Waveforms Ltd ‘Radar’ Information.

[thermionic]

Hello all.

Would anyone out there have any information on the company ‘Waveforms Ltd’ , their trade mark name being ‘Radar’ and their products in general. Nothing specific, just trying to get some background information on this company that seemed to concentrate on test equipment.

Many thanks, - in advance.

Cheers.

SimonT.

[dazzlevision]

From my researches:

Waveforms Ltd, Radar Works, Truro Road, London, N22 (in 1954 and Jan 59).
In 1951, Radar Radio & Television, 26 Oakleigh Road, New Southgate, London, N11.
They centralised their operations at Truro Road, in 1953.
Maker of “Radar” brand TV test equipment.
In March 1959, at Radar Works, Wallisdown, Bournemouth.
Acquired by the Metal Industries group in 1963.
In 1964, at 72 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1 (same address as Avo Ltd).
Metal Industries was later acquired by Thorn Electrical Industries Ltd.
Avo Ltd is now known as Megger Group Ltd (HQ still in Dover),which is a subsidiary of TBG AG.

[Vintage Engr]

Amongst other equipment, they manufactured a 405-line TV pattern generator. I used one when I was as Rediffusion, in the early sixties. They also made the famous Radar "kilovolter" which was a mechanical device used for measuring EHT voltage on early TV receivers. It consisted of a transparent plastic tube, with voltage calibrations on on the side. There was a probe at one end, and also a lead with a croc clip to connect to chassis. At the opposite end of the tube to the probe, was an adjustment knob. Once connected to the EHT lead/cap, the knob which operated a screw thread, adjusted the gap between two polished balls!

One was supposed to slowly advance & thus close up the gap, until the point where an arc could be struck. The voltage, give or take a few KV was then read off on the scale. A well insulated screwdriver always worked for me.

Somehow, the Kilovolter always seemed to work better in damp conditions!!
We were advised not to use the device once transistors appeared in TV receivers. As an aside to that, when I was at Tech college, one of the instuctors was convinced that TV receivers would never use transistors, as "They couldn't stand the voltage".

How times change.

David.

[TonyDuell]

Here's a picture of my Radar Kilovolter which I got with a load of other, more useful, test gear. I've never used it as all the line output stages I come across (mostly in monitors) are transistorised.

[llama]

I've got a Radar device somewhere in my stash. It's either a CRT rejuvenator or CRT emission tester, I can't remember which. Maybe both??
If I spot it in the next few days I'll comment further on this thread.
Graham

[Vintage Engr]

Originally Posted by TonyDuell

Here's a picture of my Radar Kilovolter which I got with a load of other, more useful, test gear. I've never used it as all the line output stages I come across (mostly in monitors) are transistorised.

That's great Tony,

Exactly as I remembered it.
Quite spectacular, especially when used in a customers house...(Where the washing was drying by the side of an open fire, & the humidity was high!)

David.

[MotorBikeLes]

My first tube tester was made by Radar, and I did have a Kilovolter at one stage. I have the manual which somebody uploaded (here I think) but that is a model 202 tester/reactivator for mono tubes. That is physically much bigger than was mine. I never used it, but instead dismantled it and built my own design for testing and reactivating mono and colour tubes. I used the meter and one or more transformers, together with a transformer originally intended for "rejuvenating" early mono tubes.
Les.

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Folks, they had many adverts for their products in the 50's and 60's, in one of the Trader magazines

Ed

[suebutcher]

The Bournemouth factory made an oscilloscope which was sold badged as a "Graph" as well as a "Radar". I have the Graph 303C version. The picture is from the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, so they exported gear to Australia.

[thermionic]

Thank you everyone for contributing your information on this thread, it’s been very interesting.

I’m trying to get a bit of background information on the company for a possible future article for the BVWS bulletin.

Many thanks.

SimonT.

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Simon, if you do the article feel free to mail me as I may have some copies of the Trader articles.
I'm away from home and a bit busy at present

Ed

[thermionic]

Originally Posted by Ed_Dinning

Hi Simon, if you do the article feel free to mail me as I may have some copies of the Trader articles.
I'm away from home and a bit busy at present

Ed

Thanks for your offer, Ed. I’ll mail you in a few weeks, if I may?


Cheers.

SimonT.

[Bear2Biker]

Re post 9, I've got a Graph 404, take the cover off and all the modules swing out, very nicely laid out & everything accessible, was working when I got it ( think the psu caps went shortly after) , sadly no documentation found but its on the 'round-to-it' list

Paul B

[Ed_Dinning]

No problems Simon

Ed

[suebutcher]

Originally Posted by Bear2Biker

Re post 9, I've got a Graph 404, take the cover off and all the modules swing out, very nicely laid out & everything accessible, was working when I got it ( think the psu caps went shortly after) , sadly no documentation found but its on the 'round-to-it' list

Paul B

Is that one valve or transistor?

[WME_bill]

Re: Waveforms Ltd ‘Radar’ Information.
See my postings and with Sue Butcher here Oct2016 and Sept 2017 "re Graph oscilloscope 303C".
There was also some correspondence in Wireless World following the article "Miller Sweep Circuit, by CS Speight in January 1959. From Mr J D Julian and from Mr L Freeman of Waveforms Ltd, in Bournemouth, WW Feb and March 1959. Extracts attached.
They produced the Radar 301, with Single sided Ring-of-three AC coupled Yamp 6Mhz and uncalibrated TB. (WW Sept 1956).
Then Model 302 with DC Amplifier (WW June 1958).
And Model 303 (WW Sept 1959) also marketed apparently as the Graph 303C. This was almost a modern scope, with balanced YAmp 6Mhz and calibrated TB. Competing with the Telequipment S31 of 1954.
I have models 301 and 303. Very nice to use, fine for B&W TV and radio.

Metal Industries were an early conglomerate. By 1960 they included Avo (which by then included Taylor-Windsor), Lancashire Dynamo, half International Rectifier GB, and Brookhurst-Igranic, scrap metal and shipbreaking in Rosyth, and a shipyard, I believe in Gibralter. And Waveforms in 1963. All taken over by Thorn in 1967. The metals side sold in 1970 to George Cohen and then British Steel.
wme_bill