Guest-Book

Guest-Book 1

This is the site feedback page, its not the blog or forum, please use it to let us know if you enjoyed the site. Maybe you found one of the technical articles or stock faults of use in one of your own repairs. Perhaps there is something missing you would like to see. Whatever stimulated your grey cells, If you enjoyed this site found its content left you all misty eyed, then please leave a comment as it would be very welcome. Finally thank you for taking time to visit us and happy reminiscing.
Radios-TV

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42 entries.
Noah Noah wrote on July 20, 2022 at 8:23 pm
We had a Baird 8724 (from Radio Rentals) and the bloke who delivered it said it cost £850, a huge amount in 1970
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Indeed, TVs were a massive expense back when colour TV was in its infancy, hence why most folk rented. I have a Baird 8724 in my collection.

https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/bd19.jpg
Mirrorlid Mirrorlid wrote on February 16, 2022 at 3:06 pm
Hi My name is David when i was boy one Christmas present in the late 70's a Tandy 75 in 1 Electronics kit introduced me to Electronics. In them days there were shops around to buy components like TV sadly shops all gone now. We had a Fergusson 17" which often broke down i would watch the Engineer fix the set often just swapping a panel then charging my Dad for a new board then taking away the old one.. I soon learnt how to solder dry joints fixing friends at schools TV sets. I worked in a pub has a glass boy got to know a fellow who's Dad had a tv Shop in Lee Green he gave me a faulty set a G8 at switch on you got a red raster then banging the neck with a screwdriver ! vision restored !. I then worked out if i bypassed the heater transformer supply from the power switch it would work ok with instant picture !! In time i got a new tube from him his dad had loads on the back lawn ! in time he gave us G8s ITT valve sets i had quite a few sadly all gone. When the Fergusson tube gave out in 1979 we bought a Phillips K30 series set which i still have and another as spare in the loft. I bought a Ekco TSc48 some years ago which i started to restore sometime back not yet completed A bush TV22 last year and recently a portable Ecko from 1957. My real love is pre war which i hope to obtain one day. Trips to Ireland as a kid i was intrigued by my uncle & Aunties valve radios though a friend i Joined the BVWS some years ago buying to manty sets quantity rather then quality... many thanks
dralbert dralbert wrote on January 2, 2022 at 5:30 pm
maybe my time at both major semiconductor companies and as a designer in both analogue synthesis and audio amplification has given me a different outlook, my data, and none commercial designs, always available to anyone without restrictive compliance - semiconductor data plus example designs and applications together with electronic design software, again unrestrictive access upon registration and you misunderstood, your site has many good points just data access, a disappointment on the basis I may not want or have the time to leave 180 plus comments
dralbert dralbert wrote on January 2, 2022 at 4:52 pm
Earn access, what nonsense - have a subscription, then allow access - a disappointing site, but many thanks
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Please accept my apologies that you find our site so disappointing, I guess you're judging the entire site on your inability to gain instant access to the non free service data. If all you're interested in is getting data, and you are happy to pay for it, then might I suggest https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/ They offer all the data you could possibly need and only £1.99 per document. You can also buy their entire catalogue on a USB stick for £60 or DVD for £25. Hope that is of some help to you and thank you for visiting.
Stanley Milgrams Stanley Milgrams wrote on December 29, 2021 at 12:20 pm
I really believe in using what we already have and think this is a site I would like to be involved in but. I find Facebook to be one of the most Vile modern creations and can therefore not get past your opening page.

the destroyer of world.
S
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Hello Stanley,

Many thanks for taking the time to leave your comment on our guest book, however, I'm left a little upset by your comment. You say you would like to be involved in the site but state you hate Facebook. The website & forum are totally separate from our Facebook presence, if you joined the website/forum you need never have anything to do with Facebook. I only created a Facebook presence for those that prefer that place and don't want to be involved with the website. Like you, I'm not a fan of Facebook either. So walking away is really cutting your nose off to spite your face. I repeat, joining our website/forum does not mean you have to use, or have anything to do with Facebook.

