A day out at the National Vintage Communications Fair, Sunday 15th, May. 2016

[@MsBadders]

Wow that was a very nice video. Very interesting. Thank you Phil

[@tectalabyss]

Thank you Phil. I loved all the great old Radios and TV's At the meet. I am looking forward to your next video. All my best. Bobby

[@steelcity321pb6]

Bobby, Thank you my friend. I'm happy you found this video interesting. Until next time, all the best. Phil.

[@joernone]

Phil, Thank you, my friend. How cool it was to see our American antique electronics counterparts/brethren on the far side of the pond. Great stuff. But I've not yet seen playing vintage TVs at any of the shows or swap meets I've attended. For me, that was a sight to behold. Wish I had been there with you, old bean. But I must ask that you be a wee bit more careful when away from home, my friend, as the drivers you encountered on the highway must have been returning from the local pubs. They were all driving on the wrong side of the road. Regards, John

[@steelcity321pb6]

John, I too wish you had been here at the NVCF. I’m quite sure, after seeing the BVWS 40th anniversary display, we would not have gotten beyond the first stall as thee ‘n’ me would have been in deep conversation for at least two hours (not that there is anything wrong with that as I am a very ‘chatty’ sort of person LOL). Quite likely we would have talked ourselves so dry, we would have had to go over to the canteen for a mug of tea each, a plate full of biscuits, and chatted some more for a further hour LOL. Joking aside, I’m convinced you would have greatly enjoyed every minute of being there. This video could almost have been twice the length had I not kept getting ‘Error 0x80004003’ whilst processing all I had filmed, whilst at the fair, ready for producing a Y T video. I went on line to find solutions to the problem but, having read most of the ‘blurb’, I went away none the wiser, consequently I had no alternative but to curtail the length of this video. There were lots of foreign valve radios on sale (mostly from Europe - I narrowly missed out on buying a fully restored H-129 ‘volks’ Deutscher Kleinempfanger); and there were the usual numbers of American, Canadian, and British types also …also the usual brands of am-radio-cum-communications receivers, such as Hammerlund, Drake, Halicrafters, Lafayette, Eddystone were present, at various prices …all of these were omitted from this video. There were also a number of Europeans (largely German, French, Italian, and Dutch), a small number of Japanese, and I am no longer amazed at the number of Americans who attend the fair. There were so many there, I did not get chance to say at least ‘hello’ to them all. They came from far and wide: such as Chicago, Memphis, Illinoi, Pittsburgh, Kalamazoo (Michigan), St Pauls (Minnesota), Main, South Dakota, a man and his wife from Nebraska (I definitely would not take my wife to any radio related event LOL) - one chap, and his son, came all the way from Pine Bluff (Arkansas) - both men were also here visiting relatives down in Coventry. Sadly, as people grow older, and some depart this life, the numbers, attending the fair, reduce a little each year. Goodness! Here’s me rabbiting on as usual. When I return home from work (just after half-past midnight), I’ll look at your video, go to bed, and post a response in the morning. Toodle-pip dear chap, Phil.

[@allthegearnoidea6752]

I really used to enjoy these and looking forward to lock down ending so we can get to the radio rallies again. A grand day out ! Nice buy on the Philco

[@helioshaul3924]

Thank Phil. wonderful stuff.

[@steelcity321pb6]

You're certainly right: it is 'wonderful stuff'. I often wonder where it all comes from as most of that radio stuff has been out of production for many decades. Regards, Phil.

[@Radiowild]

Thank you for your wonderful video. It's nice to see what's selling across the pond! RW

[@steelcity321pb6]

Your'e welcome my friend, and thank you for your interest. Phil.

[@stephenmoore2754]

Well done Phil. It looks like you had a tremendous time at the show. I wonder if I could navigate your roads on "MY" wrong side :). I saw a mini on my travels yesterday with a right hand steering wheel. I would think that that would take some getting used to. You grabbed some nice radios at the show. I am hoping to see some of your fine restoration skills on those. Finally, it would appear that things are the same the world over. We scour the countryside for treasures, only to have to sneak them past a spouse who would accuse us of buying junk. . . . HA! Thanks for the video and good luck!

