Murphy V1400 14" portable TV - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

1100 man · 3rd Mar 2019, 11:10 pm

I spotted this rather classy looking little set in the auction at Harpenden today. I could come up with no justification for bidding on it, so I set my price at £10 max. As it turned out, no-one else wanted it so I got it for a fiver!

It must be one of the nicest looking portables I've seen and is well built. Nice chrome knobs rather than nasty sliders & wood effect cabinet. Inside it has that typical look of Japanese sets from the mid to late '70's.

Being Japanese, I decided it would probably work and it does. It has a few issues and all the pots are a bit dodgy. The frame sync is also a bit tetchy. Rather strangely, the frame hold control is on the front and the contrast on the back.

Does anyone have the circuit for it please? It would seem to be in the R&TV servicing books but mine stop at 1970. The index puts it in the 1978/79 edition.

Many thanks
Nick

ben · 3rd Mar 2019, 11:19 pm

Great find and a bargain! A real looker. Not too many sets with that look around, just the 1990s rather dull black square boxes or the more recent garish silver ones.

jayceebee · 3rd Mar 2019, 11:32 pm

I worked for an RBM dealer and these arrived late 73 early 74. I'm not sure but I think it may have been a rebadged Toshiba. Manuals turn up very regularly on Ebay.

Richard_FM · 3rd Mar 2019, 11:33 pm

It looks like you picked up a good ones there at a reasonable price.

I'm wondering if it's badge engineered, are their any tell tale major components?

FERNSEH · 4th Mar 2019, 12:08 am

Hi Nick,
I might still have the original service manual for the V1400. I sold a few of these sets in the early 1970s.
I'll take look for it tomorrow.
I believe the set was made by NEC, but I could be wrong.

DFWB.

1100 man · 4th Mar 2019, 12:14 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayceebee

. I'm not sure but I think it may have been a rebadged Toshiba.

I would say without doubt the whole chassis is Japanese in origin. all the components have that Japanese 'look' about them. The two transformers are encased in pressed tin enclosures with lead out wires & the TO3 transistors are 'Toshiba'.

On the back it says 'Made in Japan for Rank Industries'

Probably not surprisingly for a portable, the tube looks in excellent condition:- very bright and sharp.

Hi David,
Many thanks. Just a copy of the circuit bit of it would be really useful if you can find it.

Cheers
Nick

Studio263 · 4th Mar 2019, 11:35 am

A very good set. When they were new they had little sliding station markers by the dial marked 'BBC1', 'ITV' and the like, it never took that long for them to fall off. I think I still have some somewhere, PM me with your address and I'll send them to you if I can find them.

jayceebee · 4th Mar 2019, 12:33 pm

Around the same time Bush released the 12" TV300, this was also Japanese but I don't think it was the same manufacturer as the V1400. Very much stop gap sets as shortly after these the Bush Ranger arrived with RBM's UK produced T16 chassis (?). The T16 had the option of a couple of self contained rechargeable batteries behind a door in the rear cover.

The TV300 turned up later in the guise of a Dansette.

usradcoll1 · 4th Mar 2019, 6:36 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ben

Great find and a bargain! A real looker. Not too many sets with that look around, just the 1990s rather dull black square boxes or the more recent garish silver ones.

I went to an old radio swap meet and there was a Magnavox color set that was as neat as that one marked FREE!
While carrying it to my car, two younger wise-guy types gave me the horse-laugh, proclaiming they had fifty more I could have.
The set does work well and was very well kept.

Cheers, DAVE.

Vintage_RC · 4th Mar 2019, 8:40 pm

Looks to be in very good condition and decent Japanese build quality. An advantage with portables is that they often have very low hours use.

McMurdo · 5th Mar 2019, 9:09 pm

I have a Rank-Dansette mono tv in the same style cabinet to that. Also very japanese, mine needed a replacement eht diode which I dug-out of the top of the LOPT. Nice high quality thing and a cracking picture.

Vectamart · 7th Mar 2019, 7:02 pm

I have an ERT Service chart for this model. If you want to borrow it, please feel free to pop round next time you're in Wroxall.

1100 man · 8th Mar 2019, 11:54 pm

That would be great:- i'll send you a message.
I don't have any plans to do anything with the set in the near future- I really must finish some of the current projects first! It will be nice to have the circuit though.

All the best
Nick

1100 man · 9th Mar 2019, 11:43 pm

Thanks to 'Vectamart', I now have the full service information for the set

Probably the first thing to check is the 11V HT rail.

I see the service sheet is dated September 1973 so it's rather earlier than I thought. Sadly, although not unexpectedly, the video is fully AC coupled to the CRT cathode. The wandering black level was very evident when I had it working, so this might also get a black level clamp modification.

