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Vintage Radio (domestic) Domestic vintage radio (wireless) receivers only.

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Old 11th Mar 2008, 3:52 pm   #1
camtechman
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Smile Radio books inc by F.J.Camm.

I've got to the final stage of sorting out my late Father's Radio & TV repair stuff.

In amongst a couple of boxes of ephemera I found this little book (see pics).

Whereas I'm more of a transistor & i.c. guy, valves & moreover valve amps & radios are still of interest to me but I lack the "hands-on" experience & confidence with them (being frightened off them from a child because of the "dangerous voltage" that my Dad warned me about).

But, now that I'm a "big boy" (just past 60!) and with my radio collecting interest re-kindled, it seems that I'm now more drawn to valve radios.

Although this little book is probably the most basic introduction to valves, theory & practice, it looks like it's right up my street.

It feels like I just won the lottery!
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Old 11th Mar 2008, 4:00 pm   #2
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

That book is an excellent introduction to the theory and practice of radio in the valve era. I'm sure that your dad would be pleased if he knew his books were being used constructively like this.

Paul
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Old 11th Mar 2008, 4:00 pm   #3
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

Just to add:

It's a Second Edition, published in 1956, author (the famous) F.J.Cam, 140 pages and the full title is: A Beginner's Guide To Radio - An Elementary Course In 27 Lessons.

I've now made a pot of coffee, got some Jaffa Cakes and I'm off to have a good read!
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Old 11th Mar 2008, 4:02 pm   #4
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

Paul,

I've a sneaky suspicion that he had bought it, with the intention of giving it to me but I was a snotty little so & so who only wanted "modern stuff" to take apart and so, he probably put it to one side....I do hope he's looking down on me now!

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Old 11th Mar 2008, 4:12 pm   #5
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

Good little book, had a copy for years, mine is the 1962 Fifth Edition, 3rd impression, and has a 29th lesson, a whole one and a half pages about transistors!, I believe F.J. was not a fan.... .

Regards, Mick.
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Old 11th Mar 2008, 4:25 pm   #6
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

"I believe F.J. was not a fan"

Sounds just like my late Dad, I remember he struggled with a Decca tranny radio, made it worse than when he first got it and it ended up in the back of his junk cupboard.

About a year later, whizz kid here got it going again and fully serviced and looking like new.

All I got for my efforts was: "I could have done that if I'd wanted to!"....Good old Dad, it was painful passing the batton to his son!
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Old 11th Mar 2008, 9:04 pm   #7
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

Somebody should make a film about the life and times of Fred Camm. It would be a fascinating subject, better by far than some of the CGI'd brainless stuff committed (I use the word deliberately) to film these days.
Once you've completed his Beginner's Guide, you might find most of his other voluminous output very readable: look out for 'Wireless Constructor's Encyclopaedia' - its a no-nonsense guide to valve radio. Many editions from around 1934 onward. Anything the man wrote is worth reading.
I'm a touch older than you and passed through the transistor and IC phase from a valve start, now back to bottles again, most with electrodes inside but the odd one having whisky in it
-Tony
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Old 11th Mar 2008, 10:07 pm   #8
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

Hi Have a try at one of his basic circuits, they are practically gauranteed to work and the bits are readily available.

Ed
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Old 11th Mar 2008, 10:16 pm   #9
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

Brilliant introduction to radio. I had this book out on more-or-less permanent loan from the library when I was about 12...I just kept on going back and renewing the loan every two weeks! Went through it from cover-to-cover, built most of the circuits in there. Happy days!



Rich.
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Old 11th Mar 2008, 11:05 pm   #10
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Smile Re: Look What I Just Found!

Brilliant book! I've got one - somewhere! My dad bought it for me and it is a classic.
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Old 15th Mar 2008, 7:22 pm   #11
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

I've now found another intriguing book.

It has a publication date of 1941! and I vaguely remember Dad having a go at making one of the projects in it, an Oscilloscope if I recall and that would have been in the mid to late 1950's but I don't remember seeing a finished project though.

What is facscinating, is the obvious access to such publications and components the Americans had compared to Britain, although the book is stamped: Fred's Radio Cabin, 75 Newington Butts, London SE 11 with a price of 3s 6d, so I would imagine it was a later import to the UK.
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Old 16th Mar 2008, 12:46 am   #12
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

I have got two of the FJ Camm books, both the same ............. dont know why but a very good book .
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Old 16th Mar 2008, 3:54 pm   #13
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Default Re: Look What I Just Found!

There were a lot of this book about, "Bernards" radio manual, Norman Price etc. They gave a range of test equipment that could be built and used by the guys who had returned from the forces and hobbyists. The parts were usually to be found in war surplus equipment that was easily obtainable.
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