BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Andrewausfa · 20th May 2018, 12:01 pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44131106

Couple of interesting shots of the monitoring sets.

Andrew

Hartley118 · 20th May 2018, 12:30 pm

So what sets are we looking at here in their smart veneered cabinets and multiple tuning presets?

Certainly not the expected AR88s or HROs.

Could they actually be German?

Martin

ms660 · 20th May 2018, 2:43 pm

Looks like Marconiphone/HMV.

Lawrence.

dave walsh · 20th May 2018, 2:52 pm

Never seen those before. Handy for a telephone or table lamp etc

Dave

ms660 · 20th May 2018, 2:55 pm

Here's a Marconiphone 880s

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/marconi_880s.html

Lawrence.

dave walsh · 20th May 2018, 3:06 pm

Thanks Lawrence-"Year 1939?" 8 valves impressive! This very much ties in with what I was told about the Murphy A92 being a superior domestic set that was roped in, as a stop gap, at the start of the War until the "proper" communication receivers came on stream.

Dave

Hartley118 · 20th May 2018, 3:34 pm

Interesting relatively advanced set, but wouldn't expect it to compare performance-wise with an AR88. Maybe it was more readily available at the time.

I see from the internals that the multiple station presets appear to operate motorized tuning. Maybe that feature was particularly important for the operator to be able to return to specific stations that were being monitored.

Martin

Radio Wrangler · 20th May 2018, 6:02 pm

If Caversham Park was set up in the war, then I'd have thought that HMV had other things to do than build Tea-Planter's specials, Yet HROs AR88s and CR100s would be needed more for the direct war effort.

curious

David

Ian - G4JQT · 20th May 2018, 6:10 pm

Also some more here:http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4...06639505-1.jpg

I think BBC Monitoring also used Murphy Station Masters. I'm pretty sure I've seen old photos showing them in use, but can't track them down right now.

When I started there in '79 we still had some BRT400s and RA17s!

ms660 · 20th May 2018, 7:41 pm

Ref: Post#9 link:

Looks like a Murphy A76.

Lawrence.

dave walsh · 20th May 2018, 8:54 pm

It was all about availabilty in a crisis Martin [according to an article on the A92 in Radiophile]. Anything with an RF stage and a decent dial qualified!

Yes A92 Station Masters Ian and not just for monitoring. I've got two of them and the chap in Milton Keynes who sold me one said he remembered that they were the Officers Radio in their carraige on Troop Trains-presumably powered by some sort of vibrator pack or similar [unless it was steam

]. That would make "Stationmaster" a sort of double pun! Excellent sets!

Dave

Andrewausfa · 21st May 2018, 5:57 pm

I've emailed the author of the article asking if he could share these images at a larger size. I guess if they're BBC copyright he possibly can't but worth asking.

Andrew

ms660 · 21st May 2018, 6:06 pm

There's a fuller picture of one of the shots here, there's also a short video:

https://www.ft.com/content/29b0085e-...8-6876151821a6

EDIT: Whoops link to article/pictures failed, it can be found on Google pics..."monitoring caversham ft"

Lawrence.

dave walsh · 21st May 2018, 7:28 pm

Unless it's me, the images seem bigger on Andrews post now Lawrence [as opposed to Al's on the other thread]. I wonder if the Mods can combine the two, or is that a problem?

Dave

TowerRadio · 21st May 2018, 9:31 pm

Those sets are HMV Model 1200 ( advertised on the back of a 1940 issue of Wireless World)

TowerRadio · 21st May 2018, 9:43 pm

Sorry,my memory has failed me. I think MS660 is absolutely correct, Marconiphone 880s(probably the same innards tho',same valves.) A very nice radio indeed.

Nymrod121 · 22nd May 2018, 7:24 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian - G4JQT

Also some more here:http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4...06639505-1.jpg

I think BBC Monitoring also used Murphy Station Masters. I'm pretty sure I've seen old photos showing them in use, but can't track them down right now.

When I started there in '79 we still had some BRT400s and RA17s!

At the risk of a slight swerve OT ... Martin Ellen's excellent website has a photo of the Engineering Interception Room (EIR) at Crowsley Park showing examples of the latter:

http://www.bbceng.info/Operations/Re...ion%20Room.JPG

Sean Johnston · 13th Jul 2018, 7:04 pm

Here's a link to another article on Caversham, which includes a photo of a female monitor with a Murphy A92 - second photo from top.
https://www.transdiffusion.org/2016/...aversham-story

HamishBoxer · 13th Jul 2018, 7:47 pm

CR100 and HRO's. Pure classics.

