Vauxhall Type VR Car Radio

[saddlestone-man]

Hello All

I wonder if anyone knows who made radios for Vauxhall, specifically the Type VR as fitted to the Velox and Wyvern models of 1950?

best regards ... Stef

[HamishBoxer]

I wonder if Pye or Radiomobile. Might be worth if no definitive answer trying to find a picture of interior of said car.

[AC/HL]

Delco?: https://www.google.com/search?q=vint...nt=firefox-b-d

[saddlestone-man]

There's a description and schematic of the radio in Radiophile for Spring 2007, but no maker indicated.

The valve line-up is:
EF39 RF amp
ECH35 frequency changer
EF39 IF amp
ECH35 detector, AVC rectifier, AF amp and phase splitter
2-off EL32 push-pull audio output
0Z4 rectifier

Does this look like any other radio someone might be familiar with?

best regards ... Stef

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi, I fixed one of these very many years ago that had a burnt out inverter transformer.
About 5 push buttons for four MW and LW stations as well as variable tuning.
It was a really good set, but no idea who made it
Ed

[toshiba tony]

Push pull valves on a car radio, they didn't hold back, did they? When did B9A valves appear?

[barrymagrec]

Not Radiomobile - they used B7G valves at this time - push pull N78s on some models though.

[toshiba tony]

I'd forgotten about that valve base type, were they the ones with the location pip at the bottom, same as a ul41?

[toshiba tony]

Sorry, should have looked, same as an EL91/95, 7 pin.

[Herald1360]

Originally Posted by toshiba tony

Push pull valves on a car radio, they didn't hold back, did they? When did B9A valves appear?

A short aerial and a noisy operating environment would suggest that an RF stage and a high power output were desirable. Early car radios were also definitely luxury offerings. The bean counters got there eventually.....

Around 1948.

[Boulevardier]

Hang on...this thing's a car radio. Seven octal valves? How big was it? Did it occupy the front passenger seat?

Mike

[G6Tanuki]

Not sure about this particular one, but in the 40s/50s it was normal for car radios to be in two separate units: the 'front-end' in a small dashboard-mounted unit and the power-supply/audio-amp stages in a bigger box which lived under a front seat or was sometimes mounted in the engine-compartment (this latter approach also avoided intrusive vibrator-hum).

A RF amp was very much needed with some early car-'aerial' setups - such as a wire run along the _underside_ of one of the running-boards or built into the fabric-covering to the roof.

[turretslug]

I've even heard it said (not sure how prevalent it actually was) that some people went as far as fitting surplus radio compasses to cars, with the receiver unit in the boot and control unit up front with simplified aerial and adapted PSU arrangements!

I have to admit that my initial reaction was the same as Mike (Boulevardier)!- How big?

[Boulevardier]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

Not sure about this particular one, but in the 40s/50s it was normal for car radios to be in two separate units: the 'front-end' in a small dashboard-mounted unit and the power-supply/audio-amp stages in a bigger box which lived under a front seat or was sometimes mounted in the engine-compartment (this latter approach also avoided intrusive vibrator-hum).

Yes, I've come across a few of those split radios. Even so, the thought of getting three octal valves, associated RF/IF transformers, a (presumably) three-gang tuning capacitor (or permeability tuner), and a five-way pre-set unit into a "small dashboard-mounted unit" is pretty mind boggling! Pictures of this beast would be interesting...

Mike

[toshiba tony]

It's come back to me now, only a few years ago someone gave me one, the audio output and the vibrator psu was in one case and tuner head was in the case that sat on the dash. Whether it was TRF or IF I can't remember but I do recall that one of the valves had an anode voltage of 12, All cars in those days were positive earth, but they had a slide switch to allow it to be used in negative earth cars.

[AC/HL]

The "small dashboard mounted unit" needn't contain much. The tuning control was sometimes via a Bowden cable, with everything else hidden elsewhere. Radios only became common with the advent of miniature valves.

[Ed_Dinning]

The one I worked on was pretty big and formed the centre section of the dash and had the flying V logo on the front of the case. all in a nice screened box and the PSU bolted to the back.
Any chance of a pic?

Ed

[Heatercathodeshort]

I believe Ekco manufactured the type that fitted behind the dash board with pre set roller controls protruding through. My mate one had one in a Velox. It sounded very good and picked up Radio Luxembourg loud and clear. John.
PS RF amp, Frequency changer, I.F and detector [3] audio driver, 2 X output pentodes and HT rectifier. [4] That makes 7 in all.

[Boulevardier]

Ah, Bowden cables. I hadn't thought of that. This must have made such a radio a very expensive accessory to fit to a car, and presumably factory fitted.

Mike

[Boulevardier]

John and Ed - I'm still bemused by the idea of how big a unit with 6 octals, etc must have been, wherever it was positioned and however you configured it all. Pictures would indeed be interesting.

Mike