Hi folks.

I have these two units. One is a car radio (say from an FJ or earlier), the other is a Desktop radio (an Eress, from Europe?). I hope the skilled people here can help me. The car radio we will be working on next, and the desktop if I get it, after that.

So the first things we'll need is a good ID, and the schematics.

Ten points to the man or woman who is first with the details.

Good luck.

Photos uploaded.

Erres KY557 from 1955, manufactured by Van der Heem & Bloemsma Ltd, in the Netherlands:

http://www.vanderheem.com/product_images/Erres%20KY%20557%201955.jpg

You're in luck. That brand is fully documented on that site.

As for the car radio, it could be be an Astor, or Ferris, or something else from that era. They all tended to look similar, especially with the dial missing. Let us know its valve line-up.

The car radio is a EIL/Astor/Air Chief. The two or three letter model designation, preceding the serial number, will be stamped somewhere on the case or chassis.

Great

Thanks people. Ill go over and get the Erres ASAP. I think this will be great.

Yes it's an Astor. From an FE Holden, by the time the FC appeared the power cable was plastic.

It's 12 volts.

One should note that even my MKII Zephyr, factory workshop manual has details for their radios. I have seen the info for FJ so the others will likely have same albeit there is a Universal one that was also used in Vauxhaull.

With that Astor model, the brown hammertone part was always the same and they changed the from part to suit the car. The one on the FJ was longer than that. The back of the radio was attached to the firewall with a metal strap. That's what that stud on the back is for.

By the time the 59 FC appeared, Astor had a hybrid model with 12v valves, transistors and no vibrator. I had one of those in my FC. It worked very well.

People

I opened up the car radio, and boy is it filthy and dusty. But entirely recoverable.

Details:

RL61528
5 V
May 1954 (stamped on Transformer)
It appears to me to have two ECs, one of which the top is bulged.
1 vibrator
Valves> 6x4, 6AN7, 6BA6, 6AQ5, 6AV6 (listed on a tiny factory diagram)
Looks to be intact and original.

Cool ey

Im happy.

You have a Astor/EIL/Air Chief model RL which is a 6 volt job. The 12 volt version is a model RM.

I'm intrigued. What car was it out of? Definitely not an FJ, wrong front, and not an FE, wrong voltage. 6v Fords had a round tuning dial I think.

Too early for VW.

Astor issued service bulletins for custom fittings to various car makes & models. I’ll check them out when I get home from work tonight.

Interesting discussion gentlemen, my fading memory seems to recall English Fords in particular operated at 6V.

One that comes to mind immediately was early Zephyr (pre-MKII)

Another possible clue, some of those cars were +VE Earth. Is this radio +VE or -VE Earth??

The RL came out as both Astor & Air Chief (General Motors). Both versions had universal & custom fitting control heads.

The Air Chief RL 6 volt custom models were made for 48-215 (FX)/FJ Holdens & 1953 to 1955 Chevrolets/Pontiacs.

The polarity of the universal vibrator type (for one) used in both Vauxhall & Holden was of no consequence. There were no polarised caps in the vibrator power supply

On the secondary side of the transformer the rectifier worked exactly the same was as it would in any other AC valve radio. The heaters are not polarity sensitive and were run on DC