Barker 88 pictures of back required

[Boater Sam]

Taken possession of a pre war 1938 Barker 88, the one with the right hand controls, in original untouched condition. I don't think its a 838 but it is a later one with the alternative output stage.
Not just good but working too. Short wave is deaf but that's just a job to be done. Along with lots of perished grommets. Coupling capacitors re-stuffed, rotted mains lead replaced, its a belter.

The back, however, is a tatty bit of plywood, the bottom access panel is a tatty bit of hardboard.
The red on the dial glass has run and spread, a scan of a good one would be nice to save a lot of computer time with gimp.

If I can find good photos of these I will remake as original. Can't find any rear shots on the net.

Can anyone help please?

Sam.

[Boater Sam]

Had a good day at the bench with the Barker, tuning cap grommets replaced, 2 coupling caps re-stuffed, 1 cathode bypass electrolytic re-stuffed, all other caps tested OK. Wiring tidied up, tuning glass cleaned and scanned for the future.
Plenty of dust and dead arachnids removed, alignment checked, it was spot on. Short wave works with a 10m aerial attached.

The output transformer is not the original but is fine. The 6U5, 6G5 tuning indicator is completely dark though. Doubt I will find one that works.
The long wave aerial coil has a couple of hanging end bits of Litze wire but all the connections are correct and the coils continuous so I'll ignore them. Its a strange coil pack built as a sub-assembly on the wave change switch removable by disconnecting 4 or 5 wires and 3 screws only.

Cabinet may need a complete strip and re-finish but the speaker cloth should respond to a clean. I can't understand the reason to mount the chassis with 8 grommets both under the chassis and under the 4 screws. All horribly perished.

I may use a length of iron fabric covered mains lead, 3 core of course.

[nigelr2000]

Hi Sam

I have had a Barker 88 for ages, I was going to do it up for me mum who worked at Barkers in the 40's and 50's but after she had a stroke and went into a home I haven't done anything with it but here are a few pictures if you need anything specific I am happy to help if this is the right model

[Boater Sam]

Thanks for the pix Nigel.

Unfortunately yours is the post war left hand model, totally different, but it will give me some idea of the style of construction of Barkers. There is probably not much difference.

It looks to be a good set, how about restoring it?

Update on mine, had an intermittent instability with odd noise, traced it to the earth tag on the aerial coils side of the coil pack not being properly attached. Looks like it was spot welded to a hole, badly. Ran a wire from the other earth tag on the pack, problem solved.

There is considerable power in those 2 KT63s, volume aplenty.

[HamishBoxer]

I would love to help but my two Barkers are in storage awaiting legal completion of house we are buying in the very near future I hope.

[music-centre]

Hello Sam,
Was this the Model? The back is just made out of some pretty rough plywood with some material over the holes, I think it is the original back by the look of it
Steve.

[Boater Sam]

Thank you Steve.

Stone me!

I thought mine had a home brew back but its the same! What a tatty job.

I'll have to get it cleaned up and a new bit of black muslin. I don't like the big hole exposing the chassis, may cover that too for safety reasons.

So I now have a back and I will copy the base cover from the later model pix that Nigel sent.

Cleaned the speaker fabric, its in good order. Just going to strip and Danish oil the cabinet and its done.

Sam.

[robin coleman]

I have a Barker 88 and the back is rough 3 ply plywood with two squares fitted with mesh. Was a good set but the transformer went and I have finally got a replacement.

Regards, Robin.

[Herald1360]

Looks like with that annular hole in the base and the fairly open back they considered that the ventilation required for two power valves and a suitably beefy rectifier needed to be good.