DECCA
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DECCA |
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Decca Radio and Television, 1 - 3 Brixton Road, London SW9
Although the name Decca is older than radio and television industry,
it appears that prior to World War 2 they released their sets under their Brunswick
brand name. However they announced two models under their own name which appeared
at the 1939 Radiolympia - which closed early due to the outbreak of war.
Their first sets were aimed at the luxury end of the market where their main
competitor was RGD and perhaps HMV.
Amongst their first post-war sets was the "Beau Decca", which was
a mirror lid design. This style of set was mainly confined to pre-war designs,
where the length of the CRT's used necessitated their being mounted vertically.
By 1939 this style of set was very much in the minority, and post-war the only
two mirror lid sets produced were the Ekco TCS48 and the Decca "Beau Decca".
With the upper end of the TV market demanding larger and larger
screens, Decca entered the projection television market fairly quickly, producing
a number of models using both back projection (for example the model 121) and
remote screen projection (such as the model 1000).
Decca did not restrict themselves to the top end of the market and were equally
at home producing lower cost models. This is probably just as well as none of
the upmarket manufacturers made it through to the end of the 1950's. Whilst
Decca outlived many of it's rivals, it funally succumbed to the disease of the
British electronics industry, being taken over by Tatung in the 1980's (1984???)
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![Picture of model 46 [12K]](../../dbase/decca/46.jpg) |
| Model 38/1 | Model 39 | Model 46 |
| YEAR | MODEL | STYLE | CRT | VALVES | RF | NOTES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Late 1938? | 38/1 | C | 12" | 1ch | £63-0-0 | ||
| ~Aug1939 | 39 | C | 12" | 1ch S/Het | £40-19-0 | ||
| ~Aug1939 | 46 | C | 12" | 1ch S/Het | Incl. Radio | £48-6-0? |
| YEAR | MODEL | STYLE | CRT | VALVES | RF | NOTES | PRICE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | "Beau Decca" | C (Mirror) | 12" | 1ch S/Het |
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| 1949¹ | "Decola" | Projection |
1ch S/Het (L/B) |
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| 49/50 | "Knightsbridge"² | 12" | 1ch S/Het (L/B) |
Inc. radio |
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| 49/50 | "Kensington"² | 12" | Inc. radio |
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| Note 1 : | "The Decca Story", Chas Miller, Television Magazine, February 1983 quotes the later model 121 as Decca's first projection set. However the "Decola" is quoted in a contemporary guide to second hand TV prices. There is also an announcement of a Decca projection set in Wireless & Electrical Trader for 3rd September 1949. |
| Note 2 : | Name later reused on projection models. |
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| 'V' ("Dual unit"?) | 1000 | Decola Corner Unit | 121 | 131 |
| YEAR | MODEL | STYLE | CRT | VALVES | RF | NOTES | PRICE | |||
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| <=Aug50 | 101 | C | 12" Mazda CRM121 |
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| <=Aug50 | (Decola corner unit) |
? | (Projection) | A most unusual unit designed to fit behind a Decola radiogram when placed in the corner of a room. | ||||||
| Between Apr51 and Aug51³ |
121 | C+½D | 16" x 12" Projection |
28 | 1ch S/het London or B'ham |
AC. Used diff RF chassis for London. Cabinet available in walnut, bleached walnut , mahogany or bird's eye maple. |
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| <=Aug50 | 131 | C+½D | Projection 15½"x113/8" |
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| "Gainsborough" | Projection | Similar to 121 but with 3 band radio | ||||||||
| <=Aug50 | "Knightsbridge" | Projection | Optional radio for additional £60. |
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| "Kensington" | Projection | As Knightsbridge but with book shelves at either end of the cabinet. Optional 8-band radio inc FM (!) £61. |
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| 141 | Projection | Similar to 121 (could be one of the named models?) | ||||||||
| 1952 (Sep) | 111 | Console | 15" | 14 + 6 | 5ch s/het | AC Mains.Includes 6-valve radio and BSR record player. |
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| <=Apr52 | 300 | (C) | 16"x12" Projection |
27 + 4 (Radio) | Included 3-speed auto-radiogram. Bow-fronted cabinet. |
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| <=Apr52 | "Dual Unit" | 40"x30" Projection |
28 | May also have been simply referred to as the model 'V'. |
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| 1000 | 4ft x 3ft Projection |
28 | 1ch |
Wall suspension screen an additional £6-10-0. London version used a different RF chassis to those destined for other regions. | £158-10-0 (Tax?) |
Note 3 : First announced in Wireless & Electrical Trader, April 1951 but announced again in August 1951 ? However, some drawings in the service manual are dated as early as November 1949.
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| 222 | D17 | DM/17 | DM/14 | DM/C/D/17 |
| YEAR | MODEL | STYLE | CRT | VALVES | RF | NOTES | PRICE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <Sep53 | 222 | C | 17" | Included autogram. |
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| Oct53 | D17 | T | 17" MW43-64 |
14 | 5ch | ERT 25Dec54 |
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| Sep54 | DM/14 | T | 14" MW36-24 |
18 Mullard |
12ch |
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| DM/17 | T | 17" MW43-64 |
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| DM/C/17 | C |
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| DM/C/D/17 | C+D |
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| ? | 444 | Incl. radiogram ??? |
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| DM2/C | DM4 | DM45 | 555 |
| YEAR | MODEL | STYLE | CRT | VALVES | RF | NOTES | PRICE | |||
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| Dec55 | DM/C/D/18 | C | 17" MW43-64 |
18 | 13ch | Incl. F.M. Radio. Trader #1280 |
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| Jan56 | DM/C/D21 | C | 21" MW53-80 |
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| May56 | DM1 | T | 14" AW36-21 |
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| DM3 | T | 17" (70deg) MW43-69 |
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| DM4 |
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| DM4/C | T+legs |
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| DM5 | C |
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| ~1957 | 555 | Floor standing |
17" | Incorporates radiogram although the radio was limited to VHF broadcats. Shown at the Radio Show during september 1957. | ||||||
| ? | DM17? | |||||||||
| Feb57 | DM21C | T+legs | 21" Mullard MW53-80 |
18 | Included an F.M. radio |
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| Oct58 | DM4/C | 17" 90deg AW43-80 |
18 | An updated verion of the model originally released in May 1956. |
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| DM22/C | 21" |
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| Jun59 | DM35 | 17" | 18v Mullard |
(Following four sets covered by RR TV155 May60) |
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| Jun59 | DM45 | C'lette | 17" AW43-88 |
Inc. FM radio |
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| Aug/Nov59 | DM55 | 21" | Inc. FM radio |
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| Apr60 | DM56 | 21" | £82 19s (tax?) | |||||||
| ? | DR19/C | C'lette | 19" AW47/90 |
15 | 13ch |
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![Click for larger view [217K]](../../dbase/decca/ad/decca-38-1-ad.jpg) |
![Click for larger view [127K]](../../dbase/decca/ad/111.jpg) |
![Click for larger view [85K]](../../dbase/decca/ad/dm2c.jpg) |
| Model 38/1 Extract from brochure (Dec 1938) Link to larger view [217K] |
Model 111 Advert from November 1952. Link to larger view [127K] |
DM2/C Advert from June 1957. Link to larger view [85K] |
| Model(s) | File Size | Source |
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| 1000 | 1.4MB | Manufacturers |
| Decca Console (Model 100?) |
2.8MB | Manufacturers |
| Model 121 | 6MB | Manufacturers |
| Model 131 | 2.2MB | Manufacturers |
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| Page copyright © J.Evans 2005-2019 - Last updated 3rd May 2019 | ||