Bletchley Park - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

M0AFJ, Tim · 27th Jul 2009, 7:27 am

Anyone going to Bletchley Park this weekend?, VMARS are exhibiting and there will be a WW2 German field station active..

http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/cale...*&recID=567865

Tim

Electricdreams · 27th Jul 2009, 9:20 am

Projectors Fans, Look out for the ABC Cinema Museum in Bletchley Park

m0cemdave · 29th Jul 2009, 7:54 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by M0AFJ, Tim

Anyone going to Bletchley Park this weekend?, VMARS are exhibiting and there will be a WW2 German field station active..

http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/cale...*&recID=567865

Tim

I have helped to put this event together and expect to be there, subject to not having to be at work at the weekend.

VMARS will have a substantial presence (it's their tenth anniversary) with equipment operational on various bands using the call GB10VMARS.

BVWS are exhibiting domestic radios and vintage TV's.

The aforementioned cinema will be showing radio-related short films.

Milton Keynes ARS and the RSGB will be operating the permanent BP shack as GB2BP and GB3RS, using CW, voice, data and video modes.

The Diplomatic Wireless Museum in Hut 1 will be open in the afternoons - this is absolutely a must-see for any visitor interested in vintage radio communications.

There will be a couple of lectures each day in the Mansion Ballroom - Saturday has "Radio Fingerprinting" and "Fishing For Tunny" whilst Sunday has "Post-WW2 Military Manpacks" plus a talk on the Y-Service, probably by one of the original participants.

(And yes, we do have a bandplan ! )

Beaumanor "Y" Station near Leicester will also be activated using GB2BMY and we hope to be in contact with them during the weekend.

Maybe there should be a meeting point for users of this message board?

Dave
m0cem

m0cemdave · 30th Jul 2009, 11:22 pm

Just to add a note:

The lectures on Sunday afternoon will be by Bob King G3ASE, who worked at Arkley View collating intercept messages during WW2 and who has done extensive research into the history of the RSS and Y Service.

Dave.

M0AFJ, Tim · 1st Aug 2009, 7:38 pm

Brilliant day today, even the weather stayed kind for most of it, the vintage TV display was outstanding, loads of amateurs met, VMARS had some nice kit on display and working, congrats to all.

Lots of very interested public as well...

Brased · 1st Aug 2009, 8:40 pm

The BVWS display was impressive with all those working TVs and bakelite wireless sets. Congratulations to those who put on the display. It was well located too and did justice to the drawing room of the mansion.

I managed to attend two excellent lectures as well as the film show. The latter consisted of two films on wireless themes which I haven't seen before - 'Bridge Across Space' and 'Impulses' - the latter having some interesting historical snippets including film of Marconi and glimpses of the Burndept 'radio barrel organ' of 1923, etc.

The only real snag was that with the special events and also meeting various friends I had even less time to have a good look at the other exhibits. Fortunately the good folk who run the museum have recognised the problem so tickets are issued as season tickets valid for a whole year of visits. I'm going to have to use mine again.

Edward

yesnaby · 1st Aug 2009, 9:00 pm

Hello,

At university one of our maths lecturers (Derek Taunt) had been in Hut 6 at Bletchley Park. Naturally he did not breathe a word about it, and I only found out 25 years later.

Michael

Herald1360 · 1st Aug 2009, 11:18 pm

Spent this afternoon at Bletchley Park going "Ooh, look I had / worked on one of those once!" along with what seemed to be a serious sample of the over fifty techie population of the south east!

It seems some of the RACAL gear I worked with fresh out of college is now museum fodder in its own right

A few pics......

...................TA1816 RF
Racal TA1816 PA module.. ..Reflectors Circular EKCOs Bakelite Telly

techiesteve · 2nd Aug 2009, 10:48 pm

Hi, I've just joined the forum, and was at Bletchley Park on Saturday and had a great time. Some of the old radio kit brought back memories. It was my third visit in the last year, I still need more time.

