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Old 11th Nov 2011, 6:50 pm   #1
Mark the Mender
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Default Ever Ready Model K, a tale of two valves.

Hello everybody,

The Ever Ready Model K is battery portable set first released in July 1949 for £10 10s 11d, plus purchase tax and batteries. This is 12 months earlier than the model T which is covered on the same Trader sheet number 1098.
I only paid a couple of pounds for it at the last Golborne event in April 2011. It had a label attached saying it was in full working order.

In any event I decided to check it out and applied power through the battery eliminator, not a peep, not even a thud on turning on and off. So the chassis had to come out at it is mounted upside down at the top of the radio, with supporting legs on flat springs on the base of the cabinet.
So off with the knobs…………………not! Despite much soaking I could only get the on/off/wavechange one to come loose. Nothing for it, I had to drill the grub screws out. Several minutes later with the assistance of Dr Dremmell they were free and the chassis was on the bench.
I checked the waxies using the Avo 8 for leakage, taking one out of circuit at a time, then double checked on the ESR meter. Each one was replaced individually and the set again switched on after each component change. Still nothing.
Onward and upward! I began checking resistors just in case, all were within tolerance. Still no change. I began to suspect the output transformer so the resistance was measured………….it was ok. I was now getting rather peeved!
I began tracing the wiring back from the output transformer to the DL92 output valve, It went to the DAF91! Getting the sheet out again looking at the top of chassis layout the valves looked the right way round, but the OP transformer should be on the output valve. Checking the wiring diagram proved it, so the valves were swapped round and the set again switched on, no stations at all.
Whilst changing V3 and V4 over I noted the valve base for the DAF 91 was paxolin and very sloppy, I began to suspect this, but to be on the safe side the heaters on the valves were checked for continuity all fine. When V3 was wiggled noise from the speaker, must be the valve base then!
So a diagram was made of the DAF91 valve base noting all connections, the rivets drilled out and a new B7G base fitted, secured with new bolts and insulating washers.
Right try again with the power……………stations right across both wavebands!
Right glad was I, a sloppy valve base which was tracking and two valves in the wrong way round.
The moral, never trust the Trader sheet trust your eyes, and systematic checking of the circuit with no blanket component changing, otherwise it would have taken much longer to resolve.
The correct pointy knob and two others were obtained from John and the set reassembled. A job well done and learned something in the process.

Cheers Mark
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Old 11th Nov 2011, 7:08 pm   #2
mark pirate
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Default Re: Ever Ready Model K, a tale of two valves.

I have been caught out before where someone has swapped around the valves, i always check before powering up a set, i also try to get some life out of it before replacing the caps, glad it's now working ok

Mark
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Old 11th Nov 2011, 7:52 pm   #3
60 oldjohn
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Default Re: Ever Ready Model K, a tale of two valves.

Well done Mark, You will soon have as many sets as Howard. John.
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Old 11th Nov 2011, 7:56 pm   #4
DAVEHALL
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Default Re: Ever Ready Model K, a tale of two valves.

Matter of interest ,as a teenager I with(from memory ) the 91/92/96 setup .Fe up with batteries ,I got a1.5 /90 eliminator .Set it up an switche it on -zilch .OK-back to the batteries -bingo.Checked the HT- slightly higher than 90 .
Out of desperation, I tried eliminator again ,with my low wattage iron accross the output --cured .Ended up with a decent wattage resistor of equivalent value accross supply .So I would suggest that the 91 family ( possibly the 9x family don't like anything over 90HT).
Hope that's of use to someone as the valve setup seems familiar with my 60's radio
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Old 11th Nov 2011, 7:57 pm   #5
kalee20
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Default Re: Ever Ready Model K, a tale of two valves.

It's a nice little radio, the Model K. The output valve, DL92, is a beam tetrode and punches out a good amount of sound.

But, unless Ever-Ready changed tack, it should be possible to pull out the whole chassis, complete with scale, plastic escutcheon, supporting rails, etc as a complete assembly, after the back cover is removed. Only the loudspeaker grille remains in the cabinet. No need to remove knobs at all!

The DAF91 valveholder is mounted on grommets as shock-absorbers, that's why it feels sloppy.

I've just checked the Trader sheet, and yes, you're right, V3 and V4 are the wrong way round!
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Old 11th Nov 2011, 8:02 pm   #6
Mark the Mender
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Default Re: Ever Ready Model K, a tale of two valves.

Quote:
Originally Posted by kalee20 View Post
The DAF91 valveholder is mounted on grommets as shock-absorbers, that's why it feels sloppy.
Kalee,
correct the valve holder is mounted on grommets, but that was not the cause of the sloppiness, it was the actual base and the connections therein that were the problem, I did try to close them up to no avail, hence the valve baseectomy.

cheers Mark
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