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Old 2nd Oct 2019, 5:00 pm   #21
Welsh Anorak
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

The first advert in post #9 says the Tv tube can be 'easily temporarily removed' to enable a gramophone deck to be put in its place. I assume they mean the whole TV section - I would have thought the tube itself wuld be anything other than easliy removed!
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Old 2nd Oct 2019, 6:04 pm   #22
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

EMI went to a great deal of trouble during early 1946. They wrote to all the customers who had purchased EMI TV receivers and asked if they could be collected their receiver for overhaul just prior to the restart of the service. This must have been quite a difficult exercise as many people were displaced during the war.
This service was carried out FOC for receivers that were under guarantee at the outbreak of WW2 and charged at a nominal rate for out of guarantee receivers.

It seems such a shame that a company that put together the 405 line system in 1936, and went to all the trouble to reinstate the service in 1946, should end it's television production just 10 years after it's post war start up after having produced a miserable range from 1948. John.
PS Glyn, the 15" tube was MASSIVE! Removal of the TV chassis may have been difficult.
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Old 2nd Oct 2019, 6:21 pm   #23
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

Does anyone know why EMI produced such poor sets after previously providing well engineered sets with good support. "Setmakers" refers to there attempt to compete on price, but does not go into what the management were doing to let that happen. Was there a change of leaders in the period?
I would be interested to know.
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Old 2nd Oct 2019, 7:10 pm   #24
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

I wonder who the techies were within EMI in the 1806/1807 TV era. Part of me suspects they were a bit too enthusiastic in embracing 'new' technology post-WWII whereas other TV-makers did a more softly-softly approach to what was still 'leading-edge' for high-street consumer electronics.

[KB also had problems with some of the first Brimar series-heater-chain valves]

And let's not mention the Mazda valve-range from the era - which flaked coating off the heaters and led to catastrophic flashovers/failures.

U801 anybody??

http://www.r-type.org/exhib/aay0008.htm
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Old 2nd Oct 2019, 7:41 pm   #25
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

Quote:
Originally Posted by bobsterkent View Post
Quote:
I believe it was turned off without announcement half way through a Micky Mouse cartoon.
this was the popular myth. the PasB for the day shows what actually happened

https://www.teletronic.co.uk/pages/h...the_bbc_7.html
Popular myth but so far from the truth then?!
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Old 2nd Oct 2019, 10:50 pm   #26
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

I was also surprised EMI threw in the towel so early & licenced HMV & Marconiphone to Thorn.

Same for English Electric's brief time making sets.

GEC also dropped out of the TV market for a few years before buying Sobel.
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Old 2nd Oct 2019, 11:02 pm   #27
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

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Originally Posted by stevehertz View Post
Popular myth but so far from the truth then?!
As far as I can see, the only real inaccuracy is that the film ran its course - the PasB states that no announcement was broadcast, so the film was followed by test signals and then silence. Pretty abrupt cessation, I'd say...
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Old 2nd Oct 2019, 11:15 pm   #28
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

I suppose the loss of Alan Blumlein might have been a factor in EMI's post war TV fortunes, he'd done so much there during TV's development.
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Old 3rd Oct 2019, 8:06 am   #29
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

Absolutely! The 1805 series was the last of the quality receivers from EMI and a cracker it was. The 1946 1803/4 were basically the pre war model with just a few valve changes, namely the inconsistent Z66 replacing the KTZ41. There must have been a few pre war EMI models that were released in 1946 to selected dealers.
It fell to bits after after 1948, the first difficult model being the 1807 series. It never got much better. John.
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Old 3rd Oct 2019, 8:48 am   #30
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

Quote:
the first difficult model being the 1807 series.
I have three examples of this chassis, these sets were riddled with problems, mainly from poor components, CRT's that had a short life & poor design.

After restoration with modern reliable components, these sets do work reliably, but picture quality is not up to the standards of Pye, Ekco & Bush sets of the time.

EMI products were of outstanding quality in the prewar years & were certainly a high end choice, such a shame that the 50's saw the decline in quality and the name being stuck on Ferguson sets.

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Old 3rd Oct 2019, 12:37 pm   #31
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

Didn’t HMV/EMI make their own resistors and capacitors in house to lower cost rather than go to TCC Hunts ECT. to buy components?

These in house components then played havoc with stability and drift of the receivers along with a bad choice of valves designed into the various stages of the receiver meaning that they were operating near to their design limits causing even more issues and short life when they Started aging.
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Old 3rd Oct 2019, 12:56 pm   #32
stevehertz
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Kendall View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevehertz View Post
Popular myth but so far from the truth then?!
As far as I can see, the only real inaccuracy is that the film ran its course - the PasB states that no announcement was broadcast, so the film was followed by test signals and then silence. Pretty abrupt cessation, I'd say...
My quote was supposed to say "NOT so far from the truth..". My mistake on that count. But anyway, it seems to be a popular 'theme' in the world of vintage TV for there to be 'popular myths'. This one seems to be a 'half myth' if I may confuse things even further..
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Old 3rd Oct 2019, 7:01 pm   #33
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

What a relief it must have been for EMI dealers when they received their first batch of Thorn HMV's.
The first model was fitted with the Ferguson 306T chassis. I think the model number was 1864. Solid and reliable with Mullard valves and tube. J.
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Old 8th Oct 2019, 12:31 am   #34
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

Before WW2 and for while after EMI operated on the "vertical integration" principle. Just about everything was made in house, even down to making their own screws and the like. Those beautiful cabinets were made in the companies' works, no outside contractors as would be by most other radio manufactures.
Those post-war TV sets such as the 1807 might have rubbish electronics but the cabinets were still made to the standard one would expect from the firm.

About vertical integration: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v...ntegration.asp

DFWB.
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Old 8th Oct 2019, 1:59 pm   #35
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

I agree David but the public wanted a reliable television not just a high quality cabinet that served no purpose other than look expensive.
The television only lasted 10 years and a lot less for the 1807 series and all those quality cabinets ended up on the bonfire. The forward thinking manufacturers knew that it had to look smart and a lot can be done with machined plywood. Regards, John.
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Old 8th Oct 2019, 2:05 pm   #36
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

The building where the in-house cabinets were so lovingly crafted was still known as the "Cabinet Factory" long after the Thorn takeover and well into the 1980s....
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Old 8th Oct 2019, 3:12 pm   #37
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

Way back in the eighties I was chatting to an old EMI engineer from the 'early days' who told me with pride, "trees went into to back of the factory and televisions came out of the front.
What a wonderful factory that must have been.
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Old 8th Oct 2019, 3:46 pm   #38
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

I believe the wood for those cabinets was seasoned in the Grand Union canal.

DFWB.
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Old 8th Oct 2019, 5:53 pm   #39
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

Yes David, I'm certain I read somewhere that the timber was floated down the GUC to EMI and made up at the factory. I believe they made their own plywood! J.
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Old 8th Oct 2019, 7:37 pm   #40
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Default Re: Unsold Pre-War TV sets

Quote:
The television only lasted 10 years and a lot less for the 1807 series and all those quality cabinets ended up on the bonfire.
Even more miraculous that many 1807 variants still survive, I have two console and one table model, and all three have been restored to working order

I have to say that the quality of EMI cabinets was second to none, I have several HMV/Marconi prewar radios, so over engineered and a joy to behold!

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