Please help me buy a vintage valve radio

DomT

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Hello everyone
I want to buy a valve radio for the kitchen. I had one when in my early twenties and I want another but have no idea how to choose one. I guess the most important thing is condition as these will be from the 50s/60s? This sort of thing https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18588837...Uzuii-nRt6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

All ideas welcome including if anyone knows a reliable dealer for this sort of thing.

Lastly are these easy to fix if there is a problem?

Thanks
 

dave

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That is one of the better ones. Ideally should have with FM and a gram input. Stay away from AC/DC, live chassis, i.e. no U*8* valves imo. It is my subjective observation that a lot of vintage stuff do not have fuses. A common problem is leaking grid cap on output valve, can over current output tube and burn out transformers, and nothing to stop it with no fuse.
 
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val

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Val
Hello everyone
I want to buy a valve radio for the kitchen. I had one when in my early twenties and I want another but have no idea how to choose one. I guess the most important thing is condition as these will be from the 50s/60s? This sort of thing https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18588837...Uzuii-nRt6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

All ideas welcome including if anyone knows a reliable dealer for this sort of thing.

Lastly are these easy to fix if there is a problem?

Thanks
Big table top radios circa 1955-1965 are very difficult to post - its about 18-20 kg and glass scale can be broken during transit easily . My advice is to look at 1965 - 1966 end of german valve radios with more compact design , like Saba Lindau - had this one - very good
https://www.ebay.de/itm/33453554446...Xp3FBSOVaBDAFjUEp08AmB3Ccg|tkp:Bk9SR_St68SEYg
slim design and more than enough for kitchen . If you are in Portugal postage from Germany should be reasonable
 
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DomT

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Big table top radios circa 1955-1965 are very difficult to post - its about 18-20 kg and glass scale can be broken during transit easily . My advice is to look at 1965 - 1966 end of german valve radios with more compact design , like Saba Lindau - had this one - very good
https://www.ebay.de/itm/334535544464?hash=item4de3df4e90:g:tMoAAOSw2tRi~Z8y&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAA4BW+tmzjjTLGQoghTs8dhwC9CrKm/rkIDbcZYAAZSiI2xAAiDGQVL4nIMexvMvb9wPd8lrowJcH5lUBhRJFd3fAJ9Mg4/yFUoC1zASy0hyEzpnKp2Syb6EUwTLOJBO/WwoGjJR7Gn4tgF3CIWVfE3uEj00SLb2N+Sid+tQNLA5paAOHufaFoJv1WsC/VlTydw7WzIogRoesUMOW/TY/9pgPbrNSy+w5C4CDndffzbRx5D/SgGLe23GUBkF706e/BhK/sf+678ifUhLWl6bXp3FBSOVaBDAFjUEp08AmB3Ccg|tkp:Bk9SR_St68SEYg
slim design and more than enough for kitchen . If you are in Portugal postage from Germany should be reasonable
Am UK based now and ok to go on a day trip to collect. Was pondering this one for a while so size isn’t a problem. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19576428...Uzuii-nRt6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
 

Speedracer

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I used to collect valve radios until I moved here & no longer had room for them. I have sold some but still have some in various designs, although one or two of them probably need looking at to check they are still up to scratch.
Most of them are the American "Jetson" futuristic bakelite/plascon, but I have a couple of wooden ones, one that springs to mind is a Philips like this one. I can dig them out of the garage with pictures & more details if you wish?
 

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DomT

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I used to collect valve radios until I moved here & no longer had room for them. I have sold some but still have some in various designs, although one or two of them probably need looking at to check they are still up to scratch.
Most of them are the American "Jetson" futuristic bakelite/plascon, but I have a couple of wooden ones, one that springs to mind is a Philips like this one. I can dig them out of the garage with pictures & more details if you wish?
Wow Brook that’s kind of you. That Philips one actually looks really cool. Sounds like a good excuse for a South Coast visit!! Will PM you. Many thanks
 

Lurch

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Wow Brook that’s kind of you. That Philips one actually looks really cool. Sounds like a good excuse for a South Coast visit!! Will PM you. Many thanks
If your coming this way Dom, there's a shop in Arundel (with a small showroom very near me) that specialises in very old kit. He has a few valve radios in the local showroom window.
 
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bencat

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If you decide to venture to Manchester there is also an antique store in Liverpool city centre that always seems to have a few for sale . Would be happy to take you in .
 
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ChemMan

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All ideas welcome including if anyone knows a reliable dealer for this sort of thing.
Yes my friend, the dealer is you. Not kidding, I'm about to go down this road as well, but I want to build it myself. There are heaps of plans and kits out there and given the slightly less than scary currents a simple radio uses this is an opportunity of a lifetime. Rubber gloves are your friend.

Summer is coming which brings good light, @rabski can tell you which solder and iron to buy and there are some nice videos on Youtube of a very competent and nice looking lady electrician with a bunch of good tips on how to make electrical connections the proper way.

Although the above drivel sounds tongue and cheek, Richard Feynman, one of my scientific heros, was repairing the radios of his neighborhood brethren by the time he was about ten or so. How hard can it be for smart fellas like us?
 

DomT

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Yes my friend, the dealer is you. Not kidding, I'm about to go down this road as well, but I want to build it myself. There are heaps of plans and kits out there and given the slightly less than scary currents a simple radio uses this is an opportunity of a lifetime. Rubber gloves are your friend.

Summer is coming which brings good light, @rabski can tell you which solder and iron to buy and there are some nice videos on Youtube of a very competent and nice looking lady electrician with a bunch of good tips on how to make electrical connections the proper way.

Although the above drivel sounds tongue and cheek, Richard Feynman, one of my scientific heros, was repairing the radios of his neighborhood brethren by the time he was about ten or so. How hard can it be for smart fellas like us?
I am a competent cook and that’s about as dangerous as I want to be with electricity. But depending on what is involved it could be interesting. Maybe when I come and visit I can watch you trying not to blow yourself up? Or join in to ensure that we both get blown up?
 

ChemMan

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I am a competent cook and that’s about as dangerous as I want to be with electricity. But depending on what is involved it could be interesting. Maybe when I come and visit I can watch you trying not to blow yourself up? Or join in to ensure that we both get blown up?
Battery powered my man. Do some research and yes, let's make a couple of these side by side.
 
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