Ferguson 1500 series Television

[thermionic]

Originally Posted by Hybrid tellies

During my spell at Radio Rentals, and if memory serves me correctly we used Thorn New Life tubes for colour and Solus Tubes for black and white.

That Green chassis along with the use of a mechanical tuner indicates to me that this is an earlier version 1500. By 1977 they were using electronic varicap tuning and the more common red PCB. Maybe the smoothing can was a replacement fitted in 1977.

One final point the early 1500, like the 1400, may need the width chain resistors checking/changing as they could burn up and catch fire.

Hi Simon.

I’ve checked, and this chassis has all the earlier production modifications already carried out. It’s definitely a late chassis, so possibly has been transplanted into an earlier cabinet.

Keep well.

SimonT.

[Newgirl2013]

Hi Simon
That's absolutely brilliant
I have a DVD recorder with a RF and a Digital RF input / output connected ready to receive the Ferguson
Just an afterthought
Are you leaving the three core mains lead on or putting an original twin core on
Thanks very much
Sharon

[slidertogrid]

Thorn retained the mechanical tuner on the entry models way after varicap was available. The 8000 and 8500 had mechanical tuners when the 3500 had gone to varicap. There is a brochure on the Radios-TV site that demonstrates that the 24" was varicap but the entry model 20" retained the mechanical tuner presumably for cost reasons.

https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/1973-ferguson-brochure/

My friend had a very late model 20" Ferguson new in box that was exactly this model, still current in 1976 but used a Purple label Mullard tube that if my memory serves me correctly were foreign made and didn't last that long. That would explain the replacement tube. I think the set is just a late model, basic model with a replacement tube.

[Welsh Anorak]

Agreed - the purple label tube was an import with quite a grainy phosphor and, compared with the older red label ones, had a short life. Odd they weren't badged Mazda.

Interesting in the brochure to see the 1400 was still going strong in both 20" and 24" versions while dual-standard colour sets were discontinued several years previously - even the very last Philips G22K503 and Bush CTV174D were well out of production by then.

I assume the number of viewers who needed a dual standard TV were very small by 1973 (anyone know how many?) but Thorn could still offer a dual-standard set to those who needed it.

[Bobdger]

Translated systems in blocks of flats. VHF 625 line. Around Rustington there were a few 1960s blocks of flats with this translated system. Bob

[Newgirl2013]

Scarborough had a Relay System
BBC1 Channel 1
Yorkshire Channel 3
BBC2 Channel 5 VHF

[Richard_FM]

I heard Stevenage had a VHF 625 line cable system, but finding translator boxes or TV sets that could tune into them was a challenge.

I heard this from someone moved into the town & found they needed either of the above to get TV, they tried to get the local Philips dealer to special order them an Irish market set but they couldn't, so I think they had to put up with an indoor aerial until they found a second hand translator box for sale.

[Sean Williams]

Yes, thats right, Rediffusion system - most of the then "New Town" had houses built that were connected to the distributed system - blocks of terraced houses with the line amplifiers on the end of every block.

Every house needed a "converter box" which took the VHF signal and mixed it with a local oscillator to then produce a UHF output - most were made by Labgear.

The CATV system also provided a very convenient antenna for a then quite young me to play with home built radio sets

All long gone now, and all receiving and distribution systems removed.

[Welsh Anorak]

We used Labgear Televertas for our relay system in the Eighties. Some customers had Korting hybrids and similar that could receive VHF625 without modifcation.

[Richard_FM]

I heard Pye made some VHF - UHF converter boxes that were popular in Northern Ireland for picking up RTE 1 & 2.

[hamid_1]

I have the same model Ferguson 3821 (1500 single-standard 625) and a dual-standard Ferguson 1400 chassis model in the same style cabinet. That one has a sticker saying Made in Ireland. It's set up for 405 VHF and 625 UHF reception. I suppose it could be modified for 625 VHF but I haven't explored that possibilty. Presumably it was made for areas that did not have good UHF reception and had to fall back on 405 VHF. It took several years for the UHF transmitter network to be built. It didn't happen overnight. In the end, around 1000 UHF relay transmitters were deployed to bring terrestrial television to almost everyone in the UK.

