Pantry?

[Lancs Lad]

I'm just curious?

Often on this forum I see the word 'pantry' used, in connection with something to do with radio broadcasting.

I'm clueless about all that kind of thing. What does it mean?

When I hear the word pantry, I'm instantly transported back through the decades to the kitchen in my lovely Great Auntie Annie's house!

She had a huge walk-in cupboard off the kitchen, packed full of all her comestibles. It always smelled deliciously of cake!

There was a marble slab which was used, I think, to keep butter, cheese and milk cold. She never had a fridge all her life.

She died in 1990, aged 92. I still miss her.

[paulsherwin]

Pantry transmitter - the term for a low powered microtransmitter used to broadcast a signal around a house but not elsewhere. I think the term was originally American.

Presumably the name arose because people would locate them in the pantry (what we would call the staircupboard nowadays).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantry

[McMurdo]

I've just been typing 'pantry' in another post probably as you were too.
Pantry is a sideways reference to having a small transmitter hidden away, maybe under the stairs or in a closet or pantry, from which emanates a programme of your choice from cd, DAB radio etc to be listened-in to by a radio that can't otherwise pick up anything of your liking.

[Lancs Lad]

I'm sorry if I'm being really thick, but what's the purpose of having a pantry transmitter?

Surely, you could just listen to the radio/CD/DAB in any room of the house, couldn't you?

Why the need to re-transmit it?

[paulsherwin]

The main purpose is to provide a service for vintage radios. Most PTs are AM for obvious reasons, but FM ones are also used - I use a very low powered PT to rebroadcast (DAB only) Times Radio around the house on FM.

[Craig Sawyers]

I think it dates back to early radio ham days, and when houses were small. So the ham used to squeeze his gear and a chair into an under stair cupboard or similar.

I'm sure I've seen that in old PW's or WW's

Craig

[newlite4]

The purpose of a pantry transmitter is to allow you to re-transmit broadcasts that are now only available on FM or DAB so that they can be received on an AM only radio such as the types that we collect and restore. A pantry transmitter would normally be tucked away in a pantry or larder (traditionally a small room used to store food) so that it can be heard and not seen.
Neil

[Lancs Lad]

Thank you, Paul.

I appreciate your reply.

Craig and Neil too!

This excellent forum teaches me something new every day.

[paulsherwin]

My mum always used to refer to the cupboard under the stairs in our 1930s semi as the pantry, and indeed stored food on shelves in there.

[Lancs Lad]

I bet the gas and electricity meters were in there aswell, were they, Paul?

The cupboard under the stairs was a proper 'glory hole' in my childhood.

It's a lot tidier nowadays!

[Graham G3ZVT]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

My mum always used to refer to the cupboard under the stairs in our 1930s semi as the pantry, and indeed stored food on shelves in there.

It was the same in the house where I grew up. except there was no shelves or food, just a few hooks for our coats on the back of the door, the hoover, the electric meter & fusebox, and the immersion heater switch with a 15W red pigmy bulb to show that it was on

Seems a little pretentious now.

We call the cupboard under the stairs here the larder, it is primarily used for non-perishable food storage, so maybe slightly less pretentious.

[Lancs Lad]

Oh yes! Red 15 watt pygmy bulbs in a batten lamp holder as a pilot light for immersion heaters.


I remember those days.

Long before LEDs were invented!

[electrogram]

I first came across "pantry transmitter" in The Radiophile magazine, and have always assumed it was a humorous term invented by the editor Chas Miller

[Graham G3ZVT]

Originally Posted by Craig Sawyers

I think it dates back to early radio ham days, and when houses were small. So the ham used to squeeze his gear and a chair into an under stair cupboard or similar.

I'm sure I've seen that in old PW's or WW's

Craig

Fortunately, my radio shack was located in a spare bedroom, however, my other hobby, photography, DID take place in the dark pantry.

[Lancs Lad]

Sounds like fun, Graham.

I've always fancied photography, but never got round to doing anything about it.

[paulsherwin]

OK, I think the OP's request for info has now been satisfied. Pantry door closed.