Decca 333 TV/radio/gram - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Colourstar · 22nd Nov 2014, 1:35 pm

How's this for a venerable 1950s entertainment centre? The Grandaddy of the Fidelity AVS systems of the 80s (in which case it's got a lot to answer for!)

There was an earlier model, the 111, which had a 15" crt, then with the introduction of 17" tubes, the virtually identical 222 superseded it. The 333 shown here is similar to the 222 but is in a fancy cabinet with doors. This example has had the popular Cyldon tuner conversion for ITV. I believe this is a Plessey chassis, although Decca then used their own chassis for the DM series of the mid fifties.

Sliding out a hefty drawer reveals the 3-band radio, which drives a 10" speaker. A Garrard RC75 auto-changer deck copes with those new-fangled microgroove records as well as your 78s.

All in all, around £150-worth circa 1953/4. No small sum back then.

This looks to be an excellent project, all complete bar the handle for the pull-out drawer.

The model numbering system for Decca 'all-in-ones' seems entirely unrelated to the rest of their range and progressed as far as the 777 in the 1960s.

The most popular 'all in one' of the era seems to have been the Ekco TCG316 and related models. Of course the main drawback of combining television, radio and record player into one is that if teenage daughter wanted to hear a record whilst mum wanted to listen to Woman's Hour and dad wanted to see 'Sportsview', then there could only be one winner.

Steve

mark pirate · 22nd Nov 2014, 2:02 pm

Looks like a great project. I saw one on ebay a while ago, but as always too far away

Yours looks in good order, I bet it will come up a treat!
I look forward to seeing it bought back to life.

Mark

Colourstar · 22nd Nov 2014, 2:13 pm

Thanks Mark. I'd been sort of half-looking for one of the Ekco TCG series....

Then this appeared!

Steve

Heatercathodeshort · 23rd Nov 2014, 3:55 pm

Interesting receiver and an easy one to get working. The LOPT should be OK. The original tube would have been a MW43-64 non aluminised that has been replaced probably in the late 1950's by the aluminised MW43-69.
The radio unit was used in many models with a L63 LF amplifier triode [on the left] that was not used unless a gramophone turntable was connected to the input terminals. The Decca magnetic head did not have a high enough output to drive the amp direct. John

FERNSEH · 23rd Nov 2014, 4:21 pm

Information for the Decca 333 can be found in the 1953/54 Radio and Television servicing book. The Plessey TV chassis employed in this set uses Mullard valves, so there a single 0.3amp heater chain. Much better than the strange arrangement found in Defiant sets which used 0.1 and 0.2 amp heater chains.
A similar TV chassis was installed in Regentone and RGD sets, also used in certain Marconi models. Some sets can be found with Emitron valves in them.

DFWB.

22nd Nov 2014, 1:35 pm	#1
Colourstar Octode Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ilkeston, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 1,398	Decca 333 TV/radio/gram How's this for a venerable 1950s entertainment centre? The Grandaddy of the Fidelity AVS systems of the 80s (in which case it's got a lot to answer for!) There was an earlier model, the 111, which had a 15" crt, then with the introduction of 17" tubes, the virtually identical 222 superseded it. The 333 shown here is similar to the 222 but is in a fancy cabinet with doors. This example has had the popular Cyldon tuner conversion for ITV. I believe this is a Plessey chassis, although Decca then used their own chassis for the DM series of the mid fifties. Sliding out a hefty drawer reveals the 3-band radio, which drives a 10" speaker. A Garrard RC75 auto-changer deck copes with those new-fangled microgroove records as well as your 78s. All in all, around £150-worth circa 1953/4. No small sum back then. This looks to be an excellent project, all complete bar the handle for the pull-out drawer. The model numbering system for Decca 'all-in-ones' seems entirely unrelated to the rest of their range and progressed as far as the 777 in the 1960s. The most popular 'all in one' of the era seems to have been the Ekco TCG316 and related models. Of course the main drawback of combining television, radio and record player into one is that if teenage daughter wanted to hear a record whilst mum wanted to listen to Woman's Hour and dad wanted to see 'Sportsview', then there could only be one winner. Steve Attached Thumbnails

22nd Nov 2014, 2:02 pm	#2
mark pirate Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK Posts: 5,185	Re: Decca 333 TV/radio/gram Looks like a great project. I saw one on ebay a while ago, but as always too far away Yours looks in good order, I bet it will come up a treat! I look forward to seeing it bought back to life. Mark

22nd Nov 2014, 2:13 pm	#3
Colourstar Octode Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ilkeston, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 1,398	Re: Decca 333 TV/radio/gram Thanks Mark. I'd been sort of half-looking for one of the Ekco TCG series.... Then this appeared! Steve

23rd Nov 2014, 3:55 pm	#4
Heatercathodeshort Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING. Posts: 9,147	Re: Decca 333 TV/radio/gram Interesting receiver and an easy one to get working. The LOPT should be OK. The original tube would have been a MW43-64 non aluminised that has been replaced probably in the late 1950's by the aluminised MW43-69. The radio unit was used in many models with a L63 LF amplifier triode [on the left] that was not used unless a gramophone turntable was connected to the input terminals. The Decca magnetic head did not have a high enough output to drive the amp direct. John

23rd Nov 2014, 4:21 pm	#5
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Decca 333 TV/radio/gram Information for the Decca 333 can be found in the 1953/54 Radio and Television servicing book. The Plessey TV chassis employed in this set uses Mullard valves, so there a single 0.3amp heater chain. Much better than the strange arrangement found in Defiant sets which used 0.1 and 0.2 amp heater chains. A similar TV chassis was installed in Regentone and RGD sets, also used in certain Marconi models. Some sets can be found with Emitron valves in them. DFWB.