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Old 9th Jul 2020, 1:39 pm   #1
Edward Huggins
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Default Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

(MODS: Not quite sure wher to place this Thread, at the moment it's under RADIO?)

I have never quite known how to judge ALBA? We know the brand is now one used by Argos for low price Catalogue products, but the past is a somewhat different matter....
I must declare an interest as I knew some Members of Alfred Balcombe's extended family quite well in the early 1990s and, as a consequence, something of the Company culture.
Back in the 1940s, and early 1950s, they tended to be cursed in our Workshop but there was no denying their solid, if somewhat clumsy build. Strangely, the word ligubrious comes to mind. There was nothing I can recall as being innovative in their circuit design or marketing/dealer support efforts.
By the end of the 1950s, their TVs were not all home grown as they sourced chassis or sub-assemblies from wherever. By the late 1960s their Record Players and Radiograms had become low-end products, shunned by the major distributors and mainly sold via Furniture Stores or Mail Order. By this time their value-engineering had taken on a whole new dimension.
So all-in-all I'm left with very mixed feelings. What are Member's recollections?
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Old 9th Jul 2020, 5:36 pm   #2
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

I only knew them in the late 60’s and I felt the same way, no experience of earlier models which perhaps were decent products.
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Old 9th Jul 2020, 6:20 pm   #3
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

Rather like Portadyne, in terms of market placement the trajectory of Alba seems to have been steadily downwards. I'd describe the cabinets, for instance, of both companies' products in the early 1930s as upper-mid market. Not quite EMI in build and finish, perhaps not quite McMichael, but a little above Ultra and some way above Cossor. By shortly after WWII both tended to fit pretty basic chassis in solid, but very ordinary, cabinets. Come the '60s and both were at the cheap end of UK radio production, with maybe only Fidelity beneath them among volume manufacturers.

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Old 16th Jul 2020, 7:05 pm   #4
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

I restored a 1950s FM woody Alba which I then gave away. From what I remember it worked well and sounded good despite its small speaker. I may be remembering another one but I seem to think it had some sort of bass boost.
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Old 16th Jul 2020, 10:40 pm   #5
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

I would have loved to have visited their works in Tabernacle Street EC2.
Evidently, the they did everything in those premises, design, assembly and distribution.
The last true Alba TV set was that rather attractive dual standard model made in 1963. The set was of an ambitious design but it had quite a few issues. Alba gave up designing and making TVs but continued making radiograms up to the early seventies.

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Old 17th Jul 2020, 12:38 am   #6
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

I seem to remember that they had a range of hifi separates in the mid 70's. The amplifier certainly attracted good reviews. I see that there's a previous thread about them at

https://vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=81756
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Old 17th Jul 2020, 12:50 am   #7
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

Agree on the UA700 - surprisingly Alba is not mentioned in the "Audio!Audio!" book.

I have an Alba badged 24" D/S mono TV, it uses a Philips 210 chassis.
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Old 17th Jul 2020, 8:01 am   #8
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

This is my experience with ALBA

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...highlight=alba

Lovely radio

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Old 23rd Jul 2020, 7:10 pm   #9
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

Alba went back a very long way, I have a wind up portable gramophone somewhere. They produced a very reliable range of television receivers.
Their pre 1955 5 channel receivers enjoyed a good record followed by the solid T644 17" 13 channel model. I have a 1950 Alba television catalogue That shows a very expensive range of large screen television consoles that included combined radio and gramophone facilities. Included in the pictures is a very smart lady in an evening gown!

They were the very first company to introduce their 'package service' The majority of the components were mounted on two easy removable printed circuit boards, I.F. and timebases. 10 years before Thorn did the same thing with the 200 and 3000 chassis. This was very popular with the rental boys. They offered a very cheap exchange service if you needed it.

1960 saw a dramatic change of design with the very flashy super slim 17" T766. It employed the latest Mullard 110 degree short neck 17" tube and when working correctly produced a good picture.

The shortcoming was the in house tuner. It bands was preset very much like the Bush TV24C/TV43 series the result of which you could only select one ITV station without the nuisance of retuning. Being so slim it sold in large numbers but it was not a high gain model and was mostly restricted to the service area.

With the coming of the dual standard era the 800 and 900 series were totally ruined by a motorized [if you could call it that]VHF tuner. It comprised of a solenoid with drive arm and ratchet that spun the coil drum round at incredible speed and with all things that go fast, early failure is certain.It slipped it's teeth and ruined the gear drive. URGHHH!

They certainly failed and I don't think spares were available at that time. A crazy idea that spoilt what was actually a very well made chassis that had good gain even on UHF.
It also looked 'modern smart' and would have been a good seller if it hadn't been for that dreadful tuner. The corded UHF drive was worse than the PYE 11U.

After this nightmare I think Alba decided to throw the towel in as far as TV receiver production and sourced their models from Philips. It was a sad end to a very successful TV production line but I remember their pre 1960 models with affection.

They also produced a reasonably priced range of radios, record players and radiograms. Good simple and well built equipment that you could afford to buy. They had a very good reputation but like Sobell were ignored by the snooty dealers of the time.

