Radio's obsolete. Surely not.

[Gem 1,430]

The Therola radio was showing on the link sent by DJ (thank you)  was going to bin it but have made appointment to see someone at my local museum. 

Letsavago....was actually thinking of plugging it in so thank you for advice.

[Compo 10,328]

Jill's picture of the Bakelite Rediffusion cabinet brought back many fond memories of tea-times spent at my grandmother's house on High Street, Arnold.  During winter months there would be a fire in the range grate and hot toast cooked on a toasting fork over that fire, whilst Dick Barton was chasing his ars* around the place trying to catch the baddies.

[loppylugs 8,429]

I worked for rediffusion for bit.  I wanted to learn tv servicing, but they had basically got it down to just changing circuit boards.  I didn't see much future in that so I left.  IRC the tv signal was sent out over the lines as a video signal that the set just amplified and applied the time base info to.  It was then sent to the tube.  Audio signal was sent in the usual way.  I think it was at 70 volts.  Thus there was no tuner in a Rediffusion tv.  Our critics referred to us as 'the time base boys'. Because we didn't need to know anything about the signal reception and processing areas.  They weren't necessary.

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

Presumably, radios in schools in the 50s and 60s were also Rediffusion in supply. I recall just a large square of plywood with a circle of mesh fabric in the centre  hanging on the wall and a switch nearby. We occasionally listened to Schools' radio or had Music and Movement in the hall....now run and find a space, everyone and then curl up in a tiny ball on the floor. 

[Cliff Ton 10,470]

For a list of programmes, and excerpts, and music, and everything else about old radio programmes, take a look (and it will be a long one) at this site.

 

http://www.turnipnet.com/whirligig/radio/index.htm

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

Yes, this is a brilliant site, CT. One for Listen with Mother fans, like myself!

[loppylugs 8,429]

In the schools I attended.  They just had a radio with its output connected to a local network within the school.  You could not switch between stations as you could with Rediffusion.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

16 hours ago, Jill Sparrow said:

Presumably, radios in schools in the 50s and 60s were also Rediffusion in supply. I recall just a large square of plywood with a circle of mesh fabric in the centre  hanging on the wall and a switch nearby. 

 

That's what it was like at High Pavement in the 1960s. I don't remember it ever being used for lessons, but the Light Programme was put on at lunchtimes in the 'sandwich rooms' so we could listen to such as 'Workers Playtime' and 'Mid-day Music Hall' while those of us who didn't have school dinners were eating our packed lunches.

[DJ360 6,730]

19 hours ago, Gem said:

The Therola radio was showing on the link sent by DJ (thank you)  was going to bin it but have made appointment to see someone at my local museum. 

Letsavago....was actually thinking of plugging it in so thank you for advice.

 

You're welcome Gem.  Any chance you could copy the picture of it from the link and post here?

 

Even if your local museum doesn't want it ( Though why they wouldn't defeats me...) please do not 'bin' it.!!!

 

If all else fails I will come over to your place and collect it!  There is a chap in Wigan.. not far from me, who writes for the HiFi press and is an expert on vintage equipment. He also restores things.   He's called Haden Boardman.  I'm sure he would be interested.

 

Col

[DJ360 6,730]

18 minutes ago, Merthyr Imp said:

 

That's what it was like at High Pavement in the 1960s.

 

I don't remember that MI, but then I mostly shot home for lunch as it was only 5 minutes on me bike..  I do recall a record player in the part of the canteen/refectory that was partitioned off the create Frank William's Music Room.  It always smelled of a curious mix of cabbage, custard and boiled fish..

 

However, I do remember a very similar set up in Henry Whipple Primary.    There was a square piece of board which stood upright and had a loudspeaker driver in the middle. It usually lived on the stage in the hall. It was my job every morning to connect this thing by the bare ends of its wires, to a couple of screw terminals on the output of a 78 RPM record player.  We would then put on some music before assembly started.  My favourite was an orchestral version of Chopin's Polonaise in A.  We also used to have some school radio about a man and  woman who went back in time to prehistoric times and encountered dinosaurs etc., but that was delivered in one of the classrooms, with several classes crammed into one room.  I can't recall if the same 'kit' was used.

 

A also recall that quite of few of the schools I visited via work still had some pretty ancient radio sets

 

I found out much later that the 'board' type loudspeaker was known as an 'open baffle'.  ( or more correctly a dipole). Without getting too boring about it..

[BORING BIT ON]a loudspeaker unit on it's own doesn't work too well because the sound waves from the front and back of the cone cancel each other out easily.  To prevent this you stick the driver unit on a board called a baffle, which separates the front and rear sound waves from the cone making it more efficient.  Theoretically the baffle should be of infinite size, but that's not too portable.. though walls can be and are used.

 

Or, you can just put the speaker in a sealed box.  Also often ( and incorrectly) known these days a as an 'infinite baffle'.  You can then go into all sorts of different types of boxes with 'reflex ports' , 'horn loading', 'transmission line', 'Isobarik loading' etc.  However, all engineering is compromise, meaning that no solution is perfect.  So.. 'you pays yer money and you makes yer choice..'[/BORING BIT OFF]

 

More below if anyone else here is as geeky as me... 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudspeaker_enclosure#Transmission_line

 

 

 

[Willow wilson 894]

I read you DJ360, interesting subject. About 50 years ago I built a couple of 40 litre enclosures to a Wharfedale spec and fitted their drivers in. I had a modest hifi amp in which I modified the tone circuits to a spec from a hifi mag of the era. The mod was entitled "Enhance your deep deep bass".  It made a subtle but very smooth full audio range. Over the following years things like Queen's greatest hits and Radetzky March, Buxtehude, Bach, Widor, Holst and Tomita, all sounded great to my ears through that lash up. It could handle owt I chucked at it.

I've still got it somewhere in the attic, full of spiders I bet.

[loppylugs 8,429]

I remember years ago a company named 'Sound Sales' seemed to be big in school audio equipment.  Radios and record players in big grey metal boxes that could be connected to the school classroom network.  

[Gem 1,430]

DJ the best i can do is...the first link you sent me top row end where 3 radio's in line thats the one. Whatever i am told after museum visit will clean it up and display it.

[DJ360 6,730]

Wow Gem!! If you mean this one..  It's a corker!!  It will be a real talking point.

 

 

 

 

[Gem 1,430]

1 hour ago, DJ360 said:

Wow Gem!! If you mean this one..  It's a corker!!  It will be a real talking point

Unfotunately it is not in such good condition but with some good advice on how to clean it might get it near picture. Going to museum tomorrow might even get it to work  !!!!

Found allsorts and everything in my basement from old range to poss tub and mangle, museum service will collect them and use in displays, much better than thrown away.

[radfordred 6,284]

So 64 posts in it looks like radio's not obsolete? 

[catfan 14,793]

The jury is still out on this one red !