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Vintage Radio (domestic) Domestic vintage radio (wireless) receivers only. |
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9th Mar 2019, 7:31 am | #1 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Ulverston, Cumbria, UK.
Posts: 115
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Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
Hi,
I've had an old battery set from the 30s I guess for a while now and recently decided to try and find out what exactly it is. I've searched the internet and looked through images trying to find it but can't. So I was wondering if any of you good people on here have any idea what it is, and more importantly how to hook up the various batteries needed to get it to work. Any information would be great thanks. Mike |
9th Mar 2019, 7:48 am | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK.
Posts: 8,195
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
It looks like many kit sets of the era; thousands were built in that time.
The coils look like Telsen devices, so it may be one of the many designs that were published in the Telsen Radiomag of this era. Usually a good set to work on. It will need a 2V accumulator for the valve heaters;an HT battery (with tappings)of 120v max (120 for audio OP, 90v main HT and possibly 63.5 v for the SG. A grid bias battery of 4.5v or more is needed to provide neg bias to some valves. NOTE DO NOT OPERATE THE SET WITH THE GB DISCONNECTED, OR EVEN CHANGE GB TAPS. THIS WILL DAMAGE COMPONENTS< VALVES ETC. Faults are likely to be mechanical in nature (poor connections/ soldered joints). There is the possibility that the intervalve transformer will have one or more windings open circuit, but it can easily be rewound; you may get lucky and manage to by one (3:1 is the common ratio) Ed |
9th Mar 2019, 11:02 am | #3 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Ulverston, Cumbria, UK.
Posts: 115
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
Thanks for your reply that's most helpful info. What kind of speaker would work with these sets, I believe they were very high impedance devices, would it be a case of a modern speaker with a matching transformer, or could you use headphones I have some from this era.
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9th Mar 2019, 11:40 am | #4 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Ulverston, Cumbria, UK.
Posts: 115
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
Does anyone have any info on the telsen coils suggested circuits. They are colvern ltd coils on this but I believe they are very similar. Tried searching the internet but not really finding anything.
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9th Mar 2019, 2:55 pm | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,642
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
You can use headphones, they'll be live (a nip rather than dangerous) and should be connected the right way round to aid what magnetism is left, rather than oppose it.
It's in good condition, many have suffered decades of lofts or worse. The screen grid valve looks to have lost some of it's getter, but may still be OK. There is a lot of information on the internet, and there were relatively few variations on circuitry, so it should be possible to restore it to health. Surprisingly for a near 100 year old radio spares are easier to obtain than many modern ones. |
9th Mar 2019, 5:59 pm | #6 |
Heptode
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Limerick, Ireland.
Posts: 901
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
Same may apply to ICs and any record player stylus! New steel needles still sold (which are usually intended for single use, but is that one or both sides?).
Transformers are the tricky parts, but I've used mains transformers of suitable ratio for interstage on 1929 to 1939 sets and for output on battery or mains. For Mains single ended you either need to loosen the I off E on core or a slightly larger rating so it doesn't saturate. The DC cancels on push-pull outputs. Rewinding is possible and only solution for the earphones, horns and moving iron paper cone speakers. |
10th Mar 2019, 6:22 am | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK.
Posts: 8,195
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
Hi, for the output use a normal single ended transformer from a typical mains or battery set (30:1 or similar should be OK, but almost anything will do). If from a single ended op stage it will be air-gapped so should be OK. Use a normal 3R speaker.
Telsen and Colvern made very similar speakers and connection details are online. If no success mail me in 2 weeks when I will have access to my archive. Most of these coils had an aerial winding, possibly switched for LW. The Grid winding may also have been switched as well and there may or may not have been a 3rd winding for reaction. The reaction winding was not always fitted so a cheaper coil could be made. It can be left open circuit if not required. Ed |
10th Mar 2019, 8:46 am | #8 |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Leicester, Leics. UK.
Posts: 1,685
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
MIke, in case you do not know, there is the invaluable American Radio History website https://www.americanradiohistory.com/index.htm#T_ that has downloadable copies of many UK early radio magazines (and a shedload of other material). Most are searchable and there is a meta search for early magazines. https://www.americanradiohistory.com...dio/search.cgi
UK published magazines there that may include your set: Modern Wireless Popular Wireless Amateur Wireless Wireless Constructor Wireless Magazine Wireless Weekly and of course Wireless World and possibly but might be a little late, Practical Wireless. The Telson Magazine is also there, but at 1933 also looks a bit late for your set. |
10th Mar 2019, 9:36 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Seaford, East Sussex, UK.
Posts: 5,997
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
The anode current of a PM252 is enough to damage high impedance headphones. The Pye transformer would probably have been the anode load for the PM252 allowing the high impedance speaker to be capacitor coupled.
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11th Mar 2019, 9:50 am | #10 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Ulverston, Cumbria, UK.
Posts: 115
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
Brilliant thanks lots of info and I'll have a look at the American site tonight at work. I'm just going to clean up and check all the connections, I've a fairly good idea where all the connections to the batteries should go and speaker, aerial etc.
Thanks again will be nice to hear it working again. Mike |
12th Mar 2019, 1:37 am | #11 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Ulverston, Cumbria, UK.
Posts: 115
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
Here is a couple of pics of a speaker I bought from the same auction. Does this look like the kind of thing a set like this would use. Again I can't seem to find anything about this particular model of speaker. Typed the details into a search and trauled Google images but didn't find anything.
Thanks, Mike |
12th Mar 2019, 5:12 pm | #12 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Seaford, East Sussex, UK.
Posts: 5,997
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
Difficult to work out the size from the picture but that looks as though it came from a large speaker enclosure but a similar one was used in the Philips 2601.
You may struggle to get it to work as it will probably need a DC supply for an energising coil. Are there any markings on the controls on the back? Last edited by PJL; 12th Mar 2019 at 5:28 pm. |
14th Mar 2019, 9:22 am | #13 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Ulverston, Cumbria, UK.
Posts: 115
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
Not that I can see no, unless I can get some info and a wiring diagram I'll just leave it alone for now.
Mike |
15th Mar 2019, 7:13 am | #14 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK.
Posts: 8,195
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Re: Help identifying 1920s 1930s battery set
Hi , it looks as if it is from a mains set. Battery sets, unless DC mains types did not normally have energised speakers, and not normally that big.
Ed |