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Old 16th Oct 2013, 2:24 pm   #1
newlite4
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Default New Chinese valve radios

Very interesting range of new valve and transistor radios from China:

http://www.audio01.com/eng/product.htm

All very much in the mid to late '50s style, shows there must be a market for these in China.
Neil
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Old 16th Oct 2013, 4:59 pm   #2
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

They look rather nice

some look just like Grundigs!

SEAN
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Old 16th Oct 2013, 6:07 pm   #3
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

They do look quite good!

Would be interesting to see how they perform.

Lloyd.
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Old 16th Oct 2013, 6:10 pm   #4
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

They look very good! If they perform half as well as my Chinese Yaqin valve amplifier then they will sound good!
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Old 16th Oct 2013, 6:16 pm   #5
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

I note that the magic eye in some of the sets is listed as an EM41. Does this mean that they are manufacturing them again? What pattern does an EM41 give? I have never seen one.
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Old 16th Oct 2013, 7:08 pm   #6
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

I don't think the 6E2 is the same as an EM41, more like an EM87 (two bars which come together). In fact I don't thinkthere were any EM4x magic eyes - B8A base.

Interesting bthat they like having tuning indicators even in the smaller bookshelf sets!

The table models with four 6L6's must run a trifle warm...

Would be interesting to know if anybody imports these into Britain! I tried clicking 'Dealers' but the page just said, "We are preparing data."
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Old 16th Oct 2013, 10:33 pm   #7
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

Be aware that some Chinese 'valve' electronics uses the valves for purely cosmetic reasons, or just as a (poorly designed, and often unnecessary) cathode follower, in an otherwise solid-state unit. These may be an exception.
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 2:09 am   #8
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

Very interesting. Would like to take a closer look at one of those classic sets.
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 8:50 am   #9
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

These sets and amplifiers seem to vary from a one valve model which probably has solid state front end, to full valve set ups with 4 output valves, must be 2 channels in push pull. I cant see anything about the manufacture of the valves, who makes them, there must be a question mark over the quality of these? There are types like 6V6, EL84 in there.I bet the ones with wood cabinets and 4 speakers sound very good
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 10:46 am   #10
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

If the valves in these are anything like the valves in Chinese valve Hi-Fi amplifiers then they are likely to be made in China. Probably best to swap them with something more reliable and of better quality.
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 10:51 am   #11
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

Having looked at the website, I can't help thinking what an interesting idea it is. But as Dave above says, perhaps they are using valves for the audio stages only.

There are plenty of valves around (and being made?) for valve amps, but I doubt that there are any suitable for RF circuitry available in sufficient quantities for this operation.

Nevertheless, if they have made or acquired magic-eye valves then maybe they really have some all-valve sets.

In fact looking again, one set contains: 6N2×1+6N1×2+6L6×4 EL84 (with CD player!!)

And an all-valve FM receiver on the website? I doubt it.

Ian
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 11:33 am   #12
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

As Josh says, it may be necessary to swap-out the Chinese valves with NOS Mullard types, although this would depend on the overall performance of the sets, they may sound OK. I would tend to suspect other components such as electrolytics and mains transformers for long term use.
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 11:34 am   #13
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

I hate to think how many valves would be needed to make a DAB receiver!
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 11:34 am   #14
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

I bought one of the R601 sets off ebay.com.au a couple of years ago. I use it pretty much every day to listen to the FM band and am very pleased with it. It behaves like an all valve radio, taking under a minute to warm up. The tuning indicator works very well.
The cabinet is made of mdf and is very solid. One complaint I have is that the tone is a bit mellow for my taste. I'd prefer a crisper brighter sound.

Peter
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 12:11 pm   #15
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

A curious mix.

What is 'College Band: 64-87MHz' BTW?

R802 seems to be transistor:
'Hi-Fi stereo radio with transistor amplify is keeping strong power and beautiful tone'

Had to smile at this bit in the description of the R803 and R901
'The high quality of unit speaker made it beautiful tone and adequate "Pompom" sound effect'

R901 seems to use EL34 in the output stage:
'Vacuum tube EL34 amplify,6E1 magic eye tunning indicator.output power:2*30W '

One or two models list a number of valves. Others don't list any other than, perhaps, the magic eye.

Re: DAB, are there any valves that can oscillate at the required frequencies (174-229mhz+)?

Last edited by WaveyDipole; 17th Oct 2013 at 12:18 pm.
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 1:05 pm   #16
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

Quote:
Originally Posted by WaveyDipole View Post
Re: DAB, are there any valves that can oscillate at the required frequencies (174-229mhz+)?
Oh yes!

Think about what made valved UHF TVs tick......

The receiver would probably be the size of a wardrobe, though.
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 1:37 pm   #17
G8HQP Dave
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

DAB lives in VHF Band 3 so any valve suitable for receiving 405-line ITV would be fine for the front end: ECC84, ECF80 etc. The decoder would be a bit harder to achieve using 1950s technology! I don't know if this type of valve is still being made. ECC88 is still made though, so that could be used for VHF. Not sure about IF valves.

Magic eyes are popular cosmetics in a certain quarter of the audio world so I guess the Chinese still make them, or they still have huge stocks.
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 5:00 pm   #18
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

Quote:
Originally Posted by G8HQP Dave View Post
DAB lives in VHF Band 3 so any valve suitable for receiving 405-line ITV would be fine for the front end: ECC84, ECF80 etc. The decoder would be a bit harder to achieve using 1950s technology! I don't know if this type of valve is still being made. ECC88 is still made though, so that could be used for VHF. Not sure about IF valves.
Was thinking along similar lines. Assuming valves could be used at those frequencies you could build a receiver and an IF stages, but decoding DAB is another matter. You would need to implement the decompression algorythm, decode and present the RDS info, select the station and digital to analogue convert the appropriate data stream? Not sure a wardrobe would be big enough!

Not that I'm promoting it, and indeed some may frown at the idea, but I have seen outfits that do DAB conversions (by adding a DAB mudule) on valve receivers....
http://www.dabhandradio.com/

Last edited by WaveyDipole; 17th Oct 2013 at 5:06 pm.
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 5:05 pm   #19
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

Most of them look to be inspired by American styling.

I wonder if they'll start to do pseudo 'Round Ekcos?' If nothing else it would be interesting to see how the price compared to the genuine article.

- Joe
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Old 17th Oct 2013, 5:08 pm   #20
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Default Re: New Chinese valve radios

DAB consists of 1,536 subcarriers, done these days in a DSP chip, valves wouldn't be fast enough so that's 1,536 narrow IF stages (cor a lot of inductors and valves, two per?). Then there is the decode part, probably needing as many valves again, say 5,000 to 10,000 in total. Nice (large) house heating system.
 
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