decca-38-1.png
Previous : Cossor

DECCA

Next : Defiant

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???)

1939

Picture of model 46 [12K]
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?

 

1946 - 1949

YEAR MODEL STYLE CRT VALVES RF NOTES PRICE
1948 "Beau Decca" C (Mirror) 12"   1ch
S/Het
 
£193-0-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
1949¹ "Decola"   Projection   1ch
S/Het
(L/B)
 
£325-0-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
49/50 "Knightsbridge"²   12"   1ch
S/Het
(L/B)
Inc. radio
£573-15-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
49/50 "Kensington"²   12"     Inc. radio
£616-11-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
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.

1950 - 1952

'V' ("Dual unit"?) 1000 Decola Corner Unit 121 131
YEAR MODEL STYLE CRT VALVES RF NOTES PRICE
<=Aug50 101 C 12" Mazda
CRM121
     
£x-x-x £102-18-0
£x-x-x
<=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.
£173-5-0 £141-2-10
£32-2-2
<=Aug50 131 C+½D Projection
15½"x113/8"
     
£198-9-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
  "Gainsborough"   Projection     Similar to 121 but with 3 band radio  
<=Aug50 "Knightsbridge"   Projection     Optional radio for additional £60.
£535-0-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
  "Kensington"   Projection     As Knightsbridge but with book shelves at either end of the cabinet. Optional 8-band radio inc FM (!) £61.
£408-0-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
  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.
£144-4-4 £107-10-6
£36-13-10
<=Apr52 300 (C) 16"x12"
Projection
27 + 4 (Radio)   Included 3-speed auto-radiogram.
Bow-fronted cabinet.
£350-0-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
<=Apr52 "Dual Unit"   40"x30"
Projection
28   May also have been simply referred to as the model 'V'.
£350-0-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
  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.

1953 - 1955

 
222 D17 DM/17 DM/14 DM/C/D/17  
YEAR MODEL STYLE CRT VALVES RF NOTES PRICE
<Sep53 222 C 17"     Included autogram.
£149-2-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
Oct53 D17 T 17"
MW43-64
14 5ch ERT 25Dec54
£78-15-0 £58-14-3
£20-0-9
Sep54 DM/14 T 14"
MW36-24
18
Mullard
12ch  
£x-x-x £52-9-0
£x-x-x
DM/17 T 17"
MW43-64
 
£x-x-x £61-16-10
£x-x-x
DM/C/17 C  
£x-x-x £68-2-2
£x-x-x
DM/C/D/17 C+D  
£x-x-x £79-17-0
£x-x-x
? 444         Incl. radiogram ???  

1956 - Onwards

DM2/C DM4 DM45 555
YEAR MODEL STYLE CRT VALVES RF NOTES PRICE
Dec55 DM/C/D/18 C 17"
MW43-64
18 13ch Incl. F.M. Radio.

Trader #1280
£x-x-x £84-11-0
£x-x-x
Jan56 DM/C/D21 C 21"
MW53-80
£x-x-x £111-3-3
£x-x-x
May56 DM1 T 14"
AW36-21
£x-x-x £49-18-0
£x-x-x
DM3 T 17" (70deg)
MW43-69
£x-x-x £57-7-2
£x-x-x
DM4
£x-x-x £61-16-7
£x-x-x
DM4/C T+legs
£x-x-x £64-16-2
£x-x-x
DM5 C
£x-x-x £65-11-0
£x-x-x
~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
£124-19-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
Oct58 DM4/C   17" 90deg
AW43-80
18   An updated verion of the model originally released in May 1956.
£x-x-x £62-11-6
£x-x-x
DM22/C   21"  
£x-x-x £81-18-11
£x-x-x
Jun59 DM35   17" 18v
Mullard
  (Following four sets covered by RR TV155 May60)
£72-9-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
Jun59 DM45 C'lette 17"
AW43-88
Inc. FM radio
£81-18-0 £61-5-3
£20-12-9
Aug/Nov59 DM55   21" Inc. FM radio
£93-9-0 £69-18-0
£23-11-0
Apr60 DM56   21"   £82 19s (tax?)
? DR19/C C'lette 19"
AW47/90
15 13ch  
£71-8-0 £x-x-x
£x-x-x
Click for larger view [217K] Click for larger view [127K] Click for larger view [85K]
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]

On-Line Service Manuals

Model(s) File Size Source
1000 1.4MB Manufacturers
Decca Console
(Model 100?)
2.8MB Manufacturers
Model 121 6MB Manufacturers
Model 131 2.2MB Manufacturers

Previous : Cossor LINK BACK TO THE
MANUFACTURERS PAGE
Next : Defiant
Page copyright © J.Evans 2005-2019 - Last updated 3rd May 2019