Sound sales console radio , bit of a bargain I think ??

[lloydwells]

I got quite lucky on that auction site and found this beast listed in antiques rather than the radio category and what do you know I got it for the opening bid .

Its been fully restored including new valves and a full professional re polish of the cabinets it is in absolutely excellent condition don't think I did badly for £90 .

Does anyone have any more info on these sets I think this is a DX chassis ? Would love to get hold of a schematic or any literature for it and an idea of what it cost new .

[rontech]

That is beautiful!

I have no specific info' but back in the late 50's Sound Sales equipment was very pricey.

[stitch1]

Very nice

Looks like this one rather than the DX, there's no valve line up but if it also has PX4s and they are present then definaitly a bargian.

John

[Nickthedentist]

I agree. A bargain indeed.

Beautiful, genuinely rare, and no doubt the quality is not just on the outside. Let's have some chassis pics, please.

N.

[turretslug]

That is lovely- as a piece of woodwork alone, plus as style of its era and that compass scale is delightful.

And I'm glad it's not just me hankering after a chassis centrefold!

There does seem to be something of an increasing Cinderella trend with old radios, though- I always liked the console concept but it does need floor space and the death-spiral of AM broadcasting can't help.

[Reelman]

Beautiful and an absolute bargain! What must it have cost just to have the cabinet restored, let alone the electronics.
Time consuming and luck required but very good bargains can be found when items are mis-listed or vaguely described such as “old wooden radio”.
Well done.
Peter

[Herald1360]

Indeed it is a nice piece.

Of course unless it does contain one or two PX4 or even PX25, its market value is just what someone will pay on the day. Console radios like this don't even have much room to stand anything on top of them.....

If it's been professionally restored (as in pay someone else a fair rate for their efforts) like most "technical" devices, the restoration will have cost far more than the subsequent market value except in a (very) few cases.

[stitch1]

The listing said 'broken valves replaced' so not necessarily a full electrical restoration, but it works so should be an easy project.

Another vote for more pictures please.

John

[lloydwells]

Having had a wee look this one's running a pair of KT66's probably why when our five year old decided to fiddle with the volume it nearly demolished the street. The remainder of the valves are all labelled with BBC valve dept labels varying in age between 1947 and 1953 the speaker is a sound sales unit weighting about half a ton, the chassis has been fully recapped. If I have one criticism of the set it's a bit naff on long wave and it takes a lot of fiddling to get it down to an acceptable volume for a house, I've had to halve the input signal to my transmitter.

[Nickthedentist]

I'm so glad it's gone to somebody who appreciates it as opposed to a valve dealer.

[HamishBoxer]

Yes I think it was a gift at £90,I would certainly have weakened even without it running KT66,s.

[PJC58-Hythe]

What a beautiful set, and at an incredible price.

I have a sound sales set but in a metal case, and not the DX version, which I believe has an RF amp. You are unlikely to find any service data, I had to trace the circuit to mine and then produce my own data. The Radio Museum site has some pictures but no circuit https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sounds...amplifier.html

Here is a picture of the one I restored

Regards

[lloydwells]

I think had it been listed in the correct category it would have no doubt been plundered

[lloydwells]

Having looked at the radiomuseum pictures it is a DX chassis this thing must have been built entirely by Sound sales as the rear of the cabinet had Sound sales badging .

[Keith]

The version that I had back in the 60s did indeed run a pair of ballooon PX4's. The control at the bottom of the dial was for variable selectivity achieved by varying the IF transformer coil spacing. Having no knowledge of such things back then it was, sadly, disposed of when I went to college.

[lloydwells]

I have cleaned up the plate on the back of the cabinet which contains the model number starting 66 I wonder if this is related to it using KT66 valves instead of PX4s

[PJC58-Hythe]

This is the circuit to my set, I suspect it isn't too dissimilar to the one you have with the exception of SW and possibly a different output stage. Mine also has an EM34 tuning indicator.

Certainly the chassis is universal with extra holes being filled by valves or capacitors as the model dictated.

[Herald1360]

What's the actual valve lineup in total for this set? So far there's a pair of KT66s....


If it's a "DX" does it have an RF stage? Multiple IFs?

Edit: Found pic of interior-looks like 6 valves +rectifier +magic eye. Only twin gang tuning cap so no RF and probably only 1 IF.

[MurphyNut]

My kind of set, not seen one of these before, I would imagine it sounds good too.

[Herald1360]

Here's the picture- couldn't get it to upload as advanced edit, suspect it's the usual crap with my 4G connection which always seems to be upset about this forum even when fine everywhere else.