Halcyon AM Minor M-66A - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Karin Machina · 20th Feb 2018, 2:26 am

Is there much info on this set. I wish I posted it here before I was kinda forced to throw it out... https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...hp?albumid=713

When I find more vintage things out and about that I don't have a use for I shall post it here first...

'LIVEWIRE?' · 20th Feb 2018, 10:23 am

All I know about that receiver is that it's a typical MW/LW Car radio of, I'd guess the late 60s, with a single-ended (Class A) output stage. These normally produced a maximum of 3 watts output into a 3 or 4 ohm speaker. The RF/IF stages made use of the then ubiquitous Mullard LP1166 module, which contains 3 AF11x Transistors. These suffer from the 'tin whisker' problem which is well documented on the forum. If they need replacing, various types are suitable. In recent times I, and others have used the Russian GT322 transistors often available on eBay for around £1 each. The radio, IIRC, was for 12v. operation, and may have been dual polarity (Positive or negative earth, switchable, or even 'automatic polarity' Such sets incorporated a bridge rectifier between the supply lines and the rest of the circuit) BTW, Halcyon were one of several now long-gone British Manufacturers.

Paul_RK · 20th Feb 2018, 10:55 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'LIVEWIRE?'

BTW, Halcyon were one of several now long-gone British Manufacturers.

A curious one, as all the Halcyon models I've seen date either from the mid to late 1930s (at Sterling Works, Dagenham, in 1937), or the late '60s, possibly very early '70s, with nothing in between: I don't know what connection if any there was between those two periods of production. The '30s radios were mostly solid mid-market sets, while I've only met fairly modest MW/LW portables from the '60s.

Paul

'LIVEWIRE?' · 20th Feb 2018, 12:07 pm

I may have the date of the M66-A wrong, Paul, though I remember repairing the occasional Halcyon Car radio in the 70s, not long after I started working in the trade, besides which, the M66-A was in some ways typical of manually tuned AM Car radios made in the mid-late 60s, through to the late 70s. Better known makes such as Radiomobile, Motorola, Philips, PYE, Elpico,etc. all produced models that were, on paper, similar in specification. Also, as most forum members will know, the Mullard LP1166 and similar modules were used in a great number of radios during those years.

Paul_RK · 20th Feb 2018, 1:02 pm

I wasn't meaning to query the date, and, yes, the LP1166 and its fellows were popular for quite a while. I think the only Halcyon radios to appear in Newnes R+TVS are those in the '69-'70 volume, which seems about right for them. I've one here, a Corvette, with nothing very remarkable about it aside from the use of two 3" Pioneer 'speakers rather than the single round or elliptical British unit of its contemporaries from for instance Fidelity.

20th Feb 2018, 2:26 am	#1
Karin Machina Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Ferryhill, County Durham, UK. Posts: 23	Halcyon AM Minor M-66A Is there much info on this set. I wish I posted it here before I was kinda forced to throw it out... https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...hp?albumid=713 When I find more vintage things out and about that I don't have a use for I shall post it here first...

20th Feb 2018, 10:23 am	#2
'LIVEWIRE?' Rest in Peace Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N.W. Oxfordshire(Chipping Norton) Posts: 7,306	Re: Halcyon AM Minor M 66-A All I know about that receiver is that it's a typical MW/LW Car radio of, I'd guess the late 60s, with a single-ended (Class A) output stage. These normally produced a maximum of 3 watts output into a 3 or 4 ohm speaker. The RF/IF stages made use of the then ubiquitous Mullard LP1166 module, which contains 3 AF11x Transistors. These suffer from the 'tin whisker' problem which is well documented on the forum. If they need replacing, various types are suitable. In recent times I, and others have used the Russian GT322 transistors often available on eBay for around £1 each. The radio, IIRC, was for 12v. operation, and may have been dual polarity (Positive or negative earth, switchable, or even 'automatic polarity' Such sets incorporated a bridge rectifier between the supply lines and the rest of the circuit) BTW, Halcyon were one of several now long-gone British Manufacturers.

20th Feb 2018, 12:07 pm	#4
'LIVEWIRE?' Rest in Peace Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N.W. Oxfordshire(Chipping Norton) Posts: 7,306	Re: Halcyon AM Minor M 66-A I may have the date of the M66-A wrong, Paul, though I remember repairing the occasional Halcyon Car radio in the 70s, not long after I started working in the trade, besides which, the M66-A was in some ways typical of manually tuned AM Car radios made in the mid-late 60s, through to the late 70s. Better known makes such as Radiomobile, Motorola, Philips, PYE, Elpico,etc. all produced models that were, on paper, similar in specification. Also, as most forum members will know, the Mullard LP1166 and similar modules were used in a great number of radios during those years.

20th Feb 2018, 1:02 pm	#5
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,259	Re: Halcyon AM Minor M 66-A I wasn't meaning to query the date, and, yes, the LP1166 and its fellows were popular for quite a while. I think the only Halcyon radios to appear in Newnes R+TVS are those in the '69-'70 volume, which seems about right for them. I've one here, a Corvette, with nothing very remarkable about it aside from the use of two 3" Pioneer 'speakers rather than the single round or elliptical British unit of its contemporaries from for instance Fidelity.