Information about Dymar company? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

HP3400A · 2nd Dec 2008, 11:14 am

Dymar seems to have been mainly a manufacturer of VHF mobile radio equipment, to judge by what appears on ebay. I have a distortion analyser manufactured by Dymar, apparently in the early 1970's. It works nicely, measuring distortion down to around 0.03%.

If anyone has brief information about this company, I'd be interested to know when it was founded, what its product lines were, what eventually happened to it and so on.

Martin

Herald1360 · 2nd Dec 2008, 1:48 pm

There seems to have been some tie up with Burndept at one point....

http://www.atlantacomms.co.uk/d2000.htm

Other than that- ISTR some Dymar test equipt in the Transmitter lab at Racal Comms in the mid 70's.

Chris

yesnaby · 2nd Dec 2008, 3:50 pm

Hello,

This link is by someone who worked there -

http://apptree.net/radio.htm

Michael

PS Further digging reveals that they were based near Watford, Herts.

M.

Top Cap · 2nd Dec 2008, 8:25 pm

Interesting link but I could not find a name for the author. I worked at Dymar for a while but went back into the TV game as there was more money in it, at the time

. However, I had a very happy time at Dymar and the staff were great except for a Polish chap who ran the wiring shop, man he was grumpy!
Most of the alignment gear on my bench was in-house made and I did acquire a very high regard for Dymar test gear. It was sad to hear that they were in trouble but I guess their niche in the market just shrank away.
Most memorable? Watching the lady in the canteen make your sausage sandwich while she kept puffing on a cigarette in her mouth.

Oh! those days!
Les

Herald1360 · 2nd Dec 2008, 10:21 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Top Cap

Interesting link but I could not find a name for the author.

Graham Cox, perhaps?

There's a copyright notice and a contact link using that name in the page.

Chris

Steve_P · 3rd Dec 2008, 12:31 am

I worked on some of this stuff. The DYMAR was a lot better than the Burndept, it must be said. Burndept became FKI Burndept and they had a place in Bolton because they had the contract for Bolton Police. And they all moaned about the stuff....

This stuff could be fixed, even if it had been in the hands of a cabbie or suchlike. Burndept sets tended to be less well put together and were a lot harder to work on.

Cheers,

Steve P.

M0AFJ, Tim · 3rd Dec 2008, 4:54 pm

Hi, Burndept took over Dymar in the early 80s. They were based in Watford. As Production Manager at Burndepts I had the job of moving some of the production back to Erith, this was specifically mobile radios used by the Diplomatic Service, these were multiband and scrambled, boot mounted with a control head with a keypad.
The Bolton factory mentioned in a previous post did do some maintenance on the mobiles also control room equipment under the `Cyfas' label.

Burndept moved out of Erith some years ago to Thamesmead and became part of Signature Industries, the only RF type stuff they do now is SARBE type equipment where they are one of the major players.

Tim M0AFJ

HP3400A · 5th Dec 2008, 1:26 am

Many thanks for all these responses. It seems that, in the early 80's, Dymar sleepwalked into oblivion, their communication products being taken over by Burndebt and their instruments by Farnell.

The earlier history of the company remains unknown (to me) - how the company started and when. In tracking down a manual for my Dymar 2065 distortion analyser, I came across a manual for an earlier distortion analyser made by Dymar, using thermionic valves, so presumably they were in operation in the 1960's or even earlier.

Martin

Don Brown · 5th Dec 2008, 10:35 am

Hi
Like Topcap I worked for Dymar in the late 60's and their first poject was to build a version of test equipment that used a mainframe box with meter and you had plugin's ie AF Signal Generator / RF Millivolt Meter
This is the original Patent

http://www.wikipatents.com/gb/1070940.html

The company was run by two Polish engineers John & Julian that had stayed here after the war like many other Poles they were brilliant electronic engineers
Their next project was to design and build Radio Commuication mobiles and portables / handhelds for Ultra & GEC before producing their own range
This was before we had synth radio's and John devoloped a method of achieving multi channel which we used on our marine range

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-s...s_transmission

I left in 72 to work in the Film Industry but still remember my great days in the Test Dept at Dymar
If there are any other Ex-Dymar out there please get in touch I have traced a few one in the States who replied and one in Australia no reply yet

Regards

Don

2nd Dec 2008, 11:14 am	#1
HP3400A Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Falaise, France Posts: 14	Information about Dymar company? Dymar seems to have been mainly a manufacturer of VHF mobile radio equipment, to judge by what appears on ebay. I have a distortion analyser manufactured by Dymar, apparently in the early 1970's. It works nicely, measuring distortion down to around 0.03%. If anyone has brief information about this company, I'd be interested to know when it was founded, what its product lines were, what eventually happened to it and so on. Martin

