Around 1971 when I was 10 I went with my mate and his parents to visit his grandad who lived in Sutton Bridge. His Grandad had the best job in the world to a 10 year old he operated the Sutton Bridge swing bridge! We had a tour and a good look around I can remember the smell of the greasy "engine room" it absolutely stank!
We then went back to his Grandparents' house where his Grandma sat us down to a tea that would have stalled The "Famous Five". After tea my mate Steven and I went exploring his Grandads village of sheds in the huge back garden.
In one of them I discovered a TV chassis and magnifier no cabinet but bristling with these interesting red valves! I asked my mate to ask his Grandad if I could have it not for a moment expecting that he would say yes but it had to be worth a try didn't it?
Steven came back and said that Grandad had said yes so with much excitement it was loaded into his dad's Hillman Minx.
When I got home the set was put in my dad's shed and provided hours of fun being slowly dismantled with the aid of a screwdriver and pliers..
I remember having some of the parts kicking around for years. Great fun being had with the magnifier until one of my mates dropped it on the garden path!
Years later I realised the set would have been an LV20 and so have been keeping an eye out for one I always had a reason not to buy the odd one I saw and managed to buy a BV30 fairly locally which sort of satisfied my wanting an early Pye.
Recently I was offered a working example as part of a swap with another forum member so I had no excuse I had to have it!
I picked it up from R.T and today wired it to my standards converter to give it a run. It is a belting little set and bonus! It came with a second set for spares! So I have another to take apart and play with I just have to find a spot for this lovely little set!
Rich
That looks a nice little set! It’s always nice to find a set that you had in years gone by. I have an LV30 that someone has trashed with some snips, just about every wire has been given the chop! I hope to revive it one day, that tube from the TV22 chassis will help, as I have pinched the PYE’s tube for another set.
Regards
Lloyd
What a great looking set, plenty of life in the CRT. Love the story, it gives real meaning to any sets life that you just don't get from auctions etc. My wife still favours our B18T /LV20 set over all my others, kind of expect its because the line whistle is much more subdued.
Stephen
Seeing those EF50s reminds me that I made a radio entirely out of EF50s, in the 60's. They were so cheap then.
@sundog It was the reputation of the EF50s valve holders that put me off buying a set that needed restoring. I heard so many owners having problems with intermittent faults caused by bad contacts on the holders. This is why I couldn't say no to a restored set in this instance, am I a coward? possibly... This set is the oldest in my collection by a few years, next being a TV22 with EF91s or maybe the Pye BV30?.
Funny, this type of tv-set was used in a Danich tv serie calld "Krønikken" ( abaut a DK radio factory, and the early 50'...)
Very nice!
Earlier this year I picked up a Pye CT450 which was the same TV I remember my parents had. I never thought I'd ever see one let alone own one! No idea if it works, the Rediffusion has been taking up all my time.
@slidertogrid Hi, Rich.
I so empathise with you about sets we had as youngsters. I think this must be carma coming your way after you allowed me to buy that Ultra V815 several years ago. I had a bare chassis at age 15 and it was my tv for a couple of years before my mother disposed of it and I had abandoned all hope of finding one.
Regards Jonathan.
