1953 PYE P78 AC mains 4 valve compact MW/LW table radio - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

howard · 23rd Jan 2011, 2:13 pm

Hello again,

I haven't seen many of these little 1953 PYE P78 radios around, probably because they were not built for long, released in September 1953 to replace the P43 model and then replaced by the P178 in 1954. They have the same bakelite cabinet as the earlier P43 and the fronts were either painted white with aluminium trims, or cream and gold with brass trims. The chassis is similar to the P43 but with a complement of ECH42, EBF80, ECL80 and EZ40 valves. The component count in these sets is remarkably low so they would definitely suit a first time restorer, yet despite their simplicity, they work well with just their internal frame aerials, and having a mains transformer, they don't get hot.

I built this one from two scrap sets for next to nothing, a white fronted one with a smashed cabinet which came in a box of valves sets bought for £5, and a cream/gold fronted one with a very rusty chassis bought at a car boot sale for £1. I actually assembled the set 18 months ago but didn't have a loudspeaker for it as both the originals were duff but last week I decided to pinch one from an incomplete P178 to complete it. Trader sheet 1175 covers the P78 and it and the PYE service manual are both available here .....

http://www.service-data.com/section.php/6664/1

The chassis in the white fronted set was working OK as it had had its original tubular capacitors replaced but with striped Mullard types, so I replaced them with more authentic looking polyester axials. The electrolytics had been replaced by reclaimed capacitors so I replaced those with new axials, stuffing one 50uf into the original cardboard case. The original 16uf+16uf+16uf smoothing capacitor had likewise been replaced by a 16uf+16uf reclaimed can and an 8uF axial hanging in mid-air underneath so as I was unable to locate an original replacement I replaced the former with a NOS 16uf+16uf can and the latter with a 16uf 450v axial and clipped it tidily to the side of the chassis. However all four valves were excellent and the radio was working quite well except for its disintegrating R&A loudspeaker so I set about restoring the outer case from the cream/gold scrap set.

I removed the glass dial and trims and stripped the paint off the front of the case with Nitromors and resprayed it with Plasti-kote satin finish Porcelain coloured paint. The rest of the case which was a bit dull I polished up with Brasso and then with beeswax in turpentine polish applied with very fine wire wool. I reassembled the case using the aluminium trims and the better of the two glass dials.

The set was reassembled and left for 18 months in the hope of finding a decent loudspeaker for it and eventually a P178 turned up which was much too nice to scrap but incomplete so I pinched the loudspeaker out of that. The voltages on the valves were checked and they didn't quite tally with those in the Trader sheet so I checked its all its resistors and found four which had strayed well beyond spec and replaced them all, and that sorted it out. The set was realigned and it now works very well indeed.

This is a pretty, well built little radio and it works well picking up everything on both MW and LW loud and clear, and it was a cinch to repair. If you see one of these quite rare PYE P78s for sale, grab it, they're very good. Do check the loudspeaker though, the frames on these R&A elliptcal loudspeakers tend to rust all around the rim so the paper cones come completely detached.

Howard

paulsherwin · 23rd Jan 2011, 3:22 pm

As you say, an interesting set. Very few radios used ECL80s - I get the impression that this was envisaged to be an ideal valve for small radios when it was introduced, but it proved tricky to design stable audio amps around it because of the shared cathode. The extra triode should provide useful additional gain when compared with the EL41 in the P43.

JoshWard · 23rd Jan 2011, 3:32 pm

I'm not a fan of the P43 or the P178 but this is a sweet looking thing. The trim around the knobs seems to lift it somewhat.

Very nice

howard · 23rd Jan 2011, 4:04 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

As you say, an interesting set. Very few radios used ECL80s - I get the impression that this was envisaged to be an ideal valve for small radios when it was introduced, but it proved tricky to design stable audio amps around it because of the shared cathode. The extra triode should provide useful additional gain when compared with the EL41 in the P43.

This P78 definitely has more gain than my P43s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshWard

I'm not a fan of the P43 or the P178 but this is a sweet looking thing. The trim around the knobs seems to lift it somewhat.

Very nice

With its white front and its dial trims it's not so austere looking as the P43, but the white P43 is a fun set if a bit OTT with its orange knobs ! The P178/P178A is a good radio too IMHO and has SW that works.

Looking through my pics of the original chassis I've just realised I made an error above, the original 16uf+16uf+16uf smoothing electrolytic had in fact been replaced by three reclaimed capacitors, a single 100uf Lorlin can in place of the original can which wasn't fixed securely to the chassis, a Daewoo 100uf which was rated at only 200v and had definitely overheated and an 8uf LCR axial. It was worse than I thought !

Howard

JoshWard · 23rd Jan 2011, 7:39 pm

Ah I forgot about the white P43! I was thinking more of the one in Mr Sherwin's avatar which looks almost military with it's painted front.
I used to have a P178 and it worked well I just didn't like the style of it. Not quite sure what the Pye designers were thinking at this time (especially with the orange knobs on the P43!)

paulsherwin · 23rd Jan 2011, 8:10 pm

Pye certainly got their money's worth out of this case. It was produced in a bewildering variety of colours with all sorts of different knobs and scale designs. The one in the avatar has had the silver resprayed, but was originally painted silver when it left the factory. Oddly the scale lamp bulb only lights up a Pye logo, and not the tuning scale itself.