2nd Dec 2008, 1:48 pm	#2
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,535	Re: Information about Dymar company? There seems to have been some tie up with Burndept at one point.... http://www.atlantacomms.co.uk/d2000.htm Other than that- ISTR some Dymar test equipt in the Transmitter lab at Racal Comms in the mid 70's. Chris

2nd Dec 2008, 3:50 pm	#3
yesnaby Octode Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Newport, Gwent, UK. Posts: 1,623	Re: Information about Dymar company? Hello, This link is by someone who worked there - http://apptree.net/radio.htm Michael PS Further digging reveals that they were based near Watford, Herts. M. Last edited by yesnaby; 2nd Dec 2008 at 4:06 pm. Reason: addition

2nd Dec 2008, 8:25 pm	#4
Top Cap Octode Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Watford, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 1,270	Re: Information about Dymar company? Interesting link but I could not find a name for the author. I worked at Dymar for a while but went back into the TV game as there was more money in it, at the time . However, I had a very happy time at Dymar and the staff were great except for a Polish chap who ran the wiring shop, man he was grumpy! Most of the alignment gear on my bench was in-house made and I did acquire a very high regard for Dymar test gear. It was sad to hear that they were in trouble but I guess their niche in the market just shrank away. Most memorable? Watching the lady in the canteen make your sausage sandwich while she kept puffing on a cigarette in her mouth. Oh! those days! Les __________________ Whether the Top Cap is Grid or Anode - touching it will give you a buzz either way!

3rd Dec 2008, 12:31 am	#6
Steve_P Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 6,644	Re: Information about Dymar company? I worked on some of this stuff. The DYMAR was a lot better than the Burndept, it must be said. Burndept became FKI Burndept and they had a place in Bolton because they had the contract for Bolton Police. And they all moaned about the stuff.... This stuff could be fixed, even if it had been in the hands of a cabbie or suchlike. Burndept sets tended to be less well put together and were a lot harder to work on. Cheers, Steve P. __________________ If we've always had it, why is the Car Boot open? You're not sneaking another Old TV in are you...?

3rd Dec 2008, 4:54 pm	#7
M0AFJ, Tim Hexode Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Helston, Cornwall, UK. Posts: 303	Re: Information about Dymar company? Hi, Burndept took over Dymar in the early 80s. They were based in Watford. As Production Manager at Burndepts I had the job of moving some of the production back to Erith, this was specifically mobile radios used by the Diplomatic Service, these were multiband and scrambled, boot mounted with a control head with a keypad. The Bolton factory mentioned in a previous post did do some maintenance on the mobiles also control room equipment under the `Cyfas' label. Burndept moved out of Erith some years ago to Thamesmead and became part of Signature Industries, the only RF type stuff they do now is SARBE type equipment where they are one of the major players. Tim M0AFJ

5th Dec 2008, 1:26 am	#8
HP3400A Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Falaise, France Posts: 14	Re: Information about Dymar company? Many thanks for all these responses. It seems that, in the early 80's, Dymar sleepwalked into oblivion, their communication products being taken over by Burndebt and their instruments by Farnell. The earlier history of the company remains unknown (to me) - how the company started and when. In tracking down a manual for my Dymar 2065 distortion analyser, I came across a manual for an earlier distortion analyser made by Dymar, using thermionic valves, so presumably they were in operation in the 1960's or even earlier. Martin

5th Dec 2008, 10:35 am	#9
Don Brown Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Boston UK Posts: 19	Re: Information about Dymar company? Hi Like Topcap I worked for Dymar in the late 60's and their first poject was to build a version of test equipment that used a mainframe box with meter and you had plugin's ie AF Signal Generator / RF Millivolt Meter This is the original Patent http://www.wikipatents.com/gb/1070940.html The company was run by two Polish engineers John & Julian that had stayed here after the war like many other Poles they were brilliant electronic engineers Their next project was to design and build Radio Commuication mobiles and portables / handhelds for Ultra & GEC before producing their own range This was before we had synth radio's and John devoloped a method of achieving multi channel which we used on our marine range http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-s...s_transmission I left in 72 to work in the Film Industry but still remember my great days in the Test Dept at Dymar If there are any other Ex-Dymar out there please get in touch I have traced a few one in the States who replied and one in Australia no reply yet Regards Don