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Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment.

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Old 2nd Dec 2006, 9:16 pm   #1
John1
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Default Curious old military(?) receiver

Hi,

I'm looking for information on this set.

I aquired this set years ago, salvaged from a skip somewhere, speaker
missing and a broken valve.
It has a 'vibrator' unit on a small separate chassis sharing the box.
It has the War Department logo, W ^ D, marked on the top by the handle
but i am dubious that a wooden boxed radio for only medium wave has
any military use at all.

It looks original and at one stage had a rear panel, as shown by the
rear panel securing attachments, but i never saw it.
I will try to take better pictures if it will help.

John
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Old 2nd Dec 2006, 9:38 pm   #2
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

Could it be good quality home construction? The PSU looks as though it has been 'borrowed' from something more glamorous.
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Old 2nd Dec 2006, 9:55 pm   #3
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Lightbulb Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

To me, it looks like the main chassis is out of a factory-manufactured radio, fitted into a home-made case. The vibrator unit, as an ex-equipment add-on, fitted to run the whole affair from LV dc. Could this be a modification / re-work for use in a caravan, boat or something similar? That type of carrying-handle strongly suggests such an application - i.e. an early "portable" radio.

I do not believe that it has any military "connections" whatsoever. The "W^D" marking just happened to be already on the case - which may well have originally housed a piece of military gear - when it was re-worked to accomodate the chassis & vibrator.

Just my contrib.

Al / G8DLH
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Old 2nd Dec 2006, 9:59 pm   #4
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

I reckon that is a wartime "NAAFI" set, I believe they were powered from a 12 volt battery. I think one appeared on ebay a while ago .

Regards Mick.
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Old 2nd Dec 2006, 10:48 pm   #5
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

It's a "Receiver Broadcast Type C No.4".

Portable Army Broadcast receiver.
4 valves. 6V DC Operation.
185 - 550 metres.
465 KHz IF

Manufactured by Hale Electrical Company Limited (HECL).

Source "Wireless For The Warrior Volume 3 Reception Sets".
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Old 2nd Dec 2006, 11:16 pm   #6
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

Quote:
Originally Posted by G4ILN View Post
Manufactured by Hale Electrical Company Limited (HECL).
Aha - they were the manufacturers of Etronic domestic receivers. Wooden ones turn up quite often, mostly basic 4+1 valve sets using octals, and they also made the "Midgetronic" bakelite set that's rather odd and moderately sought-after: if memory serves, it was the first domestic radio to use a printed circuit board. According to Dave Hazell's serial listing of manufacturers in the BVWS Bulletin, Hale were probably wound up in 1952. There might well be a strong resemblance betweeen the chassis of your set and the early post-war Etronic designs.

Paul
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Old 3rd Dec 2006, 12:55 am   #7
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul_RK
There might well be a strong resemblance betweeen the chassis of your set and the early post-war Etronic designs.
HECL made about 4 different Army Welfare Receivers. They differed in wavebands covered and power supply arrangements. It's likely that they were based on a pre war domestic chassis. The chassis looks domestic, but the PSU has a distinctly military appearance.

I don't know whether any domestic receivers had vibrator PSUs, but that will have to be the subject of another thread.
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Old 3rd Dec 2006, 5:20 am   #8
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

Hi,

I too wondered if it was not a military radio, but someone had maybe
used WD parts, but the case did not look as though it had ever been
used for anything else.
However it looks as though it has been recognised.
As a NAFFI radio, i suppose its function was not primarily military,
in the active sense, but more similar to a domestic sense.
That would also explain the vibrator unit, as it may have been operated
without electric mains.

I had wondered if it might have been used at an army establishment,
but if so, i couldn't see the need for the vibrator unit.

I suppose that inspecting the valve heater wiring would tell me if its
meant for six or twelve volt working.

G4ILN, Thank you very much for identifying this set for me, however i
still can't find anything about it on the net.
I would like to fit an appropriate speaker into it which would look
right, so if theres any chance of a picture, could you post one ?

This picture of the dial shows exactly the same wording as you posted.

Cheers, John
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Old 3rd Dec 2006, 1:19 pm   #9
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

The power supply is similar top this one:

http://www.g1jbg.co.uk/mil1.htm

Though it looks like the 0Z4 has been replaced with either a synchronous vibrator, or a selenium rectifier.

Jim.
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Old 3rd Dec 2006, 1:34 pm   #10
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

The speaker was simply a normal round type of diameter to suit the grille. I have a rather crude picture which I'll scan later and post here.

Interesting that the set seems to use a variant of the AR88 PSU. Thanks Jim.
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Old 3rd Dec 2006, 10:43 pm   #11
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

Here are a copuple of scans from "Wireless For The Warrior Vol 3" :-

http://home.wxs.nl/~meuls003/home.html

The view of the chassis is of a Receiver Broadcast B No. 3 which incorporated a tropical band in addition to MW. It gives a good idea of the speaker type.
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Old 5th Dec 2006, 5:22 am   #12
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

Hi,

Thanks very much for the pictures.
I still have not found any mention of this set on the net anywhere.
The speaker looks ordinary enough in that pic, i will wait until i
find one that fits the existing screw holes.

There is no doubt that it is the same wireless, although there may
have been different versions of it. The set in the picture looks like
it has a lid. Mine has no lid, nor any indication that it ever had a
lid, the sides are not protruding a little as they are in that picture
and there are no signs of any screw-holes or missing hinges.
Which is a shame, it would be nice with a lid. But i won't change it.

The knobs look very much like knobs i've seen before from that period,
so i should be able to find suitable ones alright.

I can't make out that piece above the dial. On mine there is a hole.
Like a hole for a control shaft, but theres nothing inside near it.
Maybe its just a name-plate.

If it was used by the NAFFI then i suppose it would have been used in
a tent, or even in the open where there was no mains supply.
Which i suppose would explain the vibrator unit.
I still think its odd that a radio like this has no facility to use
the mains, only a battery supply.

Regards, John
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Old 5th Dec 2006, 7:32 pm   #13
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

Quote:
I can't make out that piece above the dial. On mine there is a hole.
Like a hole for a control shaft, but theres nothing inside near it.
Maybe its just a name-plate.
It's difficult to tell even on the original photo, but I reckon it says "HECL".

There were many different types of Welfare Receivers used in WW2 and they had various PSU arrangements, including some mains powered sets. Many vehicles of this era had 6 volt electrics, which probably explains why 6 volts was chosen for this set.

If you get in touch with Louis Meulstee via his website he may be able to tell you a bit more about the set or maybe knows someone who knows more about it.
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Old 11th Sep 2007, 9:15 pm   #14
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

I agree it is as stated a Receiver Broadcast Type C No.4. I've just picked a brand new one up dated 1940, sold in a army surplus shop in 1968 and then after accidently being plugged into 12 volts instead of 6 reboxed and left until I brought it
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Old 11th Sep 2007, 10:10 pm   #15
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

Congratulations on your purchase.

So. All the valve filaments burned out and possibly a burned out vibrator then? I wonder if double the HT voltage damaged any capacitors?

Or maybe you'll be luck and find nothing more than a blown fuse?
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Old 11th Sep 2007, 11:10 pm   #16
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

HECL - Hale Electrical Company Limited - I restored one of these a long time ago for Bletchley Park - think it has gone to Duxford now....

Not a bad radio, hope the powersupply has survived ok.
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Old 11th Sep 2007, 11:19 pm   #17
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Default Re: Curious old military(?) reciever

A quick check and I've been lucky all the heaters are fine, I've got a heavy duty transformer to make a 6 volt power pack so I'll let you know how things go
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