Three Valve Radio

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to design and build a three valve radio in the style of the 1930s. After a lot of thinking, experimenting, building it rough and finally re-building it neat, it was completed earlier today, and works a treat. The three valves are each between 80 and 90 years old! A lot of the components are modern ones made up to look like vintage types. Most of the circuit was done in shiny brass strips or brass rod, and a French-polished baseboard.

Was glad to complete it , as I was beginning to get a bit fed up of it!

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Well done, Bob……..I like it

I have built a few of the Tandy projects, many years ago……Including the Short Wave radio set and it worked well

We used to have a very famous valve shop in Central Manchester……..Mazell`s……..Know it?

They had valves in wheel barrow loads, outside their shop

I`ve never known what a valve actually did?

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks Bob,

I didn't know of the shop, but we had similar ones in Preston, and Liverpool. Also a whole two streets of them in London, Lisle Street and Little Newport Street. These three valves amplify. The first one amplifies the low level signals coming down the aerial. The 2nd one "detects" the radio frequencies to make them audible, and the third one is the power amplifier so it can drive a loudspeaker!

This circuit is my own design, dreamed up over the last few weeks!

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks Bob

I`ve just forwarded your posting to a pal of mine, who is also a Radio Enthusiast and designer

He may have something to add

Bob

[Kev.WParticipant @kev-w]

If you are interested in this sort of thing & are ever in the vicinity of the city of Lincoln, then

drop in at >**LINK**

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I have purchased items from Birketts byt mail order in the past. Would love to visit the shop, butv aftere a lifetime of travel, very rarely leave the city of Preston these days. Long ago, nearly every town in the UK had similar shops, but anything of a practical nature is in decline these days!

Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 07/06/2016 07:48:36

[Len Morris 2Participant @lenmorris2]

Hi Bob,

Well done. As ever the workmanship is done to perfection. What you do not tell is what the set looks like when its working and in a dark room! In the 60's when I was a young lad I was given a massive radio that didn't work. Had it in mi bedroom and tried every thing to fix it. Got nowhere just static, but, I was mesmorized by the glowing valves and the way they fluctuated. When the telly downstairs broke Dad called in a repair man and when he'd finished I asked him if he could look at mi radio. He was very kind and did so for nowt (I was only 10). It took him 5 minutes to chop out a load of (what I now know are) capacitors and it sprang to life! The case never went back on. I spent hours tuning into world stations and watching the 6 valves glow and fluctuate late into the night.

Just wouldn't happen today. A 10 year old lad messing with exposed 240 volts, HSE and SS would have a field day.

Your project and picture brought back a lot of pleasant memories.

Len

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Len,

Thanks for the interesting reply. I was always playing around with them when I was at school. The local radio repair shop would give me old radio sets for nothing, and eventually, I made one that worked, using parts salvaged from them. This one uses battery valves, and although they do light up (as all valves do) they are not very bright, and in darkness only a faint glow from the filaments may be seen. I followed a 31-year-career in marine radio, and still get the urge to design and build one from time to time, but only using valves – never did like transistors.
Bob

[Dodgy Geezer 1Participant @dodgygeezer1]

Here is an image (not mine!) of the kit I got when I was 12…

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

That appears to be a transistor set, but the strip wiring is a similar principle to what I used. My first radio kit was a one valve set on an aluminium chassis. But after that, I soon started making my own from bits & pieces obtained from old sets obtained from jumble sales or the local radio repair shop.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I have now made a U-Tube presentation of the build, taking it from the initial rough prototype, through all stages of construction, to the completed receiver.

**LINK**

Bob

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