Pleased to introduce myself to Vintage Radio & Television

I have had a wooden full cabinet "Emerson High Fidelity World Radio" / gramophone in my family possessions for as long as I can remember . As a retired engineer , now is a good time I believe to restore it .

While it still works in a fashion and with a family attachment I am looking forward to the adventure and appreciative of the help this site offers .

Tedles

Welcome.

If you strike any problems, or have any questions, please open a thread in Tech Talk with the name and model of the radio in the subject line.

If identifying the particular chassis is a problem, it helps to let us know the valve line-up, and in-focus photos can also be of assistance. (Email photos to Admin Brad for uploading).

I didn't realise there were local radios carrying the Emerson name. I wonder if there is a relation to the American company of the same name.

Thanks Brad for showing the images

I have come across somewhat similar "Emerson" circuit detail on the US " Nostalgia Air " site although, valves are generally of Australian made Mullard and Miniwatt types ???

I think I will need to do lots of research before I know what I am doing .

Regards Tedles

"Emerson" radio grams were the house brand of Bourke Radio of Melbourne. Unless Bourke Radio had some sort of agreement with the US Emerson company for using their brand, there is otherwise no connection. Generic unbranded radios & radio grams, made here in Australia, were sold to retail outlets & chain department stores for them to put their own brand on.

The next step is to try to work out who actually made the chassis &/or unit. The valve line up is a good start. I can already see that the chassis has a 6AR7GT & possibly a 6AV6.

Also a good quality picture of the dial showing the station call signs will help in determining roughly the year the unit was made.

Thanks Monochrome TV for the info.

As one of the valves is an unidentifiable Mini (Baseless Type) I suspect the year of manufacture to be after 1950? Valve markings are very hard to read.

The chassis has a number of 28669 punched on it, but the number does not relate to anything I know.

Also hand written in pencil on the inside of the cabinet are the numbers 55, 269, 3 and what looks like the name Bolt. Again these mean nothing to me.

Thanks for the photo of the dial. It indicates a 1951 vintage.

The record player unit is an early Garrard 3 speed. To start these units you move the pick-up arm to the right, then place it on the start of the record and it should automatically stop at the end of play.

I'm guessing the valve line-up is: 6J8G, 6AR7GT, 6AV6, 6V6GT & 5Y3GT, though I can't find anything with this valve line-up.

Here is an ad for a couple of Bourke's Emerson radiograms - though neither look the same as yours.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/23231641

The clue that yours is the same brand as the ones in the ad is the wording "World Range" and "Exclusive to Bourke Radio".

For that line-up I have: Oxford model CDG5 (1951) made by Southern Cross Radio - Sydney 1949 - 1953.

If it were 6AU6 have some AWA, Hotpoint and Tecnico chassis.

Thanks for those leads

You are totally correct about the record player movements . There is also a plug in head holding a rotating double needle cartridge .

The valves ,although hard to read appear to be
GAR7 GT - 5C Miniwatt (Aust) 8 pins ,
6V6G GT- Mullard (US) 7 Pins ,
(GA8)? 9A 8G Mullard (Aust) 8 Pins ,
5Y3 GT - Miniwatt (Aust) 5 pins ,
???? 6H Miniu 7 Pins ( small valve, full glass with pins protruding through glass )

I was only 8 or 9 when my parents bought this radio and recall us sitting around in the evening listening to the serials and shows . Still have most of the records .
How things have changed. !

Where my parents bought it ?? Maybe Waltons ?

Regards

From that my guess is: 6AR7, 6V6, 6A8, 5Y3 and either 6AU6 or 6AV6, in which case maybe AWA, Hotpoint (i.e. AGE/AWA) or Oxford chassis.

The Oxford CDG5 was well spotted, GTC. I think Southern Cross did make unbranded generic sets.

The valve line in the Emerson is 6A8G, 6AR7GT, 6AV6 (most likely), 6V6GT & 5Y3GT. I was curious as to why the set used 2 valves with twin diodes (6AR7GT & 6AV6). In the case of the Oxford, the 6AV6 is used as a audio triode only & the diode plates are tied to earth.

If you can take a photo of the 7 pin miniature valve I'll be able to tell you in a trice if it is a 6AV6.

One trick that you could try: put the mystery valve in your freezer for a while. When you bring it out (holding it by tip and pins, not by the glass) the moisture from humidity that forms on the glass can often reveal a silhouette of the valve's type number -- if it hasn't been rubbed off completely.

Here is a picture of the small valve and a picture of where I will have my local radio technician to check out for problems.

The valve is definitely a 6AV6. That matches the valve line-up of the Oxford CD5G.

I would certainly use the Oxford circuit as a guide to restore your radio as it looks pretty darn close!

Oxford CDG5 Circuit Diagram

Again Monochrome TV I think you are totally correct.

I came across a picture a picture of a "Oxford Premier" CDR594 CH=CDG5 Lowboy consul cabinet
that is very close to mine.

Well done.