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DIY Kit
(Premier Radio Company)

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Front View [13K]

  • 12 Valves with metal rectifier
  • Timebases based on gas filled tubes (6K25's).
  • No flywheel sych !
  • No A.G.C. !
  • TRF Band 1 front end.
NOTES Its difficult to imagine, but your average DIY chappie would have a go at building such a monster.

Apparently built for reception of the "new" Sutton Coldfield transmitter. The guy that built it kept all the original documentation / plans, which make a fascinating read.

Only the absence of a company name plus the comparative simplicity of the circuitry give away the home-built nature of the set. The standard of construction plus the console cabinet all look very proffesional.

Alternative table-top version [7K]In the console set two chassis are used place one above the other. However they could also be built side-by-side for use in a table-top set such as the example shown opposite.

Major manufacturers of the period would have wired the valve heaters all in series and slapped the whole lot directly across the mains (give or take an extra resistor/thermistor). However in this set there is a seperate mains transformer for the all-in-parallel valve heaters. This is great, since you can then just plug in only the valves for a specific section of circuitry and test that section in isolation.

However, in this safety conscious era, I wonder what trading standards would make of such a kit ! Want to adjust the linearity ? Lean your head in front of the screen, and wave your hand around in the back (the linearity control is just to the side of the display tube connector, just a stones throw from the EHT supply)(!).

Here are a couple of couple of adverts from the March 1952 edition of Practical Television magazine for parts for this kit, one for Lasky's Radio [50K] and one for Smiths of Edgware Road [17K] (London).
SERVICE DATA What made this set worth buying was it came with all the original build instructions, right down to the component price list.
CURRENT STATE Very slight damage to the veneer but generally fine. One of the 6K25's was missing (since replaced) and very slight rusting to part of the chassis but generally good.
WHERE FOUND From a chap in Sutton Coldfield for £30. It was kept under the staircase and I get the impression that his missus was glad to see the back of it !
(Manual cover 60K)
Chassis Illustration
(Cabinet kit label 65K)
Instruction Cover
(Sample manual page 75K)
Manual Page

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Last updated
15th December 2003