What is your oldest set?

[John M0GLN]

Hi Everyone,
My oldest is a Crosley 50, a 1924 American model with 1 tube, all my others have valves, the latest being an Eddystone 830/3, top of the range model made for the Diplomatic Wireless Service in 1964.
Best Wishes.
John.

[Heatercathodeshort]

Hello, Some great sets there! Its amazing how many have survived considering we are such a small Island!
My oldest set is a BRITSH THOMPSON HOUSTON [BTH] two valve set that dates I believe form around 1919. It has a 'compass' base that the main cabinet sets on to line up the transmitter. I found it in a customers loft about 30 years ago and when I first saw it I didn't realize it was a radio. The top has a brass plate screwed to it with the words: PORTABLE WIRELESS RECEIVER. THE BRIISH THOMPSON HOUSTON COMPANY RUBGY. If anyone is interested I will post a picture. The most modern I suppose are a collection of mini fm sets with self seek tuning and equally tiny headphones. Similar sized, there are a few that are fix tuned for exhibitions and race meting for receiving the local station only while the event is in progress. Oh by the way...There are an awful lot in between... Regards. JOHN.

[Paul Stenning]

All my sets are post-war and use smaller 9-pin valves, so I can't compete with most of you for the oldest model. I would have to look up the dates of my sets to find the oldest, but it's probably early 50s.

As for the newest, that depends whether sets are regarded as part of the collection or not. The newest set here is probably the Evoke 1XT in our bedroom, but that's not really part of the collection. Or if you include car radios, it's a Blaupunkt Woodstock DAB 54 which I got for Christmas and haven't installed yet. In the collection I have a number of novelty trannie radios, the newest of which is a PC shaped radio which came from Woolworths a couple of years ago.

[Sideband]

Hi all.

The oldest in the collection is a 1933 Philips Superinductance (274?) which as yet is unrestored and non-working. Hopefully this will be attended to this year. The oldest set in the collection which is working is a 1938 Philips 470A which I restored about 18 months ago and I fire this up every two weeks or so. The newest set in the collection is a Stella 160A from 1964. The most modern set I have although not in the collection is my Philips double superhet comms receiver from 1985. General radio listening is either a TR82C or the 1973 hi fi system! When I'm in the workshop, any one of the radio collection will be used according to whim or fancy but I generally try to use them in rotation so they all get used every few weeks.


Rich.

[Photo_Tube]

The oldest non working set is a Marconi dating from around 1934 ( I cant recall the model) and the oldest working valve set is a Bush PB51. Youngest valve set is a Bush VHF81 (1961). Oldest transistor set - Roberts 200, lastest set - Venturer Portable Radio (2004) although a dab radio will be added soon

[AC/HL]

Originally Posted by Heatercathodeshort

My oldest set is a BRITSH THOMPSON HOUSTON [BTH] two valve set that dates I believe form around 1919. It has a 'compass' base that the main cabinet sets on to line up the transmitter. I found it in a customers loft about 30 years ago and when I first saw it I didn't realize it was a radio. The top has a brass plate screwed to it with the words: PORTABLE WIRELESS RECEIVER. THE BRIISH THOMPSON HOUSTON COMPANY RUBGY. If anyone is interested I will post a picture. Regards. JOHN.

YES, please

My oldest is a BTH Type A form C crystal set, closely followed by a Melody Maker (the big one with the Ebonite front panel, 1927 I think)
I tend to favour early Transistor rather than any modern sets, although I don't have many yet. The only interesting thing I have found in an attic is a wet Leclanche cell

[GJR 11L]

I have no pre-war stuff currently in my collection, my oldest set being a 1946 Westinghouse "Little Jewel" in turquoise painted bakelite (exactly the same colour as the Radialva that may still be my avatar by the time you read this. ). This is one of the few sets I have that doesn't see regular use.

Newest set in my collection (apart from the car radio, if the term "collection" may take in ordinary modern stuff ) is a mint, boxed example of the 1st generation BayGen radio, (mid '90s). The moulding of its cabinet has all the quality of a '70s Lada's dashboard but the thing sounds surprisingly good in spite of the speaker being of a size more usually seen in a shirt-pocket set. The device rarely gets wound as I don't always have the strength nowadays to turn the handle against that thick, unyielding spring! (Yes, it has a 3v-9v dc input on the cabinet but hums like a in a when used with a good quality, regulated wallwart.)