I took a few pictures there, the VMRAS pic is here http://www.***********/photos/sbell/3780144025/ and other pics from Bletchley Park from the three visits are here http://www.***********/photos/sbell/s...7606524408458/

ppppenguin · 3rd Aug 2009, 7:42 am

Had a lovely day out at BP on Sunday. Congratulations to all those who organised a superb display of vintage radio and TV. Lots of interesting sets well displayed in an excellent setting.

Got to see the rebuilt Colossus ticking away. It was definitely warm in there with all the valves glowing gently. The "bedstead" paper tape reader ran incredibly smoothly. It was also the first time I had got a decent close up view of the optical reader designed by Arnold Lynch. It was a lot bigger than I expected, using lenses to magnify the images of the holes to work with large photocells. I suppose this ought to have been obvious but it still came as a surprise.

Was also lucky enough to see a demo of the partly complete "Tunny Machine." This is an emulation of the Lorenz SZ42 using uniselectors and jackfields insted of rotors with pins. Once all the wheel settings had been found, whether by manual or Colossus methods, they were plugged up on the jackfields. Then the ciphertext was typed in and plaintext emerged on the teleprinter. The rebuilt Tunny Machine isn't quite at that stage yet but it's still an interesting exhibit.

They are also rebuilding a "Heath Robinson". This is the predecessor of Colossus. The same tape reader, except that it had to read 2 tapes in synchronism. Then relatively simple valve based counters to Wyn-Williams' design. Keeping 2 tapes in sync at high speed was very difficult which led to inconsistent results. Part of the genius of Tommy Flowers was realising that the key tape could be replaced by sets of thyratrons, connected in rings.

Chris G0EYO · 3rd Aug 2009, 8:07 am

Having trained with the Composite Signals Organisation ( GCHQ) at Bletchley Park in the early 60's those pictures of BP brought back many happy memories. I am the webmaster of the Eddystone User Group Website and would dearly love to include any pictures of Eddystone sets in the BP displays on our website. If anyone has pictures that they would be willing to let us upload then please send them to me via PM. Individual pics files of 500k or less will be ideal.

Thanks
Chris G0EYO
www.eddystoneusergroup.org.uk

27th Jul 2009, 7:27 am	#1
M0AFJ, Tim Hexode Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Helston, Cornwall, UK. Posts: 303	Bletchley Park Anyone going to Bletchley Park this weekend?, VMARS are exhibiting and there will be a WW2 German field station active.. http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/cale...*&recID=567865 Tim

27th Jul 2009, 9:20 am	#2
Electricdreams Hexode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Manchester, UK. Posts: 478	Re: Bletchley Park Projectors Fans, Look out for the ABC Cinema Museum in Bletchley Park __________________ What have you bought now??

30th Jul 2009, 11:22 pm	#4
m0cemdave Octode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, UK. Posts: 1,219	Re: Bletchley Park Sunday lectures Just to add a note: The lectures on Sunday afternoon will be by Bob King G3ASE, who worked at Arkley View collating intercept messages during WW2 and who has done extensive research into the history of the RSS and Y Service. Dave.

1st Aug 2009, 7:38 pm	#5
M0AFJ, Tim Hexode Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Helston, Cornwall, UK. Posts: 303	Re: Bletchley Park Brilliant day today, even the weather stayed kind for most of it, the vintage TV display was outstanding, loads of amateurs met, VMARS had some nice kit on display and working, congrats to all. Lots of very interested public as well...

