm	#4
Refugee Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK. Posts: 5,553	Re: Salvage Hunters They are stupid. You only need to count down the mains frequency and feed them with the pulses as they would have been when they were new.

29th Mar 2020, 4:16 pm	#5
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,269	Re: Salvage Hunters Here's the item in question if anyone missed the programme. https://www.drewpritchard.co.uk/prod...-studiio-clock Attached Thumbnails __________________ Kevin

29th Mar 2020, 4:24 pm	#6
cheerfulcharlie Heptode Join Date: May 2009 Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 708	Re: Salvage Hunters Seen what Salvage Hunters do to clocks before... They stick a 5 quid quartz movement onto the huge weighty hands of an even larger public building ancient clock (I wonder if the mech lasts longer than the battery?)

29th Mar 2020, 5:00 pm	#7
audiomagpie Heptode Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Rugby, Warwickshire, UK. Posts: 822	Re: Salvage Hunters Quick turn around, quick money, that is essentially what the program is about... __________________ Greg BVWS committee chairman

29th Mar 2020, 5:30 pm	#8
high_vacuum_house Octode Join Date: May 2003 Location: Belper Derbyshire Posts: 1,934	Re: Salvage Hunters Least they didn’t change the red bulbs for trendy blue LED ones!! Christopher Capener __________________ Interests in the collection and restoration of Tefifon players and 405 line television

29th Mar 2020, 5:35 pm	#9
red16v Heptode Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Winchester, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 638	Re: Salvage Hunters We had these all over our studio centre, I think they were driven by a bi-phase pulse from the master unit. In the end they were all replaced with modern time code versions, but, there was one that couldn’t be replaced. It’s quite common for a clock to be positioned high up in a tv studio so that people on the floor can see it and keep track of time. In our case, these clocks were mounted high up just below the lighting gantry. It must have been approaching 3ft in diameter and there was no modern equivalent being manufactured any more. One of my very clever colleagues designed and built a timecode>pulse decoder to drive the original clocks. To the best of my knowledge they are still there 50 years later and about 20 years after they were interfaced to the new decoders.

29th Mar 2020, 5:46 pm	#10
Alvin Heptode Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: East London, UK. Posts: 761	Re: Salvage Hunters Pure nostalgia.............my working life was ruled by these clocks when I worked as a tech op at Broadcasting House from Dec 70 to June 77 so very sad to see them end up like this!

30th Mar 2020, 8:00 am	#11
Test Desk Tetrode Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 63	Re: Salvage Hunters I think most larger GPO/BT Strowger telephone exchanges had these Gent clock systems installed at the time of construction. I remember an old boy explaining how it worked when I was an apprentice back in the sixties. Is Gents pronounced with a hard or soft G? I nearly bought a car from a Mr. S. Windle. but I found a big hole in the cill. A least I gave him a chance with his dodgy name!

30th Mar 2020, 10:31 am	#13
Junk Box Nick Octode Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: West Midlands, UK. Posts: 1,571	Re: Salvage Hunters When ever I mention restoration to the uninitiated, especially the time involved, I get the "oh, I saw XYZ on TV and they did it in a week". They then proceed to tell me how it's all done. (Had an instance a only a couple of months ago. I change the subject.) Well, if it's on TV it must be right. A lot of us on this forum must have wasted an awful lot of time - time that we could have spent, feet up, watching TV... OT I remember Doolittle & Dalley in Kidderminster. Went past the office in, I think, Mason Road, frequently in my youth. About twenty years ago a friend of mine had his house conveyancing done by a firm called Wright Hassall.

30th Mar 2020, 10:53 am	#14
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,858	Re: Salvage Hunters I suppose the fun ends with Mr Box, the undertaker, whose shop I passed a few weeks ago. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

30th Mar 2020, 10:59 am	#15
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,286	Re: Salvage Hunters Indeed it does. Thread closed. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.