Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

KW2000A · 18th May 2020, 12:35 pm

What became of Lowe Electronics? In the 1980s they were a major dealer in amateur radio equipment-nicely profiled in the February 1986 issue of Short Wave Magazine ( with thanks to American Radio History). An internet search seems to redirect to an outfit named SAVOX. Oddly enough if memory serves the location was on Chesterfield Road .....and is now pixellated to be invisible.
All information gratefully received!

Reelman · 18th May 2020, 12:54 pm

I’d like to know as well, they used to hold a mini radio rally every two years (one was 1987/8) and I’ve had my very best bargains there!

Peter

Reelman · 18th May 2020, 1:04 pm

The building which is visible on Google maps appears to be occupied by “SJTech” and “Rees” accountants. Junction of Upper Lumsdale/Chesterfield Rd.

Peter

dave walsh · 18th May 2020, 1:06 pm

I rang them up circa 1996 because I was helping a widow clear her husband's Radio Gear. Lowe used to buy some things in but advised me that I would do better for her with a private sale. I got the sense that things were changing then. It was indeed a very well established and thought of Company with the emphasis on personal service!

Dave W

Nickthedentist · 18th May 2020, 1:45 pm

Their website redirects to: https://www.savox.com/

Andrew2 · 18th May 2020, 1:45 pm

Gosh, Lowe's! I seemed to spend half my life driving there full of anticipation or driving home with a nice box in the back of the car. A nice bunch of people who actually knew about radio and would happily chat about whatever you had on your mind. I couldn't believe it when I popped across one day and found them gone!
There's some Lowe's stuff here:

http://www.listenersguide.org.uk/swl/list/?by=L

Dual Standard · 18th May 2020, 3:09 pm

Lowe Electronics were originally carefully hidden away on Cavendish Road Matlock but later (1979/80) moved round the corner to their much easier to find home on Chesterfield Road. They were later aquired/merged with/taken over by Waters and Stanton, initially this seemed to work well with a sort of rebrand as 'W&S at Lowe Electronics" but clearly the writing was on the wall. The last time I called in, (probably 2007 ish as I went have a look the then new Yaesu FT2000 but didn't buy one) the showroom was only a shadow of its former self with very little in the way of used gear.

Bill Lowe was quite a character, the slightly tonque in cheek comments in the s/h advert listing on RadCom each month were always worth reading, he rather famously described the Eddystone 840C as being 'Like a chocolate eclair but without any filling', though he was rather fond of the EA12 and 888A. I also think it was Bill (or maybe John Wilson) who absolutely insisted on carrying out a Trio R599 that I had just purchased and carefully placing it in the boot of my Lotus Cortina. (Alas I no longer own either).
Lowes were always friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, unlike some of their contemporary competitors.

Mike

Radio Wrangler · 18th May 2020, 3:41 pm

I went there twice. Both to the Chesterfield road location. The first time I had Kenneth, G0CVJ, with me and it was a thriving bustling place, all the current Trio stuff on display and a variety of the other brands (Wasn't it Bandit Bill who introduced Inoue - rhymes with Phooey to the UK, or was it introduced the UK to Inoue? now better known by their changed name, of course)

It seemed a great place, the staff was friendly and there was something for everyone... and coffee.

The second visit went not so well. I was on holiday back down in Yorkshire and having a roam around the peak district with mum in the passenger seat. Hey, I thought, we're near Lowe's and I haven't been in there in ages. Did mum mind waiting a bit while I went in? Nope, and she knew well how long I could be in that sort of place.

So to Matlock we went. Looked a bit dead and empty, so I went across the little bridge and into the door to be met by a rather grumpy woman. "WE'RE CLOSED!" "Oh, sorry, I didn't see a sign." "IT'S IN ALL THE MAGAZINES" still pretty loud, but quieter than the first exclamation" "Oh sorry I didn't have any magazines with me and was in the area" I crossed the bridge, with her playing the part of a sheep dog. "YOU MUST LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!" Maybe she only had one volume setting? Perhaps not a wise thing to say to a guy getting into a group B car. I left immediately. Very, Very, immediately, making a note to never bother returning. Maybe it was towards the end when the business was starting to go badly. I've certainly never bought anything since from them. I don't like being shouted at, ordered around etc. A nice "I'm afraid we never open on Mondays, sorry, the sign must have fallen off" would have led to a friendly parting and perhaps a return sometime.