[Hybrid tellies]

I cannot compete with most of you as the oldest set in my collection is possibly my HMV1124 dating from 1952 or 1953. But I have owned it since 1973
The newest radio must be my Pure Evoke 2, which I am listening to as I type.

[Steve_P]

Oldest TV set is a 1948 Alba which I have not worked on yet.

[Alan_Douglas]

While it's not an entirely fair contest (wireless collectors are naturally going to have older sets than transistor collectors) mine would be a circa-1912 (American) Marconi Valve Tuner, converted to carborundum in the teens. It's not working, as it is missing some internal wiring. I also have a breadboard style transmitter/receiver from 1913, by Hunt & M'Cree of New York, and some later things.

[Heatercathodeshort]

Hello again,
I mentioned earlier in this thread that I had an early BTH set dating from around the 1919/20 period. I have taken a few pictures of it as I believe it was of interest. The set is in a mahogony cabinet the lid of which also forms a base in the style of a large compass. A spigot in the centre locates with a turntable in the base of the cabinet. The frame aerial swings out and the waveband switch is what can only be described as a knife blade that slides into a slot at the top rear of the cabinet shorting out the coil windings as required. A bit like one of those old acts that plunged knives through a box containing a lady... The brass plate on the top says:
THE BRITISH THOMPSON HOUSTON COMPANY
RUGBY ENGLAND
PORTABLE WIRELESS RECEIVER
NUMBER R241
MANUFACTURED BY THE COX-CAVENDISH ELECTRICAL COMPANY
HARLESDEN LONDON

I found it in a customers loft around 30 or so years ago and to be honest I thought it was some form of direction finding equipment from the first world war. The loft was full of old radio equipment that was going to be dumped.
I only took the BTH...I should have taken a bit more....Oh well thats life!
Regards. JOHN.

[DoctorWho]

My oldest radio is a McMichael Moving Coil Mains from 1931, my oldest TV is a Cossor 912, the oldest telephone is a GPO 150 candlestick from 1922, the oldest gramophone is circa 1914 and the oldest phonograph 1903. Other items are early, but I only have one of each, for example the electric cooker is 20's, the car is 1954, the A&B payphone in the hall is 1930's, the dolls eye switchboard is 1930's and so on. The oldest items in the house are probably the Victorian fireplaces, unless, of course, you take the coal in to consideration, then you are talking pre-historic We also have a few other oddities such as an annunciator board for calling the servants - I even installed calling buttons in each room and they all work well, however no one ever comes running when you ring for service

Peter.

[RX1155N]

Well now, the earliest set I have (and my most treasured) is a 1923 "Halfords Family Crystal Receiver" which bears the inscription "Supplied by The Halford Cycle Co". Measuring only 100mm x 100mm x 150mm high, it has the BBC/PMG stamp and brass terminals, a vertical detector and provision for 2 pairs of headphones on the black ebonite panel. Using a 120-foot (4 mtrs) long wire aerial, I often listen to Radio 4 with the set connected to my 1923 "Sterling Baby" Horn Loudspeaker.

Incidentally, "The Halford Cycle Co" was the infant business of the present day multi-national car accessory chain, Halfords Plc. It's also interesting to note that back in the early days, firms placed greater emphasis on Bicycles than on Radio which, of course, was still in its experimental era.

The most recent working (vintage) set I have in the collection is a 1961 Bush TR82C in superb, as new, condition. I also have one of those awful TR82 Repros but that's another story..................!

Nigel.

[brianc]

Hi all
My earliest dateable set is a Gecophone No1 crystal set bought at Sheppton Mallet some years ago. The next earliest set is a STC 44004 seven valve superhet from 1926-7 using Weco valves (bought at the McMichael rally in Reading). Add to those, a mottley collection of 30s woodies and a few bakelite jobbies - I must try to specialise!!

Cheers

brian

[THE BAKELITEMAN]

My oldest set ?? Think it must be an Ekco AC85 from 1934 closely followed by another example of the fine bakelite mouldings produced by Ekco, the AD36 from 1935. Jools www.bakeliteman.com:-)

[JoshWard]

I now have a 1946 Etronic with an unknown model number. This is another of my oldest sets!