[@steelcity321pb6]

Stephen, how are ya ol' son? Driving on the opposite side of the road somewhat adds to the quaintness of Britain LOL. There were a number of American brand radios of Canadian manufacture,: they looked very good. A french stall holder at our NVCF had two large wooden case radios baring the Pye brand on sale that had been manufactured in Canada ...I never knew British brand radios were made in Canada. It sure was a grand day out at the NVCF, and I'm very pleased with the radios, tools, valves, and sundry components I bought. As for sneaking my purchases past my wife, she is quite tolerant of my hoby. Provided I don't bring my electronics into our house - so my wife does not see any old radios, valves, test equipment etc - in other words, 'it is all restricted to my workshop', I will pretty-much have a free hand to restore old radios in peace. If all goes to plan, I should have a radio restoration video series starting towards the end of next month - so stand-by to stand-by my friend. 73s de Phil.

[@umajunkcollector]

Greetings Phil, very nice history tour. I enjoy Euro radios. I've had a few German rigs, and had a Barlow Watley about 25 years ago, haven't seen one since. Euro electronics are scarce in the USA rummage sales. I'd like a 50+ year old Polish rig, from the "iron curtain" era. Don.

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Phil - I got disoriented watching you guys travel down the road. LOL There were some amazing items there you shared. I hope you have a hidden entrance to your work area or have your friend on standby to do this sneaky deed for you while you take your wife out to a lovely dinner. Good luck, I always get caught or slip up and tell on myself. Thanks again for sharing and I look forward to watching your next video. Best, Don

[@steelcity321pb6]

Don, Strange you should mention a hidden entrance to my workshop: I once left the workshop window unlocked before setting off to a Vintage Radio swap-meet. When I retrurned home that evening I was shocked to find the window locked. Not only that, my wife was stood some distance behind me, and watched as I tried opening the window. As you can imagine, I almost jumped out of my skin when I turned round and saw her. "Would you like me to give a hand to sneak all the man-toys, you've bought, into your play-room [as she calls it]," said she. Defeatedly, I nodded in approval. A very astute, and observant, woman is my wife. She often tells me she sees me, among other things, as an open book ...she then goes on to tell me that is one of the reasons why she loves me so much LOL. I feel happy you enjoyed watching my latest video my friend ...and yes, there were a lot of lovely things at the Vintage Radio fair - I'm sure you would have loved being there too. Regards, Phil.

[@atco21117]

Hi ya Phil, good to see ya buddy! Quite a show, I would have loved to be there! Thanks for sharing. See ya -- Atco

[@steelcity321pb6]

Atco, how ya doing dear chap? I sure would have loved you being at the fair too: we would have been like kiddies in a sweet shop LOL. ...on second thoughts, I also see you as being very astute when choosing items of interest. Virtually all the lovely things inside your game room substantiate that fact. Very glad you liked my video: thank you. Regards, Phil.

[@johnschroeder6288]

Thanks for showing me what is old in Great Britain.

[@steelcity321pb6]

You're most welcome my friend: lovely you came on board. Regards, Phil.

[@timothynorris4288]

Phil Some good bargains there , I enjoy your restoration videos hope your going to do some more. That's if you got them past the wife !Regards, Tim, from over the border in Lancashire.

