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Vintage Radio (domestic) Domestic vintage radio (wireless) receivers only. |
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30th Nov 2017, 3:04 pm | #1 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Ayr, Ayrshire, UK.
Posts: 630
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Transistor radios made in Scotland
Hello folks,
I was just wondering if there were ever any commercially produced transistor radios made in Scotland ? Andy |
30th Nov 2017, 3:22 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 9,427
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
Did the Timex factory produce some for different makes? They made more than watches, perhaps worth investigating.
Apologies if I am completely wrong.
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Frank |
30th Nov 2017, 3:35 pm | #3 |
Heptode
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Leven, Fife, Scotland
Posts: 823
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
Hi Andy, When I was an apprentice in the early 70's there were guys from the Philips factory in Dunfermline in college at the same time. They were making radios then but I don't know which models. This factory is of course closed now. Norman
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30th Nov 2017, 5:05 pm | #4 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Ayr, Ayrshire, UK.
Posts: 630
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
Frank, I do know Timex made Sinclair computers in the early 80's but haven't heard what else (apart from watches) that they did.
Norman, thanks for that information about Philips - I didn't even know they had a factory in Scotland ! Would love to know which radio models were made there but unless they had a 'Made in Scotland' sticker on them I doubt we'll ever find out. Andy |
30th Nov 2017, 7:39 pm | #5 |
Octode
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 1,999
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
Some parts for the Sinclair TV80 pocket television were made by Timex in Scotland, but final assembly was at EMI in Enfield.
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30th Nov 2017, 7:51 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
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30th Nov 2017, 7:54 pm | #7 |
Octode
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Manchester, UK.
Posts: 1,872
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
I was looking at an (Ekco, I think?) bedside clock radio from the 60s at Mikey66's house the other night, when I picked up my PB189. On the back was a big 'made in Scotland' sticker...
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1st Dec 2017, 10:08 am | #8 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Ayr, Ayrshire, UK.
Posts: 630
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
Thanks to everyone for their replies, most interesting.
Regards, Andy |
1st Dec 2017, 11:22 am | #9 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Rosyth, Fife, UK.
Posts: 204
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
The former Philips factory was aqquired by Selectron who in turn then sold the factory onto the Fife Self Store people in the mid 2000s who are the current owners of this site (just 5 mins from me).
I'm told Philips also made TV tuners at this site as well. The buildings are still there (and expanded) and are located at Pitreavie, overlooking FMCs wind turbine facility. See link below for further info. http://dunfermline.info/news/index.p...TEGORY2=1-News Kind regards Terry
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Terry Martini-Yates BVWS Committee Vice Chair Last edited by terry123; 1st Dec 2017 at 11:28 am. |
1st Dec 2017, 12:27 pm | #10 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Edinburgh, UK.
Posts: 2,008
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
I used to pass by that factory often between 1981 and 1988 when my in-laws lived in Dunfermline. Before or during that time the plant changed to Philips MEL which was part of the Philips/Mullard component supply chain. I presume that manufacturing had ceased before then. Sorry I cannot be more specific but it was 30+ years ago and even then the detail was not that important to me.
Al
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I won't tell you how I discovered that. |
1st Dec 2017, 1:04 pm | #11 |
Heptode
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Leven, Fife, Scotland
Posts: 823
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
I remember having a tour of the factory in the early 70's. They were manufacturing pcb's although I don't know what they were for. I remember them on an assembly line before finally going into a solder bath. The guys I went to college with were repairing radios off the production line that didn't work. I remember some of the guys were selling car cassette players to us as these were highly sought after at that time. My memory isn't great at the best off time but that is the best I can remember. Norman
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1st Dec 2017, 11:41 pm | #12 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Ayr, Ayrshire, UK.
Posts: 630
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Re: Transistor radios made in Scotland
Thanks guys for the further information regarding the Philips factory.
All very interesting. Andy |