Ambit becomes Cirkit in 1984

[Cruisin Marine]

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/ID...008-IDX-20.pdf

Grand days.

[McMurdo]

Yes I remember the Cirkit catalogue, one of my preferred mail order suppliers. I didn't know they were connected to Bulgin

[emeritus]

I still have two or three Ambit catalogues somewhere in the shed. Their place in Brentwood was only a mile from my home, very convenient for popping in for the odd component.

[G0HZU_JMR]

I wish I'd kept a few of my old Cirkit catalogues. mainly as a reference for component part numbers.

It's also interesting to see the news item for Arrow Electronics. I lived in Essex in the mid/late 1980s and often visited their shop in Hatfield Peverel. It was on the junction of Station Road. I didn't realise they had only been there since 1984. They must be long gone from there by now. I left Essex in 1989.

[DrStrangelove]

There are a couple of Cirkit catalogues upstairs.

Full of unobtainium coils & suchlike.

[Jon_G4MDC]

Cirkit had moved to Park Lane Broxbourne by the early 90s.

This marks the spot. Now a block of flats.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.74...7i13312!8i6656

[Cruisin Marine]

Both Cirkit and Bonex supplied all of my needs back in the day, miss them now. Bonex are still going I think, but seem trade only.
I remember the early days of Bonex when they had a shop in Acton, they were so helpful.

[Jon_G4MDC]

Yes Bonex were very useful. I think I went to the Acton counter once.

The strange thing I remember about them is they used to offer a conversion service. You want 1uH but we have 1.5uH - leave it a couple of days.
When everyone else was saying no stock you would agree to that...

Later I used to buy whatever was cheap for the can and ferrite combo and convert my own.

[Cathovisor]

Originally Posted by Cruisin Marine

Both Cirkit and Bonex supplied all of my needs back in the day, miss them now. Bonex are still going I think, but seem trade only.
I remember the early days of Bonex when they had a shop in Acton, they were so helpful.

Mate of mine lived in Acton and was a regular visitor to "Bonehead's" for such devices as the SBL-1 Schottky balanced modulator and various coils used in PAL coder construction.

Then he'd nip to Ealing to buy metal from Clay Bros for his projects.

[Cathovisor]

Originally Posted by G0HZU_JMR

It's also interesting to see the news item for Arrow Electronics. I lived in Essex in the mid/late 1980s and often visited their shop in Hatfield Peverel. It was on the junction of Station Road. I didn't realise they had only been there since 1984. They must be long gone from there by now. I left Essex in 1989.

Weren't Arrow part of STC Electronic Components at one time? Many years ago, when the likes of RS and Farnell didn't really sell polyester caps suitable for valve sets, STC started selling the MKT1813 caps (which at that time weren't made by Vishay). You could buy with a credit card too and I still have a goodly number of 0.033uF to restore mid-50s KBs with.

[Nymrod121]

With Bill Poel's prior agreement, I'm pleased to offer VRF users a Google Drive shared link to Ambit Catalogues 1 - 5:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...q0OFC3Skc5PrLt

Any problems, please PM me.

Best wishes
Guy

[Terry_VK5TM]

Thankyou for the downloads, most interesting reading material.

[Jon_G4MDC]

Yes - thanks Guy. Had these once as hard copy but long gone.
Nice to read through again.

Pretty amazing that #5 is still only 1982. There is much more to find if it can be done.

If that time machine thread is still open - I will choose to go back here as my first trip please.

[Cruisin Marine]

Cheers Guy, appreciated.

[Aub]

I never bought anything from Cirkit but bought parts from Ambit in 1978. The parts were for a 2 metre converter that appeared in one of the radio mags. that year; 2N40673 dual gate MOSFETs and real Aladdin style coil formers - non of this toroidal nonsense

Cheers

Aub

[Nymrod121]

Happy to help

b.t.w. - @Aub - the dual gate MOSFET number would have been '40673' - no '2N' in front of it I recollect that the '3N201' was a similar device & most memorably specified in the P.W. 'Sandown' home-build VHF-FM tuner ca. 1975.

Best wishes
Guy

[Restoration73]

The formation of Ambit led them to purchase Data Publications (Radio Constructor) and launch the new "Radio & Electronics World" magazine, in which they could feature the latest kits. These kits were still being offered by Cirkit 10 years later.

Cirkit had a link with Bulgin. I believe it was later acquired by Roxborough.

[Aub]

Originally Posted by Nymrod121

Happy to help

b.t.w. - @Aub - the dual gate MOSFET number would have been '40673' - no '2N' in front of it I recollect that the '3N201' was a similar device & most memorably specified in the P.W. 'Sandown' home-build VHF-FM tuner ca. 1975.

Best wishes
Guy

Yes a bit of brain fade there. I knew it didn't look right It was the 40673.

Aub

[kalee20]

Originally Posted by Cathovisor

Weren't Arrow part of STC Electronic Components at one time? Many years ago, when the likes of RS and Farnell didn't really sell polyester caps suitable for valve sets, STC started selling the MKT1813 caps (which at that time weren't made by Vishay). You could buy with a credit card too and I still have a goodly number of 0.033uF to restore mid-50s KBs with.

I think they were! Very late 1980's or early 1990's, the Arrow catalogue looked like the STC catalogue of a few years ago.

And the MKT1813 capacitors - made by Roederstein, before Vishay acquired them in their bid for world domination in passives.