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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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5th Apr 2019, 10:08 pm | #1 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,996
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Altai ??
I'm pondering if anyone has knowledge of the background of "Altai" components, which were common in the 70s and 80s.
i used "Altai" 240v-to-12v transformers in a few projects, and they also did a range of low-power PA amplifiers, horn speakers and audio-matching preamps/transformers. They also sold a range of small couple-of-watt-push-pull audio-amp blocks along with accessory-microphones of the kind that would have fitted well with the cheap mono cassette-recorders that were popular at the time. Their logo was a clear ripoff of the HMV "listening-dog" in that it had a couple of kids listening to an old-style horn-speaker. Who was the marketing-business behind them? |
5th Apr 2019, 10:27 pm | #2 |
Heptode
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, UK.
Posts: 705
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Re: Altai ??
I remember a place called Electrovoice based in/near St. Helens used to carry a lot of their products. Maybe one of their main importers? I won't go into the quality of their power supplies too much - suffice to say that a cheap quality preset used went o/c and shot about 35v into the 12v video camera (back when they were expensive!) that was plugged in at the time...
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5th Apr 2019, 10:41 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: East Sussex, UK.
Posts: 3,326
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Re: Altai ??
Altia was another sales company, a bit like Eagle, who sold products made by various makers under a corporate banner. Usually sold through wholesalers to numerous retailers around the country. I don't know who actually owned the brand.
ISTR that Eagle was owned by someone like Laskys so as to sell the products without the general public knowing who they were actually buying from. |
5th Apr 2019, 11:09 pm | #4 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,996
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Re: Altai ??
Quote:
Considering the nature/market-sector of the products, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a tie-up between Altai and Eagle/Adler/Relda. |
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5th Apr 2019, 11:18 pm | #5 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: N.W. Oxfordshire(Chipping Norton)
Posts: 7,306
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Re: Altai ??
Eagle's owner's name was Gerry Adler. Does anyone know hat happened to the company?
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6th Apr 2019, 12:19 am | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,642
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Re: Altai ??
Both still going it seems: https://www.ukdj.co.uk/general-store...agle-altai-m20
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6th Apr 2019, 12:39 am | #7 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Surbiton, SW London, UK.
Posts: 2,801
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Re: Altai ??
Now seems to have dispersed, But Eagle, Adastra and Bandridge were in a group;
http://www.bandridge.com/en-us/ The start of Altai with Manchester as the UK base seems to have occurred as a consequence of the closure of Norman Rose Electrical around 1990. They were based in East London and sold exclusively to the trade. |
6th Apr 2019, 1:49 am | #8 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 827
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Re: Altai ??
From Wikipedia:
In December 1994, the private equity firm Saltire plc acquired Maplin Electronics from its founders, with the intention of merging its operations with another electronics distribution business in its portfolio, Altai... |
6th Apr 2019, 6:59 am | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Near Swindon, North Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 3,608
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Re: Altai ??
I think this Companies Hiuse record may be the origin of Altai:
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/00580524 |
6th Apr 2019, 9:23 am | #10 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Glossop, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 487
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Re: Altai ??
I still have a set of book shelf speakers from them ( a mate in the trade did a lot of repairs to their kit for resale in Manchester )
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6th Apr 2019, 11:23 am | #11 |
Triode
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 46
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Re: Altai ??
Outrun uk, you were close. The firm was Electrovision and were based in Haydock. As far as I know, they are still trading.
Regards John |
6th Apr 2019, 11:38 am | #12 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,270
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Re: Altai ??
These days both Altai and Eagle, along with others eg Soundlab & NJD are brands of Electrovision in St Helens, they are a trade-only wholesaler who also offer a direct ship for mail order retailers who don't want to stock their inventory in-house.
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6th Apr 2019, 1:00 pm | #13 |
Nonode
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK.
Posts: 2,198
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Re: Altai ??
The Companies House entry for Altai Group showing the previous company name as L. H. Altaras reminded me that this group have their origin in the entrepreneurship of the German immigrant Altaras family.
