This weeks mystery is a console with a valve lineup of: 6K8G, 6U7G, 6B6G, 6F6G, 5Y3G.

The dial lamp is a 240v 15W bayonet globe such as you might find in a fridge.

The dial is a large green plastic square, with the stations described in a semi-circle, and therefore the pointer is centred at the bottom.

It has the usual short wave and medium wave bands. The dial has the word "Watson" at the bottom. The chassis has "Model 513" stamped into the back.

The field coil is open circuit so therefore I've done little work on this radio. Someone mounted a powerpoint onto the top, and left holes behind. Unless the radio is a rarity I will most likely eventually throw it out.

Any ideas about this radio?

The specific model number marking ought to be the best clue, but I can't match that with the given line-up.

Here are some consoles with that line-up, but the 240 volt dial light -- if original -- doesn't fit well.

1939:

AWA 182
AWA 183
Eclipse Croyden 588
GE Hotpoint-Bandmaster 759ME
GE Hotpoint 759DE
Weldon A514
Weldon A524

1947:

STC C259


The "Watson" on the dial might relate to now defunct Sydney furniture retailer Beard Watson & Co?

Photos may shine some light on this one.

Doneskies.

Thanks

btw: don't worry about the 6V6GT in the photo, I didn't have a 6F6G handy at that moment.

I think "flip it" would be much more acceptable. Someone will like it. Open Field coil is not an issue, I have seen a few and worked around it.

Cable is now illegal (has a knot in it) that red resistor is a high stability type that PMG often used and the ceramic cap is not original either.

Probably a wet day is all it need to get it running if power transformer is OK?

Marc

I did a quick search on TROVE and Watson Radio, 286 Bong Bong St., Bowral comes up from 1924 till 1972.

A search of Watson Radio produced several advertisements in a newspaper called the Southern Mail.

It seems to indicate that Mr T W Watson would obtain new radios from various makers in Sydney, then tune them up to suit the Bowral area. Phone 144 or 284. "Extensive Experience since 1919".

However there's nothing to say he made his own radios, or rebadged others.

EDIT: An article about refurbishment of the premises indicates they sold fridges and other electrical items as well as radiograms etc. A list of radio makers ended with "Watson". So... did they make them or what...

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118723418/11918852.

EDIT 2: You may notice a rusty circular piece of metal next to the 6U7G. This was a shield holder, but the metal shield tube was missing, so I pushed it out of the way and stuck on that goat shield instead. Rather bodgy I guess...

If you decide to service it, there is a severe penalty to be payed from attempting to run a 6U7 (6D6) without a shield.

It seems to indicate that Mr T W Watson would obtain new radios from various makers in Sydney, then tune them up to suit the Bowral area.

Interesting.

That dial light ought to be good clue. Marcc must have encountered a thousand radios over the decades: has he ever seen a dial light arrangement like this one?

The answer is yes that's why it is set back and it would likely need rewiring. Those globes were used in a myriad of things from pilot lights to bed lamps. I have even got a neon one in the same envelope.

So I back original. I will check with a local collector. I think it was him that I fixed a radio for, & it had one like that in it.

Transformer could be a Henderson?

Yes, I'm very familiar with the bulb type (in fact spotted them in the IGA supermarket this evening as I was purchasing adouble-adapter) just never seen one of them behind a dial, like that one is.

and it would likely need rewiring

Yes, the wires from the transformer to the dial lamp are rubber-coated, so replacement will be needed.

Just have to love that stuff; Apparently there were at least four grades of rubber insulation. Astor seems to have delighted in useing the worst of it & the Breville 730 stuff was on par. Cousin wondered why I had no intention of firing up her Grandmothers set (the 730) she gave me.

Classic: For starters both dial light wires were as bare as a babies bottom and to boot going through a chassis hole with no grommet. Not the worst I have seen, but easily dealt with. Tasma had a better idea, they cooked some of theirs, utilizing the heat from under rated heater & filament wires.

I know this may seem like a crazy idea, but looking at the 15W bulb mount, it looks a little strange. usually, a magic eye would be mounted here. So I was wondering, given the radio has undergone some modifications, what if the dial glass is not original - the original one having a hole for which the magic eye would show through? It would be a 6E5/6G5/6U5?

looking at the 15W bulb mount, it looks a little strange. usually, a magic eye would be mounted here.

You might be onto something there.