Murphy 618 Cas - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

radiozero · 13th Mar 2008, 3:36 pm

Anyone else got this Royal Navy oufit?

Sean Williams · 13th Mar 2008, 4:43 pm

Erm I think they were mainly made by Rees Mace - commonly called a CAT....

radiozero · 13th Mar 2008, 5:39 pm

The entire oufit consists of 618 H & 618 L Tx's and CAS H.F/M.F. Rx along with the PSU. Made by Murphy but possibly Rees Mace as well I suppose.

Top Cap · 22nd Mar 2008, 7:44 pm

There was a complete outfit at my local sea cadets but the last visit I made showed it not there..it having been junked!

I could not believe it. It was a fair set really, I used it in the Far East onboard ship to listen to Radio Luxembourg,,,jeesh there goes my age cover up again. The Rx CAS was a bit famous in the RN for its backwards dial. You went anticlockwise on the dial to go HF when all other RN sets went clockwise. But then most domestic radio's had the HF end on the left hand side of the scale. But a nice receiver all the same for the modes it was designed to handle. The power pack was a two man lift really, massively over engineered for reliability with oil filled paper capacitors and a mix of valve and selenium rectifiers. The TX had a nice roller coaster which worked with a ceramic wafer switch and variable C's to give quite a good range of antenna matching. Even had a built in dummy load. The only ones I came across were made by Murphy with a sister outfit the 619 made by Pye, I think the receiver for that was the CAT.

radiozero · 25th Mar 2008, 10:17 pm

I was in the RN from 1975-79. I remembered it and by and by I managed to get the whole set. Don't have all the connector leads though. I've never switched it on. I remember getting one inch RF sparks from the MF Tx.

Top Cap · 25th Mar 2008, 11:49 pm

Hi Radiozero, I wonder if you were at Collingwood when the civvy instructors demonstrating it used a graphite pencil to draw large sparks from the antenna terminal

Les

WS19 OP · 4th Apr 2008, 9:35 pm

I have the receiver and the transmitter/PSU are on their way from the UK.
I love Navy radio sets!

13th Mar 2008, 3:36 pm	#1
radiozero Hexode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 444	Murphy 618 Cas Anyone else got this Royal Navy oufit?

13th Mar 2008, 4:43 pm	#2
Sean Williams Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: St.Ippolyts, Hitchin, Hertfordshire QRA IO91UW Posts: 3,518	Re: Murphy 618 Cas Erm I think they were mainly made by Rees Mace - commonly called a CAT.... __________________ Engineers make things work and have spare bits when finished

13th Mar 2008, 5:39 pm	#3
radiozero Hexode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 444	Re: Murphy 618 Cas The entire oufit consists of 618 H & 618 L Tx's and CAS H.F/M.F. Rx along with the PSU. Made by Murphy but possibly Rees Mace as well I suppose.

22nd Mar 2008, 7:44 pm	#4
Top Cap Octode Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Watford, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 1,270	Re: Murphy 618 Cas There was a complete outfit at my local sea cadets but the last visit I made showed it not there..it having been junked! I could not believe it. It was a fair set really, I used it in the Far East onboard ship to listen to Radio Luxembourg,,,jeesh there goes my age cover up again. The Rx CAS was a bit famous in the RN for its backwards dial. You went anticlockwise on the dial to go HF when all other RN sets went clockwise. But then most domestic radio's had the HF end on the left hand side of the scale. But a nice receiver all the same for the modes it was designed to handle. The power pack was a two man lift really, massively over engineered for reliability with oil filled paper capacitors and a mix of valve and selenium rectifiers. The TX had a nice roller coaster which worked with a ceramic wafer switch and variable C's to give quite a good range of antenna matching. Even had a built in dummy load. The only ones I came across were made by Murphy with a sister outfit the 619 made by Pye, I think the receiver for that was the CAT. __________________ Whether the Top Cap is Grid or Anode - touching it will give you a buzz either way!

25th Mar 2008, 10:17 pm	#5
radiozero Hexode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 444	Re: Murphy 618 Cas I was in the RN from 1975-79. I remembered it and by and by I managed to get the whole set. Don't have all the connector leads though. I've never switched it on. I remember getting one inch RF sparks from the MF Tx.

25th Mar 2008, 11:49 pm	#6
Top Cap Octode Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Watford, Hertfordshire, UK. Posts: 1,270	Re: Murphy 618 Cas Hi Radiozero, I wonder if you were at Collingwood when the civvy instructors demonstrating it used a graphite pencil to draw large sparks from the antenna terminal Les __________________ Whether the Top Cap is Grid or Anode - touching it will give you a buzz either way!

4th Apr 2008, 9:35 pm	#7
WS19 OP Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Landrum, South Carolina, USA Posts: 1	Re: Murphy 618 Cas I have the receiver and the transmitter/PSU are on their way from the UK. I love Navy radio sets!