[@steelcity321pb6]

Yes, I agree with you Tim, I did manage to pick up a few bargains - only because I stood my ground and refused to pay over inflated prices for items I like. I'm rapidly developing an opinion that many antiques, and collectables, vendors have been watching too many television antiques programmes. Something like that must have distorted how they view price and value. Radio restoration videoes are to hopefully resume in a month's time. Regards, Phil

[@Rebel9668]

WellPhil, you certainly have gotten me back, LOL. From my perspective Sean was where the driver's seat should be and watching you go the wrong way down the on ramp for the freeway made me cringe! Certainly looked like a beautiful day for your trip. My Grandparents had a tv set that looked very similar to the one in the center row on the far right at the 3:48 mark, but that was long before my time. They got electricity in I'm guessing about 1954. Many rural areas in the South were just getting electric for the first time back then and theirs came from the old Franklin D. Roosevelt depression era program called the TVA for Tennessee Valley Authority. They were the first ones for miles around to own a television set and Mom tells me folks would come from all around to watch it. LOVE that console you called the Roger's Majestic, absolutely stunning. Those catalin radios look like FADA's. My Grandparents had a FADA radio, but it wasn't the catalin type, it was bakelite painted white and was a model 790. I used to listen to it often as a child. I think I saw your Philips radio on display there...the one you said would be difficult to find the pentode for. Lot of very colourful phones there. When I was a child we only had them in black. Some folks paid a premium and had them in colours like avocado or harvest gold. I want one of those horned victolas! As expensive as an original one is around here though I'll probably end up buying one of those replica "crapophones" made in India though, lol. That red & black heater you mentioned looks sort of like half of a hassock fan my Grandmother had. Was a very interesting trip. I wish they had something like that close around here sometime. John from Arkansas went to a radio fest over in Ohio last week that I wanted to attend as well, and I would have if it hadn't been for the truck's transmission and Mom's Doctor's appointments draining my discretionary funds, lol. But even that one would have been a 5 hour drive from here. Perhaps I'll get lucky and discover one going on in Louisville some day. Take care, Gary

[@steelcity321pb6]

Gary, great to hear from you. How are y’ doing my friend? I would have loved it if you, and the rest of the American Vintage Radio men, could have also been at the National Vintage Communications Fair …sadly, it would certainly have been much more than a five hour journey. It was a four and a half hour round trip from South Yorkshire to Warwickshire, and back to South Yorkshire. Our day out to the NVCF was excitingly busy but I bought a few radios, tools, and sundry components. The all-purpose fire extinguisher was a brilliant buy for a pound. It has never been used, and the date stamped on it is Dec 2003. When I worked in audio and television servicing, there were identical fire extinguishers fixed to the side of every bench (all twelve of them) inside the brown goods service department. The one I bought at the fair will be fixed to the wall that runs by the side of my bench inside my workshop …not that I’m expecting to blow something up LOL. Yes, you did see my Philips 340, along with another Philips radio I have owned for almost forty-five years - model 930A, in the BVWS 40th anniversary display. There were a fair number of other radios in that display I too have in my personal collection… Ekco, model RS2 www.radiomuseum.org/r/ekco_rs_2_rs2.html Ekco, model AC85 www.radiomuseum.org/r/ekco_ac85_ac_85.html Ekco, model A22 www.radio-workshop.co.uk/round-ekco.shtml …as you may gather, the Ekco brand among British Vintage Radio collectors is equivalent to what the Philco brand is among American Antique Radio collectors. Sometime later this summer, I hope to get at least one of the above Ekco radios repaired/restored on YT video. As you saw in this video, I treated myself to another American radio - a Sylvania clock radio. Although I will get both the clock, and radio working, the clock will never keep good time here in the UK: it will lose time. The reason: here in the UK, mains cycle is 50cps, whereas American mains cycle is 60cps. The clock gearing arrangement is specifically for 60cps operation. There are ways of overcoming the cycles difference. An adjustable multi-vibrator consisting of two power BJTs, or better still, two power JFETs, and perhaps a 555 timer IC. Here I’m thinking of any type of DC to AC inverter circuit that will deliver 117volts AC @ 60cps energised via a UK mains energised low voltage stabilised DC power supply. I remember the old Pye radio that was inside my parent’s car (1954 Ford ‘popular’ 103E) - when I was well under ten years old. When it was switched on, if one listened carefully, it emitted a low humming sound (not via its speaker). Its DC to AC converter circuitry incorporated a plug-in ‘vibrator pack’ - a mechanical version of the circuitry I have in mind - mentioned above. Those old ‘vibrator packs’, which looked very similar to large electrolytic capacitors, were none adjustable. Their operation was opening and shutting relay type contacts anywhere between 40 to 70 times per second, thus chopping 12 volts DC from the car battery (chopped DC - not AC) so it would inductively pass through a step-up transformer to power the valves inside the car radio. In its day, it was cutting-edge technology LOL. Talking of electricity, I too remember some of the very old dwelling here in this large city of mine not having running water (toilets were ‘earth privies’) - it was obtained from a well, and also not having electricity …they were connected to the city gas supply - mainly for lighting (down stairs only). I remember an old chap living in an old cottage - dated, according to its date stone, AD1726 - who had an old valve radio that was powered by wet accumulators. Since his cottage was not connected to an electricity mains supply, every other day he wheeled his accumulator jars to the local auto repair/sales centre, in an old baby’s pram, to get them re-charged. Talking of televisions, even as late as the very early 1960s, not long after I started going to school, I remember out of a class of what could have been twenty-five kiddies, there were only me, and one other kiddie - a girl - whose parents owned a television. Most of the kiddies in our district came to my house to see television (our Pye, model VT4 www.radiomuseum.org/r/pye_vt4vt.html - it was a month older than me LOL). It was either that, or standing outside a television sales shop on the pavement looking through the shop window at the working televisions on display - no sound, just vision LOL. …yes, and our telephone, certainly up to the late 1960s was a no-frills, black Bakelite, and silver chrome plated finger-dial, type LOL. As for those old dwellings, I mentioned above, not being connected to mains electricity, or a running water supply …connection to both those services was accomplished during 1965 to 1966. Though we live in different countries, thousands of miles apart, I’m sure you will agree with me when I say there are many close similarities between the USA, and the UK. Until next time my friend, 73s Phil.

