Unidentified Lissen Found - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

SeanStevens · 6th Feb 2011, 1:04 pm

Found wandering lost.

Has valve line-up

DK1
DF1
DAC1
DL2
Mixture of Mullard and Eveready

Could this be a 8505 (serial number is 4850509)?

I don't seem able to add photos currently.......

SEAN

SeanStevens · 6th Feb 2011, 6:19 pm

photos now attached

Sorry about their quality - the camera I have is almost as old as the radio

SEAN

Paul_RK · 6th Feb 2011, 7:58 pm

Hi Sean,

I can't find any record of an 8505, but the 8485 Richmond - table version of the 8515 portable - is one of the last Lissens (1939 release) and uses the valves you mention.

Regards,
Paul

PJC58-Hythe · 6th Feb 2011, 7:59 pm

Looks like an Ever Ready 5214 chassis, and has the correct valve line up, but that was used in the Lissen 8514 / 8515 which clearly that set is not. Will be interesting to see if anyone can identify it.

Peter

SeanStevens · 6th Feb 2011, 8:04 pm

Ian has found that it is definitely the same chassis as the ever ready.... But what model the Lissen called it is a mystery.

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_al..._portable.html

thanks all

SEAN

SeanStevens · 15th Feb 2011, 2:31 pm

Dear all, I can report that Ian and I got the Lissen going. Ian identified 'that cap' which we replaced.

Using the power supply Ian made, we fired it up. Nothing but amp sounds. After a few minutes I realised that I had missed an important connection to the frame aerial (the one that goes to the top cap of the valves) - I connected that up and BINGO.

Radio is very sensitive - having a huge frame aerial helps I guess. Luckily no valves need replacing - apparently these are difficult to find, being a forgotten valve base type that lost favour.

The cabinet is in a poor state - but now it has been treated for (possibly long gone) woodworm it is ready for a scrape and refinish.

I'll post a success story any year now.

Cheers

SEAN

SeanStevens · 7th Mar 2011, 12:18 pm

Spurred on by sunlight, the case is now stripped. The varnish literally turned to dust upon application of a Stanley blade. Within 20 minutes - all gone.

A quick wipe over with paraffin and the case looked amazing. What I now need to do is plug all of the woodworm holes. I have coloured wax for the purpose (from a previous clock project) but would like to try filling and then painting the filled holes. What would be best to plug them? It sounds like an obvious question, but there are lots of products out there.

SEAN

newlite4 · 7th Mar 2011, 12:28 pm

Sean, for a quick fix, you could use those Liberon wax crayons which are made for the purpose. Alternatively, I have had some success with coloured Araldite which can be smoothed over once hard.
Neil

SeanStevens · 9th Feb 2012, 5:46 pm

Well - after many months and a few false starts, the Lissen case is now finished.

I admit failure

I tried all sorts of fillers - humbrol paints, coloured waxes and eventually car body filler. I gave up eventually and passed the badly filled and coloured case and passed it to my Sister.

She has done wonders! I have an appointment tonight to unite the beast with its new power supply (courtesy of Ian) and it should be singing beautifully again.

I’ll try to post a short avi on youtube or similar when it is running. It is unusually old compared to radios in my collection – as Lissen dissolved into Ever Ready about 1937.

SEAN

6th Feb 2011, 1:04 pm	#1
SeanStevens Octode Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bath, Somerset, UK. Posts: 1,033	Unidentified Lissen Found Found wandering lost. Has valve line-up DK1 DF1 DAC1 DL2 Mixture of Mullard and Eveready Could this be a 8505 (serial number is 4850509)? I don't seem able to add photos currently....... SEAN __________________ There are only 10 types of people, those who understand the binary system, and those who don't.

6th Feb 2011, 6:19 pm	#2
SeanStevens Octode Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bath, Somerset, UK. Posts: 1,033	Re: Unidentified Lissen Found photos now attached Sorry about their quality - the camera I have is almost as old as the radio SEAN Attached Thumbnails __________________ There are only 10 types of people, those who understand the binary system, and those who don't.

6th Feb 2011, 7:58 pm	#3
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,259	Re: Unidentified Lissen Found Hi Sean, I can't find any record of an 8505, but the 8485 Richmond - table version of the 8515 portable - is one of the last Lissens (1939 release) and uses the valves you mention. Regards, Paul

6th Feb 2011, 7:59 pm	#4
PJC58-Hythe Heptode Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Hythe, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 632	Re: Unidentified Lissen Found Looks like an Ever Ready 5214 chassis, and has the correct valve line up, but that was used in the Lissen 8514 / 8515 which clearly that set is not. Will be interesting to see if anyone can identify it. Peter

6th Feb 2011, 8:04 pm	#5
SeanStevens Octode Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bath, Somerset, UK. Posts: 1,033	Re: Unidentified Lissen Found Ian has found that it is definitely the same chassis as the ever ready.... But what model the Lissen called it is a mystery. http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_al..._portable.html thanks all SEAN __________________ There are only 10 types of people, those who understand the binary system, and those who don't.

15th Feb 2011, 2:31 pm	#6
SeanStevens Octode Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bath, Somerset, UK. Posts: 1,033	Re: Unidentified Lissen Found Dear all, I can report that Ian and I got the Lissen going. Ian identified 'that cap' which we replaced. Using the power supply Ian made, we fired it up. Nothing but amp sounds. After a few minutes I realised that I had missed an important connection to the frame aerial (the one that goes to the top cap of the valves) - I connected that up and BINGO. Radio is very sensitive - having a huge frame aerial helps I guess. Luckily no valves need replacing - apparently these are difficult to find, being a forgotten valve base type that lost favour. The cabinet is in a poor state - but now it has been treated for (possibly long gone) woodworm it is ready for a scrape and refinish. I'll post a success story any year now. Cheers SEAN __________________ There are only 10 types of people, those who understand the binary system, and those who don't.

7th Mar 2011, 12:18 pm	#7
SeanStevens Octode Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bath, Somerset, UK. Posts: 1,033	Re: Unidentified Lissen Found Spurred on by sunlight, the case is now stripped. The varnish literally turned to dust upon application of a Stanley blade. Within 20 minutes - all gone. A quick wipe over with paraffin and the case looked amazing. What I now need to do is plug all of the woodworm holes. I have coloured wax for the purpose (from a previous clock project) but would like to try filling and then painting the filled holes. What would be best to plug them? It sounds like an obvious question, but there are lots of products out there. SEAN __________________ There are only 10 types of people, those who understand the binary system, and those who don't.

7th Mar 2011, 12:28 pm	#8
newlite4 Octode Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bath, Somerset, UK. Posts: 1,805	Re: Unidentified Lissen Found Sean, for a quick fix, you could use those Liberon wax crayons which are made for the purpose. Alternatively, I have had some success with coloured Araldite which can be smoothed over once hard. Neil __________________ preserving the recent past, for the distant future.

9th Feb 2012, 5:46 pm	#9
SeanStevens Octode Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bath, Somerset, UK. Posts: 1,033	Re: Unidentified Lissen Found Well - after many months and a few false starts, the Lissen case is now finished. I admit failure I tried all sorts of fillers - humbrol paints, coloured waxes and eventually car body filler. I gave up eventually and passed the badly filled and coloured case and passed it to my Sister. She has done wonders! I have an appointment tonight to unite the beast with its new power supply (courtesy of Ian) and it should be singing beautifully again. I’ll try to post a short avi on youtube or similar when it is running. It is unusually old compared to radios in my collection – as Lissen dissolved into Ever Ready about 1937. SEAN __________________ There are only 10 types of people, those who understand the binary system, and those who don't.