A few more things that arrived
at the virtual radio museum
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HP8640B
Signal Generator
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A gamble at a fraction
of the price of a decent example, this sorry-looking RF signal
generator heavyweight originally cost thousands of pounds but
damp and neglect has made it cheap and not so cheerful. Can it
be restored, at least to a working state?
click
to see more... |
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WS19 Mk3
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This working British
Wireless Set No.19, rebuilt in 1960, came from Geoff G4ICD, complete
with its power supply (below) which just needs a few wires adding
to complete the HT2 supply which is required for transmit.
Click
the picture to see more |
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Plessey PR155G
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When I saw this advertised
for sale it was something I couldn't not be interested in, as
I worked for Plessey Electronics at the time this was made. It
has a major advantage over slightly later transistor-based radios
as it doesn't use a microprocessor so should be easily maintainable
and radio amateur-friendly. It's similar in operation to the
Racal RA17 but isn't anything like as bulky and, although it's
heavy (38 pounds), uses relatively simple modules that mostly
use nice readily available parts. The receiver would have been
designed by the Plessey R & D establishment at Southleigh
near Havant. Close by was the Plessey factory at West Leigh that
made these equipments. I used to visit both sites donkeys years
ago but in connection, not with radios, but anti-terrorist equipment
including metal detectors (eg.P6), wire detectors (eg.P7) and
intruder and sniper detection equipment (eg. IA2). They also
experimented with optical fibre equipment but as it was years
before a demand for such stuff it wasn't really a high priority.
My last project, HDRS was designed at Southleigh
and manufactured at the Plessey factory in Ilford.
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Relay
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Searching for my three Grid Dip
Oscillators which I put together in a box then promptly forgot
where I'd put it, and as a last resort searched the loft above
my workshop, I unearthed some stuff I'd forgotten I had including
this old Air Ministry relay. As you can see it's marked "RELAY
UNIT TYPE 125" with the RAF code 10E or 10F/16827. It's
possible those three PL259 connectors replace the UK type of
RF connectors used in the 1950s?
The box is marked "24 volt"
at the 2-way connector.
What was it used for I wonder? |
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Wavemeter W66
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R1155A Receiver
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The serial number plate
is not very clear but does have the serial number 42156, and
it's an early model with the older tuning knobs. I bought it
because it appears to have been unmolested except perhaps for
that pair of wires emerging from between the connectors. The
date on the front panel of 14th January 1949 may indicate that
it's been overhauled, possibly having been fitted with a nice
new dial and perspex cover?
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A Gumtree Purchase
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First a N.O.S. T1154N
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Tucked in beside the transmitter
I found a N.O.S. throat microphone and a set of aerial plugs
etc for the T1154 (scroll down to see these). The case needs
a little TLC as dreaded woodworm is evident. I think these have
now wandered off so hopefully the case can be restored... |
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Next an R1132A
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Next, a rare 16 valve receiver with which I'm
not familiar marked "Moreton Cheyney"
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Then a high power amplifier/PSU
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I suspect this lot were
originally in the hands a now silent key radio amateur. They
were given as payment for some plastering work many years ago.
I initially thought this heavyweight chassis was a modulator
for an AM transmitter, but as it has two leads terminating in
plugs which match the Moreton Cheyney receiver I'm now thinking
it's the audio amplifier for the Moreton Cheyney receiver?. That's
one surviving KT66 up there and a couple of EF37 valves hidden
behind the transformer on the right. |
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And finally in the job
lot were two bonus items, a throat mic and a set of T1154 connectors |
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Naval Receiver CNY-2/W5737
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I got this receiver recently
when it was destined for a skip but it looks almost complete
so I've decided to see if it can be restored to working condition.
Click a
picture to read more |
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Telegraph
Repeater
Kindly donated by Simon Cole
from Westcote Barton.
Click
it to see more |
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Old Microphone (not a
balun!)
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Another interesting item
from Simon. I thought it was a balun, then a tweeter but a quick
search revealed it's a microphone not unlike those used by the
BBC from 1938-1951. No mounting bracket so may have been clamped
and suspended somehow. Serial number 2793. |
Portable Linesman's Phone
(June 2019)
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The above telephone was
discovered in an attic and kindly donated by Paul Berry from
Burley.Apparently it's a Type 44 for non-military use and the
absence of a lid is because it originally came in a leather case.
Click either
picture to see more. |
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Wireless Set No.88 (June
2019)
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Another early VHF transceiver
Click
the picture to read more about this little set |
Wireless Set No.31 (May
2019)
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Despite the numbers showing
in the dial, this is a VHF FM transceiver and not for use in
the HF bands.
Click the
picture to read more about this set.
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Andrus
SDR (May 2019)
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Measurements Corp. GDO
Model 59
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This old frequency meter
arrived today.. 9th May 2019 and looks Hallicrafterish.. It needs
a set of coils made to match its dial and at first sight it seems
to be a hand-held signal generator covering 2.2 to 420MHz. All
will be revealed when I open the case... Yes it's a signal generator
and it uses a 955/VT121 triode. This valve was introduced in
1935 and is to be found in several WW2 equipments.
After a little investigation
I found the meter part would have plugged into a power supply
box, via its cable terminated in an octal plug. The PSU box carried
a meter indicating the valve's anode current, making it a grid
dip meter. |
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The only maker's mark on the instrument
is this logo accompanying the code "SER.748". It looks
a bit like an anchor, but I prefer a meter.
The manufacturer was "Measurements
Corporation" of Boonton, New Jersey and below are advertisements
from 1952 (above) then 1950 (below) depicting the GDO. |
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Above, from 1944 is a
piece of test equipment which I was told was used to monitor
IFF broadcasts from aircraft. As it's pretty rare I'll need to
investigate its pedigree and it's very surprising to see it's
survived over 70 years without being canibalised for parts. Click it see more of it...
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The R3673 forms part of the last
version of the GEE system developed during
WW2 for accurate bombing. It uses lots of all-glass valves,
mainly the EF91 in place of the SP61 or EF50 valves and embodies
all the RF and processing circuitry within the same box and is
remotely controlled via cabling. See
a mention of the system here. |
R210 Receiver
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The above aquisition is
a prototype of the receiver. Click the picture to see more of
it. |
R216 Supply Unit Rectifier
No 24
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I picked up this power
unit for my recently acquired R216 receiver (see below) and will
take the place of my home constructed PSU.
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Solartron HT Power Supply
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Similar
to this one but a few years newer |
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LeCroy 9450 Digital Oscilloscope
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This rather fine Swiss-made
oscilloscope dating from 1990 and the Solartron power supply
were given to me by Steven who spotted my old Solartron and thought
a second would come in useful. The scope has a fault that's eluded
other repairers.
Click the
picture to see more. |
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I wanted one of these receivers
when they first appeared as government surplus but they were
too pricey for me. I'd imagined the R216 was just a VHF version
of the R206 which I bought in 1958 but of course their design
is ten years later (although it does have a turret tuner).
When Leighton, GW3FSP advertised his for
sale I was first in line and the set arrived here after a week
or so. |
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click
on the picture to see more |
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click
the picture to see more |
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US Navy receiver made in 1944
click the
picture to see more |
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