Unfortunately work ...

As the saying goes, work is for people who don't play golf.

Getting back to the Lewbury 'Lectric radio.

I'm wondering if it was a pirated version of the Tasma/Genalex radio. Or if it was made by Tasma and rebadged Lewbury 'Lectric.

I'm wondering if it was a pirated version of the Tasma/Genalex radio. Or if it was made by Tasma and rebadged Lewbury 'Lectric.

I gather that radio makers were fairly litigious back in the day so, if it is indeed a Tasma design, my guess would be that Tasma either licensed it or re-badged it.

I have found classified adds for Lewbury radio's as follows

1933 'Brisbane Courier' Feb 8th "Lewbury Jubilee", part of contents in an auction.

1936 'The West Australian' July "Lewbury 5 valve console 6 pounds" selling by W.J. Lucas Ltd, Hay St, Perth.

1938 'Courier Mail' "used radio Lewbury 4 pounds/10 shillings" selling by Grice's of Queen St, Brisbane.

Grice's were the Queensland 'Tasma' agents, however if it was a badged Tasma I would have expected the circuit to be the same but it is not, the oscillator coil has only two distinct windings with the HT going to the VC/trimmer and the link winding to the cathode of the 57. The Tasma has a tapped tuned winding on the cathode and a link winding going to HT and IF, keeping the HT off of the trimmer cap, and your fingers!

Here is an advertisment for the Tasma Baby.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/printArticleJpg/16992806/6?print=n.

Not a 'Tasma Baby', the Baby has three stages tuned, the Lewbury only two which makes it very similar to a Tasma 180 (I have both circuit diagrams) but as mentioned before the oscillator coil/circuit on the Lewbury is different.

I thought one of the Baby models was a 180, though I've never seen one in the flesh. Radiomueseum does however have the 180 as a console - maybe the same chassis was used in both mantles and consoles.

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=210330.

I think there were 2 versions (different cabinet styles) of the Baby made between 1933 & 1934 + the Genelex Dapper 180M, which again had a different cabinet style. I don't know if the circuits of the different versions are the same or not. The distinctive and unique feature of these Tasma/Genelex and your Lewbury radio is the volume control in centre of the speaker. I don't think anyone else did this. This makes me think there must be some connection with your radio and the Tasma.

P.S. I never experienced monochrome when it was 405, but my mum did. My mum as a little girl would do the chores for her aunty and was rewarded by being allowed to watch Bill & Ben the Flowerpot Men!

I think you are right about the Tasma/Genelex conection but as a copy of what were very successful radio's at that time. In Peter Lankshear's book "Discovering Vintage Radio" he states that the 'Dapper 5 was made by Tasma and sold under there own and the Genelex brands, but I don't think the Lewbury was a made by them. My gut feeling using the information gained so far is that the Lewbury transformer and component manufacturer made a copy with slight differences using there manufactured parts and sold through the radio dealers 'Grice's in Brisbane who in there own right were the Tasma (and many other) dealers, I don't think it was licenced or badged but pirated.

Anyway I think we have gone as far as we can go on this subject and I am pleased to have got all this help. Attached should be a photo as of today showing progress so far.

I will start a new discussion tomorrow on my second enigma, an early 'Essanay'

PS, flower pot men! I used to watch them myself.

QUOTE: Anyway I think we have gone as far as we can go on this subject and I am pleased to have got all this help.

Mike, I thought it was done & dusted too until I found this while going through some radio research notes.

TILBURY & LEWIS were a Melbourne manufacturing jeweller/electroplater and possibly a radio parts maker situated in 51 Wangaratta St, Richmond.They also had a retail outlet in the City.
Sometime around 1932 a factory was set up around the corner in 8 Margaret St, Richmond & went under the name of Radio Vision A'asia. A year later the same factory was called Tilbury & Lewis, Radio Set Manufacturer. Tilbury & Lewis were the makers of Van Ruyton radio's and in about 1935 the 8 Margaret St address was known as Van Ruyton's Radio Specialists.

Check out this ad from the Brisbane Sunday Mail 27/7/1930

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/printArticleJpg/97677262/3?print=n.

Margaret St, Richmond is now full of trendy warehouse conversion apartments and is a stone throw away from Richmond railway station.

Good morning Monochrome,

Well I think you have 'hit the nail on the head', that's an expression us old poms used to use when 'the penny dropped' if you get my drift.

I can't thank you enough for your help and persistence in researching this one, but then I expect you enjoy the unusual, as I do. Its interesting to note how all of this information seems to be coming out of Queensland.

I guess I had better tell you how I came to get hold of this radio (also the Essanay now on a new string). I am a radio ham as you have probably guessed and was at the Hobart Amateur Radio Club Wednesday lunchtime meeting (all retirees) when we had a visitor who said he had inherited his fathers property and there were a lot of old radio junk that he was going to take to the tip, if anyone wanted it to go with him and get it. Actually I was the only one interested and on seeing what he termed as junk I nearly died! I did question him at the time as to the history of the two radios but he couldn't tell anything other than his father 'hoarded' things.

So maybe the Lewbury is not dead yet, I will try the Tilbury & Lewis strain. I would appreciate you thoughts on the Essanay, regards Mike.

I have started to dismantle the chassis and clean components, in cleaning the three grid top cap clips I noticed some writing on each, very small so I needed a magnifying glass to read it and guess what it said "Tilbury & Lewis". Your a genius Monochrome!

Well I think you have 'hit the nail on the head', that's an expression us old poms used to use when 'the penny dropped' if you get my drift.

Both expressions are in familiar use here ... although 'penny dropped' may be waning as pennies started disappearing with decimalisation in 1966, along with the things we put them into, like public weigh-scales and public telephones (4 pennies when I was a young kid)

Also, although we used to say "spend a penny", I don't recall any coin-operated dunny doors in Sydney, however they may have been before my time. And I've not seen a penny-operated gas meter here, either.

I do recall parents putting two bob in the TV in motels when family was on holiday trips. (Bloody things usually timed out right in the middle of something good!)

I don't recall any coin-operated dunny doors in Sydney, however they may have been before my time.

They exist this very day and it'll cost you more than two bob too. More like $2.00 or a quid in the old money. Frank Sartor had them installed.

I've seen coin-op electricity meters and I know where one may still be in service. A couple of sheds owned by the Scout Association in the little town of Windeyer in the Central West of NSW. I think the one there took 10c pieces.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Spare me any mentions of Frank Sartor!

When I mentioned coin-operated dunny doors I meant in connection with the penny, that is, when pennies were around I don't recall needing to spend one (or more) to use one.

Mike,
I'm glad we had a win with your Lewbury. I doubt though we would ever find a circuit diagram for it.

I've been doing some more research on the subject and found that Van Ruyton Radio Supplies went in to liquidation in 1938. I found a ad for a liquidation sale of all their stock, test equipment, coil-winders, etc.

GTC,
I remember as a kid in '70's the dunny doors at Flinders St. Station were operated by inserting a 2 cent coin. The gap between the door and the ground was wide enough for us kids to crawl under so we could save our 2 cents!

Some of my school friends houses had coin operated meters for their electricity. Years later my flat in St. Kilda had a coin operated gas meter in the kitchen, but had been converted to take $1 coins.