I greatly enjoyed Bill's spiels in Short Wave Mag.

David

HamishBoxer · 18th May 2020, 4:04 pm

Bandit Bill the guy was called! I got my new Trio 700G and TR2400 and TR2200 etc from there.That is going down memory lane mid 70,s it was.

Still have the 700G in original box and was working last time I fired it up.

Andrew2 · 18th May 2020, 6:05 pm

John Wilson wrote many articles in the radio mags later on, and very enjoyable they were too.

SiriusHardware · 18th May 2020, 6:15 pm

There was actually a 'Lowe Airband Radio' shop on the north west edge of Tyneside, initially within two hundred yards of the entrance of Newcastle Airport, and then a short distance away in a unit on a nearby industrial estate. This would be mid to late nineties.

Despite the name it was as much an amateur radio shop as anything, and a lot of the gear I still have now - including my Lowe HF-150 - came from the original shop by the airport.

I was never completely sure whether it was a satellite branch of the main Lowe outlet down in Matlock - I always assumed it must have been.

CambridgeWorks · 18th May 2020, 6:22 pm

I think it was Lowes that started the branding wars maybe? If you bought a Kenwood branded model of a Trio product, you would never get any support and probably doomed with your purchase. Soon, the tables were turned, with Kenwood becoming the supported retail brand.
Yes, his cheeky and provocative adverts wordings, a couple I recall. A prominent "De luxe Knob" and " Every dog to it's own vomit". Can't recall exact yesrs, maybe 70s?
Was it Lowes who first sold the cheaper Sommerkamp version of FT101?
Rob

Junk Box Nick · 18th May 2020, 8:54 pm

I seem to remember an almighty advertising battle between Lowe and Western Electronics across the pages of RSGB Rad Com or Radio Communications as it was then called.

Was it Lowe that brought us the Belcom Liner 2? (and ducks... !)

Station X · 18th May 2020, 9:03 pm

Didn't they have branches in London and Cambridge at one time or was that SMC?

I remember visiting a branch in London between 1979 and 1983, and a branch in Cambridge in 1990, assuming it was Lowe's or a completely different dealer..

Nuvistor · 18th May 2020, 9:33 pm

Just had a look at The Short Wave mag for June 1990 and Lowe advertise shops in:-
Glasgow, Darlington, Cambridge, Barry, London, Bournemouth and Matlock.

Nuvistor · 18th May 2020, 9:38 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

Was it Lowe that brought us the Belcom Liner 2? (and ducks... !)

They sold them, not sure if they were sole agents.

See SWM August 1976

SiriusHardware · 18th May 2020, 10:38 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuvistor

Just had a look at The Short Wave mag for June 1990 and Lowe advertise shops in:-
Glasgow, Darlington, Cambridge, Barry, London, Bournemouth and Matlock.

By 1994, they were in

London (Heathrow)
Newcastle (near Airport)
Cumbernauld (near Glasgow)
Bristol
Cambridge
Bournemouth
Leeds
Maidstone
Plymouth

And of course still in Matlock.

dave walsh · 18th May 2020, 10:48 pm

***********************************************We got as far as 1996 [Matlock] in my post [4*]. I didn't know about the other places.After that

Dave w**********************

Terry_VK5TM · 19th May 2020, 1:03 am

If you get on the Wayback Archive site https://archive.org/web/web.php and follow their website through the years, you will find a tie in with Waters and Stanton (I was looking at 2005, didn't follow any further).

Lowe still had a presence in Radcom Magazine in 2000, but appears to have vanished under that name by 2001.

Without doing any real digging, I suspect Savox may be the new(?) name for Lowe's commercial division.

davidw · 19th May 2020, 9:26 am

A long while ago (c1990) I purchased a secondhand Trio R600 from the Cambridge branch and was given a free booklet,which was/is an interesting read!

