|
Gizmos by Category Geiger Counters & Atomic Stuff
|
|
Dusty Navigation
More Gizmos A - Z Philatector Watermark Detector Philips LFH0084 Dictating Tape Sinclair Micromatic Kit (Unbuilt) Sony Mavica FD7 Digital Camera |
`
|
All information on this web site is provided as is without warranty of any kind. Neither dustygizmos.com nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for any loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from your choosing to use any of the information contained herein. Copyright (c) 2006 - 2022 dustygizmos.com |
You really are showing your age if the words Radio Rentals
means anything to you. For the benefit those under fifty, it was once a well
respected household name and for more than 60 years the company played a
leading role in supplying the British public with affordable home entertainment
products. More about the glory days shortly.
This striking Medium Wave radio actually dates from the late
seventies or early eighties; it was probably a promotional item, and for a
novelty radio, quite well made. It resembles the classic ‘cathedral’ style
valve wirelesses, popular between the 1930s and 50s. The originals were
typically housed in wooden or Bakelite cases and stood 50cm or more high. This
one is a little smaller, roughly one-third scale at 16cm tall but it’s quite
convincing and probably fooled a fair few people into thinking it was proper
old-tyme vintage radio. Ironically, even for the seventies or eighties it is
quite old fashioned. Inside the plastic case there’s a basic Hong Kong made
6-transistor superhet receiver. The only things setting it apart from the
multitude of cheap ‘trannies’ of that period is a large 90mm speaker and faux
rotary tuner display on the front. Thanks to that larger than average speaker
it doesn’t sound half bad, compared with the usually tinny noises coming out of
most other small radios. Normally that might even make it useable as a tabletop
radio. Unfortunately there are only few stations left on the medium wave band
and the tuner has serious sensitivity issues. Unless you can actually see your
local AM transmitter mast it is unlikely you’ll ever hear anything worth
listening to…
Vintage transistor radios from the late 50s to the early 80s, with
a decent chance of working, have become a rare sight at the car boot sales and
antique fairs I frequent, which is why this one caught my eye. After a brief
haggle the stallholder agreed to part with it for £4.00, a sum I was happy to
pay as for once it came with a battery and was demonstrably in good working
order, very tidy on the outside and no corrosion in the battery compartment.
Several decades of dust were easily removed with a light brushing inside the
case and a wipe over with Mr Sheen was all that was needed to have it looking
almost like new. It had obviously been well cared for and probably spent most
of the last 40 or so years in the back of a drawer, in its original plain
cardboard box.