Could someone confirm that I am correct. Chassis layout is exactly as for Radiolette 31 & 32 and it is, as they were, built by AWA.

This one has had the "Meddling Monkey" in it as there are several wrong components (per 31 circuit); c19 in mid air, with a wrong cap on it and the cathode wires all on one end???

(V1) 6D6 RF amp; (V2) 6A7 Pentagrid mixer; (V3) 6B7 Reflexed amp & detector; (V4) 42 Pentode Output; (V5) 80 Rectifier.

It has a 6B7S in it (chassis stamped 6B7) which is not correct and is not the same as 6B7 (medium cut off Pentode 6B7 remote cut off Pentode)

This weeks featured radio is a Philips Radioplayer model 132L

Marc

'Meddling monkey'? I've gotta remember that one! The meddling monkey had a good romp inside my AWA P1 before I got it!

Chris

The annoying thing with this one is that the valve combination was used in several sets with very minor variations. A circuit should not have been hard to find even in 1935.

This set has red greencaps, it is a recent hack. Even the mains plug, which has been wired with modern cloth wire, will need to be re done. That cloth "creeps if you do not go the right way about it. The first fixed resistor I checked is way out, so they were not checked.

I as said somewhere I had a Philips in the last fortnight that had been "repair man fixed" (and I know who by) with a couple of wrong value components. Filters were wrong, never took out the papers (other than the one that let go), wire glued to stop it shorting, 1940's mains wire, lethal and it was still in service, until it started "crackling".

Don't know how it had not either caught fire, or electrocuted someone?

Marc

Wow, that sounds like a heck of a job. Good luck ridding your set of it's 'meddling monkey' modifications! It reminds me of those EBay radio listings, where the owner has plugged the set in with damaged cable and old components, yet the set somehow worked without catching fire or blowing up!

Chris

I have had worse: One idiot dismantled an electrodynamic speaker with an angle grinder & on finding out that it was not the problem, welded it back together with a stick welder ?????

Stuffed it! ........ They are out there

Pointed out on Antique radio forum some time ago. Idiot on Flea Bay: Removed the glass envelope from some rectifiers & cleaned the inside........ Then put them back together & was trying to sell them ........ clearly a fantastic knowledge of valves

Marc

Removed the glass envelope from some rectifiers & cleaned the inside...... Then put them back together

Some mothers do have 'em.

I am at a loss as to why the bloke would have found a valve dirty inside, unless he was trying to wash the getter off the inside of the globe.

I can assure you that I have had someone look at a very black inside "S" 6V6 (also available in GT version) and say because it was so black it was never going to work. And implied I was nuts to say it would.

The valve tester & noise from the speaker proved otherwise.

You may still find reference to the incident, but FB will have removed it by now. It was the butt of much mirth.

For Chris: I have the end caps off of the set. Caps were originally in a roll. I have serviced the AWA version of one of these. I made a new roll using insulated paper. This galah has bits everywhere and wrong bits everywhere.

R4 and its cap have turned up under the coils on the 6B7S valve base requiring that end to be removed & the replaced R4 resistor is out of spec. as is the 6A7 plate one.

There is a 1K WW resistor on the volume control and only a reference to a 2K in the parts list. ....... It gets no better. More than half the caps are wrong. I have already placed a tag board on the end cap to clean up the mess rectifier end. That is where R4 should be, with R3 screen divider R3 is also a dud.

Marc

Marc.
I've been looking at some AWA and AGE Bandmaster circuits. I found a circuit for a "G.E." 454E mantle & 854E console which, apart from some slightly different voltages around the valve pins, appears identical to the AWA 31 & 32.
There is also a circuit, with the same valve line-up, and a modified tone-control for a "G.E." 954E.
I also just worked out what the model numbers indicate. Example: 454E = mantle, electric (AC mains), 5 valves and built in 1934.
There are plenty of both AWA's and AGE Bandmasters, BC only & BC/SW, with that valve line-up. Some of them can be found in volume 1 of the AORSM under AWA & the others in the Radio Trade Annual.

Thanks for feedback. There was a lot of that sort of thing going on at AWA. Several Bandmaster, AWA's own sets and others that they built.

There are quite a few sets with that valve line up & are indeed similar. All tht has happened is that different cabinets & badges were used and perhaps differently pressed chasses.

I have the AWA service sheet for the 31 & 32 and the chassis layout (not the wiring diagram) is exactly the same as the AGE. That is not a coincedance. This is badge engineering. I have not had a serious look at the speaker yet, but I will bet it's based on an Amplion, or is one made under licence & rebadged.

The roll of parts, as previously mentioned, is one of the distinguishing features, to seperate it from the others.

I have replaced the missing roll with a tag board mounted on the end plate. I made standoffs long enough to allow parts both sides.

Marc

Marc