RAF stores radio. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

baza100 · 22nd Apr 2021, 9:31 am

Got this radio. It is marked up as a Decca AW12 AM. It has the RAF kings crown and the eagle on the dial also has RAF stores on the back. Can't find any information about it. Has anyone got any info on it?

Thanks

Barry

Station X · 22nd Apr 2021, 10:12 am

Looks like a Welfare Receiver to me. The sort of thing which would have been found in the NAAFI.

Service info here:-

https://www.service-data.com/section.php/1606/1/aw12

paulsherwin · 22nd Apr 2021, 10:20 am

That was my first thought too, but it looks a bit weedy for a NAAFI set. I guess it could have had some other recreational purpose on RAF stations.

Station X · 22nd Apr 2021, 10:25 am

It doesn't look quite right to me. The chassis is too narrow for the cabinet, the mains transformer is very close to the speaker and why position the smoothing capacitor like that?

Malcolm G6ANZ · 22nd Apr 2021, 10:44 am

I restored one similar to this one for a friend who does WW2 reenactment. The set was originally meant to run off of 12 DC from car/jeep batteries with an vibrator down the side of the chassis, hence the gap.
I forget now how I got it to function but I think I remade the vibrator supply in a diecast box.

Malcolm

Station X · 22nd Apr 2021, 10:47 am

That sounds right. I see that the service sheet I linked to actually relates to the AW6, although several sources suggest it also covers the AW12.

Refugee · 22nd Apr 2021, 10:52 am

As soon as I looked at the photo the capacitor stuck out like a replacement for one that was once in that vacated hole in front of the mains transformer.

Paul_RK · 22nd Apr 2021, 12:02 pm

I wonder if a stock of gramophone cases was modified and repurposed to meet demand for radios. The shape, the handle, the coarse rexine and especially those metal corners all put me in mind of low- to mid-market (i.e. not HMV/Columbia) portable gramophones.

Paul

turretslug · 22nd Apr 2021, 12:19 pm

The combination of no LW band but extended SW coverage (13-100m) certainly suggests a "faraway posting" set. At least it still has its bottles! I wonder if an original vibrator-associated transformer would have been more compact, and the set has been converted with a standard mains transformer. It's difficult to be sure, but the lam stack looks quite generous for a modest 4-valver type set.

paulsherwin · 22nd Apr 2021, 1:20 pm

I wonder if it had a similar design purpose to the PCR series, intended for use in Europe after D-Day so that mobile military personnel would have an idea of what was going on generally.

Malcolm G6ANZ · 22nd Apr 2021, 3:57 pm

I've had a look through the archives and the one I repaired is not the same as the one shown, but very close.
The one I dealt with is like this :
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...iver-279575760
It could be for the same use made by a different company.

Malcolm

baza100 · 22nd Apr 2021, 5:40 pm

Its a bit smaller than my naafi set

22nd Apr 2021, 9:31 am	#1
baza100 Triode Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 47	RAF stores radio. Got this radio. It is marked up as a Decca AW12 AM. It has the RAF kings crown and the eagle on the dial also has RAF stores on the back. Can't find any information about it. Has anyone got any info on it? Thanks Barry Attached Thumbnails

22nd Apr 2021, 10:12 am	#2
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: RAF stores radio. Looks like a Welfare Receiver to me. The sort of thing which would have been found in the NAAFI. Service info here:- https://www.service-data.com/section.php/1606/1/aw12 __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

22nd Apr 2021, 10:20 am	#3
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,966	Re: RAF stores radio. That was my first thought too, but it looks a bit weedy for a NAAFI set. I guess it could have had some other recreational purpose on RAF stations.

22nd Apr 2021, 10:25 am	#4
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: RAF stores radio. It doesn't look quite right to me. The chassis is too narrow for the cabinet, the mains transformer is very close to the speaker and why position the smoothing capacitor like that? __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

22nd Apr 2021, 10:44 am	#5
Malcolm G6ANZ Octode Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 1,042	Re: RAF stores radio. I restored one similar to this one for a friend who does WW2 reenactment. The set was originally meant to run off of 12 DC from car/jeep batteries with an vibrator down the side of the chassis, hence the gap. I forget now how I got it to function but I think I remade the vibrator supply in a diecast box. Malcolm

22nd Apr 2021, 10:47 am	#6
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: RAF stores radio. That sounds right. I see that the service sheet I linked to actually relates to the AW6, although several sources suggest it also covers the AW12. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

22nd Apr 2021, 10:52 am	#7
Refugee Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK. Posts: 5,554	Re: RAF stores radio. As soon as I looked at the photo the capacitor stuck out like a replacement for one that was once in that vacated hole in front of the mains transformer.

22nd Apr 2021, 12:02 pm	#8
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,259	Re: RAF stores radio. I wonder if a stock of gramophone cases was modified and repurposed to meet demand for radios. The shape, the handle, the coarse rexine and especially those metal corners all put me in mind of low- to mid-market (i.e. not HMV/Columbia) portable gramophones. Paul

22nd Apr 2021, 12:19 pm	#9
turretslug Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Surrey, UK. Posts: 4,398	Re: RAF stores radio. The combination of no LW band but extended SW coverage (13-100m) certainly suggests a "faraway posting" set. At least it still has its bottles! I wonder if an original vibrator-associated transformer would have been more compact, and the set has been converted with a standard mains transformer. It's difficult to be sure, but the lam stack looks quite generous for a modest 4-valver type set.

22nd Apr 2021, 1:20 pm	#10
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,966	Re: RAF stores radio. I wonder if it had a similar design purpose to the PCR series, intended for use in Europe after D-Day so that mobile military personnel would have an idea of what was going on generally.

22nd Apr 2021, 3:57 pm	#11
Malcolm G6ANZ Octode Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 1,042	Re: RAF stores radio. I've had a look through the archives and the one I repaired is not the same as the one shown, but very close. The one I dealt with is like this : https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...iver-279575760 It could be for the same use made by a different company. Malcolm

22nd Apr 2021, 5:40 pm	#12
baza100 Triode Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 47	Re: RAF stores radio. Its a bit smaller than my naafi set Attached Thumbnails