Thorn Television Production, Separated by 30+ years

I had seen the older film but not the new one. Appreciate the robotics keeps costs down and less mistakes, still the older set looks more satisfaction in the construction, or perhaps it just seems that way.

It would still be repetitive, something I have been lucky enough not to have, a repetitive job. I don’t think production line working would have suited me.

I also hadn't seen the latter, last of the real Thorn sets (TX100) before the Thomson rot set in. ? 

A colleague previously worked for Semitech in Jarrow who produced and badged stuff for various brands including, Alba, Bush and also low end JVC portables. He used to tell a funny story, one day someone loaded a bandolier of electrolytic capacitors into the auto insertion machine incorrectly which meant it was fitted into the board with reversed polarity. The sets were powered on and given a burn in test as they progressed overhead on their way to the alignment area of the factory, they worked long enough to get right over the production line before before the PSU and capacitor went Bang! showering the workforce below with cans and foil, one after another after another until the line was stopped.

I’ve seen the Thorn TX production film before, but not the earlier one, most enjoyable! I was quite amazed at how roughly they handled things in the earlier one, like where the chassis, complete with CRT was just shoved off the bench onto the carrier thing! It’s also amazing to see just how high tech the production line became, I have been working on production lines most of my life, but none have even been close to the Thorn one, in fact I’d say most places I’ve worked have been quite primitive in comparison! Where I work currently we use rather old and just about knackered test gear, automatic tests run on computers that still run XP, and quite often don’t work... 

that film makes me want to get my hands on another TX10!

 Regards 

Lloyd 

Posted by: Lloyd

 I was quite amazed at how roughly they handled things in the earlier one, like where the chassis, complete with CRT was just shoved off the bench onto the carrier thing!

Same here, and no goggles worn either when shoving the CRT's about !    eek.

Posted by: PYE625

Posted by: Lloyd

 I was quite amazed at how roughly they handled things in the earlier one, like where the chassis, complete with CRT was just shoved off the bench onto the carrier thing!

Same here, and no goggles worn either when shoving the CRT's about !    eek.

That was common...Suffolk Tubes used to have a regun factory in Croydon and no-one wore goggles....not that I saw anyway. I took a suspect regun back once and someone led me round the back into a workshop area took the tube from me and connected it to a jig. He confirmed it was faulty and then said it could be re re-gunned (it was OK to do it twice apparently) or they could replace it if they had one in stock (they did). I took the replacement which checked OK and he then just took the old one by the neck (low down near the bulb) and just walked away with it swinging it as he did so.....I made a hasty retreat....!

That's right in the first film  the operatives were handling the 17" CRTs in a rather cavalier fashion.  Everyone did the same in those times being seemingly unaware how dangerous CRTs can be.

From the UKVRRR: Darius (Old Europe) experienced an implosion of a Mazda CRM92 CRT in his storeroom.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5505

Till Eulenspiegel.

Sadly poignant ... first advert in