1st Aug 2009, 8:40 pm	#6
Brased Hexode Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: London, UK. Posts: 318	Re: Bletchley Park The BVWS display was impressive with all those working TVs and bakelite wireless sets. Congratulations to those who put on the display. It was well located too and did justice to the drawing room of the mansion. I managed to attend two excellent lectures as well as the film show. The latter consisted of two films on wireless themes which I haven't seen before - 'Bridge Across Space' and 'Impulses' - the latter having some interesting historical snippets including film of Marconi and glimpses of the Burndept 'radio barrel organ' of 1923, etc. The only real snag was that with the special events and also meeting various friends I had even less time to have a good look at the other exhibits. Fortunately the good folk who run the museum have recognised the problem so tickets are issued as season tickets valid for a whole year of visits. I'm going to have to use mine again. Edward

1st Aug 2009, 9:00 pm	#7
yesnaby Octode Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Newport, Gwent, UK. Posts: 1,623	Re: Bletchley Park Hello, At university one of our maths lecturers (Derek Taunt) had been in Hut 6 at Bletchley Park. Naturally he did not breathe a word about it, and I only found out 25 years later. Michael

1st Aug 2009, 11:18 pm	#8
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,535	Re: Bletchley Park Spent this afternoon at Bletchley Park going "Ooh, look I had / worked on one of those once!" along with what seemed to be a serious sample of the over fifty techie population of the south east! It seems some of the RACAL gear I worked with fresh out of college is now museum fodder in its own right A few pics...... ...................TA1816 RF Racal TA1816 PA module.. ..Reflectors Circular EKCOs Bakelite Telly Attached Thumbnails

2nd Aug 2009, 10:48 pm	#9
techiesteve Pentode Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Aylesbury, Bucks, UK. Posts: 161	Re: Bletchley Park Hi, I've just joined the forum, and was at Bletchley Park on Saturday and had a great time. Some of the old radio kit brought back memories. It was my third visit in the last year, I still need more time. I took a few pictures there, the VMRAS pic is here http://www.*********/photos/sbell/3780144025/ and other pics from Bletchley Park from the three visits are here http://www.*********/photos/sbell/s...7606524408458/

3rd Aug 2009, 7:42 am	#10
ppppenguin Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: North London, UK. Posts: 6,168	Re: Bletchley Park Had a lovely day out at BP on Sunday. Congratulations to all those who organised a superb display of vintage radio and TV. Lots of interesting sets well displayed in an excellent setting. Got to see the rebuilt Colossus ticking away. It was definitely warm in there with all the valves glowing gently. The "bedstead" paper tape reader ran incredibly smoothly. It was also the first time I had got a decent close up view of the optical reader designed by Arnold Lynch. It was a lot bigger than I expected, using lenses to magnify the images of the holes to work with large photocells. I suppose this ought to have been obvious but it still came as a surprise. Was also lucky enough to see a demo of the partly complete "Tunny Machine." This is an emulation of the Lorenz SZ42 using uniselectors and jackfields insted of rotors with pins. Once all the wheel settings had been found, whether by manual or Colossus methods, they were plugged up on the jackfields. Then the ciphertext was typed in and plaintext emerged on the teleprinter. The rebuilt Tunny Machine isn't quite at that stage yet but it's still an interesting exhibit. They are also rebuilding a "Heath Robinson". This is the predecessor of Colossus. The same tape reader, except that it had to read 2 tapes in synchronism. Then relatively simple valve based counters to Wyn-Williams' design. Keeping 2 tapes in sync at high speed was very difficult which led to inconsistent results. Part of the genius of Tommy Flowers was realising that the key tape could be replaced by sets of thyratrons, connected in rings.

3rd Aug 2009, 8:07 am	#11
Chris G0EYO Pentode Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Redditch, Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 196	Re: Bletchley Park Having trained with the Composite Signals Organisation ( GCHQ) at Bletchley Park in the early 60's those pictures of BP brought back many happy memories. I am the webmaster of the Eddystone User Group Website and would dearly love to include any pictures of Eddystone sets in the BP displays on our website. If anyone has pictures that they would be willing to let us upload then please send them to me via PM. Individual pics files of 500k or less will be ideal. Thanks Chris G0EYO www.eddystoneusergroup.org.uk