Bakelite Ekco A23 from 1946 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

MurphyNut · 22nd May 2016, 4:59 pm

I've just finished this one, I won it on ebay for £85 which I consider good value as it’s in very good original condition.
I’m not normally happy having such an item sent through the post but I contacted the seller and he sounded like an enthusiast and reassured me it would arrive safely. It certainly did, he wrapped it in a duvet!
I needed a little help getting to going; the problem being it needed a new rectifier valve. I replaced all the usual capacitors and gave it a good clean and dusting, there was easily an inch of the stuff covering everything inside.
The Bakelite has cleaned up like new and now looks very shinny indeed.
It’s a big Radio at 22 inches wide and must have made quite a statement sitting on a sideboard in someone’s room.
But despite its solid look the Bakelite moulding is surprisingly thin for the size of the cabinet and I would imagine easily cracked if treated harshly.
It does however sound very good, producing a very rich and pleased tone. I’ve wanted one of these for a long time and very pleased with this one.

McMurdo · 26th May 2016, 9:08 pm

I've got a couple of those, one of them was only the second radio I attempted to restore in my early 20's. I agree about the sound, they're great. I can't remember exactly but mine needed the wax caps changing and a little bit of distortion was cured by a new output valve which I ordered NOS from Chelmer valve, I think it was about 8 quid though it was grey rather than red. I re-lined the speaker grille with a cream paint pen from halfords and had to make new preset labels with some sort of plastic packaging film and letraset as the originals were all missing. You need a big sideboard as well!!

Lloyd 1985 · 26th May 2016, 11:00 pm

Lovely radio's these, I have one, it was one of the first I bought in 2004 at the NVCF. Lived on a shelf in my old workshop and worked very well! I have never done any work on it, still has it's original cloth and rubber mains lead. I like the way the lights change between the main dial and the presets too, nice touch. The only other set I've come across so far that does a similar thing is a big bakelite Murphy that switches the lamp on behind each waveband on the dial depending on which is selected.

Regards,
Lloyd

slidertogrid · 27th May 2016, 12:23 pm

I hankered after one of these for a long time. my friend had one in his collection in the late 1980's . This was before I had heard of the BVWS.
I trawled antique fairs and secondhand shops with no luck.
I finally got one in around 2002 from Harpenden auction. It was a real bargain I think I paid £10.

I have since bought the wooden version that has a magic eye.
Fantastic sets much underrated by a lot of collectors until fairly recently IMHO..
Rich.

MurphyNut · 31st May 2016, 9:20 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by slidertogrid

Fantastic sets much underrated by a lot of collectors until fairly recently IMHO..

I agree, it has been an underrated set, maybe the size of them has puts peole off.
I'm always amused when you take the back off and view the insides, there's a lot of space. The radio could have easily been made a third smaller.
I think it was designed to impress, it certainly does that in sound as well as looks.

slidertogrid · 1st Jun 2016, 7:20 am

The quality of Ekco's Bakelite seems to be better than some. My set only needed a clean and a polish with wax to bring up a really impressive deep shine.
I don't know if I was lucky with my set but there was no oxidization on the Bakelite that needed cutting back like say, an average DAC90A.
My set was displaced to the spare room some time ago by a Nordmende Meteor, I think I'll swap them over for a while, who wants to listen to FM anyway?

Rich.

22nd May 2016, 4:59 pm	#1
MurphyNut Heptode Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 979	Bakelite Ekco A23 from 1946 I've just finished this one, I won it on ebay for £85 which I consider good value as it’s in very good original condition. I’m not normally happy having such an item sent through the post but I contacted the seller and he sounded like an enthusiast and reassured me it would arrive safely. It certainly did, he wrapped it in a duvet! I needed a little help getting to going; the problem being it needed a new rectifier valve. I replaced all the usual capacitors and gave it a good clean and dusting, there was easily an inch of the stuff covering everything inside. The Bakelite has cleaned up like new and now looks very shinny indeed. It’s a big Radio at 22 inches wide and must have made quite a statement sitting on a sideboard in someone’s room. But despite its solid look the Bakelite moulding is surprisingly thin for the size of the cabinet and I would imagine easily cracked if treated harshly. It does however sound very good, producing a very rich and pleased tone. I’ve wanted one of these for a long time and very pleased with this one. Attached Thumbnails

26th May 2016, 9:08 pm	#2
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,271	Re: Bakelite Ekco A23 from 1946 I've got a couple of those, one of them was only the second radio I attempted to restore in my early 20's. I agree about the sound, they're great. I can't remember exactly but mine needed the wax caps changing and a little bit of distortion was cured by a new output valve which I ordered NOS from Chelmer valve, I think it was about 8 quid though it was grey rather than red. I re-lined the speaker grille with a cream paint pen from halfords and had to make new preset labels with some sort of plastic packaging film and letraset as the originals were all missing. You need a big sideboard as well!! __________________ Kevin

26th May 2016, 11:00 pm	#3
Lloyd 1985 Nonode Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK. Posts: 2,819	Re: Bakelite Ekco A23 from 1946 Lovely radio's these, I have one, it was one of the first I bought in 2004 at the NVCF. Lived on a shelf in my old workshop and worked very well! I have never done any work on it, still has it's original cloth and rubber mains lead. I like the way the lights change between the main dial and the presets too, nice touch. The only other set I've come across so far that does a similar thing is a big bakelite Murphy that switches the lamp on behind each waveband on the dial depending on which is selected. Regards, Lloyd

27th May 2016, 12:23 pm	#4
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Re: Bakelite Ekco A23 from 1946 I hankered after one of these for a long time. my friend had one in his collection in the late 1980's . This was before I had heard of the BVWS. I trawled antique fairs and secondhand shops with no luck. I finally got one in around 2002 from Harpenden auction. It was a real bargain I think I paid £10. I have since bought the wooden version that has a magic eye. Fantastic sets much underrated by a lot of collectors until fairly recently IMHO.. Rich. __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day...

1st Jun 2016, 7:20 am	#6
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Re: Bakelite Ekco A23 from 1946 The quality of Ekco's Bakelite seems to be better than some. My set only needed a clean and a polish with wax to bring up a really impressive deep shine. I don't know if I was lucky with my set but there was no oxidization on the Bakelite that needed cutting back like say, an average DAC90A. My set was displaced to the spare room some time ago by a Nordmende Meteor, I think I'll swap them over for a while, who wants to listen to FM anyway? Rich. __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day...