Choosing a Receiver

The following is a summary of then available television sets from the April 1951 edition of Practical Television magazine.

Click here for a summary and pictures of some of the sets.


"As many readers are interested in the main technical details of commercial receivers which are available, we published last year an abridged specification of the majority of models. This proved very popular, and in response to many requests we are again giving the same details, but in respect of this years models. The list is not complete, but is of those manufacturers who have supplied such details up to the time of going to press.

In the table the second column indicates the maker's model number; the third indicates whether the model is a Console or Table set; the next column indicates whether the set is designed for AC or DC or AC/DC operation; the next column gives the tube size; the next number of valves; next the type of time-base oscillator - i.e. Thyratron or Hard valve; the type of focussing is indicated by the next column, EM denoting an electromagnetic focusing coil and PM a permanent magnet; next is the total EHT applied to the tube, followed by the method of obtaining this voltage. FB indicates the use of a fly-back voltage generator, M that the EHT is derived from the normal 50 cycle mains supply and RF that the voltage is generated in a special RF oscillator circuit. Finally the last two columns show the rated sound output and the price. It should be remembered that some of the receivers incorporate normal broadcast tuning in addition to the television circuits."

Manu. Model Case Mains Tube (ins) Valves Timebase Focus EHT Sound (W) Price
(Ex. Tax)
Notes
kV Type
Alba Radio TV372 T AC/DC 12 15 HV PM 8.5 FB 1.8 £52 10s 0d  
TV472 C AC/DC 12 15 HV PM 8.5 FB 1.8 £60 18s 0d  
Ambassador Radio TV1 C AC 12 18 T EM 6 RF 4 £85 19s 0d  
TV2 C&T AC 12 15 H EM 7 FB 4 £16 19s 8d (C)
£49 0s 3d (T)
 
TV4 C&T AC 12 16 T&H EM 9.5 FB 4 £63 16s 11d (C)
£52 7s 9d (T)
 
