UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > Specific Vintage Equipment > Vintage Test Gear and Workshop Equipment

Notices

Vintage Test Gear and Workshop Equipment For discussions about vintage test gear and workshop equipment such as coil winders.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 7th Mar 2019, 12:31 pm   #121
David G4EBT
Dekatron
 
David G4EBT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 5,736
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

This isn't 'steampunk' - it's the genuine article, which pre-dates such frivolity!

A combined radio & table lamp from April 1961 Practical Wireless. which uses a 40 Watt light bulb in place of a mains dropper.

I've just had a trip down memory lane, looking at the front covers of five decades of PWs before taking them to the tip, and this caught my eye.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	PW Radio Table Lamp.jpg
Views:	150
Size:	53.9 KB
ID:	179531  
__________________
David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club member 1339.
David G4EBT is online now  
Old 7th Mar 2019, 12:51 pm   #122
ms660
Dekatron
 
ms660's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 13,454
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Classic heater circuit.

Lawrence.

Last edited by ms660; 7th Mar 2019 at 1:12 pm.
ms660 is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2019, 1:48 pm   #123
ajgriff
Nonode
 
ajgriff's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 2,583
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Quote:
Originally Posted by David G4EBT View Post

I've just had a trip down memory lane, looking at the front covers of five decades of PWs before taking them to the tip .......
Why not offer them in the appropriate forum section David? It seems a shame to tip them. Perhaps it's too late or maybe you've already tried to give them away.

Alan
ajgriff is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2019, 1:55 pm   #124
Uncle Bulgaria
Nonode
 
Uncle Bulgaria's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 2,314
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Quote:
Originally Posted by ajgriff View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by David G4EBT View Post

I've just had a trip down memory lane, looking at the front covers of five decades of PWs before taking them to the tip .......
Why not offer them in the appropriate forum section David? It seems a shame to tip them. Perhaps it's too late or maybe you've already tried to give them away.

Alan
Or at least try Freecycle! I haven't had to go to the tip (sorry, 'household waste recycling centre') for ages for anything until I've built up a stock of nasty chemicals or engine oil. Everything else gets passed on through Freecycle, even if it's as apparently odd as half a tin of paint.

I'd certainly be glad if the GP or dentist had such things in their waiting rooms instead of aged gossip rags... ;-)
Uncle Bulgaria is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2019, 4:17 pm   #125
David G4EBT
Dekatron
 
David G4EBT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 5,736
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Quote:
Originally Posted by ajgriff View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by David G4EBT View Post

I've just had a trip down memory lane, looking at the front covers of five decades of PWs before taking them to the tip .......
Why not offer them in the appropriate forum section David? It seems a shame to tip them. Perhaps it's too late or maybe you've already tried to give them away.

Alan
There's little interest in old radio magazines these days Alan, and little enough interest in homebrew - these have been back and forth to several radio rallies with no interest. I took quite a few to Golborne to put on the B&B for donations to the Museum, but if stuff doesn't sell, (and they didn't), you have to bring them back. What tends to happen if they're offered on the forum is several requests for odd issues which are missing from forum members' collections, such as:

"I need August 1978, April, July, and Sept 1980 and March & October 1992" so you have to sift through several hundred magazines to extract them, pack them, go to the Post Office to check the postage etc. Or because of the weight, requests for whole years, then result in attempts to get other forum members to collect them from me to get them to Bristol or wherever. It becomes a very time consuming logistical nightmare.

Most of the magazines, though perhaps of passing interest, feature articles which require transistors, ICs and coils (Denco/Osmor/Weyrad/Electroniques etc) that have long since become obsolete. Other designs - for example test gear such as capacitance meters, LCR bridges, transistor testers and the like, though perfectly practical to build from everyday components, have long since been overtaken by events, given that digital LCR/transistor testers can be had for a tenner from China.

As to Practical Wireless the marvellous American Radio History archive has almost the complete set from its inception in 1932 up to 1999:

https://www.americanradiohistory.com...s_Magazine.htm

I don't have any beyond 2000 as ceased to be 'practical' or about wireless - it morphed into a ham radio mag with little technical content, so of no interest to me.

