Just started on a Cossor 'Melody Maker 500' set – nothing special - not a set I’d have bothered to buy but it was given to me some years ago and has since languished in the loft so I thought I’d clean it up and move it on. Tried it on the lamp limiter and it does work, so I’ll change a few paper caps, and no doubt there will be a few out of spec resistors to change. (I usually leave them in place if they’re within 20 – 25% of the original values). Plenty of space below the chassis to work on. As is my habit, I made a cradle on which to support the chassis while I’m working on it. Just a couple of strips of flat BMS bent to shape, then bolted the chassis and mounted on a baseboard of scrap plywood.
It has those dreadful valveholders with a restaining spring on them which risks breaking the pip off the side of the valve when the valve is removed or replaced. I only made that mistake once when fitting a new UL41 valve into a DAC90A and popping the valve. It makes no sense in a domestic radio to have used such valveholders – I can only assume that radios made in the late ‘40s – early ‘50s used ex WD surplus valveholders designed for use in equipment in rugged terrain where there might be a risk – however small - of valves being shaken out of the holders. Just never going to happen in a domestic environment. I remove the springs before I attempt to remove the valves then discard the springs as they have no purpose in life other than to risk destroying valves.
Typical of sets of this era, though it’s an AC only set so could have been earthed, it has a flimsy two-core mains flex restrained only by having a knot tied in it. The neutral is switched rather than the live, and I think that was often done to prevent arcing of the mains switch if the live is switched. The live connection goes straight to the mains transformer tag. Very poor - this set was sold as a ‘transportable’ set with an in-built frame aerial, intended to be moved from room to room in an era when most households could only afford one set. Hence, each time the mains lead was unplugged it was disturbed, and constant twisting around of the flex could have put a strain on the soldered connection on the mains transformer, causing it to break free. I’ll fit a 3-core flex and cable restraint.
This set was originally released in May 1950 as the Melody Maker '501' in a wooden cabinet and cost £15 2s 9d + 33% Purchase Tax, making it just over £20 in all – well over two week's wages for a working man in 1950. Depending on which inflation index you use, that amounts to around £580 at today’s prices. Strewth! The Bakelite '500' came out in June 1950 priced at £12 19s 6d + PT making it about £17.6s 0d, equating to about £490 at today's prices - a worthwhile saving over the 'woodie', which indicates that Bakelite was used as a cheaper less labour intensive substitute for wood, though with the passage of time, has proved more durable, doesn't risk furniture beetle infestation or flaking lacquer - the twin scourges of wooden cabinets.
Historical Inflation Converter: http://safalra.com/other/historical-uk-i...onversion/
The set is typical or it’s era – ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ but as with so many sets of the post-war austerity years during which I grew up, (EG, 'D**9*A) I find it sombre, cheerless and bland. Such sets remind me too much of cod liver oil, Virol, MoF concentrated orange juice, dried egg powder, ration books and bombsites. But that’s just me I guess - a sign of my advancing years!. At least it has short wave, and uses a 6.3V 0.3A dial bulb. The ‘drop-through’ mains transformer looks robust and well made, but as with so many such sets, the layout is untidy and looks 'home-brew', rather than off a mass-production assembly line.
The speaker fabric, though intact, is shabby, so I'll try some dry-clean aerosol on that - I don't really want to remove it and soak it in 'Wizz Oxy' as it will no doubt shrink.
Despite these downbeat views, it should come up well when it's finished, and a quick rub of the Bakelite with Polish #5 shows that the cabinet will look as nice as any brown Bakelite cabinet can do.
Hope that’s of interest.
It has those dreadful valveholders with a restaining spring on them which risks breaking the pip off the side of the valve when the valve is removed or replaced. I only made that mistake once when fitting a new UL41 valve into a DAC90A and popping the valve. It makes no sense in a domestic radio to have used such valveholders – I can only assume that radios made in the late ‘40s – early ‘50s used ex WD surplus valveholders designed for use in equipment in rugged terrain where there might be a risk – however small - of valves being shaken out of the holders. Just never going to happen in a domestic environment. I remove the springs before I attempt to remove the valves then discard the springs as they have no purpose in life other than to risk destroying valves.
Typical of sets of this era, though it’s an AC only set so could have been earthed, it has a flimsy two-core mains flex restrained only by having a knot tied in it. The neutral is switched rather than the live, and I think that was often done to prevent arcing of the mains switch if the live is switched. The live connection goes straight to the mains transformer tag. Very poor - this set was sold as a ‘transportable’ set with an in-built frame aerial, intended to be moved from room to room in an era when most households could only afford one set. Hence, each time the mains lead was unplugged it was disturbed, and constant twisting around of the flex could have put a strain on the soldered connection on the mains transformer, causing it to break free. I’ll fit a 3-core flex and cable restraint.
This set was originally released in May 1950 as the Melody Maker '501' in a wooden cabinet and cost £15 2s 9d + 33% Purchase Tax, making it just over £20 in all – well over two week's wages for a working man in 1950. Depending on which inflation index you use, that amounts to around £580 at today’s prices. Strewth! The Bakelite '500' came out in June 1950 priced at £12 19s 6d + PT making it about £17.6s 0d, equating to about £490 at today's prices - a worthwhile saving over the 'woodie', which indicates that Bakelite was used as a cheaper less labour intensive substitute for wood, though with the passage of time, has proved more durable, doesn't risk furniture beetle infestation or flaking lacquer - the twin scourges of wooden cabinets.
Historical Inflation Converter: http://safalra.com/other/historical-uk-i...onversion/
The set is typical or it’s era – ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ but as with so many sets of the post-war austerity years during which I grew up, (EG, 'D**9*A) I find it sombre, cheerless and bland. Such sets remind me too much of cod liver oil, Virol, MoF concentrated orange juice, dried egg powder, ration books and bombsites. But that’s just me I guess - a sign of my advancing years!. At least it has short wave, and uses a 6.3V 0.3A dial bulb. The ‘drop-through’ mains transformer looks robust and well made, but as with so many such sets, the layout is untidy and looks 'home-brew', rather than off a mass-production assembly line.
The speaker fabric, though intact, is shabby, so I'll try some dry-clean aerosol on that - I don't really want to remove it and soak it in 'Wizz Oxy' as it will no doubt shrink.
Despite these downbeat views, it should come up well when it's finished, and a quick rub of the Bakelite with Polish #5 shows that the cabinet will look as nice as any brown Bakelite cabinet can do.
Hope that’s of interest.
Regards, David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
. I don't think I've seen that done before, but then repairing / renovating domestic radios isn't one of my main lines of interest.
