Murphy India radio, model MB5711

[dazzlevision]

The Murphy MB5711 is a compact transistor table radio covering the Long, Medium and VHF bands. It was made in India by what I believe to be the Indian associate company of Murphy Radio Ltd (of the UK) and later, Rank Bush Murphy/Rank Radio International. I would date the radio mid to late 1970s.

After independence, India restricted imports or imposed import tariffs, in order to encourage the development of its own industries. Murphy Radio Ltd set up an Indian company (or a joint venture with an Indian company) in order to overcome these barriers (possibly in 1948). In the UK during the Rank era, several Bush and Murphy branded transistor radios made by the Indian company were sold and the MB5711 is one such radio.

Murphy India continued to use the pre-Rank “Murphy” font, rather than the “modernised” Murphy font used in the UK from 1963. This is still the case today, as Murphy branded consumer electronics goods are still sold in India (although I don’t know whether they are still made there or if the current company has any direct connection with the original Murphy India company); take a look at: http://www.murphyindia.com/about_us.html

The original monochrome child image was of a girl, but the new modern colour image is of a boy! The strap line “Murphy delights the home” is still used. I suspect the current "Murphy India" is a recent resurrection of the brand by the current owners of the trade mark there.

I have just been dismantling a spare chassis from one of these radios and find that a lot of very "Philips looking" components were fitted. However, they aren’t exactly the same in appearance as the European made Philips components we are used to. I think it very likely they were actually made in India, by either a Philips subsidiary or under Philips licence. The “Lockfit” transistors are branded “BEL”, as are the OA79 Germanium diodes. I think BEL is short for Bharat Electronics Limited, a state owned Indian company: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharat...ronics_Limited

In addition, I was surprised to see that the typically Japanese looking miniature tuning gang is branded "Murphy Mitsumi India", which suggests that the original Murphy India company actually made it, albeit under licence.

[camtechman]

Thanks for that detailed information and I must add that that's a nice looking radio.

The only "Made in India" radio I have is a Bush BA5004 and that contains a strange concoction of components.

[dazzlevision]

Originally Posted by camtechman

Thanks for that detailed information and I must add that that's a nice looking radio.

Yes, it does look nice.

The only spoiler for me is that the front "wood effect" panel is a plastic moulding, whereas the case is real wood veneer.

It works well and has tuning scale illumination.

[usradcoll1]

The molded front panel matches the wooden cabinet very well.
The woodworking on the front panel would be very labor intensive if made of real wood.
The US firms have been doing that for many years.

[Nuvistor]

From the photo I would not have known the front and cabinet were of different materials.

[dazzlevision]

When you see the radio “in the flesh” and close up, it is obvious (well, to me anyway). However, I do take the point about manufacturing costs.

[Jolly 7]

The components from this radio bring back a lot of old memories. In India in the mid eighties, Jetking used to market DIY radio kits and one of these kits was my birthday present. The transistors in the kit were all lockfit; BC548B, BF594B etc. and the pictured glass OA79 diode was there too. The 'pocket' radio I made from it was brilliant, both in sensitivity and audio quality. Sadly I no longer have the radio but would love build a similar radio again. Most modern Chinese superhet kits do not come close enough to the Jetking kits from those days. There also used to be a company in Calcutta called Stancore who made IF transformers, but I am told that they are no longer in business.
Regarding the Murphy radio, I wonder which country was the intended market as FM in India took off very late, not till the nineties. Very few people would know about VHF in India in the seventies/eighties.

[dazzlevision]

Originally Posted by Jolly 7

Regarding the Murphy radio, I wonder which country was the intended market as FM in India took off very late, not till the nineties. Very few people would know about VHF in India in the seventies/eighties.

I think this Indian made Murphy radio (and several other models branded Bush or Murphy in the 1970s), were imported into the UK by RBM/RRI because of their lower manufacturing costs. By this time, RBM/RRI weren’t making radios in the UK (apart from a very few top end sets). I’d say they were specifically commissioned from Murphy India by RBM/RRI, for the UK market. They also imported radios from Japan and Korea.

In the 1970s, the only other overseas markets for RBM/RRI products that I know of were West Germany and Eire.

[vinrads]

This has brought back some memories , I remember Murphy made in India, back in the day when they were new , the printed cct was always a darker brown than the British ones , thank's for jogging the memory . Mick.

[Jolly 7]

I own a Dansette Oxford DTR38, which was also made in India. There is a similar one for sale on eBay, but it is for parts only.

[dazzlevision]

Originally Posted by Jolly 7

I own a Dansette Oxford DTR38, which was also made in India. There is a similar one for sale on eBay, but it is for parts only.

For a few years, from around 1970, Rank owned the Dansette brand and "badge engineered" some of their Bush and Murphy products into Dansettes.