18th May 2020, 12:35 pm	#1
KW2000A Triode Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Posts: 40	Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. What became of Lowe Electronics? In the 1980s they were a major dealer in amateur radio equipment-nicely profiled in the February 1986 issue of Short Wave Magazine ( with thanks to American Radio History). An internet search seems to redirect to an outfit named SAVOX. Oddly enough if memory serves the location was on Chesterfield Road .....and is now pixellated to be invisible. All information gratefully received!

18th May 2020, 12:54 pm	#2
Reelman Octode Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,723	Re: Lowe Electronics Matlock uk I’d like to know as well, they used to hold a mini radio rally every two years (one was 1987/8) and I’ve had my very best bargains there! Peter

18th May 2020, 1:04 pm	#3
Reelman Octode Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,723	Re: Lowe Electronics Matlock uk The building which is visible on Google maps appears to be occupied by “SJTech” and “Rees” accountants. Junction of Upper Lumsdale/Chesterfield Rd. Peter

18th May 2020, 1:06 pm	#4
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Lowe Electronics Matlock uk I rang them up circa 1996 because I was helping a widow clear her husband's Radio Gear. Lowe used to buy some things in but advised me that I would do better for her with a private sale. I got the sense that things were changing then. It was indeed a very well established and thought of Company with the emphasis on personal service! Dave W

18th May 2020, 1:45 pm	#5
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,844	Re: Lowe Electronics Matlock uk Their website redirects to: https://www.savox.com/

18th May 2020, 1:45 pm	#6
Andrew2 Nonode Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 2,037	Re: Lowe Electronics Matlock uk Gosh, Lowe's! I seemed to spend half my life driving there full of anticipation or driving home with a nice box in the back of the car. A nice bunch of people who actually knew about radio and would happily chat about whatever you had on your mind. I couldn't believe it when I popped across one day and found them gone! There's some Lowe's stuff here: http://www.listenersguide.org.uk/swl/list/?by=L __________________ Andy G1HBE.

18th May 2020, 3:09 pm	#7
Dual Standard Hexode Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Cheshire, UK. Posts: 263	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. Lowe Electronics were originally carefully hidden away on Cavendish Road Matlock but later (1979/80) moved round the corner to their much easier to find home on Chesterfield Road. They were later aquired/merged with/taken over by Waters and Stanton, initially this seemed to work well with a sort of rebrand as 'W&S at Lowe Electronics" but clearly the writing was on the wall. The last time I called in, (probably 2007 ish as I went have a look the then new Yaesu FT2000 but didn't buy one) the showroom was only a shadow of its former self with very little in the way of used gear. Bill Lowe was quite a character, the slightly tonque in cheek comments in the s/h advert listing on RadCom each month were always worth reading, he rather famously described the Eddystone 840C as being 'Like a chocolate eclair but without any filling', though he was rather fond of the EA12 and 888A. I also think it was Bill (or maybe John Wilson) who absolutely insisted on carrying out a Trio R599 that I had just purchased and carefully placing it in the boot of my Lotus Cortina. (Alas I no longer own either). Lowes were always friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, unlike some of their contemporary competitors. Mike Last edited by Dual Standard; 18th May 2020 at 3:15 pm. Reason: Wee additional text.

18th May 2020, 3:41 pm	#8
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,869	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. I went there twice. Both to the Chesterfield road location. The first time I had Kenneth, G0CVJ, with me and it was a thriving bustling place, all the current Trio stuff on display and a variety of the other brands (Wasn't it Bandit Bill who introduced Inoue - rhymes with Phooey to the UK, or was it introduced the UK to Inoue? now better known by their changed name, of course) It seemed a great place, the staff was friendly and there was something for everyone... and coffee. The second visit went not so well. I was on holiday back down in Yorkshire and having a roam around the peak district with mum in the passenger seat. Hey, I thought, we're near Lowe's and I haven't been in there in ages. Did mum mind waiting a bit while I went in? Nope, and she knew well how long I could be in that sort of place. So to Matlock we went. Looked a bit dead and empty, so I went across the little bridge and into the door to be met by a rather grumpy woman. "WE'RE CLOSED!" "Oh, sorry, I didn't see a sign." "IT'S IN ALL THE MAGAZINES" still pretty loud, but quieter than the first exclamation" "Oh sorry I didn't have any magazines with me and was in the area" I crossed the bridge, with her playing the part of a sheep dog. "YOU MUST LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!" Maybe she only had one volume setting? Perhaps not a wise thing to say to a guy getting into a group B car. I left immediately. Very, Very, immediately, making a note to never bother returning. Maybe it was towards the end when the business was starting to go badly. I've certainly never bought anything since from them. I don't like being shouted at, ordered around etc. A nice "I'm afraid we never open on Mondays, sorry, the sign must have fallen off" would have led to a friendly parting and perhaps a return sometime. I greatly enjoyed Bill's spiels in Short Wave Mag. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

