Radiophone Value Please.

[ultraviolet]

Hi - I have a Radiophone Valve Radio from my late father's collection. Can anyone suggest an approximate value for it please?

It is nice and clean inside but I don't know if it is working. Enclosed in an Oak wooden enclosure

[newlite4]

Looks like a possible worker, my estimate £40 to £60,
Neil

[Cobaltblue]

Valuing sets like this is really tricky.

Its a very simple set with the possibility that some difficult to replace parts may need replacing (coupling transformer and reed speaker coil).

It is however nice and early and IMHO got a great deal of charm

In an online auction I would expect it to fetch somewhere between £50 and £100

I am basing this assumption on what other sets of similar age have fetched recently such as Graves Vulcan 2 and several Cossor Empire melody makers.

It could fetch more as it's not a common set and does have a built in speaker.

I would be surprised if it fetches in excess of £150 but you never know!

Cheers

Mike T

[ultraviolet]

Neil/ Mike - thank you very much.

[Techman]

The actual speaker cone on this isn't original and looks like it's been re-made by folding a circle of card and cutting and sticking it - you can see the join, also they're usually a black colour. There's usually a small metal cone where the armature comes through the middle of the cone which could be missing, unless it's on the inside. That type of speaker is usually free standing with the radio part in a separate cabinet and it's possible that the radio has been mounted in what started out as just a speaker cabinet, by someone in the very distant past, transferring the fittings and plates from the original radio cabinet. There's some very non-original wiring with a chock block which will have a story to tell!

Having said all of the above, it could well be an original set with a built in speaker, it's just that I've never seen one, and that type of speaker with the coil, armature and horseshoe magnet mounted within the cone, are usually fitted in dedicated cabinets on their own - from what I've seen, anyway.

[Heatercathodeshort]

From Radio! Radio! page 123 [1931] John.

[Techman]

Excellent John - it IS original as built then.

Just a shame about the speaker cone, although it's a reasonable repair and as long as it works.....

[crackle]

Originally Posted by Techman

The actual speaker cone on this isn't original and looks like it's been re-made by folding a circle of card and cutting and sticking it - you can see the join, also they're usually a black colour.

You often do see this type of speaker cone construction on early 1930's budget radios, at least you do on KB radios. There is a small brass stud with a hole and a screw to lock it onto the post of the speaker motor.

Mike

[Paul_RK]

Yes, my guess would be that the cone is original. The radio in its day was designed to be an affordable local station receiver, decorative but with all possible economies used in its production, and there's no easier or cheaper way to produce a 'speaker cone than this.

Paul

[Techman]

You may well both be right, but the those that I've seen have been a very dark colour with no visible join, although it's been a very long time since I last had dealings with one. I would agree that it doesn't look like a very recently made cone. Hopefully we may get some other members to post some pictures of the rear of this type of cone speaker for comparison.

[Boom]

Nice radio BUT. That red modern cabling is awful and totally spoils the look of the insides. It needs replacing with something darker to suit the period.

Pricewise I reckon £40-60

[ultraviolet]

Originally Posted by Techman

The actual speaker cone on this isn't original and looks like it's been re-made by folding a circle of card and cutting and sticking it .

It does look as though there may have been a slightly larger speaker originally - the white glue residue around the edge doesn't seem relate to anthing there now.

I have just found the brass star shaped "thingy" which sat in the middle of the speaker - it was taped to the inside of the box and you can see the outline where it sat.

[Techman]

Since posting last, I've had a look through some of my old bits and pieces and found the electrical innards of one of those speakers. I don't seem to have the black plated brass cone or that star shaped 'thingy' that you mention, but I do remember both of those parts and they could still exist somewhere, although somewhere could be anywhere!

So for interest, I've taken some photos of the part that can't be seen in the previous pictures. As can be seen in the last picture, the coil is still good. I've got a baffle board with a round hole in it up in the loft, so with a sheet of card, some scissors and glue, we could have a working period speaker

P.S. I think you can see the pencil mark by the stuck join on the picture in the first post on this thread, so pretty sure that someone has made that cone to replace the original that was probably badly damaged.

[Cobaltblue]

Cone looks original to me

Its very similar to the ones used in some Cossor sets.

Such as this Silvertone

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/cossor_silvertone.html

The set itself is also similar fitting the same part of the market as described by Paul

Found The Radiophone as well

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/britis...aight_two.html

Cheers

Mike T

[Techman]

My honest opinion is that the cone shown in the Radiomuseum picture is a made up replacement too. There's just something not quite right about it and it looks far too clean. However, I could be completely wrong and happy to be proved so.

[crackle]

Originally Posted by Techman

The actual speaker cone on this isn't original and looks like it's been re-made by folding a circle of card and cutting and sticking it - you can see the join,

I believe you may be wrong sir, the speaker cone looks original to me, many manufacturers used this simple and cheap method.

Mike

[ultraviolet]

Thanks for all the info - it has sparked my interest in the set so I'll build a power supply and see if it works.

The +ve HT lead has a metal tag with HT30 impressed - is that the HT voltage or should I be looking for the 70v as per the Radiomuseum link and I take it 90v would be too much?

[Cobaltblue]

The voltages required are 120, 70, 9 and 2V
The 120 and 70 will not be too critical The 2V is for the filaments and the 9 is the grid Bias so you may need to step it down (Grid Bias batteries were normally taped every 1.5V) to get the anode current right on the output valve

You will need to experiment a bit.

I would first check that there is continuity in the Speaker "motor" or reed and you will need to adjust it so that the actuator is not stuck on one of the pole pieces.

Also there is also what I presume is a step up transformer between the detector and the output these are notorious for becoming open circuit they are usually between 1:3 and 1:5 and wound with very fine wire.

The secondary is usually the problem winding.

Cheers

Mike T

[PJL]

I have a similar speaker but driven from behind the cone on a 1929 5 valve set. It too has the anti-rattle felt trim as in the radiomuseum example but that does not appear to be present on this example.

[ultraviolet]

Originally Posted by Cobaltblue

The voltages required are 120, 70, 9 and 2V
The 120 and 70 will not be too critical The 2V is for the filaments and the 9 is the grid Bias so you may need to step it down (Grid Bias batteries were normally taped every 1.5V) to get the anode current right on the output valve

You will need to experiment a bit.

I would first check that there is continuity in the Speaker "motor" or reed and you will need to adjust it so that the actuator is not stuck on one of the pole pieces.

Also there is also what I presume is a step up transformer between the detector and the output these are notorious for becoming open circuit they are usually between 1:3 and 1:5 and wound with very fine wire.

The secondary is usually the problem winding.

Cheers

Mike T

Thanks Mike - but as a complete noob I am a little confused.

I just have +/- HT inputs and +/- LT inputs - what voltage is required for which these?