Vintage Radio, need info please???

Its a lovely set is this and made by Ever Ready which is the firm who made batteries. I have only seen a few sets of this model and they are red rexine covered ones with two aerials either side. Not many of these in circulation while other sets from Ever Ready seem more common but the Sky Monarch is not that common.

This site maybe of help. Your radio is a valve portable that uses batteries that are no longer made but these can be made up. The chances are with these sets is that some capacitors may need changing and if old batteries were left in situ these may have fumed and what is needed then is those valve pins cleaning, an easy job and a worthwhile restoration with this set as not many exist.

http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ ... rReady.htm

This set also uses a magic eye valve to but there was a wooden set made to.

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_sky_monarch.html

Battery info

http://www.portabletubes.co.uk/sitefiles/ptbattelim.htm

Hi Vicky,

Could you tell us what kind of information you're looking for? and perhaps a little about the radio itself?

Marion

Hi Vicky,

Nice set, I have uploaded the service data into our Technical Library. If you intend to have a go at getting the set up and running you will need this data. The set uses valves which have a very delicate heater so you will need to be careful not to damage them. Lets hope they have not been blown already. No worries if they have, I'm sure we can rustle up some spares if that is the case.

I will leave you in the hands of the capable Radio boys.

I have pm'd (private mail) you your login details for the technical library.

P.s.
The set is from 1955 and originally retailed for £22, purchase tax and batteries extra.

It uses 9 valves as follows
V1=DF97,V2=DF96, V3=DF96, V4=DK96, V5=DF96, V6=DAF96, V7=DAF96, V8=DL96 & V9=DL96

Regards
Chris

It is indeed rare because I have only ever seen one and that was the red rexine covered one. Be careful with the LT, that's the low tension power supply which is 1.4 to 1.5V, any higher then the heaters in those valves will be damaged. I have never seen this set in the flesh but a few year back spotted one on Ebay and that was the only one I have seen. My advice is if you can not restore it get someone who can as its a worthwhile project as this is not one of those common valve portables unlike some of the other Ever Ready ones. This is indeed a nice find. The HT part I suspect is 90V which can be made using ten PP3s in series. Some people make up there own battery covers to make there set authentic but if your set has batteries in situ then that's great. Would love to see a pic as there are two versions of this set because one seems to be made of varnished wood.

Thanks for the replies.
Would like to see if the radio works really and how we do this without damaging it, there's been no battery left in situ, the tuner dial doesn't move the tuner but the three other dials seem to turn ok. The internal working from my inexperienced eye seem to be in good condition and the chassis is in good condition, the chassis looks like veneered wood. There are serials numbers on it and a sticker with 'property of British wireless for the blind' on the side. I'll upload a photo that I've found online of a model which looks like it. Thanks

Vicky

Will take some pictures of the radio when I have a minute but this is how it looks.

Thanks everyone

Hi Mike,

Is it the Sky Emperor you're thinking of? That's a confusion I make too but as far as I know the Sky Monarch variants are all veneered table models. I've a couple of Sky Emperors here (one fairly derelict) - large red AM/FM portables - but Sky Monarchs are rarer still.

Paul

Indeed Paul, that's the one. I got a bit confused there, more so when I saw the wooden one . It was that red rexine version I was thinking of but I must say I have not ever seen the one featured here on Ebay or anywhere else either. Ever Ready made so many sets but it seems this Sky Monarch may indeed be rare as I have never seen one unlike other more common sets such as the Sky baby or Sky countess which I see loads of. Nice find there Vicky

That will be a nice set when restored

I just saw somewhere on the net, 1.5V LT and 90V HT, so batteries should be easy enough to replicate.

I can't say I've ever seen one of those before, certainly a set to keep, and be proud of

I always seem to think of the usual rexine covered "brief case/vanity case" style of radio, when anyone mentions Ever Ready "Sky" series radios.. A table radio style is quite unusual in any case.

Has yours been stored in a dry environment? (a picture of the actual set is useful at this point).

Marion

I believe there are two variants of the Sky Monarch

The AM only version and the AM/FM version.

They are both rare but I am luck enough to have the AM/FM version.

They are as Paul says all table models with wood veneer cabinets

Uses a DF97 triode connected as the VHF (FM) frequency changer.

Mine arrived minus glassware with the exception of the DF97 and the tuning indicator.

The DF97 can be a bit more difficult to source than the other valves in the set there are just a lot of them!

Its nice to see another one turn up

Cheers

Mike T

It seems to use a B136 combined HT and LT battery which is fantastic as plenty of room inside these cases for a rebuild.

This is a scan. If you look at the battery plug on your set make sure it matches the picture outline of the plug on the battery, this will tell you what pin on that plug is which. There are four in total which are LT + _ and HT + _. This may help.

http://www.the-thompson-brown-family.co ... s/b136.htm

This is very important as one mistake with polarity and the valves are done for I assume the plug on the set is intact.

Unicorns are more common than either Sky Monarch, and the FM version rarer still.

The Spacemaster (Berec Sky Scraper II) is similarly rare.

The rare post WII Ever Ready/BEREC table models
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_sky_monarch.html
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_sky_monarch_2.html
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_sky_s ... 26l_2.html (nothing to do with Lissen Sky scraper)
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/berec_skyscraper_mkii.html

The Spacemaster is so rare it's not even listed in Radiomuseum, I think it differs from the BEREC Berec Sky Scraper II by having LW and one less SW.

