Cable and plug for Wartime Civilian Receiver?

[andycapp]

Hi.

Would anyone be able to tell me which plug would have been on the WW2 civilian receiver originally, if possible with a pic and does anyone know where I could get a mains cable that would be appropriate for the set?

Thanks, Andy.

[Boom]

The mains cable on my Civi set is wired directly into the chassis. There is no plug.

[andycapp]

No Dave I mean the plug that would have been on the end of mains cable for plugging into socket, Andy

[Boom]

Ah right. I suspect they would have come without a plug due to variations in customer's sockets.

[stevehertz]

It's likely to have been a round 5A type at the time when it would have been used - if that's what you mean. You can still buy new ones, just google round 5A mains plug. The mains cord would have most probably been cloth covered with rubber insulation over the wires inside. The rubber was prone to drying out and cracking creating a short and fire hazard. These days you can buy reproduction mains cable for lamps and stuff that looks similar to what I have just described, but it is safe to use being made of modern materials not cotton and rubber. Specialist decorative lamps suppliers sell it.

Is the set a known working set? I'm just wondering why you want to put a period plug on it, as few people have suitable matching sockets in their house these days. Anyway, to answer your question both period style plugs and mains cable are available as indicated above, just search the internet along those lines.

[petertheorgan]

Mine is working very nicely on the original mains lead with a 5 amp 2 pin Clix plug ( like the vast majority of my vintage radios )

[Brigham]

There's a plug on the other end of the mains cable. but that wouldn't come with the set. It would be fitted by the purchaser, to suit whatever socket was available. Most likely in everyday street houses, a 5A two-pin, with or without a BC lampholder adaptor.

It would clearly not be any sort of 13A 'ring main' type. To fit such a thing would be a great disgrace!

The mains lead on your set is probably the least of your troubles. The outer braid is only to protect the conductors from mechanical damage. If the inner rubber insulation is still complete and flexible, it will serve until you have attended to the chassis proper. Do examine every inch of it before you go any further, though. Look for bare wire, and bend both the red and black cores to identify cracking or crumbling of the rubber.

The set itself is fairly straightforward, as one might expect. There are plenty of folk on here who can guide you, although I have never owned one. (Too modern, you see).

It's a must-have for any 'home front' enthusiast, especially with Churchill's broadcasts readily available.

Go for it!

[petertheorgan]

here is mine and a better photo complete with a proper plug !

[andycapp]

Thanks for all replies, I don't want to power the set up, I just wondered what modern equivalent of cable was out there and which plug would have likely been original to it. I did think myself about a 2 pin plug and just wondered if you can get an adapter to fit into modern sockets and accept whatever was the original. the original cable is still on the radio at this time and its pretty threadbare so I wouldn't want to fire it up, excuse pun, and it can stay on for the foreseeable future, cheers guys Andy

Thanks for pics Peter that's about what I thought it may be, do you have an adapter to plug into modern 3 pin sockets and do you know what you would call your 2 pin plug apart from the obvious, didn't see your post until I had written my last reply, thanks Andy

[Phil G4SPZ]

Originally Posted by Brigham

The set itself is fairly straightforward, as one might expect

Do note, however, that the HT reservoir and smoothing capacitors are returned to HT negative and NOT to chassis. The use of a Westector instead of the usual thermionic diode for demodulation is also 'different' from conventional sets of that era.

[Glowing Bits!]

Below is a link to shop selling appropriate cable, I have purchased this cable in the past for sets that originally had cloth cable fitted.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-core-rou...item3f3ac35005

[andycapp]

Many thanks for link Glowing Bits, Andy

[P.Pilcher]

Over about 20 years ago it was not normal to supply an electrical appliance in the U.K. with a plug fitted. Latterly this was because (probably) the British 3 flat pin plug with incorporated fuse was much more complex and therefore costly than U.S or continental equivalents, but before this, the average domestic home had a vast variety of electrical outlets, so each appliance needed to be fitted with a suitable plug to enable it to be connected to the mains where it was intended to be located. This meant 3 amp round pin (usually two pin, but not always) - 5 amp, two or three pin, or 15 amp two or three pin.
On some occasions, a bayonnet socket to connect the appliance to a lighting outlet would also be needed. The idea then was to use the outlet which was appropriately fused (at the fuse box) to suit the appliance, thus a radio would NOT be wired up using a 15 amp plug! Of course as the number of electrical appliances in the home incresed, more and more outlets were needed so inappropriate and more dangerous connections became more common. In about the mid 50's the familiar 3 flat pin fused plug was introduced together with our "ring main" household wiring method.
Any round pin plug and even a bayonnet plug would therefore be approporiate for a war time civilian radio, but a 15 amp plug would not be advisable.
In 1955, the brand new house that I moved into with my parents was fitted with the (then new fangled) flat pin 13 amp outlets and ring main systems. The secondary school I attended was completed at about the same time and this was fitted with 5 amp round pin sockets so the transition definitely took place in the mid 50's.

P.P.

[andycapp]

Thank you very much for that P.P.

[Brigham]

Andy, does your set have a three-core lead? It looks like it, in the pic. In which case, it has probably had the lead changed once already.

I'm fairly sure all versions of these sets use a two-core lead. Can anyone confirm?

[andycapp]

No Brigham its a 2 core cable the old rubber ones, 1 red 1 black. I'm pretty sure it's the original looking at the condition especially inside the cabinet.

Thanks.

[petertheorgan]

original cable would have been two core rubber with cloth overlapping

[andycapp]

Exactly what it is Peter.

[petertheorgan]

something like this.

[andycapp]

Thanks Peter my cable is exactly the same, I will have to find a plug and adapter, Andy