Parts of High Wycombe also had an analogue cable TV network which operated on VHF and UHF. The cable operator supplied Jerrold / General Instrument VHF to UHF converter boxes to subscribers. As well as the terrestrial channels (including up to 3 ITV regional stations - London, Meridian and Central), there were other channels such as Sky Sports and movies on offer, for an additional subscription payment. These channels were scrambled - it looked like the horizontal hold had been messed with. The cable company-supplied converter box included a descrambling circuit. Each converter box had a serial number. The cable operator could switch channel descrambling on or off remotely from their office by sending commands over the cable network to your box's serial number. It was even possible to order pay-per-view movies by phoning the cable operator who would switch your descrambler on for the duration of the programme, then off afterwards. The terrestrial channels were not scrambled and could be viewed even without a subscription. Indeed, quite a lot of people cancelled and just used the cable service for free viewing of terrestrial TV. It was very useful. Most people here couldn't get Channel 5 or Freeview through an aerial until 2012 when the digital switchover occured. However, the analogue cable service was shut down in 2009. The remaining users had to subscribe to Sky digital satellite or Virgin Media digital cable and pay to get the 'Freeview' channels in the meantime.

[Focus Diode]

Originally Posted by Colourstar

You know I could be wrong but I wonder if that set has had a later chassis put in. I'm sure when I had one of those some years ago it had the red pcb. I don't have the relevant Ferguson brochure to hand but I'd put that cabinet design with the basic mechanical tuner to about 1973. I think by the time of the very late 1500s in 1977 they were using varicap tuners.

I remember the Baird version, briefly rented from Radio Rentals in Chippenham back in October 1977.

They control layout was very similar though the cabinet colour differed.

There was something different about the push buttons, which, although they looked the same they turned out to be light action switches rather than the expected mechanical tuner.

The rear of the set had a door, similar to the type used in colour models, which allowed access to the four tuning pre-sets.

Brian R.

[thermionic]

I’ve finally got back to this repair after being on holiday.

Forum member HG MICKE kindly supplied a new old stock main reservoir/smoothing capacitor to replace the temporary one I’d fitted to get the set up & running.

As this was un used and date coded 1981, it went on my reformer before being fitted in the 1500. All was soon well, - the capacitor fitted and the set, once again went on soak test.

Within a few hours there appeared an intermittent rustling sound from the ‘speaker, varying in intensity. The problem could be temporarily silenced by rocking the PCL82 audio valve in its socket, but it soon re appeared. The pins of the valve were cleaned with a fibre glass pen and the socket pins cleaned with switch cleaner. The base itself was treated to some new solder on its connection to the PCB. All to no lasting avail!

Replacement of the valve base has now cleared the problem, and so has brought this repair to a satisfactory conclusion.

I would like to thank forum members, John W ( Heatercathodeshort) for offering a set of scan coils, just in case and to HG MICKE who supplied a NOS main electrolytic.

Cheers, SimonT.

[Newgirl2013]

Thanks Simon for all your work on the set
The set was returned to me
However on powering the set up to the DVD recorder it was found to have no modulator on it
We have therefore ordered a new Modulator and hope to receive it today

[Newgirl2013]

Well the modulator arrived today but I still can't connect to the tv the RF lead wasn't supplied it's an F Connector to Coax lead and we don't have one of those leads

[Electricdreams]

Originally Posted by Newgirl2013

Well the modulator arrived today but I still can't connect to the tv the RF lead wasn't supplied it's an F Connector to Coax lead and we don't have one of those leads

You can get one online, just look for f-connector to RF

The 1500 are beautiful sets imo, I grew up with one in my room. I even had it connected to my BBC micro! I was 12 at the time.

The TV died and my mother made me throw it out sadly.

[Newgirl2013]

Hi
I managed to find an adaptor F connector to Coax
I always liked the 1500 series
Shame you had to throw it away

[Newgirl2013]

Pleased to say Ferguson 1500 is up and running

[winston_1]

Originally Posted by Richard_FM

I heard Stevenage had a VHF 625 line cable system, but finding translator boxes or TV sets that could tune into them was a challenge.

I heard this from someone moved into the town & found they needed either of the above to get TV, they tried to get the local Philips dealer to special order them an Irish market set but they couldn't, so I think they had to put up with an indoor aerial until they found a second hand transical about ator box for sale.

Indeed. I had a big argument with Philips technical as I needed a set for Stevenage. So I was not the only one. Their take on it was that there was no point in fitting something what was not needed. My argument was that it was needed in Stevenage and elsewhere. They told me to get an upconverter. I said the quality was not good enough. Interestingly some years later, late 90s, Philips started fitting multiband tuners to UK sets. Perhaps the penny dropped at last! I solved the Stevenage problem with a Grundig, that was before they were part of Philips.

[thermionic]

Originally Posted by Newgirl2013

Pleased to say Ferguson 1500 is up and running

Looking good, Sharon… enjoy!

Cheers. Simon.