Paul,
Can you confirm two are these correct in Wavebands?
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/berec_commander.html
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_sky_emperor.html

Has the Sky Emperor really got no LW?

I would of course love to acquire ANY of these models in this post, in any condition. OK, actually I'd like all of them!

Other Post WII Ever Ready Table models
The Bakelite Table version of Model A is more common than any of the above.

The Sky Prince seems most common (Table version of Sky Queen), followed by Model T (basically Table Model K, and Sky Queen is a Dx96 version of K). Then there is Sky Lord, the last of the Battery valve table models, probably a Sky Prince in a "funky box".
Possibly the Table version of Model A? Anyone know for sure http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_batte ... model.html
Model T (Earliest of 3 versions) http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_t.html
Sky Prince http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_sky_prince.html
Sky Lord http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_sky_lord.html

1960 and 1961 saw two transistor table models, Sky Baron and a Sky Prince

It seems to use a B136 combined HT and LT battery which is fantastic as plenty of room inside these cases for a rebuild.

http://www.the-thompson-brown-family.co ... s/b136.htm

Actually we can put a better B136 on the Techlibrary, if not there already.

But I think the Sky Monarch AM/FM uses a B103 or a B137

I have made AD3, B103, B136 and B137, they all use same plug & connections and best layout is on Technical Library here (or can be).

B136
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=1478

B137
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=2237

B103
http://www.radiomuseum.org/forum/ever_r ... ir_ca.html

My 1939 Lissen 8515 uses a B103 I built
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/lissen_all ... _8515.html

B103
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_b103_batrymax.html

Thanks for that Michael but my first worry was to show the polarity of those pins as I would hate to see a rare set spoiled through a polarity error as its easy done with these if your not careful. This is indeed a nice set and a very exciting find. I found a picture with this set using a B136 but not ever seeing this model before I was not sure what battery number it used as some sets use a combined battery while others use separate ones. The B136 fitted a few sets such as the Sky Prince(valve version) and Sky Lord.

It's supposed to use a B137, which has space for 120 AA and Eight "F" cells or "D" cells in parallel.

You can put 4 x Alkaline D cells (matched) in parallel, 60 x AA (in 6 off 10 Way holders at about £1 each) and STILL have space for a mains PSU too in a B137.

But unless you REALLY know what you are doing, a mains PSU is a good way to have a short valve life.

My links for the B136 an B137 show the plug polarity.

AD3, B103, B136 and B137 use same plug and wiring.

Sky Prince uses B136 or B137
Sky Queen, Sky King, Sky Queen II, Sky Lord all use B136. Not sure if a Sky Lord takes a B137 alternate

.

Paul,
Can you confirm two are these correct in Wavebands?
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/berec_commander.html
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ever_sky_emperor.html

Has the Sky Emperor really got no LW?

That's true, no LW. The six pushbuttons are Economy, Gram., and the four wavebands.

I seem to have picked up most of Ever Ready's post-war wooden cased table models over the years: a Model T (one of my very first radios in 1968-9), Sky Princes (valve and transistor versions), Sky Lord, the transistor Sky Baron and its Berec counterpart. Never seen and rarely heard of either Sky Monarch, though.

Paul

The B137 used same layer cells as a PP9, and F-Cells, so you CAN make an authentic one (expensive) using insides of 10 x PP9 and insides of 2 x PJ996!

But I went for cheap option. 120 of the really cheapest Zinc Carbon AA in two banks of 50 (12 off 10 way AA holders) paralleled with a pair of 1N4148 diodes. Since this is about 1/2 the capacity of PP9 type layer cells I used the insides of only one PJ996 lantern pack. You check they are all the same voltage (about 1.63 when fresh) and connect in parallel, not the series that they use for lantern pack.

The socket is easy to make from marge tub and coffee tin
See viewtopic.php?f=48&t=2785

I have heard some mains eliminators shorten valve heater life, that's why I stick to cheap PP3s or a zinc carbon nature as there kinder to valves as that's all radio batteries contained in those days. A mock up power supply can be used to test this radio once repairs have been done ie cap changes and cleaning those valve pins and there sockets as from experience these are common faults with valve portables, fingers crossed the transformer is not open circuit as this is not a cheap repair unless a second had transformer can be sought and its of the same power value, I suspect this will not be the case and all that's needed is that dial cord sorted and a few caps changed and a good clean, once that's done the fun can start on a battery rebuild. I tend to go down the PP3 route as I am lazy and its a quick way of doing it but your way of using AA cells makes the battery pack last longer as more cells are in the chain. Those lantern cells once hacked apart are great for the LT side connected in parallel. Very cheap at 1.99 each in some shops but expensive at 8.99 in Maplins. Wilkinsons are cheap for these lantern batteries at 1.99 or market stalls with the Panasonic brand zinc carbon. I have seen in some DIY shops very fine metal tubing that is great for those sockets, this comes in different sizes.

I hope this radio gets fixed as it is a rare set from Ever Ready as is the battery as I have never seen the size this set takes. For the case a good French polish brings things up lovely as I have seen David Boynes work first hand with wooden sets both on TVs and radios. Its hard work but worth the result.