TV5 C AC 15 16 T&H EM 11 FB 4 £94 2s 8d  
Beethoven TV50 C AC 12 19 T PM 6.5 RF 4.5 62gns  
Bush TV22 T AC/DC 9 15 *H PM 8.0 FB 1 £36 0s 2d  
TV24 T AC/DC 12 19 *H PM 8.0 FB 1 £46 6s 0d  
TUG24 C AC/DC 12 15 *H PM 8.5 FB 1 £62 11s 0d  
TRG24 C AC/DC 12 15+4 *H PM 8.5 FB 1 £119 11s 0d Includes 4-valve
radiogram
Champion 729 C AC 12 14 H PM 6.0 FB 2 £80 0s 0d  
764 C AC 12 14 H PM 6.0 FB 2 £147 0s 0d Plus radiogram
E.K.Cole T141 T AC 12 17 +T&H PM 7.0 FB 1.5 £47 0s 11d  
TU142 T AC/DC 12 16 H PM 8.0 FB 1.5 £47 0s 11d  
TC138 C AC 12 17 +T&H PM 7.0 FB 1.5 £53 0s 8d  
TRC139 C AC 12 17 +T&H PM 7.0 FB 1.5 £61 11s 9d  
TC140 C AC 12 16 +T&H PM 8.0 FB 1.5 £68 8s 8d  
TSC113 C AC 15 19 H PM 12 M 1.5 £124 0s 8d  
Cossor 916 T AC 10 17 H PM+EM 7.0 FB 2 £42 0s 3d  
917 C AC 10 17 H PM+EM 7.0 FB 2 £51 8s 11d  
918 C AC 10 20 H PM+EM 7.0 FB 2 £58 6s 1d  
919 C AC 12 17 H PM+EM 8.0 FB 2 £58 6s 1d  
920 C AC 12 20 H PM+EM 8.0 FB 2 £66 17s 6d  
English Electric 1550M C AC 16 24 HV EM 9.0 RF 3 £94 10s 0d  
Etronic ECV1523/- C AC 10 15 H PM 7.0 FB 1.5 £48 6s 0d  
ECV1527/- C AC 12 15 H PM 7.5 FB 1.5 £61 14s 8d  
ECS2231/- C AC 2.5 ! 21 H EM 25 FB 2 £120 0s 10d Projection
HMV 1807A T AC/DC 10 14 H PM 5.5 FB 1 £41 1s 2d  
1808 C AC/DC 10 15 H PM 5.5 FB 1 £49 12s 3d  
1806 C AC 15 19 H EM 7.0 M 5 £128 6s 2d  
1851 C AC 15 22 H EM 7.0 M 5 £156 10s 9d Incl. Radio
Invicta T105 T AC/DC 9 18 H PM 6.0 FB 2 £45 3s 0d  
T108 T AC/DC 12 15 H PM 6.0 FB 1 £43 11s 0d  
T110 C AC/DC 12 15 H PM 6.0 FB 1 £60 0s 5d  
McMichael 512 C AC 12 13 H PM 6.5 FB 4 £67 14s 9d  
512R C AC 12 14 H PM 6.5 FB 1 £75 9s 1d  
TM51 T AC 12 14 H PM 6.5 FB 1 "Price not yet fixed"
Marconiphone VT53DA T AC/DC 10 14 H PM 5.5 FB 1 £39 2s 0d (London set)
VC53DA C AC/DC 10 14 H PM 5.5 FB 1 £48 17s 7d (London set)
VT55A T AC 12 14 H PM 7.0 FB 3 £54 19s 10d (London set)
VC55A C AC 12 14 H PM 7.0 FB 3 £65 3s 5d (London set)
VRC54DA C AC/DC 10 19 H PM 5.5 FB 1/R4 £57 16s 10d (London set)
Incl. Radio
Masteradio T612 C AC 12 17 H EM 6.0 FB 4 £64 14s 6d  
T852 T AC 12 15 H PM 6.0 FB 4 £51 15s 7d  
PT50 C AC 2.5 18 H PM 25 RF 4 £142 7s 11d Projection
Murphy V150 T AC 12 15 H PM 5.8 FB - £43 15s 8d  
VU150 T AC/DC 12 15 H PM 5.8 FB - £45 0s 0d  
V176C C AC 15 20 T PM+EM 12.0 M - £120 0s 0d  
V178C C AC 12 18 T PM+EM 9.5 FB - £84 0s 0d  
V180C C AC 12 17 T PM+EM 8.0 FB - £60 16s 3d  
Mullard MTS501 C AC/DC 12 19 H EM 9 FB 2 £65 3s 3d  
MTS684 T AC/DC 9 19 H EM 9.0 FB 2 £42 17s 5d  
Philips 1502U T AC/DC 12 19 H EM 7.0 FB 2 -  
600A T AC 17 (2.5) 25 H EM 25 S 2 - Projection
704A C AC 23 (2.5) 25 H EM 25 S 2 - Projection
1800A C AC 17 (2.5) 25 H EM 25 S 2 - Projection
Pilot TM54 T AC 12 14 H PM 7.5 FB 4 £50 11s 8d 5 channel tuner
RGD 1700 C AC 12 17 T PM 7.0 FB 3.5 £89 5s 0d  
2351T C AC 12 23 T PM 7.0 RF 3.5 £136 10s 0d Birmingham & Holme Moss
L2351T C AC 12 21 T PM 7.0 RF 3.5 £136 10s 0d London
Regentone T15 C AC 12 14 H PM 7.0 FB 3 £59 3s 1d  
BIG12 T AC 12 14 H PM 7.0 FB 3 £54 0s3d  
Thorn
(" Ferguson")
908T T AC/DC 12 14 M M 9.5 LOT 1.5 £43 14s 7d  

So, which set would you have bought ?

Click here for more about the TV22 By far the cheapest little set is the Bush TV22 for only £36, a set that today commands a significant premium as a highly saught after piece of bakelite. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight this would have been the one I'd choose but maybe not at the time.
RDG 2351T [6K] The most popular sets were still the console sets.

The RGD 2351T, illustrated opposite, would have probably tempted me. Manufacturers had started to try and simplify both the operation and appearence of their sets and RGD clearly succeeded with this well proportioned and uncluttered design. Though, technically, the thyratron timebase and RF generated E.H.T. were a little dated.

But at £136 ... four times the cost of the Bush TV22 ... I guess it would have to be the set I'd have bought if (when?) I won the football pools.

HMV seem to be the duffers of the group with either weenie little 5.5kV E.H.T.'s or dangerous mains derived E.H.T.'s. According to the great book "Historic Televisions and Video Recorders" the HMV 4811 was basically the 1806 model (listed above for £128) made for the Birmingham area. Overpriced or what ?

It is difficult to understand the cost of sets in the original survey only based on the technical specifications, so I'll finish with a gallery of some of the "also rans".

Marconiphone VT53 [7K]
Marconiphone
VT53/VT73/VT83
McMichael 512 [6K]
McMichael
Model 512
Philips 600A [5K]
Philips
Model 600A

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J.Evans 2003
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Last updated
11th January 2003