18th May 2020, 4:04 pm	#9
HamishBoxer Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK. Posts: 8,932	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. Bandit Bill the guy was called! I got my new Trio 700G and TR2400 and TR2200 etc from there.That is going down memory lane mid 70,s it was. Still have the 700G in original box and was working last time I fired it up. __________________ G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S

18th May 2020, 6:05 pm	#10
Andrew2 Nonode Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 2,037	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. John Wilson wrote many articles in the radio mags later on, and very enjoyable they were too. __________________ Andy G1HBE.

18th May 2020, 6:15 pm	#11
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 11,556	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. There was actually a 'Lowe Airband Radio' shop on the north west edge of Tyneside, initially within two hundred yards of the entrance of Newcastle Airport, and then a short distance away in a unit on a nearby industrial estate. This would be mid to late nineties. Despite the name it was as much an amateur radio shop as anything, and a lot of the gear I still have now - including my Lowe HF-150 - came from the original shop by the airport. I was never completely sure whether it was a satellite branch of the main Lowe outlet down in Matlock - I always assumed it must have been.

18th May 2020, 6:22 pm	#12
CambridgeWorks Nonode Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Spalding, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 2,858	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. I think it was Lowes that started the branding wars maybe? If you bought a Kenwood branded model of a Trio product, you would never get any support and probably doomed with your purchase. Soon, the tables were turned, with Kenwood becoming the supported retail brand. Yes, his cheeky and provocative adverts wordings, a couple I recall. A prominent "De luxe Knob" and " Every dog to it's own vomit". Can't recall exact yesrs, maybe 70s? Was it Lowes who first sold the cheaper Sommerkamp version of FT101? Rob __________________ Apprehension creeping like a tube train up your spine - Cymbaline. Film More soundtrack - Pink Floyd

18th May 2020, 8:54 pm	#13
Junk Box Nick Octode Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: West Midlands, UK. Posts: 1,571	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. I seem to remember an almighty advertising battle between Lowe and Western Electronics across the pages of RSGB Rad Com or Radio Communications as it was then called. Was it Lowe that brought us the Belcom Liner 2? (and ducks... !)

18th May 2020, 9:03 pm	#14
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,288	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. Didn't they have branches in London and Cambridge at one time or was that SMC? I remember visiting a branch in London between 1979 and 1983, and a branch in Cambridge in 1990, assuming it was Lowe's or a completely different dealer.. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

18th May 2020, 9:33 pm	#15
Nuvistor Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 9,433	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. Just had a look at The Short Wave mag for June 1990 and Lowe advertise shops in:- Glasgow, Darlington, Cambridge, Barry, London, Bournemouth and Matlock. __________________ Frank

18th May 2020, 10:48 pm	#18
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. **********************************************We got as far as 1996 [Matlock] in my post [4]. I didn't know about the other places.After that Dave w**********************

19th May 2020, 1:03 am	#19
Terry_VK5TM Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Tintinara, South Australia, Australia Posts: 2,339	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. If you get on the Wayback Archive site https://archive.org/web/web.php and follow their website through the years, you will find a tie in with Waters and Stanton (I was looking at 2005, didn't follow any further). Lowe still had a presence in Radcom Magazine in 2000, but appears to have vanished under that name by 2001. Without doing any real digging, I suspect Savox may be the new(?) name for Lowe's commercial division. __________________ Terry VK5TM https://www.vk5tm.com/

19th May 2020, 9:26 am	#20
davidw Heptode Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 643	Re: Lowe Electronics, Matlock, UK. A long while ago (c1990) I purchased a secondhand Trio R600 from the Cambridge branch and was given a free booklet,which was/is an interesting read! Attached Thumbnails __________________ Dave G1AGK. My perception is my reality!