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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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4th Jun 2003, 6:53 pm | #1 |
Octode
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Belper Derbyshire
Posts: 1,936
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How rare are side contact valve radios?
Hello there,
I recently bought a burndept radio on Ebay for £16 that has 5 side contact valves and barretter. This is the first radio I have come across with side contact valves in. How long were side contact valves made and how many other sets were made using this valve base methood? Are the contacts fairly reliable? Thanks Christopher Capener
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Interests in the collection and restoration of Tefifon players and 405 line television |
4th Jun 2003, 7:17 pm | #2 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 1,268
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Re: How rare are side contact valve radios?
As far as I can tell, they were popular in Europe for a time but less so over here. I think I've got a couple of sets, probably both Philips. Come to think of it, I've seen a number of Philips sets on foreign web sites which used side contact valves.
TTFN, Jon |
4th Jun 2003, 9:39 pm | #3 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Bishop's Waltham, Hants, UK.
Posts: 939
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Re: How rare are side contact valve radios?
I also have a couple of sets with SC valves. Generaly, they were only used in Britain for a couple of years, mainly by Philips / Mullard, but I have a transportable set by, I think, ELF (set is packed away at present, so not sure), which uses the SC series.
A lot of sets were modifeid to take the standard octal range as supplies of the SC versions " dried up " , though strangely, I've never had trouble getting a replacement to return the set to original. I think this may have been wartime repaiars with whatever was to hand. As to reliability, the contacts are prone to dirt an oxidation, but can be cleaned, more seriously, the contacts in the bases lose their spring and make poor contact, bases are difficult to find (someone will prove me wrong now ). Finally, the valves often corrode into the bases, and it is very difficult to grip the base to remove the valve, so you get alot more envelopes parted from bases with this range of valves! Jim. |
4th Jun 2003, 11:24 pm | #4 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Edgware, North London.
Posts: 307
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Re: How rare are side contact valve radios?
I keep a list of my radios on excel and I've just had a look; out of a total of 72 (I thought the loft and garage were both looking full ) I can only find 2 that used S/C valves - an Ekco AD65 & a German set called a Tonfunk Violetta. Both European & both from around 1934/5
Joe |
5th Jun 2003, 7:36 pm | #5 | |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: London, UK.
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Re: How rare are side contact valve radios?
Over here, as Jon says, not very common. I recall a few Pyes, Philips, Ekcos and the like (basically anyone who used Mullard valves it would seem!) which used them in the period 1938-40, and after that most went Octal. A lot of the Ekco 1939-40 range used them (PB506 and PB510 come to mind), and I have a Pye portable with them. Bush only used them once - in the BP70 portable.
In Germany they were common from the mid - 30s until the 'footless' or 'Harmonische Serie' valves were introduced (ECH11 etc). Philips sets of the late 30s often had mixed valves in them - some side contact and some footless. (You'd love those, Jon!) However, Jim wrote.... Quote:
HTH, Mike. |
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5th Jun 2003, 11:19 pm | #6 |
Rest in Peace
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Re: How rare are side contact valve radios?
Mike
Thanks for the web site re. Tonfunk. It looks mid 30s from the general inside appearance but I' ll climb into the attic over the weekend and have a closer look at it. At least Tonfunk had the decency to include a schematic pasted inside the cabinet. Joe |
6th Jun 2003, 12:01 am | #7 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: London, UK.
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Re: How rare are side contact valve radios?
Glad to help, Joe!! (and I apologise sincerely for calling you Jim earlier )
That's one of the things I like about post-war German sets (apart from the fantastic sound) - the common presence of a circuit diagram, a practice that carried on into the colour TV era. My parents had a HUGE Saba colour TV that had the 'map' inside - good thing too, as it was so complex you'd never fix it without one (motorised pots for the remote controls....ahhhh, warm fuzzy glow... ). |
6th Jun 2003, 12:19 am | #8 |
Heptode
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Garnant, near Ammanford, South Wales, UK.
Posts: 657
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Re: How rare are side contact valve radios?
Hi All
I have about 45 sets (30 if the wife asks). The only one with side contact valves is an Ekco AD36. This is from 1935 and uses:- 2 Mullard side contact:- SP13 as signal frequency amp, HL13 as grid leak detector, British 7 pin Mazda PEN3520 as pentode O/P amp and British 5 pin Brimar 1D5 as half wave rectifier. Why they used such a mixture of types and makes I dont know. Richard.
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6th Jun 2003, 10:32 pm | #9 |
Rest in Peace
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Re: How rare are side contact valve radios?
Mike
I had a look at that Tonfunk, and at the site you recommended. I stand corrected. It is the first Tonfunk on the list for which there is a picture. I also discovered that the EM4 magic eye is missing. Can't complain, I found the set some time ago dumped under a hedge in North London. Joe |