20th May 2018, 12:01 pm	#1
Andrewausfa Octode Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: St Ives, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,180	BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44131106 Couple of interesting shots of the monitoring sets. Andrew __________________ Invisible airwaves crackle with life. Or they should do. BVWS Member

20th May 2018, 12:30 pm	#2
Hartley118 Nonode Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK. Posts: 2,198	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 So what sets are we looking at here in their smart veneered cabinets and multiple tuning presets? Certainly not the expected AR88s or HROs. Could they actually be German? Martin Attached Thumbnails __________________ BVWS Member

20th May 2018, 2:43 pm	#3
ms660 Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 13,454	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Looks like Marconiphone/HMV. Lawrence.

20th May 2018, 2:52 pm	#4
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Never seen those before. Handy for a telephone or table lamp etc Dave

20th May 2018, 2:55 pm	#5
ms660 Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 13,454	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Here's a Marconiphone 880s https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/marconi_880s.html Lawrence.

20th May 2018, 3:06 pm	#6
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Thanks Lawrence-"Year 1939?" 8 valves impressive! This very much ties in with what I was told about the Murphy A92 being a superior domestic set that was roped in, as a stop gap, at the start of the War until the "proper" communication receivers came on stream. Dave

20th May 2018, 3:34 pm	#7
Hartley118 Nonode Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK. Posts: 2,198	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Interesting relatively advanced set, but wouldn't expect it to compare performance-wise with an AR88. Maybe it was more readily available at the time. I see from the internals that the multiple station presets appear to operate motorized tuning. Maybe that feature was particularly important for the operator to be able to return to specific stations that were being monitored. Martin __________________ BVWS Member

20th May 2018, 6:02 pm	#8
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,869	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 If Caversham Park was set up in the war, then I'd have thought that HMV had other things to do than build Tea-Planter's specials, Yet HROs AR88s and CR100s would be needed more for the direct war effort. curious David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

20th May 2018, 6:10 pm	#9
Ian - G4JQT Octode Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Reading/Fakenham, UK. Posts: 1,323	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Also some more here:http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/4...06639505-1.jpg I think BBC Monitoring also used Murphy Station Masters. I'm pretty sure I've seen old photos showing them in use, but can't track them down right now. When I started there in '79 we still had some BRT400s and RA17s!

20th May 2018, 7:41 pm	#10
ms660 Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 13,454	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Ref: Post#9 link: Looks like a Murphy A76. Lawrence.

20th May 2018, 8:54 pm	#11
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 It was all about availabilty in a crisis Martin [according to an article on the A92 in Radiophile]. Anything with an RF stage and a decent dial qualified! Yes A92 Station Masters Ian and not just for monitoring. I've got two of them and the chap in Milton Keynes who sold me one said he remembered that they were the Officers Radio in their carraige on Troop Trains-presumably powered by some sort of vibrator pack or similar [unless it was steam]. That would make "Stationmaster" a sort of double pun! Excellent sets! Dave

21st May 2018, 5:57 pm	#12
Andrewausfa Octode Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: St Ives, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,180	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 I've emailed the author of the article asking if he could share these images at a larger size. I guess if they're BBC copyright he possibly can't but worth asking. Andrew __________________ Invisible airwaves crackle with life. Or they should do. BVWS Member

21st May 2018, 6:06 pm	#13
ms660 Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 13,454	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 There's a fuller picture of one of the shots here, there's also a short video: https://www.ft.com/content/29b0085e-...8-6876151821a6 EDIT: Whoops link to article/pictures failed, it can be found on Google pics..."monitoring caversham ft" Lawrence. Last edited by ms660; 21st May 2018 at 6:19 pm.

21st May 2018, 7:28 pm	#14
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Unless it's me, the images seem bigger on Andrews post now Lawrence [as opposed to Al's on the other thread]. I wonder if the Mods can combine the two, or is that a problem? Dave

21st May 2018, 9:31 pm	#15
TowerRadio Hexode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 388	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Those sets are HMV Model 1200 ( advertised on the back of a 1940 issue of Wireless World)

21st May 2018, 9:43 pm	#16
TowerRadio Hexode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 388	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Sorry,my memory has failed me. I think MS660 is absolutely correct, Marconiphone 880s(probably the same innards tho',same valves.) A very nice radio indeed.

13th Jul 2018, 7:04 pm	#18
Sean Johnston Triode Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Southwest Scotland Posts: 19	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 Here's a link to another article on Caversham, which includes a photo of a female monitor with a Murphy A92 - second photo from top. https://www.transdiffusion.org/2016/...aversham-story

13th Jul 2018, 7:47 pm	#19
HamishBoxer Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK. Posts: 8,932	Re: BBC article - Caversham Park WW2 CR100 and HRO's. Pure classics. __________________ G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S