04-01-2016, 10:55 AM
Whilst casting about on the net yesterday, I came across a couple more sources of independent citation for my amateur "sleuthing", one being a lady who was taken on at the Philips/Mullard production facility in Southampton in 1971. She kindly answered a post I made on s.media asking for information on their products. I pasted my posts from GVR for her to read. The Lady replied:
" I was taken on at the Philips factory in Southampton in 1971, as my Mum worked there already and I was only 17 at the time my Dad thought it was a good idea as I could be kept an eye on! When I arrived to start work, I had to report to personnel and told them that I was a new typist, (the job I thought I had applied for), however after an hours wait, someone came to fetch me and said that I was to start training with quality control and I would be working on a production line that had just been moved to Southampton from another factory. The line produced the transistors you mentioned, (sot25?) and there was talk at the time of a process that the engineering people were trying, to improve the quality of the parts that had been made at the other factory. It surprised me when I saw the comments as QC was always a major concern to the company and if there was even a hint of a problem in a production area, the TS (? Sic.) Boys would descend like vultures. There were an awful lot of employees there but it always seemed a quite friendly place to work. I continued working there till 1976 when I married. My husband was also an employee and continued with the company until he retired in 2009. All the best with your article. Sue L."
I've also found reference to a radio that was produced in Poland in the 1990's using lockfit transistors on the radio museum site. Can't be NOS? I don't think any one produced them much into the 1980's. Willing to be flamed on that one if anyone knows differently.
Regards. Andy.
" I was taken on at the Philips factory in Southampton in 1971, as my Mum worked there already and I was only 17 at the time my Dad thought it was a good idea as I could be kept an eye on! When I arrived to start work, I had to report to personnel and told them that I was a new typist, (the job I thought I had applied for), however after an hours wait, someone came to fetch me and said that I was to start training with quality control and I would be working on a production line that had just been moved to Southampton from another factory. The line produced the transistors you mentioned, (sot25?) and there was talk at the time of a process that the engineering people were trying, to improve the quality of the parts that had been made at the other factory. It surprised me when I saw the comments as QC was always a major concern to the company and if there was even a hint of a problem in a production area, the TS (? Sic.) Boys would descend like vultures. There were an awful lot of employees there but it always seemed a quite friendly place to work. I continued working there till 1976 when I married. My husband was also an employee and continued with the company until he retired in 2009. All the best with your article. Sue L."
I've also found reference to a radio that was produced in Poland in the 1990's using lockfit transistors on the radio museum site. Can't be NOS? I don't think any one produced them much into the 1980's. Willing to be flamed on that one if anyone knows differently.
Regards. Andy.
