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Old 19th Aug 2006, 10:03 pm   #1
batterymaker1
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Default Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Details.

Any chance someone could grab a ruler and post the length and width measurements of the bare dial? I'm about to unleash a repro dial upon you all, and I want to list the measurements correctly.

Bill
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Old 19th Aug 2006, 11:25 pm   #2
Paul_RK
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

Hi Bill,

The full size of the basic metal rectangle is 4 1/4" x 2 5/8": the cabinet window through which it shows is 3 3/4" x 2 1/8". I'm imagining you'll be making a replica to fit over the original dial rather than a replacement for the whole dial, which incorporates a couple of bent tabs below that are bolted to the chassis...

Regards,
Paul.
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Old 20th Aug 2006, 8:08 am   #3
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

Another significant dimension, if it helps at all, is that the "slot" for the tuning pointer measures a maximum 2 3/8" from side to side (that is, outside to outside).

The two holes you provide have me wondering whether after all you're thinking of making a complete replacement for the original dial. The rectangular dimensions I took are uninterrupted: then a couple of tabs (at least on the dial I looked at) extending from the base take a 90 degree bend toward the chassis, and another 90 degree bend so as to be bolted to it, for which purpose there's a hole in each.

Fonts seem to be a muddy issue. Yours looks very plausible to me, but when I compared it with my two civilian sets it doesn't exactly match either of them: then again, the dials on mine, both almost certainly original, don't match each other For instance, the first set doesn't have the perfectly round "O" of your font - its "O"s are more tall than broad. The second does have "O"s like yours, but its "R"s are, well, very low-slung: the meeting-place of the top and bottom "halves" of the R is considerably more than half-way down.

Paul
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Old 20th Aug 2006, 10:06 am   #4
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

Hi David,

Where's the "original scan"? Again, the dials on my two sets are different here. One, as you say, has a faint calibration mark at what would be about 560 metres, at the very top of the dial, and another at something like 215-220 metres. The corresponding lines on the other are longer and clearer, but this time one's in the 560 metres position and the other pretty much mirrors it on the other side of the scale: so it's at the very top right of the tuning window, at what would be about 185 metres

Paul

Last edited by Darren-UK; 5th Sep 2007 at 9:08 pm. Reason: Superfluous quote removed.
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Old 20th Aug 2006, 10:11 am   #5
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul_RK View Post
Hi David,

Where's the "original scan"? ...
Ah, found it now at http://www.pasttimesradio.co.uk/dials/util1.jpg . Yes, these dials do seem very variable things. The calibration marks on my two are very thin lines rather than the small dots or blocks on this one: and more than twice as long on one set as on the other...

Paul
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Old 20th Aug 2006, 10:59 am   #6
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

Was just sitting listening to mine when I saw this thread. It is a U7 model made by Murphy. As well as some marks made by a previous owner, you can see two thin lines, one to the top left of 550 and one just under the HOME at about 220.
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Old 20th Aug 2006, 11:13 am   #7
Paul_RK
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

Yes, that resembles one of mine - marked U23, hence Plessey - precisely in both font and calibration markings. My other set is very clearly marked U41, which the only code table I've seen informs me was used by Solectric, before going on to say that they only made the battery model

Paul
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Old 20th Aug 2006, 11:48 am   #8
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

And here's the Solectric's dial, to clarify the differences: I think the non-round "O"s of John's dial and the different "R"s of this one are fairly evident.

Paul
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Old 20th Aug 2006, 3:26 pm   #9
Paul_RK
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

It seems my Solectric's the anomaly here. I've just unearthed the alignment instructions for the set.

The recommended procedure is first to slacken and adjust the tuning disc until it points at the "560 metre" calibration mark - not that the instructions specify that wavelength. Then tune the set to the 220 metre calibration mark and peak the appropriate condensers on a provided signal, then tune to 500 metres on the scale and adjust coil cores. So one calibration line should be pretty much dead level with the pointer disc retaining screw, as it evidently is in John's and my examples, at about 560 metres, and the other at the 220 metre position on the scale.

Regards,
Paul

Last edited by Darren-UK; 5th Sep 2007 at 9:11 pm. Reason: Continuity.
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Old 20th Aug 2006, 3:26 pm   #10
Paul Stenning
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

Here's a photo of the dial from my set as described here. http://www.vintage-radio.com/recent-...rtime-ac2.html I think it's an Ekco but I'm not sure. The photo isn't very good (too much flash glare) but it shows a further variation on the text style (thiner lines and narrower font). I guess each manufacturer made their own using whatever facilities etc they had.
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Old 20th Aug 2006, 4:22 pm   #11
Paul_RK
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

Well, the one I photographed certainly looks that way, but from all the other sets and from the published alignment procedure it seems the lower wavelength mark should be at 220 metres on the scale rather than at the extreme of its travel...

Paul
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Old 20th Aug 2006, 5:16 pm   #12
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Default Re: Wartime Civilian Receiver Dial Dimensions

I think wear and scratches are confusing the situation. I've highlighted the aligmnent marks on Pauls scan
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