Similarly, there is a complete archive of Radio Constructor from its inception on 1947 to its cessation in 1981:

https://www.americanradiohistory.com...r_Magazine.htm

Likewise, Short Wave Magazine is almost a complete run from 1946 - 1998:

https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Short_Wave_UK.htm

As others who have discarded old magazines (in my case going back to 1954) will attest, it's quite a wistful experience, which is why we tend to avoid the task, put them in the loft and forget about them, but I've got my sensible head on today, so the deed is done! Really quite scary to see the articles on the PW Purbeck 'scope that I built back in 1978. Can it really be 41 years ago that I built it? It seems like last week.
__________________
David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club member 1339.
David G4EBT is online now  
Old 7th Mar 2019, 4:41 pm   #126
ajgriff
Nonode
 
ajgriff's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 2,583
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Quite understand David. Just me being sentimental rather than realistic.

Alan
ajgriff is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2019, 5:08 pm   #127
Heatercathodeshort
Dekatron
 
Heatercathodeshort's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING.
Posts: 9,145
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lloyd 1985 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinewave View Post
A lamp in anything, where will this go...
Sorry, I couldn’t resist

Regards
Lloyd
Fake News! I can see the two wires leading from your neck that power it! J.
Heatercathodeshort is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2019, 5:14 pm   #128
David G4EBT
Dekatron
 
David G4EBT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 5,736
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Quote:
Originally Posted by ajgriff View Post
Quite understand David. Just me being sentimental rather than realistic.

Alan
That's what's held me back from ditching them till now Alan!

And Radcoms, SPRATS, Bygones, SWM, HRT, Radio Constructor, Everyday Electronics, ETI etc, etc.
__________________
David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club member 1339.
David G4EBT is online now  
Old 7th Mar 2019, 5:48 pm   #129
Lloyd 1985
Nonode
 
Lloyd 1985's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,814
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Heatercathodeshort View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lloyd 1985 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinewave View Post
A lamp in anything, where will this go...
Sorry, I couldn’t resist

Regards
Lloyd
Fake News! I can see the two wires leading from your neck that power it! J.
Haha!! It does look like it doesn’t it! It’s actually a solar powered garden light from Wilko, great for doing the ‘Uncle Fester’ trick all the electronics and a tiny battery are contained in the massive ES style base!

Regards
Lloyd
Lloyd 1985 is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2019, 9:10 pm   #130
The Philpott
Dekatron
 
The Philpott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,081
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

I find the Steampunk lifestyle choice of dressing up as Phileas Fogg or Mina Harker....a bit weird...but each to his own.

The issues Ihave with actual steampunk artefacts are the profit versus effort ratio, and more critically the loss of original function and therefore meaning. It's still on the rise unfortunately, it certainly hasn't peaked yet.

Dave
The Philpott is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2019, 9:44 pm   #131
Uncle Bulgaria
Nonode
 
Uncle Bulgaria's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 2,314
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Philpott View Post
...more critically the loss of original function and therefore meaning...

Dave
Quite so, David. That's the point I was trying to make a little less succinctly above. Where is the interest in an object that lights up, when the dial is non-functional and further investigation shows it doesn't actually 'do' anything?

I have a friend who has set up a 'vintage' photo-booth, in which a radiogram houses the printer. He just doesn't share my perspective that it would be more fun to have a working record player rather than a pastiche box for an inkjet, the only purpose of which is to give a vague impression of 'old', and finds it hard to understand why I'm not enthusiastic about it.
Uncle Bulgaria is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2019, 10:50 am   #132
The Philpott
Dekatron
 
The Philpott's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,081
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Frankly it's getting a bit damn dangerous, the last thing that I expect from a former deep-sea diver-welder is to market wall lights made out of old bench vices. I don't care how strong the bolts and the wall are- a reality check is needed.

(The last time I left copies of Flypast in the doctor's waiting room, they were gone the next time I visited- which could be either good or bad, depending on what their exact fate was!)

Dave
The Philpott is offline  
Old 10th Mar 2019, 3:56 pm   #133
avocollector
Heptode
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Wellington, New Zealand.
Posts: 653
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Quote:
Originally Posted by David G4EBT View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajgriff View Post
Quite understand David. Just me being sentimental rather than realistic.

Alan
That's what's held me back from ditching them till now Alan!

