Few memorable post war Brit radios?

[Joe]

My first dachshund was a full yard nose to tail and the second one twenty-eight inches so that does indeed give some idea.

Like you, I've found VHF3D picture before but not good ones - I found decent ones of the PE60 and '80 so don't worry about those. I maintain that it's a perfectly decent looking set, though there are better. As for size it's not that bad and one would fit on my sideboard - I like the label on the back describing it as a "Table model" as it would need to be a dining table.

Of course the other question is sound quality. As you say, it's certainly got a big enough case and I see it has four speakers, both Bass and Treble controls and that VHF goes all the way up to 108. I don't think that particular one would sound too hot with that EL84 in situ though.

I'll certainly keep my eye out but the chances aren't good as they aren't exactly postable.

Thanks for showing me.

- Joe

[AlanBeckett]

Joe,
I thought they were Greyhounds
I haven't seen one for sale for some time on eBay. Let me know if you see one. I'm sure between us we can get one collected for you.
Alan

[Joe]

I've had two dachshunds and one greyhound of my own - the vet couldn't believe her eyes when I walked in with the latter - but haven't had a dog of my own for two-and-a-half years. However, I look after my mate's two greyhounds when she's at work or away. I've just had my tape-measure out and Gladys is 30" from neck to rump.

There were two VHF3Ds on e-Bay a couple of weeks ago. One was in London and looked decent and the other was in Liverpool and looked to be a 'restoration project.'

It's a pain in the rear sometimes not being able to drive but at least I'm not spending money on keeping a car on the road so can enjoy it spending it on frivolous things like radios and potatoes. Thanks for the offer; I'll keep my eyes open.

Cheers
- Joe

PS That one in London made £41 which is a bit rich for my tastes.

[Yorkie]

Joe,
Herewith pictures. I think it's well up with our German cousins.
Alan

Agreed - I'll eat my words - that really is a seriously bonny radio Alan! No doubt during its lifetime in will have been a centre piece on a a proud owner's sideboard, and quite a conversation piece too.

Thanks for going to the trouble of posting the pics.

If they go on e-bay for circa £40+ when even DAC90As often fetch more than that, I'll have to keep my eyes open. I do have a Grundig in the loft awaiting attention, which I bought at a local auction on a cursory glance. Though it only cost £25.00, I should have looked at it more closely - when I got it home, I discovered that all the valves had been removed except the magic eye. I forget the model number, but I did get hold of the circuit.

The one aspect of piano key radios that can be a nightmare, is the complexity of the 'switchery'. So much to go wrong - arrrrrgh!

David

[Tedzed1]

A few pictures of my Pye PE80.

It is a large beast, and quite heavy.

[AlanBeckett]

Paul,
Very swish
I think we tend to forget that these were essentially very expensive pieces of furnature to be shown off.
A splendid sideboard was no doubt a requirement.
Alan

[flyingtech55]

The amount - together with a line of credit - was $4.34 billion with a 2% interest rate, originally intended to be paid back over 50 years beginning in 1950, so it should have been paid off by 2000, but wasn’t until six years later, when - in December 2006, a £43m remittance paid it off. Some critics, including the noted economist Lord Keynes, saw the loan as a means used by America to subjugate Britain after the war. If so, it seems to have worked! As it was, keeping up the payments was often difficult. There were six years when Britain deferred payment as a result of economic crises and pressure on the official reserves.

I believe most of the revenue from North Sea oil went to paying off the war debts to America. Arguably, the current financial crash was a result of the paying off of the debt. It went this way.....

We were paying off the debt using oil dollars, this kept the price of oil low as the Americans wanted to get the most oil for their dollars as they could. When the debt was paid off in 2006 the price of oil 'bounced' and this caused some manufacturing processes and goods in America to be more expensive and therefore uneconomic. This caused a lot of blue collar workers on temporary contracts to be made redundant. This made them to default on their 'sub-prime' loans and mortgages which caused the loans to be called in. This caused the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The risk had been sold to other companies, banks etc. in countries such as Britain and Iceland etc. The debts had to be honoured which brought the whole financial house of cards crashing down.

For more information, check out Fannie Mae on Wikipedia.

TimR