I think Howard's P78 looks much better than my P43.

geofy · 24th Jan 2011, 12:54 pm

Another nice restoration Howard, prefer these sets to the ones with droppers in them. Though I have not come across a speaker that is so rusty that it has not been possible to repair it. I have found some with rust where the cone is attached but with modern rustproofing paints it is possible to treat the rust and glue the cone back. I have a few speakers which look a bit tatty but work fine.

23rd Jan 2011, 2:13 pm	#1
howard Nonode Join Date: May 2005 Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK. Posts: 2,593	1953 PYE P78 AC mains 4 valve compact MW/LW table radio Hello again, I haven't seen many of these little 1953 PYE P78 radios around, probably because they were not built for long, released in September 1953 to replace the P43 model and then replaced by the P178 in 1954. They have the same bakelite cabinet as the earlier P43 and the fronts were either painted white with aluminium trims, or cream and gold with brass trims. The chassis is similar to the P43 but with a complement of ECH42, EBF80, ECL80 and EZ40 valves. The component count in these sets is remarkably low so they would definitely suit a first time restorer, yet despite their simplicity, they work well with just their internal frame aerials, and having a mains transformer, they don't get hot. I built this one from two scrap sets for next to nothing, a white fronted one with a smashed cabinet which came in a box of valves sets bought for £5, and a cream/gold fronted one with a very rusty chassis bought at a car boot sale for £1. I actually assembled the set 18 months ago but didn't have a loudspeaker for it as both the originals were duff but last week I decided to pinch one from an incomplete P178 to complete it. Trader sheet 1175 covers the P78 and it and the PYE service manual are both available here ..... http://www.service-data.com/section.php/6664/1 The chassis in the white fronted set was working OK as it had had its original tubular capacitors replaced but with striped Mullard types, so I replaced them with more authentic looking polyester axials. The electrolytics had been replaced by reclaimed capacitors so I replaced those with new axials, stuffing one 50uf into the original cardboard case. The original 16uf+16uf+16uf smoothing capacitor had likewise been replaced by a 16uf+16uf reclaimed can and an 8uF axial hanging in mid-air underneath so as I was unable to locate an original replacement I replaced the former with a NOS 16uf+16uf can and the latter with a 16uf 450v axial and clipped it tidily to the side of the chassis. However all four valves were excellent and the radio was working quite well except for its disintegrating R&A loudspeaker so I set about restoring the outer case from the cream/gold scrap set. I removed the glass dial and trims and stripped the paint off the front of the case with Nitromors and resprayed it with Plasti-kote satin finish Porcelain coloured paint. The rest of the case which was a bit dull I polished up with Brasso and then with beeswax in turpentine polish applied with very fine wire wool. I reassembled the case using the aluminium trims and the better of the two glass dials. The set was reassembled and left for 18 months in the hope of finding a decent loudspeaker for it and eventually a P178 turned up which was much too nice to scrap but incomplete so I pinched the loudspeaker out of that. The voltages on the valves were checked and they didn't quite tally with those in the Trader sheet so I checked its all its resistors and found four which had strayed well beyond spec and replaced them all, and that sorted it out. The set was realigned and it now works very well indeed. This is a pretty, well built little radio and it works well picking up everything on both MW and LW loud and clear, and it was a cinch to repair. If you see one of these quite rare PYE P78s for sale, grab it, they're very good. Do check the loudspeaker though, the frames on these R&A elliptcal loudspeakers tend to rust all around the rim so the paper cones come completely detached. Howard Attached Thumbnails

23rd Jan 2011, 3:22 pm	#2
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,970	Re: 1953 PYE P78 AC mains 4 valve compact MW/LW table radio As you say, an interesting set. Very few radios used ECL80s - I get the impression that this was envisaged to be an ideal valve for small radios when it was introduced, but it proved tricky to design stable audio amps around it because of the shared cathode. The extra triode should provide useful additional gain when compared with the EL41 in the P43.

23rd Jan 2011, 3:32 pm	#3
JoshWard Octode Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Near Stowmarket, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 1,962	Re: 1953 PYE P78 AC mains 4 valve compact MW/LW table radio I'm not a fan of the P43 or the P178 but this is a sweet looking thing. The trim around the knobs seems to lift it somewhat. Very nice

23rd Jan 2011, 7:39 pm	#5
JoshWard Octode Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Near Stowmarket, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 1,962	Re: 1953 PYE P78 AC mains 4 valve compact MW/LW table radio Ah I forgot about the white P43! I was thinking more of the one in Mr Sherwin's avatar which looks almost military with it's painted front. I used to have a P178 and it worked well I just didn't like the style of it. Not quite sure what the Pye designers were thinking at this time (especially with the orange knobs on the P43!)

23rd Jan 2011, 8:10 pm	#6
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,970	Re: 1953 PYE P78 AC mains 4 valve compact MW/LW table radio Pye certainly got their money's worth out of this case. It was produced in a bewildering variety of colours with all sorts of different knobs and scale designs. The one in the avatar has had the silver resprayed, but was originally painted silver when it left the factory. Oddly the scale lamp bulb only lights up a Pye logo, and not the tuning scale itself. I think Howard's P78 looks much better than my P43.

24th Jan 2011, 12:54 pm	#7
geofy Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,798	Re: 1953 PYE P78 AC mains 4 valve compact MW/LW table radio Another nice restoration Howard, prefer these sets to the ones with droppers in them. Though I have not come across a speaker that is so rusty that it has not been possible to repair it. I have found some with rust where the cone is attached but with modern rustproofing paints it is possible to treat the rust and glue the cone back. I have a few speakers which look a bit tatty but work fine.