And Radcoms, SPRATS, Bygones, SWM, HRT, Radio Constructor, Everyday Electronics, ETI etc, etc.
Pity you are so far away David - I spent a fair amount getting a virtual complete run of PE to my place in Wellington, NZ, recently but UK is just a wee bit too far. Otherwise would happily have taken the lot (much to my wife's disgust I might add).
avocollector is offline  
Old 10th Mar 2019, 4:35 pm   #134
Guest
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Well it will last.
 
Old 16th Mar 2019, 4:44 pm   #135
Sinewave
Octode
 
Sinewave's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Oxfordshire/Bucks borders, UK.
Posts: 1,604
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

I've just removed a baxi burnall coal fire with back boiler today.

I'm thinking, faux filamant LED lamp...

Steam punk? Talk about steam punk, you should feel the weight of the heat exchanger.

£1,000?

Or is that a little too cheap? Or should I fit more than one lamp?
__________________
Avometer, vintage Fluke and Marconi collector. Also interested in vintage Yaesu and KW.
Sinewave is offline  
Old 16th Mar 2019, 9:04 pm   #136
Radio Wrangler
Moderator
 
Radio Wrangler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,797
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

One light bulb, or two? ... now that's a difficult question.

One has a certain uniqueness. Two loses it. But how about three? Three can be arranged in a triangle. Triangles are highly symbolic and will leave everyone wondering what it symbolises.

A bit of mysterious symbolism must be good for 50% on the price.

David
__________________
Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done
Radio Wrangler is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2019, 10:39 pm   #137
Stockden
Heptode
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, UK.
Posts: 647
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Not steampunked but nixied:

https://www.bad-dog-designs.co.uk/testclocks/avo-8/

https://www.bad-dog-designs.co.uk/im...00-Simon_3.jpg

At least they do something useful even if it's only telling the time.

Hugh

Last edited by Stockden; 18th Mar 2019 at 10:40 pm. Reason: formatting/typos
Stockden is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2019, 2:48 pm   #138
dave walsh
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,814
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

A number of threads like this were opened in 2018 as a response to the retro "up-cycling/recycling" mania, as promoted by various programs on TV. There were positive but perhaps mainly negative comments about this trend. It was sometimes seen as defacing otherwise excellent bits of kit or alternatively rescuing them from oblivion! Prior to that quite recent trendy development, members have sometimes commented, in the past, on the defacement of radios by the addition of a reading lamp on the top. This was usually functioning as a mains dropper re a set originally designed for 115 volts! While sorting various magazine runs [with Forum help] I came across a PW article [January 1961] yesterday.

It's about an AC/DC, live chassis, series fed, "Combined Radio and Table Lamp" using 12SK7, 12SL7 and 6G6 [12A6] valves! It was specifically designed to take advantage of the light bulb rather than something that was added on! "The power which is normally wasted in this [dropper resistor] component is made to serve a useful purpose. The lamp may be used without the radio but when the radio is working [it] must be in circuit." This is similar to the arrangement that applies in the Lamp Limiter design as the Wavechange switch doubles up to place the bulb in series or not! So this is an example of a Lamp being specifically included in the design, rather than just tacked on!

Dave W
dave walsh is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2019, 3:56 pm   #139
dave walsh
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,814
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Oh dear! Apologies to David G4EBT. Having looked at several "up-cycle" I picked one that was still open at random. I really didn't notice that David had already flagged up the very PW issue I've mentioned in 121* I didn't think my comments merited a separate thread. It's also handy to having an illustration of the 1961 mag available on this one. I must have missed David's offer as I was "off line " in Rammy on the 7th. I think the argument about components no longer being available can apply but it is not conclusive. It may even be more appropriate to Designs after 1970 or 80!

Ironically, if you try and buy any magazines from dealers or auction sites they are not cheap. Further to the comment that people only want single issues, I'm afraid I'm likely to end up making some of those requests in due course as I integrate the North and South Collections. I've been surprised to note how many of my PW's and RSGB Bulletins are duplicates!
Dave

Last edited by dave walsh; 25th Mar 2019 at 4:14 pm.
dave walsh is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2019, 4:10 pm   #140
linescan87
Heptode
 
linescan87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Meath, Ireland
Posts: 547
Default Re: I hate Steampunk AVOs

Nixie clock AVO's, maybe someone will convert one into a DMM next!
linescan87 is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 9:14 am.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.