Cossor 469.

[Geoff 555]

Hello, I don't do this very often so please standby for a mess.
Well I saw a valve portable advertised and did the usual thing of thinking is it pretty, no not really just a wooden box and the redeeming feature was the top panel which was different, it was a Cossor 469.
4 valves, 1R5, 1T4 1S5,3S4. Light and Medium waves and powered by a Ever Ready B103 and a rather useful speaker, 61/2” 'high flux permanent magnet'.
Undoing the 2 thumbscrews released the back to reveal a chassis and speaker unit. Undoing the grub screws ( they were loose?) in the 3 white knobs and the 2 wood screws holding the chassis in and it all, including the frame aerial just lifted out.
At first glance not too bad but the battery leads had insulation that just crumbled away to the touch and the inside of the cabinet was covered in coal dust and a few cobwebs, the dial window being opaque and the paper station dial being black.
Removing the speaker was interesting, 3 nuts and screws and 1 screw to a pillar, unsolder the 2 leads and lift it away err no not quite, it lifted the chassis with it. What the heck, could not see anything holding it so gave it a careful tug, it reluctantly moved, it was held in by the magnet holding it to the steel chassis.
All the original waxies were there and it looked as if a couple of resistors had been replaced a long time ago, 1960's by the look of it. The waxies were replaced and 1 resistor that was listed in the sheet as a mod.
Beware, some of the component numbers IE condenser number 21 in the chassis view is number 12 in the list etc. Not serious but had me going for a bit.
The valve filaments were blown open so a set kindly supplied by Peter-sol. Were fitted. The battery wires replaced and with some pp3's and a D cell and connect the speaker, it was time to see what would happen.
Turned on and 'SILENCE'. OK it was worth a try and there was no smoke or a bang so it was looking good.
The rotary wave change switch contacts were badly tarnished and a squirt of cleaner did nothing but a careful scrub with a tooth brush had the contacts gleaming.
Tap/waggle the valves and life by means of a crackle, cleaning the valve pins and holders did nothing to improve the problem, I had never seen valve holders like it ( but that does not mean a lot.) shaped like a cotton reel, 2 paxoline discs holding strips of metal, 1 for each valve pin, a plastic centre piece with grooves to hold and separate the strips to stop them touching each other topped of by a paxoline disc with holes for the valve pins. A metal plate to fasten the holder to the chassis. All held together by a long centre rivet.
Can you see the deliberate mistake? Nothing to hold/tension the metal strips (!) and hold them in contact with the valve pins. Actually they are, were, held in place by a rubber band round the holder. 70 year old rubber had lost its zing. Being somewhat of a coward I didn't really fancy removing all the wires etc. which were age hardened single core and fragile.
So I cheated and put a cable tie round the rubber band to give it a bit of tension, it worked a treat.
Have retreated to the bomb shelter, sorry about that.

Now after a general clean up, remove coal dust etc. it does work amazingly well, plenty of volume and quite sensitive. Considering the signal strength here is bad, it's great.
The look does grow on one (me) after a bit.
It is quite interesting to compare it to a RCA Victor Model BX of the same age and valve line up. Mains/battery.
Cheers all, thanks for reading.
Geoff.

[Phil G4SPZ]

Well done, Geoff. This is a nice looking set, in my opinion, so you did a good job in rescuing it!

The description here talks about the chassis being drilled for Octal valveholders, but fitted with B7G valveholders... what's your chassis like? That series of valves came out in 1940.

Valveholders in battery sets are a frequent cause of trouble, but not for the same reason you mentioned... 70 year old rubber bands indeed! Not come across those myself before, so thanks for the tip.

[Cobaltblue]

Yes the Cossor 469 must be the ugliest portable set ever built.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess

All of the Chassis I have seen have been punched for Octals with an adapter plate for B7G.

Its the same chassis as used by the Ever Ready Model C and that did use Octals in the early versions

I must admit despite the strange construction I haven't had that much trouble with the valve holders.

Well done Geoff

Cheers

Mike T