[@Rebel9668]

That Ecko AC85 looks neat, sort of like a wooden version of a hallicrafters. I've seen the round radios before though I can't remember whose video it was on. It was an Englishman's video who also has a machine that cuts the grooves into 78 records. We still have a few outhouses around here. Some vintage, some new although the new ones are all on Amish owned properties. I remember my Grandmother telling me about their old DC radio from before they had electric, she said when the battery got weak they'd set it in front of the fireplace until it was hot and it would work for a while longer that way. Many families in that area back home still have well water as the utility has never run water pipes out to there as yet. I have relatives in Kentucky on well water also, but they shower and wash clothes, hands etc. in a separate building from the house because the water has a high concentration of Sulphur in it and it has that "rotten egg" smell to it, though the well water back home in Tennessee tastes absolutely wonderful. Mom told me that they got indoor plumbing in the early 60's and they heated with two fireplaces up until the year before I was born when they bought a wood stove. Years later in about 1995 they finally got a gas heating stove and a wall mount gas heater as well. I grew up with wood heat as well. We had a wood stove for heat and I've cut and split many a cord of wood in my time but for the last 20years or so I've had either electric or gas heat or a combination of both. There's nothing like wanting heat and only having to turn up the thermostat to get it, lol. Take care, Gary

[@LittleDuckAlex]

Wish I'd known about this fair, looks like it was pretty good. I wondered if I'd recognise where you were driving in Sheffield at the start. Not Sheffield, but as you were going around the roundabout at about 0:50, you actually drove only a few hundred meters from where I'm sat right now at work (on my lunch break of course).

