Pye 18A Stumped again!! - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

BrianAllen · 9th May 2020, 8:13 pm

Trying my best to understand and learn schematics but stumped again.

In the attached pic, you will note the mains cable entering the chassis and splitting to the on/off switch and the transformer.

Is this wiring correct and if so, which is the live and neutral?

Thank you.

ekjdm14 · 9th May 2020, 8:18 pm

That's correct as far as i can tell, and with that old wire either side can be live/neutral. (It's likely to have either had a 2-pin 3A plug or a bayonet lampholder fitting for power so not polarised like 3-pin plugs.

Ideally when you've replaced the cord with a modern one, you'd have neutral to the transformer & live to the switch.

BrianAllen · 9th May 2020, 8:23 pm

Thanks Dan, what made me question the wiring, was the way the wire had been pulled apart/separated and not secured anywhere beneath the chassis.

Regards,

Brian

Sideband · 9th May 2020, 9:17 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianAllen

Thanks Dan, what made me question the wiring, was the way the wire had been pulled apart/separated and not secured anywhere beneath the chassis.

Regards,

Brian

It wasn't a requirement when these sets were built. Now the cable would have to be anchored with a proper cable gland. As said above, blue to transformer and brown to switch.

BrianAllen · 9th May 2020, 9:38 pm

Would loved to have seen the men and women at work at these factories and manufactured only 2 years after the end of the war; may have a trawl through British Pathe online to see if I can find anything of interest.

Herald1360 · 9th May 2020, 9:50 pm

Even "back then" the cable would have been better restrained than that and wouldn't have just passed through an ungrommeted hole! What's there is just a bodge job replacement. Even a knot and a bit of chafe protection would be miles better.

kalee20 · 9th May 2020, 9:53 pm

It doesn't actually look like the original wire, TBH.

A common way of preventing a direct pull on the solder joints, was to tie a knot in the cable. But this doesn't have even that!

ekjdm14 · 9th May 2020, 10:24 pm

Good points above, I hadn't even paid mind to the lack of a securing knot or a grommet, which would have been likely employed even without safety legislation simply for "common sense" reasons when the set was built.

I should look more closely & critically at details such as that before calling that all's well!

See_Mos · 10th May 2020, 2:27 pm

The mains cable on your set is identical to the Pye 15A on the floor next to me.

The cable is held by a metal P clip bolted to the outside of the chassis. the P clip does not have any protection against chafing but I suspect that there might have been a rubber sleeve around the cable so that it is clamped by the clip.

BrianAllen · 10th May 2020, 2:49 pm

Thank you all; I have noted your comments and will be able to tidy up wiring quite nicely now (safely obviously).

9th May 2020, 8:13 pm	#1
BrianAllen Heptode Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 595	Pye 18A Stumped again!! Trying my best to understand and learn schematics but stumped again. In the attached pic, you will note the mains cable entering the chassis and splitting to the on/off switch and the transformer. Is this wiring correct and if so, which is the live and neutral? Thank you. Attached Thumbnails

9th May 2020, 8:18 pm	#2
ekjdm14 Banned Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Congleton, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 609	Re: Pye !8A Stumped again!! That's correct as far as i can tell, and with that old wire either side can be live/neutral. (It's likely to have either had a 2-pin 3A plug or a bayonet lampholder fitting for power so not polarised like 3-pin plugs. Ideally when you've replaced the cord with a modern one, you'd have neutral to the transformer & live to the switch.

9th May 2020, 8:23 pm	#3
BrianAllen Heptode Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 595	Re: Pye !8A Stumped again!! Thanks Dan, what made me question the wiring, was the way the wire had been pulled apart/separated and not secured anywhere beneath the chassis. Regards, Brian

9th May 2020, 9:38 pm	#5
BrianAllen Heptode Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 595	Re: Pye 18A Stumped again!! Would loved to have seen the men and women at work at these factories and manufactured only 2 years after the end of the war; may have a trawl through British Pathe online to see if I can find anything of interest.

9th May 2020, 9:50 pm	#6
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,536	Re: Pye 18A Stumped again!! Even "back then" the cable would have been better restrained than that and wouldn't have just passed through an ungrommeted hole! What's there is just a bodge job replacement. Even a knot and a bit of chafe protection would be miles better. __________________ ....__________ ....\|____\|\|__\|__\_____ .=.\| _---\__\|__\|_---_\|. .........O..Chris....O

9th May 2020, 9:53 pm	#7
kalee20 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lynton, N. Devon, UK. Posts: 7,088	Re: Pye 18A Stumped again!! It doesn't actually look like the original wire, TBH. A common way of preventing a direct pull on the solder joints, was to tie a knot in the cable. But this doesn't have even that!

9th May 2020, 10:24 pm	#8
ekjdm14 Banned Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Congleton, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 609	Re: Pye 18A Stumped again!! Good points above, I hadn't even paid mind to the lack of a securing knot or a grommet, which would have been likely employed even without safety legislation simply for "common sense" reasons when the set was built. I should look more closely & critically at details such as that before calling that all's well!

10th May 2020, 2:27 pm	#9
See_Mos Hexode Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Ossett, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 483	Re: Pye 18A Stumped again!! The mains cable on your set is identical to the Pye 15A on the floor next to me. The cable is held by a metal P clip bolted to the outside of the chassis. the P clip does not have any protection against chafing but I suspect that there might have been a rubber sleeve around the cable so that it is clamped by the clip.

10th May 2020, 2:49 pm	#10
BrianAllen Heptode Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 595	Re: Pye 18A Stumped again!! Thank you all; I have noted your comments and will be able to tidy up wiring quite nicely now (safely obviously).