I have always had a soft spot for ALBA products. Are they still around in 2020?

John.
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Old 23rd Jul 2020, 7:25 pm   #10
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

Quote:
Originally Posted by Heatercathodeshort View Post
I have always had a soft spot for ALBA products. Are they still around in 2020?
John.
MKy experience of Alba stuff started in the late-70s, when they did some half-decent amplifiers etc [I bought in bulk - a Ford Escort-full at a time - from a warehouse and sold them on to students].

Never really rated them that highly; perhaps their earlier stuff was better?

The Alba brand is now owned by Sainsbury's/Argos and used on 'budget' radios/TVs etc.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alba_(brand)#History
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Old 23rd Jul 2020, 9:41 pm   #11
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

Quote:
Originally Posted by FERNSEH View Post
The last true Alba TV set was that rather attractive dual standard model made in 1963. The set was of an ambitious design but it had quite a few issues. continued making radiograms up to the early seventies.
That's interesting, I think I had one of these. If it's the one I'm thinking of it had a rather nice wood veneered cabinet with a fabric covered front. I actually remember it as being a good and reliable set that produced a good picture with good tone on the sound. I used it as one of my loan sets when I was running my business in the late 70s - I can't remember what happened to it, perhaps ended up selling it to a customer.

I had a small Alba portable radiogram with an ECL80 output - it was a dreadful thing with the audio quality of a cheap tranny radio, regardless of its wooden case!
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Old 24th Jul 2020, 10:20 am   #12
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

I've got 2 Alba DABs that perform OK, one in the kitchen and another in the bathroom.
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Old 25th Jul 2020, 11:11 am   #13
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

These scans date from around 1953/4 from a ALBA sales leaflet. As you can see they produced a good range of television, radio, record players and radiograms.
Sorry about the split pictures, it's a fold out leaflet.
John.
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Old 25th Jul 2020, 11:17 am   #14
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

I tend to think of the much more recent, lower quality, offerings under the Alba name. The same with Regentone. In fact both seem to have been decent quality until sold off.
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Old 26th Jul 2020, 1:24 pm   #15
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

Her's my potted history of the Alba brand:

A J Balcombe Ltd, of Worship Street, London, EC in the 1930’s. Established by Alfred Balcombe in 1917, to manufacture grmophones. Manufacturer of radios and later on, televisons, under the ALBA brand name.

Originally located in City Road, London. In 1919, it moved to Tabernacle Street. By the 1930s, at 50-52 Tabernacle Street, London, EC2.

In 1954, they distributed Crosley Shelvador refrigerators (made in the USA).

In 1955 the EC2 factory was expanded. Still known as A J Balcombe Ltd in 1958.

By 1960, known as Alba (Radio & Television) Ltd, Tabernacle Street, London, EC2.

In 1962, they were selling an electric toaster.

In 1974, the company relocated to (Bull Lane?) Edmonton, North London.

The company went bust in 1982. Harvard International (previously Harris Overseas Ltd) bought the rights to the Alba brand in 1982.

In 1987, Harvard became a public limited company, named Alba plc. Alba plc now includes the Bush, Hinari, Harvard, Roadstar and Goodmans brand names.

In November 2008, after making a loss, Alba plc sold the Bush and Alba brands to Home Retail Group (HRG) for £15.25 million. HRG is the owner of Argos (and Homebase).

As part of the deal, Alba plc changed its name to an earlier one: Harvard International plc.
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Old 26th Jul 2020, 1:57 pm   #16
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

Thanks Dazzle,
I recall Havard branded Fidelity portable colour TVs, these were the later derivative of the ZX3000 with a different colour decoder chip and on remote models a more modern micro than the earlier ZX3000 series, I think these were designated ZX42XX series ?
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Old 19th Dec 2020, 3:24 am   #17
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

The Alba 636 of 1968 is a better-than-average AM/FM portable. It was made in England, mostly with Philips components, and has the contemporary brushed aluminium and teak styling of the Philips Hifi International range. It stands out because most of the Alba portables of that era were rebadged Japanese radios.

I'll take this opportunity to ask after service data for the 636. Mine needs adjusting.
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Old 19th Dec 2020, 12:25 pm   #18
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

Historical manufacturing names such as Bush, Alba, Goodmans, Philips and the rest are bankable titles...... worth lots of money to the owners. Take Bush as example... Mr & Mrs Rubbingboard had a Bush TV in the 60's that worked for years..... so when they see the name, they go all "glassy eyed" and think they are getting the same quality, all TV importers are using either China or Turkey to have made their product and badge as the market decides. When I worked for Akura, before retiring... I QC'd Bush and Alba tv's for our customer Argos..... the product was the BACK page of the catalog...aimed at the "entry end" of the spectrum.
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Old 19th Dec 2020, 6:47 pm   #19
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

A few pre-war models here; (all prices are TRADE only)
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Old 19th Dec 2020, 6:48 pm   #20
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Default Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television

and a few more
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