[@steelcity321pb6]

Alex, I've a shrewd idea you would have loved ambling round the NVCF. Even if one did not buy anything, it could be regarded as a huge radio, audio, and television museum. There was much to see, and lots of people to chat to - some knowledgeable, and some less so. The location, at 50 seconds into my video, is one part of Sheffield I'm none too familiar with. All I know, it is not too far from Todwick, and not far from Oldcotes, near to where my friend lives. Throughout each year, the BVWS organise radio swap-meet events around the country - the NVCF being the largest, and I'd say the best ...and it is always held in May. All you need do, if you are interested, is go onto the BVWS website for details. If you decide to go to the NVCF, it will be good to see you, and have a chat. Regards, Phil.

[@tommybewick]

I'm still a fan of those round Ekco's, I will probably never own one becaue they are very collectable and not cheap, and I couldn't easily power it in the US on our 125v HT, but I always like to see them. Nice tour Phil, incidentally I subscribe to Ray at the Radio Workshop from Sussux who is a long time radio repairman like yourself, do you know him?

[@steelcity321pb6]

Tom, so great you dropped by, The round Ekco radios certainly have appeal among radio collectors. Their circuitries were nothing out of the ordinary (…over the years, I’ve repaired all five of the round Ekco types: see Ray Heffer’s photographs www.radio-workshop.co.uk/round-ekco.shtml). I now only own one of that range: an A22 …some say the most reliable one of the bunch LOL. I’m reliably informed by at least four fellow Vintage Radio men, I’ve met, and held conversation, with Mr Ray Heffer - and on more than one occasion - but I can’t for the life of me remember meeting the chap. I meet, and chat, with such a lot of people, especially Vintage Radio, and am-radio, chaps I genuinely find it difficult to remember them all LOL. Nonetheless, like you, I too am one of Ray's YT subscribers. Regards, Phil.

[@joseorlandolopes4861]

tem que ter estes eventos no brasil pois o mesmo possui varios aficionados sera bom para trocas de ideias e peças

[@steelcity321pb6]

I presume you mean: Have to have these events in Brazil because it has several amateurs will be good for exchanges of ideas and pieces I agree with you. These events are both good fun and very informative. Phil.

[@umajunkcollector]

Q: Are American rigs made for Euro standards? That MADE IN THE USA clock radio, was it modded for the UK? Will it keep proper time?

[@steelcity321pb6]

Don, If your question relates to mains power, the answer is yes provided there is provision for the equipment to be powered either by direct switching from 120volts to 240volts, or via switch mode power supplies that can provide full working internal DC regulated voltages on as little as 75volts AC input, and retain those steady internal DC regulated voltages through to 260/270volts mains input. On the other hand, if your question related to the HF portion of the radio spectrum, there is a total of nine different bands that are allocated to ham radio around the globe. These bands are generally the same world-wide although there are some variations dependent upon the country or region dependent upon the actual amateur radio band in question. A summary of the different bands is given below. Left line down)Amateur Radio Band Centre line down) UK Allocation (metres) Right line down) USA Allocation (MHz) MHz 160 1.810 - 2.000 1.800 - 2.000 80 3.500 - 3.800 3.500 - 4.000 40 7.000 - 7.200 7.000 - 7.300 30 10.100 - 10.150 10.100 - 10.150 20 14.100 - 14.350 14.100 - 14.350 17 18.068 -18.168 18.068 -18.168 15 21.000 - 21.450 21.000 - 21.450 12 24.890 - 24.990 24.890 - 24.990 10 28.000 - 29.700 28.000 - 29.700 Cheers dear chap, Phil.

[@steelcity321pb6]

Don, The 1953 Sylvania clock radio will never accurately record the actual time here in England. It will run slow due our mains frequency being 50hz, whereas America, where the clock radio was manufactured to operate, operates its mains frequency on 60Hz. I love virtually all things American, which includes Vintage Valve Radios ...one reason why I collect them. Cheers my friend, Phil.

[@umajunkcollector]

That's what I thought, 50, not 60. Oh well, I have a couple old clocks with bad motors, but keep um cuz I like them, who cares what time it is, that is unless I hear the chow bell, then wifie is my alarm clock. Clocks are for schedules, to see how late folks are, LOL. Don