Need advice on first valve radio: Philips BZ267U

[Synchrodyne]

Originally Posted by Herald1360

I may misremember, but weren't live chassis sets a no-no in Oz? This one has crept in as a personal import I guess.

More surprisingly it looks as if it s a New Zealand-made set for the NZ market, judging by the all-NZ callsign set on the dial. Here live chassis equipment was very rare and very much frowned upon for both safety and putting-DC-on-the-mains reasons. Just what Philips were thinking in doing this is hard to fathom, “importing” unwelcome, unnecessary and less safe practices from the north. Even when some local setmakers adopted AA5 circuits, they were duly diligent in fitting mains isolating transformers to make them safe by local norms.

By way of background, NZ adopted MEN distribution as its national standard long ago as 1920, and all dwellings have a MEN link in the switchbox with a local earth, a rising cold water main in the old days and a usually a rod these days. Thus the concept of earthing in general, earthing appliances and using three-core power leads was well imbued at a very early stage. I don’t recall ever seeing a NZ-made valve-era radio or TV receiver that did not have a three-cord power lead.

I don’t think that the Australian history is all that much different; it too adopted MEN quite early on although I don’t know exactly when. These days the Australian and NZ electrical regulations are harmonized.

I suppose one could say that the Philips receiver at interest has some historical significance as being, apparently, a very rare example of a NZ-made live chassis unit, and so an example of how it should not have been done.


Cheers,

[David Simpson]

Diego - do you have access to RS Components in Australia ? They are a major supplier in the UK of Electrical/Electronics equipment. Or a similar distributor ?
Neon Voltage Indicator - the main one in the UK is MARTINDALE - the old RS Catalogue No is 254-926
Another MUST in my book is a Mains Test Block. It too has a neon indicator & a fuse holder. Plus insulated spring clip connectors. The old RS No is 458-926 or 827-041 (with lead). Every mains powered vintage item I acquire is firstly fed from a Regulac Variable Transformer(Variac) via such a block.

Regards, David

[[ARAU]rt49]

David, I have a neon voltage indicator. RS Components seem to have an Australian website and there should be other distributors around as well.
Not sure what a mains test block does.
What do you use the variable transformer for?

Cheers, Diego

[paulsherwin]

A variable transformer (Variac) allows a variable mains voltage to be applied. Some people like to apply power slowly when powering up a valve radio for the first time. A Variac is one of those 'nice to have' things but you don't need one. A mains test block indicates when the mains connection is live, and allows the mains to be applied without a plug and socket - again, nice to have, but not necessary if you take equivalent alternative precautions.

What is useful is a lamp limiter. At its simplest, this is just a 60W or 100W incandescent light bulb in series with the mains connection. A working radio will function reasonably well with the lamp in circuit, and it will glow faintly. A serious fault which causes significant overcurrent will cause the lamp to glow much more brightly and the lamp will limit the voltage applied to the radio. With experience you will come to recognise the normal variations in brightness to be expected as a radio warms up. You can build a lamp limiter using odd electrical fittings from the junk box.

Here is a (relatively fancy) lamp limiter. It obviously uses UK electrical fittings, but you'll get the idea. Mine is much simpler - just a bulb socket, a mains socket and a mains plug, with some cable to connect them.

[David Simpson]

Diego, Paul has explained the basic use of connector blocks & variacs. However, as a complete novice you probably don't yet know the degree of light one expects from a warmed-up heater in a valve. Nor are you likely to have a junk box full of bits & bobs to make a lamp limiter.
If you have a fused connector block you connect your radio's NEUTRAL wire to the BLUE (or BLACK if its an old one) insulated spring clip, your radio's LIVE wire to the BROWN( or RED) clip, and if your radio has or requires an EARTH connection then you connect it to the GREEN clip. The Brown or Red clip is fused(should be a 1A fuse).
In my book, and certainly for complete novices, I recommend starting off on the right foot safety equipment-wise. Fannying about with lamps and not taking the advantage of the safety which a Variac offers is foolish. As is not using isolation transformers. These items are not a "Nice" fad, but a safety necessity in the 21st century. Just a few $A will buy you a new conn. block, and 2nd hand working Isol. T/F's & Variacs often come up for sale in the UK in the £10 to £30 range. Christ, if you were a novice living near me, and you were just starting to equip your workshop - I'd ****** well give you one of each.
So Diego, start looking in 2nd hand ads in your local paper. Go to amateur radio club sales. Some Radio/TV shops might still have some working but redundant items on a shelf in their workshop somewhere. But definitely - get some training & find a cobber to mentor you. Don't be tempted to fall in with the "Suck it & See" brigade of vintage radio collectors/restorers who talk about getting "tingles" or surviving a "Belt" , then just laughing it off.
No one has mentioned it yet - but you might like to study the terms & clauses of your life insurance & house insurance.
Once everything is tickerty-boo, and you've been trained up safety & testing-wise, then you can look foreword to a long, healthy & enjoyable vintage radio pastime.

Regards, David

[paulsherwin]

You will always encounter a range of opinions on these issues, and ultimately you need to decide for yourself.

[David Simpson]

Diego, I see that Craig Sawers, in your other thread, has already given you some contact details in Queensland. The www.wia.org.au website gives details of :-
the Historical Wireless Society of SE Queensland - and contact details of their Chairman, Secretary, etc. So start emailing, phoning & so on. Get along to the meetings of some of these Clubs & Societies. Surely one or two of their experienced members will take you in hand, and guide you in restoring your Philips Radio, and safety & testing procedures, and where to acquire decent 2nd hand workshop equipment.
Us Pomms might start bickering amongst ourselves about required equipment, and that wont help you. VRR&R folk are a friendly bunch really.

Regards, David

[ms660]

Fit rear cover, plug into the mains, switch on and see/hear what happens....I can't take much more....

Lawrence.

[[ARAU]rt49]

Thanks Paul and David for all the safety tips. Coming across such generous people willing to help and share their knowledge is certainly encouraging and I am very pleased to have finally decided to get into this.

I will be contacting the Historical Wireless Society of South East Queensland shortly (if I haven't done so yet is because I'm unusually busy).

Cheers,
Diego