Murphy U198H

[Yorkie]

I managed to get another one of these with a broken case.

I can see why David likes these so much and I'll certainly do something with the donor set. A dial glass can be made and now I've got the gold-coloured backing plate to copy that shouldn't be a major issue either.

- Joe

Well done Joe!

I think they must have had quite a long production run as they come in several manifestations. Several dial designs (same layout - different coloured lettering) with either a gold or blue backplate. Some have sprayed light cream cases - the fronts at least, which I suppose - as with the later sprayed Bakelite Maestros - is an indication that brown Bakelite was going out of style. It does mean though, that if you can repair a damaged cabinet (EG with Milliput etc) that you can spray it light cream and pick out the recessed 'Murphy' log with gold paint, so you get an attractive little set, and they seem to perform well.

In their day, small sets such as these, the KB 'Toasters', the 'Coronation Twins, etc, with their in-built ferrite rod or frame aerials, were known as either transportable, or 'occasional' radios, which didn't mean they were for only occasional use, but were suitable for all occasions - in other words, to be taken from room to room, such as kitchen, dining room, lounge, bedroom, in an era when few people had TVs, so listened regularly to the radio, but unlike today, could only afford one radio. (At the rate we're going, it won't be too long before those days are with us again!).

Most of these small radios, of whatever make, had quite large speakers, so to my ears, are capable of good reproduction at good volume. And from a collecting point of vierw, you get more radios per metre of shelf space!

I don't think I've ever paid more than a fiver for one at a car loot sale.