1959 Murphy B385 7 transistor MW/LW portable radio

[howard]

Hello again,

This Murphy B385 came in a box with several other scruffy old sets, it had lost one top perspex knob and the other was cracked, one push button was missing, it was filthy dirty and it didn't work cos it had suffered quite serious damage from leaking batteries. It came with its original leather carry case which is in fair condition. I restored the set using bits left over from two Murphy B485 restorations as there's very little difference between the two models, the bottom part of their cases differ slightly and only the earlier B385 has the fittings for the optional baffle box. The B385 was in fact Murphy's first transistor radio released in September 1959, the same time as their main competitor Bush released their more familar TR82 so I thought it would be worthwhile restoring this poor old thing.

Here are pics of the set at the start of the restoration, the outer case and the battery damage -

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...1&d=1226646867

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...1&d=1226646867

So briefly ...

From the scrap B485 were removed ... one push button, both tinted perspex knobs, the right-hand cardboard battery holder and the metal plate underneath it and one of the adjustable resistors used to adjust the bias current to the output transistors. As the B485 knob trims were chrome rather than brass, I varnished them with M&P dark gold lacquer and Rustins metal lacquer.

All the casework was removed from the B385 and then the loudspeaker which enabled the removal of the two battery holders complete with the supporting metal strap fitted across the middle of the chassis.

An electrolytic capacitor under the top cover was found to be broken so it was replaced

The metal plate and adjacent adjustable resistor damaged by leaking batteries were removed, the area carefully cleaned and the replacement parts fitted.

A lead to one of the Ediswan XC131 output transistors was found to have rotted through so the pair were replaced with new AC128s using the original heatsink

The OFF/LW/MW switches and the volume potentiometer were cleaned with Servisol 10

The missing push button and the battery holders were replaced, two 6 volt battery packs attached and the set switched on and it worked ! Bias current to each new AC128 was set to 1.5 mA.

Ron Bryan very kindly did the RF re-alignment as it had drifted considerably. (note there is an error in the Trader sheet, 1364 kHz is not 200 metres)

The case was simply cleaned in upholstery cleaner and polished with Safecut. The internal sponges in this set were OK.

This old Murphy transistor set works very well, it's very sensitive and sounds quite good. However, with its circuit scattered around inside on several bits of PCB, its chassis is nowhere near as well built as the robust Bush TR82, nor is its case as well built or designed so it's not surprising that it's not held in as high esteem ..........still an interesting set though .......

Howard

[howard]

And here are pics of the restored area previously damaged by battery leakage and the replacement 2 x AC128 output transistors ...

Howard

[batterymaker1]

What a sharp radio. I always wanted to see one up close.

Didn't these have an optional external speaker cabinet, the kind where the radio would drop into it and you'd wind up with a impromptu table set? Thought I saw something like that on the 'net....

[howard]

Originally Posted by batterymaker1

What a sharp radio. I always wanted to see one up close.

Didn't these have an optional external speaker cabinet, the kind where the radio would drop into it and you'd wind up with a impromptu table set? Thought I saw something like that on the 'net....

They did indeed, what Murphy described as a 'Baffle Cabinet' (I called it a baffle box above) which was an extra 5 guineas. I don't think there was a loudspeaker inside though, just two heavy duty batteries. I've only ever seen one and I suspect that they didn't catch on that well. These sets did come with a leather carry case as standard, essential as their plastic cases aren't that robust.

Howard

[newlite4]

Howard, I had one of these a few years ago. The one problem that I found was that it was almost impossible to remove the leather case. It was such a tight fit that I felt that it would be difficult to keep replacing batteries in this instance.
Neil

[howard]

Hello Neil,

You're quite right, I have two B485s and this B385 all with leather cases and only one comes out of its case easily, it is a real struggle getting the other two out and one has to be very careful when removing them to avoid the top zip scratching the sides of the case. Bush TR82s are much easier to live with !

Howard

[Paul_RK]

I think the case tightness must be down to shrinkage - is the material called Nubuck? it's certainly not of animal origin. I've had a few of these sets since about 1970, and getting them into and out of the cases was already a pain then. Funny to think they were as old then as a 1997 radio is now. Hard not to like them somehow. I haven't seen many either of the B1 baffle box, though a B385 sitting in one was part of a very recent eBay job lot. Maybe the B1 would have sold better with a mains power supply inside instead of a couple of PP8s, but manufacturers were slow to catch on to the thought of powering transistor sets from the mains. Anyways, a fine restoration of a set that wasn't looking too well to start with!

Regards,
Paul

[Brian R Pateman]

It isn't Nubuck, that has a suede type finish according to Wikipedia;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubuck

I also have one of these with a very tight case. It is probably an age related thing as they are not exactly in the first flush of youth.

Regards,

[Paul_RK]

Ah, just checked Newnes R+TVS, I knew I'd seen the stuff named somewhere: Neohide.

Paul