I just try to cater to everyone's tastes, but looks like sometimes I can't win either way. Regards Chris
Arthur Arthur Oram wrote on November 12, 2021 at 5:31 pm
Visited your site today and was impressed with your collection, I learnt TV servicing at college on tx models. Still have original guides for x9 and 10, and a tube rejuvinator.
gilmour94 gilmour94 wrote on August 14, 2021 at 5:53 pm
Hi my name is Andy , just wanted to thank you for a fantastic site. been hooked on television repair since i was a kid watching "The tele man " . so proud to be accepted as a member thank you all . cant get enough info . Keep it up your doing an excellent job .
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Hi Andy,

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment in the guest-book. Also pleased that you have found the site interesting and stimulating. Glad you decided to become a member, of our little corner of the web. TV repair is, as you have discovered for yourself, a fascinating topic.
Tech66 Tech66 wrote on April 18, 2021 at 9:54 am
Hi, my name is Mark and wanted to introduce myself. I left school in early 1980s then went to Kitson College Leeds to do City and Guilds 224 Electrical and Electroinc Serivcing. I worked in York for a few years before moving to Scotland to start working for myself in 1991. I now install and still fix TVs (sometimes but not often), Sound Systems, Aerial/Satellite, IT, Networking, Home Cinema, Home Automation Systems and much more. Still enjoy fixing vintage equipent, including a couple of record decks and radios last year. Reading comment on here brings it all back to me like Philips G8, G11 (of which I have a rolling door cabinet in my garage, can't part with it), KT3, Decca, Thorn 3500. I remember we would replace CRTs regularly and G8 LOPT, Tripler, G11 frame chip and capacitors. What a great place this is, didn't think there were many people still doing this sort of stuff. Thanks
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Hi Mark,

Thanks for stopping by and taking time to comment on our guest book, we always appreciate folk doing so. Indeed there a still a fair number of use repairing and restoring these old TVs back to their former glory.
Peter Haverty Peter Haverty wrote on January 24, 2021 at 1:18 am
Hello, I am based in Ireland, working as a maintenance technician in a large wafer fab. Getting really addicted to this site; really admiring the dogged determination of the talented guys here when it comes to getting old sets back to life. I am 54 so I remember very well our first colour telly in 1977 - a Philips G26K526/05 (G8 chassis). Bought from a well established shop in Galway, O'Connor TV. One of their engineers, Eamon Daniels, was a neighbour of ours so it was handy when we needed a service call. I remember him coming to us in 1978 to set up the TV for RTE (our national broddcaster)' s new channel. RTE 2. First movie on that channel's release night was Steve Mc.Queen's 'Bullitt'. Interestingly, when the set was bought in 1977, the 6 'flappy' buttons were labelled RTE1, RTE2, BBC1, BBC2, ITV and blank. Interesting that over a year before the launch of RTE2, the TV already had a flappy button labelled so. It also had 2 aerial sockets, one VHF and one UHF. As an 11 year old kid, I was excited the night before when Dad came home after taking in our old Pilot monochrome TV with worn out CRT for repair and telling us he bought the G8 as the Pilot was shot. Unlike today, when we can buy a colour telly in Tesco and bring it home with the groceries and have it up & running using the 'quick start' guide, we had to wait till the next day for the engineer to bring it out to us in his van, plug it in and spend at least 30 mins behind it with the back off, checking it out and doing any delivery setups required. It really was seen as a serious household purchase back then. Overall a reliable set but it did lunch its way through one LOPT and I replaced the tripler on it myself in 1986 when I was just 20 - I was doing a part time job fixing radios in a place in Galway at the time. Lasted until 1988 when the CRT was too faded and worn out, it already had gone through one or two regen's by then, Finally dumped into a skip in 1993 during an attic clear-out. Would have loved to have that telly now. Bought a 10 year old Ferguson TX9 for myself when I started a new job in 1992 which had a superb picture and lasted up until 1999 with no problems - finally died with a field collapse and was replaced with a new Samsung. Wished I had the talent and the experience of the guys on here, especially Crusty - who clearly loves maintaining and repairing these links to the past. As an aside, does anybody remember an Irish firm, based in Dundalk, called Reynolds Electronics? I think they had a link with Alan Sugar's AMSTRAD company. They built two portable radios, the Joy (battery only) and the Playmate (mains-battery). Dad also bought one of their 3 -in-1 music centres, model R1001. It had a superb FM tuner and stereo sound, and a decent BSR P144R turntable. It was donated to a local hospice during a house move in 1999. Also remember seeing brochures as a kid for the Mullard Unilex modules for 'DIY stereo' - should ring a bell here! Keep up the good work - up late tonight reading yet another thread on another TV resto! - ironically because there is nothing on telly!
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Hello Peter,

Thanks for your wonderful recollection of days long gone, especially about your family getting their very first colour television the Philips G8 in 1977.