I remember going to meet Mr Altaras in his Manchester office/warehouse in North Manchester in the 1960s. He was very focused on his enterprise and was very clearly the boss of the outfit (and its employees, who did as they were told). The warehouse was packed with all manner of ex-WD equipment, this being the age when government surplus was still big business. I remember he was rejoicing that the price of copper was rising and he was planning to make money from his stock of wound components. The warehouse was in an old cotton mill on the floor above a garment factory which played music all day to entertain its seamstresses. This music was disturbing Mr Alteras and his employees and I was visiting as a potential noise control adviser. ISTR that the solution lay in use of the amplifier volume control! Altaras's brands have usually included 'Alt' as part of the name: e.g. before the appearance of Altai, Altham was a popular brand for electronics Far East imports. Originally I believe that Altham was an early 20th century radio retail brand in Manchester controlled by the Altaras family. I guess that the 'ham' part of the name suggested an aim at the radio amateur market. There may well be a connection by marriage between the Altaras and Adler families, both of course of German immigrant origin, but I haven't yet managed to trace recent firm evidence of that. It's interesting that some of those familiar brand names in our business are traceable to one immigrant family, and perhaps a group of families. Like Alan Sugar, they were successful in business before the word 'entrepreneur' became common currency. Martin
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6th Apr 2019, 1:23 pm | #14 |
Nonode
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,002
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Re: Altai ??
I remember Electro Supplies in Stockport used to have a lot of Altai stuff, over the years I bought a few leads for connecting things up as they had a good selection of ones with different plugs on.
I thought the logo was supposed to be someone looking into a TV screen. PS: The logo on their site for 70s 80s 90s TV Sets leads to CDs of TV themes from these decades. https://www.ukdj.co.uk/search/classi...esents-tv-sets
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6th Apr 2019, 2:56 pm | #15 |
Octode
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Stevenage, Herts. UK.
Posts: 1,518
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Re: Altai ??
The attached is the HMV style logo I remember from back in he day. I have one of these power supplies, but a previous owner seems to have fitted his own bonkers stripboard based 'regulator' circuit inside!
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6th Apr 2019, 6:25 pm | #16 | ||
Pentode
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Devon, UK.
Posts: 152
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Re: Altai ??
Quote:
OTOH, I bought an Altai electret mic for £1.50 from an amateur radio rally. After a fault in the lead was fixed, it worked just fine for over 10 years. Partially corroded & disintegrating battery terminals finally finished it off. Hartley118: Quote:
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6th Apr 2019, 6:31 pm | #17 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Near Swindon, North Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 3,608
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Re: Altai ??
I don't think so:
Waltham. Brand name for consumer electronics sold in the 1970s and 80s (e.g. music centres, TV/radio/cassette combi units). It is believed that the products were made in the Republic of Ireland, using Japanese designs and components. Probable connection with the Japanese “Standard” brand (Standard Radio Corporation - later known as Marantz Japan Inc). In 1980, Waltham Electronics (UK) Ltd., 155-159 Queens Road, Watford, Herts., WD1 2QH (directors: M.Raymond, L.Raymond & A.T.Jeffers). Waltham products, being based on a good Japanese brand, were pretty good. I've come across a few, such as transistor radios and music centres. |
6th Apr 2019, 6:33 pm | #18 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Haarlem, Netherlands
Posts: 4,199
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Re: Altai ??
Not likely, isn't that Swiss?
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6th Apr 2019, 10:49 pm | #19 |
Nonode
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,002
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Re: Altai ??
Indeed they had some TV sets with the Brilliant model name.
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/waltha...lant_3000.html Interestingly this was a system B/G version of the Ingersoll I used to have. I've seen pictures of the same design of set badged as Prinz & possibly 1 or 2 other names. https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/prinzs...v121tv_12.html They were made in Singapore (at least mine was), but with a Tatung CRT licenced from Mitsubishi, just to stir the badge engineering pot a bit more.
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