But I must be strict and finish my current projects before I start on this one!

All the best
Nick

3rd Mar 2019, 11:10 pm	#1
1100 man Octode Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Ventnor, Isle of Wight, & Great Dunmow, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,377	Murphy V1400 14" portable TV I spotted this rather classy looking little set in the auction at Harpenden today. I could come up with no justification for bidding on it, so I set my price at £10 max. As it turned out, no-one else wanted it so I got it for a fiver! It must be one of the nicest looking portables I've seen and is well built. Nice chrome knobs rather than nasty sliders & wood effect cabinet. Inside it has that typical look of Japanese sets from the mid to late '70's. Being Japanese, I decided it would probably work and it does. It has a few issues and all the pots are a bit dodgy. The frame sync is also a bit tetchy. Rather strangely, the frame hold control is on the front and the contrast on the back. Does anyone have the circuit for it please? It would seem to be in the R&TV servicing books but mine stop at 1970. The index puts it in the 1978/79 edition. Many thanks Nick Attached Thumbnails

3rd Mar 2019, 11:19 pm	#2
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV Great find and a bargain! A real looker. Not too many sets with that look around, just the 1990s rather dull black square boxes or the more recent garish silver ones. __________________ Regards, Ben.

3rd Mar 2019, 11:32 pm	#3
jayceebee Heptode Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Durham, County Durham, UK. Posts: 640	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV I worked for an RBM dealer and these arrived late 73 early 74. I'm not sure but I think it may have been a rebadged Toshiba. Manuals turn up very regularly on Ebay.

3rd Mar 2019, 11:33 pm	#4
Richard_FM Nonode Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 2,002	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV It looks like you picked up a good ones there at a reasonable price. I'm wondering if it's badge engineered, are their any tell tale major components? __________________ Hello IT: Have you Tried Turning It Off & On Again?

4th Mar 2019, 12:08 am	#5
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV Hi Nick, I might still have the original service manual for the V1400. I sold a few of these sets in the early 1970s. I'll take look for it tomorrow. I believe the set was made by NEC, but I could be wrong. DFWB.

4th Mar 2019, 11:35 am	#7
Studio263 Octode Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hampshire, UK. Posts: 1,577	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV A very good set. When they were new they had little sliding station markers by the dial marked 'BBC1', 'ITV' and the like, it never took that long for them to fall off. I think I still have some somewhere, PM me with your address and I'll send them to you if I can find them.

4th Mar 2019, 12:33 pm	#8
jayceebee Heptode Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Durham, County Durham, UK. Posts: 640	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV Around the same time Bush released the 12" TV300, this was also Japanese but I don't think it was the same manufacturer as the V1400. Very much stop gap sets as shortly after these the Bush Ranger arrived with RBM's UK produced T16 chassis (?). The T16 had the option of a couple of self contained rechargeable batteries behind a door in the rear cover. The TV300 turned up later in the guise of a Dansette. Last edited by jayceebee; 4th Mar 2019 at 12:51 pm. Reason: more info

4th Mar 2019, 8:40 pm	#10
Vintage_RC Heptode Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Twickenham, London, UK. Posts: 538	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV Looks to be in very good condition and decent Japanese build quality. An advantage with portables is that they often have very low hours use. __________________ Alan G6PUB, BVWS

5th Mar 2019, 9:09 pm	#11
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,271	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV I have a Rank-Dansette mono tv in the same style cabinet to that. Also very japanese, mine needed a replacement eht diode which I dug-out of the top of the LOPT. Nice high quality thing and a cracking picture. __________________ Kevin

7th Mar 2019, 7:02 pm	#12
Vectamart Pentode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Ventnor, Isle of Wight, UK. Posts: 141	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV I have an ERT Service chart for this model. If you want to borrow it, please feel free to pop round next time you're in Wroxall.

8th Mar 2019, 11:54 pm	#13
1100 man Octode Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Ventnor, Isle of Wight, & Great Dunmow, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,377	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV That would be great:- i'll send you a message. I don't have any plans to do anything with the set in the near future- I really must finish some of the current projects first! It will be nice to have the circuit though. All the best Nick

9th Mar 2019, 11:43 pm	#14
1100 man Octode Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Ventnor, Isle of Wight, & Great Dunmow, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,377	Re: Murphy V1400 14" portable TV Thanks to 'Vectamart', I now have the full service information for the set Probably the first thing to check is the 11V HT rail. I see the service sheet is dated September 1973 so it's rather earlier than I thought. Sadly, although not unexpectedly, the video is fully AC coupled to the CRT cathode. The wandering black level was very evident when I had it working, so this might also get a black level clamp modification. But I must be strict and finish my current projects before I start on this one! All the best Nick