BBC radio dial stickers

[Paul_RK]

Everyone will make his own call over how to treat these, but mine is to get rid of them with as little hesitation as I grant to bits of paper stuck to the tuning scale, pencilled markings or any other owner-applied tuning aids. They're all part of the history of the radio, but all defacements I would never have resorted to myself, so I expect a little sheet of stickers that our household received in 1978 is still languishing around here somewhere awaiting eventual rediscovery.

Paul

[cmjones01]

Our family Bush TR130 has these stickers on, or at least the remains of them. They've deteriorated a lot in the last 10 years or so, so it doesn't make sense to post a picture of the tuning scale since the stickers are illegible. However, there's another sticker on the back of the radio which obviously came as part of the set, with a list of the frequencies and wavelengths for each station. Here's what one looks like after nearly 40 years' use as a kitchen and bathroom radio...

Chris

[Synchrodyne]

Originally Posted by Rubberfingers

There was a record as well, by the Kings Singers, (at least you don't have to scrape a record of the dial glass!)

Had it happened a decade and some earlier, I imagine that Flanders & Swann would have written a song about it ("At the drop of a Hertz", perhaps?)


Cheers,

[Andrew2]

Oh, very good!

Was there a previous re-shuffle around 1972/3? I have a distinct memory of being in my bedroom (while still living with my parents) and listening to distant BBC radio stations announcing changes to their wavelengths. IIRC, some of the announcements were accompanied by parts of the David Bowie song 'Changes'.
As I moved out of my parent's home in 1977, this can not have been the 1978 change.
Or perhaps I dreamt the whole thing....

[Restoration73]

Yes there was ; a continuous announcement stated that R4 Midlands 1052 was closing.
In Cornwall, I can remember hearing late at night my local R4 and BBCWS both on 1457
at the same time.Impossible to forget Radio Tirana wiping out R1 most evenings on 1214!

[WilliamTK1974]

Thanks everyone for participating in this. It's been quite eye-opening. The closest thing to a labeled radio dial that I can think of over here would have been the Civil Defense triangles in two spots on the AM/MW dial, but it seems like that had run its course before I was born in 1974. I don't currently have a radio that included those.

I have seen a vintage set from the late 30s/early 40s that included four or five pre-set buttons on the front. These were labeled with what appeared to be professionally made labels that included the station's call sign and frequency. I assumed that each set probably included labels for the more well-known high-power clear channel stations that would have been popular and it was up to the buyer to set up the presets.

I have a Roberts RIC 2 here that probably should have been subjected to the stickers, but its dial is unmolested.

[Karen O]

They are VERY hard to get off but I've succeeded using baby oil. It's still hard work though. I always use a soft plastic scraper, and then only to lift the plastic film. The baby oil sorts out the adhesive.

[Cobaltblue]

An opportunity for anyone who would like a set of stickers has arisen here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-BB...AAAOSwx6pYrtj4

No connection with seller that I am aware of

Cheers

Mike T

[Martin Bush]

My dad has a set of these in the little leaflet. He never saw the need to stick them on.

I wonder, if someone wanted to attach some now just for historical purposes, if they could be made on OHP film and attached with something less cement like. Maybe they could even be stuck straight and look at least OK...

I have a Roberts set with a mystery black stain on the rexine which i am sure is from the white waveband listing sticker. I succeeded only in making the surrounding area lighter when trying to remove that smudge. The smudge is still there.

[kalee20]

I suppose those who are sticklers for authenticity but who have a 1960's or 1970's radio with a damaged dial, will re-create the original dial using a water slide transfer, and then amend it with re-created BBC triangles. Whereas those with a really old radio that had a slide-in dial, can just design a new one with stations in their current position, do a dial swap, and be bang up to date!

[Nymrod121]

Originally Posted by mark_in_manc

"There was also a larger rectangular label with more info on it which the enthusiastic could plaster onto their receiver...."

Yes, here's the one on my Sony hi-fi system that is 'of that era'
Unfortunately, the label's text colours are very washed out.
William (OP) - I can email you a hi-res. (and correctly-aligned!) version of this image if you wish - just send me a PM with your address
Best wishes
Guy

[Nymrod121]

Originally Posted by Karen O

They are VERY hard to get off but I've succeeded using baby oil. It's still hard work though. I always use a soft plastic scraper, and then only to lift the plastic film. The baby oil sorts out the adhesive.

'Sticky-Stuff Remover' ™ by De-Solv-It ™ is my favourite, followed by attention with an 'America-Line' ™ paint-scraper after a about five minutes ... "Bang! and your label is gone" ©

Best wishes
Guy

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by WilliamTK1974

The closest thing to a labeled radio dial that I can think of over here would have been the Civil Defense triangles in two spots on the AM/MW dial, but it seems like that had run its course before I was born in 1974..

Having been historically friendly with various posted-to-the-UK USAF-types, the "CONELRAD" stickers are interestingly familiar to me [along with explaining to them why the "Color"-TV they brought with them didn't work here in .UK]

if you want to remove these nasty stuck-on BBC frequency-change-sticker disfigurements, a good way to start is to apply a blob ofbutter to each one and leave it for a week or so....

[Nymrod121]

Some more memorabilia

I have two HCD Research crystal drives that were RWOP'd ('Replacement of Worn-Out Plant') as part of the M.F. frequency re-engineering of that time.

These were given to me some years ago by a projects engineer who'd worked on the scheme; I recall him mentioning that they'd come out of an installation somewhere along the South Coast but couldn't recall exactly which one.

Best wishes
Guy

[Nymrod121]

Originally Posted by Martin Bush

I wonder, if someone wanted to attach some now just for historical purposes, if they could be made on OHP film and attached with something less cement like. Maybe they could even be stuck straight and look at least OK...

Martin, I'd be happy to have a go ...
Cheers
Guy

[stevehertz]

As has been said, most of spend ages trying to remove the poorly applied stickers from vintage sets, particularly portables.

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by Nymrod121

Martin, I'd be happy to have a go ...

AAGGHHH, no!! just when we thought we were getting on top of the situation!!

[WilliamTK1974]

Someone on another thread mentioned that I should look to add a Roberts R707 to my collection. It's an interesting coincidence that I found one on ebay that also had these stickers on it a couple of weeks ago. At the time, I couldn't spring for the shipping charge and the radio went unsold. Might be worth contacting the seller in a couple of weeks. Both the radio and the stickers looked good, but I think the radio was being sold as untested.

[paulsherwin]

The R707 is a nice set but it has a Mullard IF module which contains AF11x transistors. It's quite a job to change these, but it can be done and there is lots of helpful info if you google.