My first radio! 57-year old Perdio Mini-66 rediscovered in the loft! - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Phil__G · 16th Aug 2022, 9:41 pm

Here's yet another "when I were a lad..." story!
As a not-so-well-off family many of our presents were secondhand,
and as a boy of 10 I'd wanted a radio of my own. Santa duly
obliged with this long-lost Perdio Mini-66

I found it the other
night in a loft rummage, and horror of horrors, it still had a
decades-old battery inside. Though completely dead, unbelievably
there was no leakage and with a fresh PP3 it worked straight away,
the volume pot was a bit scratchy and the M/W band switch needed a
few jiggles, but I was chuffed to bits to find it still worked after
57 years

fifty-seven years from secondhand!!!
As a kid I remember medium-wave came alive at night and many happy hours spent
tuning up and down the band long after I was supposed to go to sleep.
It originally had a pouch with an impractical crystal earpiece, of the
whistling hearing-aid type, that I rarely used

The radio is a bit tatty now, the case back doesnt quite fit properly, the speaker grille
is distorted and has some verdigris, and of course the white plastic has yellowed.
Maybe Retrobrite?

I looked the Mini-66 up online and found that it was first made in
1962, and although the documents say it had a fixed 200khz long-wave
option, mine is tunable on LW - perhaps only a few 10s of khz
either way, but definitely tunable. The PCB has the legend "Made in England"
and nowhere is there an "Empire made" so it seems its an early "Perdio (London) era" one.

Happy days

Here's a video:
https://youtu.be/rDDwwZkepb0

Paul_RK · 16th Aug 2022, 10:05 pm

Always good to be reunited

I have one in the same colour scheme, same red leather case - it's only been with me about thirty years, though. It's had a gentler life, at least its speaker grille has, and the earpiece is still there in the compartment provided in the top of the leather handle. The original owner has written his name inside the carrying case, with a Whitley Bay address. I may still have an all-red plastic version of the set lurking somewhere too.

Paul

60 oldjohn · 16th Aug 2022, 10:27 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil__G

, and of course the white plastic has yellowed.
Maybe Retrobrite?

You may have better luck with Peroxide + UV light, please Google it.

John.

Richard_FM · 16th Aug 2022, 10:59 pm

Good to hear, quite a few British radios were nominally Medium Wave only but had a section at the end of the scale to pick up the Light Programme on Long Wave.

16th Aug 2022, 9:41 pm	#1
Phil__G Octode Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: North Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,115	My first radio! 57-year old Perdio Mini-66 rediscovered in the loft! Here's yet another "when I were a lad..." story! As a not-so-well-off family many of our presents were secondhand, and as a boy of 10 I'd wanted a radio of my own. Santa duly obliged with this long-lost Perdio Mini-66 I found it the other night in a loft rummage, and horror of horrors, it still had a decades-old battery inside. Though completely dead, unbelievably there was no leakage and with a fresh PP3 it worked straight away, the volume pot was a bit scratchy and the M/W band switch needed a few jiggles, but I was chuffed to bits to find it still worked after 57 years fifty-seven years from secondhand!!! As a kid I remember medium-wave came alive at night and many happy hours spent tuning up and down the band long after I was supposed to go to sleep. It originally had a pouch with an impractical crystal earpiece, of the whistling hearing-aid type, that I rarely used The radio is a bit tatty now, the case back doesnt quite fit properly, the speaker grille is distorted and has some verdigris, and of course the white plastic has yellowed. Maybe Retrobrite? I looked the Mini-66 up online and found that it was first made in 1962, and although the documents say it had a fixed 200khz long-wave option, mine is tunable on LW - perhaps only a few 10s of khz either way, but definitely tunable. The PCB has the legend "Made in England" and nowhere is there an "Empire made" so it seems its an early "Perdio (London) era" one. Happy days Here's a video: https://youtu.be/rDDwwZkepb0 Last edited by Phil__G; 16th Aug 2022 at 10:07 pm.

16th Aug 2022, 10:05 pm	#2
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,255	Re: My first radio! 57-year old Perdio Mini-66 rediscovered in the loft! Always good to be reunited I have one in the same colour scheme, same red leather case - it's only been with me about thirty years, though. It's had a gentler life, at least its speaker grille has, and the earpiece is still there in the compartment provided in the top of the leather handle. The original owner has written his name inside the carrying case, with a Whitley Bay address. I may still have an all-red plastic version of the set lurking somewhere too. Paul

16th Aug 2022, 10:59 pm	#4
Richard_FM Nonode Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 2,002	Re: My first radio! 57-year old Perdio Mini-66 rediscovered in the loft! Good to hear, quite a few British radios were nominally Medium Wave only but had a section at the end of the scale to pick up the Light Programme on Long Wave. __________________ Hello IT: Have you Tried Turning It Off & On Again?