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Old 10th Aug 2007, 6:16 pm   #1
howard
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Default Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Hello,

I have almost finished restoring the case on an old Defiant transistor set (see pic) but can't progress further without service data and its power requirement.

Does anyone recognise this Defiant set ? It's quite an early set as its complement of transistors is OC44, 2x OC45, OC81D and 2x OC81.

Also, it has a battery clip (see pic) that I've not encountered before with 4 pins, does anyone know what battery once fitted this ?

Thanks,

Howard
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Old 10th Aug 2007, 6:43 pm   #2
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Hi Howard
looks like an A55 - later version (not sure what the earlier version was!) - it supposedly took 2 x 4.5volt batteries - but that doesn't seem right with your battery plug. I've got one of these somewhere (which I haven't played with yet) and I'm sure mine has been altered to take a 9 volt battery.
Paul has the trader sheet
Cheers
Andy
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Old 10th Aug 2007, 6:46 pm   #3
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

A55 sounds right.

You need a PP11 to run it--it's a dual 4.5 volt battery.
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Old 10th Aug 2007, 10:32 pm   #4
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

PP11 sets have the speaker connected between the battery centre tap and the (otherwise normal) output stage centre point, thus saving a capacitor. When PP11s became obsolete the standard mod was to replace the connector with press studs for 0v and 9v & use a PP9, which is the same size. This powered the radio as before. The centre tap was disconnected & removed, and the speaker connected via a suitably polarised 100mFd capacitor to 0v or 9V. Note the term mod, not bodge, as such mods have been an essential part of everyday radio maintenance from the early days.
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Old 10th Aug 2007, 10:45 pm   #5
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Hello again,

Thanks all for identifying this set as a 1963 Defiant A55 and its PP11 2x 4.5v battery. I have now got a copy of Trader sheet 1607 for the set and as PP11 batteries are long gone I shall convert it for PP9 use as described by Bill.

It's come up really nice, and it's not unlike a Perdio Fanfare in construction and no doubt will soon appear in Success Stories.

Howard
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Old 10th Aug 2007, 10:46 pm   #6
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Howard

Can you post a picture of the circuit board? From the layout of the controls, tuning scale and wavechange switch it looks as if internally it might be the same as my Contessa Mk 111 kit radio.

Ron
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Old 10th Aug 2007, 10:51 pm   #7
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

That sounds very likely - an earlier Defiant here (A5, I think) is much the same as an earlier Contessa I have.

Paul
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Old 10th Aug 2007, 11:05 pm   #8
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Hello Ron,

Here's the inside of the Defiant.

Howard
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Old 10th Aug 2007, 11:16 pm   #9
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Howard / Paul

Yes, the internals are the same as the Contessa Mk III. The only differences are that my Contessa did not have an earphone socket and that piece of cardboard attached to the right-hand end of the ferrite rod was missing.

I wonder if surplus stock was sold off by Defiant when production ceased and Henry's Radio and Electrovalue bought it all up and incorporated it in a new case.

Ron

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Old 11th Aug 2007, 9:52 am   #10
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

I think it's a Plessey design that was sold to pretty much whoever wanted to market it in any form, with kit sets being released not far behind those from recognised brands. This one's a Magnavox 300TR table model, probably a little earlier in view of the Ediswan transistors, and no doubt with a few component changes at least to allow for the six volt 996 batteries that the bigger cabinet lets it use. As I recall the earlier Defiant and Contessa models use a very similar board again, though with different presentation (oversized round perspex tuning control in TR82 fashion): and there's an Alba clone of those around too....

Paul
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Old 19th Jul 2023, 7:56 pm   #11
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Thread reopened for more information on use of this chassis.

Cheers

Mike T
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Old 19th Jul 2023, 9:54 pm   #12
Bob_Moss
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

This Amplion has been in my loft for 20+ years, opening it up it has basically the same Plessey chassis as the Contessa III and the Defiant A55.

The PP11 connector is missing but I intend to get it working on +/- 4.5V then do the capacitor mod to use a PP9.

I can't find it in the Radio Museum site but could this be the last gasp of the Amplion marque?

I've got a busy weekend but I'll try to get it up and running next week.
Watch this space.

Bob.

I've just found another thread from 2013 that I'll try to link in to, otherwise search 'Amplion'!
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Old 19th Jul 2023, 11:11 pm   #13
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob_Moss View Post
I can't find it in the Radio Museum site but could this be the last gasp of the Amplion marque?
Probably not quite. Radio! Radio! lists four Amplion transistor models, released in December '59, July '60, June '61 (a pocket set) and April '62. With the oversized tuning dial I suspect yours is the 1959 version, the A226 Delegate - sets with that presentation, such as the Defiant A5,

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/co_op_defiant_a5a.html

came before those like the A55 with horizontal scale. I've certainly never seen a pocket Amplion, but wouldn't be at all surprised if it's a clone of the Defiant A4,

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/co_op_defiant_a4.html

Paul
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Old 20th Jul 2023, 9:47 am   #14
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Thanks for the info Paul, I did look in Radio! Radio but you must have the third edition.
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Old 21st Jul 2023, 12:55 pm   #15
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

In my Sonneclair 4 touches I did find this battery arrangement: looks like yours, but this is just 2 batteries in series.
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Old 22nd Jul 2023, 9:40 am   #16
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by rojosuiza View Post
In my Sonneclair 4 touches I did find this battery arrangement: looks like yours, but this is just 2 batteries in series.
This type of battery arrangement was very common in France in the so-called "transistors" of the late 50s and 60s because two 4,5V batteries were much cheaper than one 9V "special radio" battery.
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Old 31st Jul 2023, 7:50 pm   #17
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Amplion now up and working, powered by 2 x 4.5V supplies the fault was found to be an intermittent pole on the on/off switch (now bypassed). Modified to run off a 9V battery I got it to work to listen to the last three balls of the last ever Test Match broadcast on LW.

It sounds very pleasant - basically the same as my Defiant!

Thanks for the Forum members for their input.
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Old 1st Aug 2023, 10:21 am   #18
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Default Re: Defiant transistor radio - model ? battery ?

Bravo!

I will not regret the disappearance of sports on BBC4. However I will miss the longwave 198KHz very much.

It is tragic that one doesn't see the historic value of the old transmitters. Reception of BBC4 was always good here in the Netherlands - and I like the programs, except sports obviously...
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