I, too, have a very similar memory which happened 4 years earlier in 1973, that's when we also got our first family colour TV, a Decca CS1830. Nothing as grand as your 26" beast, ours was a mere 19". Luckily I managed to track one down for my collection a couple of years ago. If you're interested, and you haven't already you can read the story of how we first got the TV back then, the link is in the footer of the website the link is "About".

I have a G8 in my collection, a 1974 Philips G26K536/05 not a lot of difference other than the stand and the convergence panel I believe in yours had moved to above the chassis by then. www.radios-tv.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/pg8-12.jpg

Glad you're enjoying the site and thanks for taking the time to say hi in the guest book.

Warm Regards
Chris
John Breeds John Breeds wrote on October 28, 2020 at 4:31 pm
Hello I completed 5yrs C&G 48 Final apprenticeship plus 1yr colour TV Endorsement 1959 - 1965. Gosport, Hants
In 1967 - 1980 became a Technical Training Instructor with Radio Rentals and Thorn.
John
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Hi John, sorry for the rather late reply, no excuse just spending rather too much time fitting out my new workshop/showroom.

Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to say hello. A fellow member on our forum pointed me to your post and also commented that he had attended a few of your courses back in the day. He also reminded me you have been responsible for many Thorn fault-finding guides and technical write-ups. I must say a big thank you for your work back then, and say all that work is still of great value today. I'm a big fan and collector of BRC/Thorn televisions and many of the articles and guides have been invaluable.
gilmour94 Andrew wrote on July 2, 2020 at 10:13 pm
Fantastic ! i really love being a member , i could watch Crusty all day !. Thank you for letting me join , so much to learn but i love it .
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Many thanks for your kind comments Andrew, they're very much appreciated. Glad to have you among our membership, I hope you get your wish and find a GEC CTV, in the not too distant future. When you do, rest assured should you need any help getting it going, the community will be more than happy to advise and guide you through.
Flyback67 Flyback67 wrote on May 18, 2020 at 9:12 pm
Hi! Thanks for letting me join! I'm Andrew, a self employed TV engineer... am now working from home for the time being during this Covid 19 period. Getting on with those repairs left over before the lockdown... I've done a few old record players, some solid state amps and now currently restoring one of my own... a Ferranti A1016 from 1957 I think!
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Hi Andrew, welcome aboard. Hope you enjoy reading the many items on the blog and participating on the forum.
frank shaw frank shaw wrote on February 15, 2020 at 7:14 pm
hi everybody i was wandering if there was any classes for amateur radio repairs tuition like gerry wells used to do at the bvws i live near hitchin but can travel thanks for reading message regards frank shaw
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Hi Frank, This is not really the place to post your query, you should post in the appropriate section on the forum. This guest-book is purely for guests to post comments about how they liked or disliked the website. Perhaps join the forum and ask there, folk will be more than happy to help with your query.
Sarah Cuff Sarah Cuff wrote on August 3, 2019 at 8:08 pm
Dear Friends

I have not dipped into the Forum for quite a while and the first thing I stumbled across was the Brian Cuff Memorial Archive and the introduction which said so much about the dear man whom we all loved, admired and have so many reasons to be thankful for his generosity, curiosity, humour and all round kindness. The family miss him so much, as you all do, but it is wonderful to know that the knowledge and passion that he had for the hobby you shared lives on in the entries in this Forum. The modest gentleman that he was would be so proud. For the family he will always be with us, influencing our lives and I am pleased to say that the children and grandchildren are thriving as he would want. When we are all together, he is here with us, and not only as we toast his memory, as we often do.

So, thank you for giving him this special place in the Forum. How well I remember him coming in from the workshops and settling down in front of the computer (yes, with that glass of red wine) to give a detailed report on progress on whatever he was working on at the time. It is wonderful to know that all that information has this permanent record here. My good wishes to you all. Kind regards Sarah
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Hello Sarah, Thank you for taking the time to pop by and say hello. It is warming to know that you and your family are thriving.
Warm Regards, Chris -Vrat Admin.
Gordon Gordon wrote on June 19, 2019 at 6:22 pm
I came across this site and it made interesting reading, brought back memories. In the late 50s I borrowed a Grunther CRT reactiveater for a 'moonlight' job I was doing, the tv had a Brimar tube in it, you had to turn off room lights and draw curtains to even see anything on screen. The reactiveator worked first class, customer thought it was a new set!

