Valves and other vintage electronics
A web scrapbook by Michael Saunby
A selection of old electronic things I've found, collected, restored, built, dismantled, read about or encountered in some way. There are other pages on the site with projects using current technology such as the MSP430 microcontroller and Nokia Internet Tablets.
Valve broadcast receivers - "wireless sets"
These are quite commonly collected and the better sets combine high quality electronics with stylish furniture. The most sought after tend to be those made in the 1920s and 1930s. Later mass produced sets are often less interesting and less attractive, but there are some nice ones to be had - some 1940s sets with bakelite cases are popular with interior designers, and some FM receivers from the mid 1950s can sound very good.
1930s
1940s
1950s
Sound Sales A-Z Radio Unit
It must be hard for those new to electronics with the now widespread use of cheap DVMs to appreciate how very expensive test equipment was, even just a couple of decades ago. Today not only can new test meters, signal generators and the like be bought very cheaply but vintage stuff can be had for just a few pounds, sometimes even for free. The exception tends to be old valve testers which can cost many hundreds of pounds.
Valve amplifiers
Are fairly easy to build, don't require lots of test equipment and can be used and enjoyed every day. Though the voltages involved might kill, so read, practice and THINK before trying to build or repair valve kit.
Places to learn more about valve amplifiers
Completed push-pull amplifiers
Completed single-ended amplifiers
The best valve of all, if it can be obtained, is probably the Mazda ACSP3. This was designed with a special view to low hum and microphony, and is widely used by the B.B.C. for microphone amplifiers. Even with this valve it is found that individual specimens vary in their hum properties, and selection is again desirable.- P J Baxandall. Wireless World, Feb 1947
Oddities
An interesting little analogue computer from 1962.
History
Very much not my specialism but an amazing invention that over the years provided pretty much all technology behind radio, audio and computing.
