This page has several battery operated sets

4-valve Philco Model awaiting restoration

The set uses American UX-based valves... I think it's a model "255". In the early 30's there was considerable opposition by British setmakers to foreign sets being sold in the UK and they used all sorts of ploys to make things difficult including banning sales of the American valves the sets needed as spare parts. Interestingly the example above in its valve line up has a British type sitting on top of an adaptor converting its base pins to fit the UX holder. Although the American manufacturer had added a Long Waveband, which wasn't used in the USA, he presumably hadn't checked on the British custom of dial marking. All the usual stations are marked on the dial but the user would have been confused as the dial shows "Kilocycles" rather than the customary "Metres". Bournemouth shown as "1500" and Droitwich as "200" must have caused some confusion.

Valve line up (of the original set) is: 1C6 Pentagrid frequency changer, 1A4E Pentode, 2102 Double diode Triode and a 2103 Push pull output stage

Hacker Sovereign II

Sad looking example which cost £1 at a car boot sale and in need of a miracle. It looks better in the photo than in real life! Restoration has started and after a wash and brush up is now looking rather good.

Hacker Autocrat mk2, RP73

This tidy little set was kindly donated by Paul Addison from Chichester when he visited my workshop to collect his Roberts 600 after a transistor transplant.

It tunes medium and long waves and I understand, like the rejuvenated Roberts, belonged to his grandfather

This model, the MKII from 1973, superseded the original Autocrat made in 1968.

Hacker Harrier, RP71

A nice little portable, like the Autocrat MKII, from 1973. VHF only and that a mere 88-100MHz

It cost me £3 and its in new condition.

Perdio "Town & Country"

This portable must be one of the least Vintage of my collection, dating from 1963

B & O TR1000/1401

According to the label, still attached, I bought this from the local Red Cross charity shop for £1.50. At first (and second) glance I'll need a circuit diagram to sort it out because the last owner tried unsuccessfully to get it working when it went wrong. I always knew B & O equipment was difficult to repair, probably that's why with TV sets they usually supplied the circuit diagram wedged in between the tube and the case.

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