I made one of these for my own use, then a few years later, in the 60s, I made 3 of them for our engineers to bring up colour tubes, our employer was a main Ekco dealer, lots of Mazda crts. I built them in old transistor radio cases, with 3 15 watt coloured pigmy lamps, one for each gun, they worked a treat, saved a fortune in replacing tubes in rental sets. Those were the days.
David Armstead David Armstead from Ramsgate wrote on January 29, 2018 at 4:10 pm
Any one know what happened to Colin Turner, Thorn TLO in the 70's ?
Admin Reply by: crustytv
Bit late to answer but you might find this latest post on the forum of interest, a blast from the past. https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/community/general-tech-discussion/thorn-ferguson-tlos/
Steve Webb Steve Webb from Birmingham wrote on January 11, 2018 at 8:55 am
Hi Chris
I Recently found your site and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the contributions thereof.

I started work in 1969 as a trainee engineer at Visionhire In Birmingham. Colour TV transmissions had just started on ITV and BBC1, Colour on BBC2 had already been with us for two years. I did not take readily to the culture of Visionhire and I left after two years to join Radio Rentals, again In the Birmingham area. Here I stayed for the next eleven years and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I have particularly enjoyed reading the contributions about Radio Rentals and the TVs we worked on. Experience in the TV trade certainly honed my 'people skills' too. They were great days and in these days of process and cost driven management, those memories are like a breath of fresh air.

In early 1982, I left the receiver trade and started life in the TV and radio transmission business. At BT I was involved with program video and sound distribution for TV and Radio. Later I joined the IBA, an organisation contracted to transmit radio and television programs from the many transmission sites around our country. So in just over forty years I moved from the receiver to the transmitter and I retired when analogue TV was switched off. You could say then that TV has always been In my blood and the PAL system I 625 line system has certainly served me very well. Indeed I had to smile when one of the transmission guys with whom I worked whilst on a transmission site looked at me quizzically and said 'you always look at things from the receiver point of view don't you?' Well I would wouldn't I! I found the work very interesting and what always stuck me was the fact that you never stopped learning.

Thanks again

Steve Webb
Admin Reply:
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your post and bio on the guestbook, I'm also pleased to see you've now taken the plunge and joined us as a member. I Look forward to more of your contributions.
abctelevision abctelevision from wigan wrote on December 21, 2017 at 3:05 pm
Hi Chris,
I keep thinking to get around joining this forum but I never do!
As a quick fix.
The multiview T35 resetting can be resolved by setting the teletext mode to " live teletext" on all 5 channels. Of course after doing the upgrade you could try the live EPG!
I think its the data in the EPG that causes the box to crash then reset!
Admin Reply:
Hi ABC thanks for the tip I'll give it a try later.
Shame you've not decided to join us, you would be most welcome.
dave finan dave finan from wigan wrote on December 8, 2017 at 6:32 pm
Hi Chris,
I read with interest on your forum about the multiview 5 channel analogue modulators and all the faults.
I bought the other type A2B multibox 6t for a third of the asking price. Needless to say it didn't work. I did get 3 channels on it but 3 modulators would only give blank screens. The seller has kindly offered a refund.
I think the reason why they have been "pulled" is because they are faulty. These units will have been on 24/7 for many years, another point to
consider is by 2020 they will probably be obsolete just like ON Digital boxes when we move over HD only tv.
Admin Reply:
Hi Dave,
Thanks for your input and yes I came to the same conclusion as yourself about them having lead a hard 24/7/365 life. I hadn't considered the 2020 date but yes, that's a very valid point.

As you say the seller is offering refunds so that's good. Shame as I really liked it and it would have transformed and simplified my analogue network for a while. Hey-ho! all fun and games.
AlistairD AlistairD wrote on September 4, 2017 at 9:07 am
Yes Chris my post was rude and high handed, for which I apologise, but if you had ever seen the effects of connecting an earthed scope probe to mains live you might think differently.

Re posting a warning, it really needs to be iterated every time mention is made of connecting earthed instruments to live chassis equipment.

I have no wish for a feud to exist between us so am offering an olive branch.

Al
Admin Reply:
Apology accepted. However it is a shame you chose to be so down right rude then go on to state you don't wish a feud to exist and are offering an olive branch. That's like walking up to me, insulting me and my colleagues, slapping me in the face with the olive branch and then proclaiming lets all be civil . Hardly conducive behaviour to ensure the outcome you profess to desire. Perhaps this guestbook can now return to its intended purpose, a place for those to share their memories and occasionally offer their appreciation of what I try to offer at Radios-TV.