Marconi 1936 prototype

[tubesrule]

What do you think of the story behind this set? Any truth to it or just hearsay?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Marconi-Prewar-...Sw6IJdllho

Darryl

[peter scott]

Scroll about half way down this page: http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk/Vintagetech.htm

Peter

[tubesrule]

Thanks Peter, it looks like it is a very interesting set. It would be nice if it could end up in a museum back in England.

[ppppenguin]

If it's a fake listing, it's nothing like the occasional ones we've seen in the UK. So first assumption is that it's genuine. It's likely that the vendor is a member of Videokarma, or at least well known to the likes of Steve McVoy.

[peter scott]

The seller clearly bought it from the late Dennis Yates.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr...96134.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1761741.stm

Peter

[ppppenguin]

We know about DY's criminal antics with engima, as told in those reports. How do we know that the present vendor bought the set from DY? It's quite plausible, since DY seemed to be able to find and sell all sorts of highly desirable vintage items.

[tubesrule]

Wow quite the history! I had no idea of any of the back story. It is interesting that the seller notes that he doesn't recall the name of who he bought it from, but I think Peter is on the right track. The seller states:

"I bought the set from the English gentleman (I can no longer remember his name) who was also an expert in WWII cypher encryption equipment"

I certainly didn't mean to open a can of worms here, just thought this was a very interesting set.

[peter scott]

Dennis advertised it on eBay in November 2005 with following description. I could find no evidence that it ever appeared at Radiolympia.

Peter

DO NOT BID, LISTING IS FOR INFORMATION GATHERING PURPOSES ONLY:

This recently acquired Marconi pre-war television was produced in 1937 as a prototype and exhibited at Radiolympia, London in 1937, unfortunately (or fortunately) it was not well received by the industry, possibly because of the small size of the tube which is 9 inch and therefore never put into production. Despite my best efforts I have been unable to find any reference to it in any publications of the period so am hoping that someone out there can help. After the exhibition it was kept by E.M.I. and spent some time in the office of the managing director before being acquired by one of the employees from whom it was purchased some 30 years ago, he used it for a short time before buying a larger set after the war, the tube has been run-up with mains eht and the scan coils connected from another set when it produced a a very bright picture suggesting it has had little use, the dimensions are 36 inches high by 24 inches wide and it differs from the more common model 702 which used a 12 inch tube in that the controls are mounted on the front of the set as opposed to being under the lid, there is also a push button to open the lid which also operates an on-off switch, there is no transfer on lid or evidence of one nor any identification plate mounted in the usual place, neither does the set have a back panel or any fittings for one which is not unusual considering it was a prototype. This must be the ultimate historic electronic pre-war television in existense but, if anyone knows different then I would be pleased to hear from them. Please note: Copyright exists on the images shown in this listing and they may not be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the copyright holder.

[peter scott]

I hadn't spotted the interesting scan coils before.



The top one in the photo is just the "push-about" coil. The orientation in the above and also in the assembled photo below is ambiguous. Which do you think it is? Line or Frame? Ignore the 903/704 picture.



Peter

[Geordie McBoyne]

I know this set and in fact I was after buying it sometime in the early 2000s. I lost out because somebody else paid more than I was willing to pay for it.

The ebay vendor wrote: " bought the set from the English gentleman (I can no longer remember his name) who was also an expert in WWII cypher encryption equipment. He boxed the set up in 2 wooden boxes: 1 for the set and one (at my insistence) for the picture tube"

The English Gentleman was most likely the late Denis Yates.

I don't know anything about the Marconi representative story but I do the name of who owned the set before Mr. Yates bought it.

I still have the ebay pictures.

Geordie McBoyne.