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Old 15th Sep 2018, 8:11 pm   #1
G0HFCFrank
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Default "WARWICK" Make or model?

I acquired this yesterday, I've never heard of a Warwick radio so is that the make or the model please? An unusual (to me) valve line-up; 7S7 7B7 EBC33 6V6 & AZ31. It looks to be well made with choke smoothing and a clean layout of parts. The AE and LS sockets are duplicated on the rear and one side of the chassis and I'm guessing it came out of a radiogram. Is it worth making a cabinet for?
Frank C.
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 8:27 pm   #2
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

I think that depends on your aesthetic sensibilities and cabinet making skills. It's just a bog standard 4+R and would likely dare I say it be worth more as a couple of transformers and some valves than as any sort of home housed chassis.

It bears a passing resemblance to the Etronic Windsor- four knobs, a big scale and three of the valves......
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 10:14 pm   #3
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

What is that white bit that looks like it is fixed to the tuning cord with ties?
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 10:31 pm   #4
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

Definitely not worth going to all the bother of making a cabinet. It's no longer original having lost its original gram cabinet and also it's AM only. You have to ask yourself the question, having gone to all the trouble of a home made cabinet, what are you going to listen to on medium and long wave? What may be available today, may not be in a year or two the way things are going. There's short wave, but that's hardly worth bothering with these days, unfortunately. As Chris has suggested, it would be better broken for the useful spares, such as the transformers and valves. There's also a nice original smoothing can if it's still good. Also a good set of knobs and worth saving the on/off tone and volume pots.
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 10:47 pm   #5
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Default

Intrigued by this chassis, I chased up that Lectrona output transformer -that's a brand I know as a maker of reputable speaker units around 1950 - fitted by Pye and Decca in some of their upmarket sets.

My searches came up with this set branded Fullotone of Glasgow, which seems to embody the same chassis with the same valve line up and similar appearance. Pictures below. So the mystery deepens. What was the relationship between Warwick and Fullotone?

Martin

Fullotone pictures from http://www.forum.radios-tv.co.uk/vie...hp?f=3&t=4980:
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 10:51 pm   #6
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

That white bit on the tuning cord looks like a bit of the outer from some of the same mains lead that's been cut off and shown with the neutral blue wire going to the on/off switch, which has been split so that it could be fitted round the cord. There must have been either a good, or a perceived reason for doing this.

I've just noticed that there's a useful choke mounted under the chassis that's worth saving. It might be fun to power it up and see if it's capable of working before breaking it up - I would!
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 11:00 pm   #7
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

It's almost certainly from a mail-order catalogue radiogram. As for whether it's worth making a cabinet, probably the answer is "only if you really want to". Cold, hard mathematics says the bits are worth more separately than together. But it's not a bad little chassis really, with a power transformer and a pick-up input. It could be very handy in the workshop with its high-impedance input .....
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Old 16th Sep 2018, 1:01 am   #8
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

If you do a Forum search on warwick radio, there's an attachment (only) that's a Word document listing manufacturers. There's a Warwick Radio Co. LTD. of Warwick, not surprisingly. No other info, except that they made 3 models. No thread, just the attachment strangely. Someone may recognise their work?
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Old 16th Sep 2018, 7:48 am   #9
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

I thought when I saw the chassis it looked familiar, and now Martin has cleverly found a post I made elsewhere, a while ago, showing my Fullotone, which has an identical chassis.

Frank, if it helps with your decision, despite being a very simple design, my version sounds really good for a standard post-war table set......definitely a cut above the average.

Never been 100% convinced my cabinet is quite right, and I speculate about it having been cut down or adapted, although it is in super condition and very solidly made......but there is something just slightly off about the proportions? Bought it from a house down in Aberdeen, and there were a couple of bespoke furniture/cabinet makers there years ago, so maybe? But who actually made the chassis.....I doubt it was Fullotone?

best wishes
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Old 16th Sep 2018, 10:56 am   #10
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

Thanks for all the replies folks, I think I'll hook up a speaker and lamp limiter and see what happens.
Refugee/Techman, that white bit you mention is just tied around the dial lamp supply line, keeping those 6.3V well insulated. The modern mains cable (neutral to switch??) has been chopped off suggesting the previous opponent has had power to it.
Duncan/Martin, yes, my chassis is identical to the Fullotone and there's more about that here http://www.forum.radios-tv.co.uk/vie...php?f=3&t=4980
I'll not break it now until I know more about the company but knowing my skills as a cabinet maker I think it will end up in the 'spares box'
Thanks again,
Frank C.
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Old 16th Sep 2018, 10:57 am   #11
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

Very impressive tuning scale but with the lack of an RF amp I don't think it would have received all those stations.

Peter
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Old 16th Sep 2018, 11:00 am   #12
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

Maybe you could reverse a trend......

Take a modern piece of furniture and "downcycle" it to use as a cabinet.
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Old 16th Sep 2018, 8:42 pm   #13
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

So; I discovered the oc mains switch, changed 'that' cap and powered from a lamp limiter which shone brightly. Switch off, remove rectifier valve power up and lamp shines brightly. removed rest of valves, same result. Powered up via variac set at 25v, avoed, scratched head and eventually found short in dial lamp wiring. Cut the lamps out and now it works! It seems a shame to scrap a working chassis so it's going into the loft. (I like Herald's 'downcycle' idea but don't have any modern furniture). If anyone learns any more about the Warwick brand please tell.
Frank C.
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Old 16th Sep 2018, 9:19 pm   #14
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

'Warwick" doesn't go with that bright green colour 'Lincoln' might have been more appropriate - as in the shade of Robin Hood's kecks.

The front panel does look awfully impressive, so it would be a shame to break it up, and it is a rather good enigma.... and it's rare.

What piece of hipster furniture should be down-cycled to make a case? A Jenga-tidy? A Fiat 500? Or maybe down-cycle a steampunk's blunderbuss case?

Either way, save it.

David
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Old 16th Sep 2018, 11:14 pm   #15
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

I would keep it as a "working display item". I have about half a dozen working ex radiogram chassis that I can't bear to scrap. Also boxes of spare parts, transformers, capacitors, valves etc that I will probably never use.

Regards
Martin
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Old 17th Sep 2018, 7:31 am   #16
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

There was also a market in radiogram chassis, sans cabinets, speakers, turntables in the likes of practical wireless. I think some were foreign imports intended for kitting small manufacturers, while others seemed to be spares stock and production overruns being turned into cash. There must have been a number of home-made cabinets floating around in the sixties. Also stock from firms going bust.

David
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Old 17th Sep 2018, 7:39 am   #17
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

Think of it as a working example or one of those radio chassis that used to be advertised in the radio magazines. But also as a box of spares should the need arise.

Mike
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Old 17th Sep 2018, 8:25 am   #18
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

In the 50’s ready made radio gram cabinets were advertised in PW, fit your own chassis or buy a chassis and gram deck to fit.
My dad bought a cabinet, fitted the chassis from our Ferguson AC502 or AC503 and bought a deck. Has far as I was concerned it worked extremely well. It had an RF stage so it was probably the AC503, using a pair of Octal 42 valves push pull audio output.
Photo of the radio he used.
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Old 17th Sep 2018, 9:03 am   #19
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

Nice looking dial and surrounds. If the chassis is working then for me its a keeper even if I just used it as a working display. It could be used as a workshop radio and if it has a gram input as a test amp as well.
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Old 17th Sep 2018, 11:46 am   #20
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Default Re: "WARWICK" Make or model?

Here are a couple of adverts from PW 1957.

Regards
Martin
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