What's wrong with this Vidor!

[Pat Pending]

My good pal Don came round this afternoon to "lend" me some valves that I needed to complete the restoration of a set, and he spotted the Vidor Vanguard sitting on the bench, a remark he made had me a little perplexed, he held it up in front of me and announced that "it didn't leave the factory looking like that!" When pressed he just said "post a photo of the front of that set and see how good the forum jockeys are and ask them!" (Forgive him, he's a misanthrope).

Well that sounds like a challenge does it not.

Andy.

[pwdrive]

Colour?

Can't tell if the knob bright's missing.

Lawrence.

[Mike Watterson]

Did they do blue ones? Mine is Pinkish.
The bright looks flattened.
The knob looks wrong colour. It pulls out for "energy saver" mode. Affects DL96 I forget details.

These are VERY rare, only one of three Battery VHF valve models in UK (loads on the continent) and one of only two portables (the Sky Emperor is a Berec Commander, no LW).


Here is mine (it works well, using insides of 996 for LT in AD4 replica and 60 x AA cells in replica box).
   

AA are much better value for HT than PP3
   

It's also unusual as it's the only AM/FM valve portable with no frequency changer (such as DK96). Unusually the VHF Mixer Osc is LW/MW LO and the first FM IF is used as Pentode AM mixer, both DF97. As with ALL battery valve sets the DF97 VHF mixer osc is triodised  and the same circuit as the early German DC90 based models. I've verified that if you cut one earth link on DF97 base (an extra one, doesn't affect DF97 operation), the DC90 works and the DF97 works in a Philips designed for DC90. Also the IF amps are all DF97 unlike the continental sets that use DF96, though some use the AM DK96 as a 10.7MHz to 6.5MHz converter and thus lower FM IF.

It works very well.

Also unusual for a portable, is loop aerial disguised as piping instead of a telescopic rod (or pair as was common) for VHF.

I did have terrible trouble with wave change intermittent on LW.

[Pat Pending]

Colour?

Can't tell if the knob bright's missing.

Lawrence.

We have a winner! The knob insert is there but in poor condition, no it's the colour, Don assures me that Vidor never made a blue Vanguard, (though it doesn't look like its been recovered), anyway it was spotted in one post so he will have to eat his words about "forum jockeys".

The set had been extensively repaired in the early eighties (going by the date codes on the replacement tubular poly caps), I believe that an enthusiast may have restored this set once before, half it's lifetime ago, it now needs a new volume control, a clean up of the wave change switch, a new op valve, an alignment, and of course, a pair of repro batteries, maybe like the ones suggested by Mike....When I GRTI.
Andy.

[Mike Watterson]

What serial number? Mine is in the 5000s I think.
Actually 4 x Alkaline D cells in parallel may slightly beat the 4 x Zinc Carbon F cells, but the local bargain store sells 996 packs for 2 Euro. I just check they are all close to same voltage and not leaking before paralleling.
I can share images of the box covers to print.

[Pat Pending]

Will have to check on the serial numbers but I think its a later 58' (from a date code on the speaker). Thanks for the tip on the batteries, I can get Eveready branded 996 zinc chloride's that aren't to awful for a pound each from a work supplier, the same ones in a local shop he supplies sell for £4.99 ,markup or what? I'll look into the AA idea for the ht, I think I saw that on a post you did on the Radio TV forum?

Andy

[Kalee20]

I was going to say the colour, too! Mine is same as Mike Watterson's. It's in the pile to do...

[Paul_RK]

And mine is in the usual colour scheme too, but the patterning on that cloth looks exactly right to the extent that I think my guess would be it did for whatever reason leave the factory looking like that: if only as a variant that was under consideration but didn't reach production.

[Mike Watterson]

I saw an unusual Lady Margaret. It didn't look home made?

Either amazing restoration or a prototype (it has the CN429 label and chassis)
   

My own example, similar to what my mum bought new:
   

The "deluxe" is only slightly different panel and maybe slightly curved case.