Does anyone know anything about the "P series" of televisions from AWA? What I've observed is that they are a series of portable and portable tabletop units made by AWA between the 1960s and 1970s - is this right?

I've seen the following P series units from AWA:

- P1
- P2
- P4
- P5Y
- P18
- P21
- P27

Does anyone have any photos or images of any of the missing models? I'd love to see them, as I've always been intrigued by this series of AWA sets.

Is there an AWA P5? All the ones I have seen are P5Ys, which are nice sets however. Would I be right in guessing it was like the P1 family, with various different sets including the P1P, P1Q, P1T etc?

Chris

The AWA "P" series TV's are indeed all portable or transportable models.

The list of models that I'm aware of so far is:
P1 and variants
P2/P2Z
P3
P4/P4Z
P5/P5Z/P5Y
P6
P7
P9 and variants
P10/P10Z
P15
P17
P18
P19
P20
P26

I have images and specifications on most of the models listed above. When I've finished my Astor TV gallery I'll make a start on AWA.
I've not come across any P21 or P27 models so I'll be interested in any details you may have on them.
There is a P5 model. I'm not sure how many were made before they had circuit modifications that meant they were called P5Z and later P5Y models.

Hi Andrew,

Would you be able to post some photos of those AWAs please? Or alternatively email them? I'd love to see them! I want to try and build up a collection of the AWA P series sets.

Chris

I'll put some pictures together and post some information in the next couple of days.
The P1 and P2 models I won't go over again as you have both of these and the P1 has been well covered.

Thank you! I'll email you photos of the AWA P21 & P27.

Chris

The details of the AWA portable / transportable B&W TV range is as follows:

P1 - 11" portable (covered in other posts)
P2 - 19" table model
P3 - 21" table model
P4 - 17" transportable
P5 - 12" portable, AC/DC
P6 - 12" portable AC only otherwise the same as the P5
P7 - 20" table model
P9Z, P9R, P9Q - 20" table models, the R and Q versions use the Thorn "R series" hybrid chassis. Year - approx 1970-72

P10 - 17" transportable
P15 - 12" portable, uses the Thorn "V" chassis, looks very similar to the P5 model. Year - approx 1973/74
P17 - 12" portable, uses NEC Japan chassis
P18 - 12" portable, uses NEC Japan chassis
P19 - 17" transportable, uses NEC Japan chassis
P20 - 20" transportable/table model, uses NEC Japan chassis


P21 - 12" portable
P23 - 12" ? portable
P26 - 12" ? portable
P27 - 12" ? portable, Mitsubishi Japan chassis?

Wow, that is awesome! Thank you for posting that! It's a shame there aren't any photos of the AWA P9 - it sounds like an interesting set. I didn't realise there were so many models that shared the same casing as the AWA P5 series. Were any of them (P5, P6 & P15) tube or hybrid? The P3 looks like a very American set - almost like some of the 1960s General Electric sets they had!

Chris

The P4 is AWA's first and I think only hybrid chassis design. It uses 1 I.C., 9 transistors and 8 valves including the CRT. It also won an Australian design award.

The P5 is all transistor (and 1 I.C.) again, AWA's first and only all transistor TV chassis design.

The P7 and P9 revert back to AWA's familiar all valve chassis designs. The later P9R and P9Q use the Thorn R chassis which is a locally modified UK design. The P9 has a timber look cabinet so I'm assuming it is a simple box style.

The P10 uses a lightly modified chassis from the P4 in a moulded plastic case but I have no pictures of it.

The P11-P14 models may exist but I've not seen any references to them yet.

The P15 is an all transistor set using a Thorn sourced chassis design.

Following the merger of AWA and Thorn in the early 1970's it looks like a lot of the electronic design and engineering was done by Thorn. I'm not sure why and I'd be interested to know what was going on at AWA at that time.

By around 1975 AWA-Thorn quite clearly saw that the future lay in sourcing technology from overseas (i.e. Japanese) suppliers. This can be clearly seen with the P17 to P27 models, all were based on imported designs.

The P5-P6-P15 cabinet is classic, one of the nicest portable designs I've seen. Andrew, what was that full-size AWA with similar styling we found at Trentham tip?

It was an AWA model K161. Once I finish the Astor TV gallery (only 10 years to go!) I'll make a start on AWA so it will eventually make an appearance.

AWA were quite adventurous with the P1 to P5 models. For a brief period in the mid 60's they made attractive and stylish portable and transportable sets. I'm not sure why, but they went back to being mostly conservative in styling and engineering by the late 1960's. Maybe that's what their customers wanted?

Sorry to ask so many questions, but do you know what the difference between the AWA P2 and P2Z was? I have the P2 version, but have never heard of the P2Z (though until I found my set, I never even knew the P2 existed!).

Chris

I recall that one of my grandmothers had one of the P5/6/15 sets, a white one.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

"Sorry to ask so many questions"

No need to be sorry, that's what the forums are all about!

The differences between the P2 and P2Z are minor. A few alterations in the circuit mostly around the vertical deflection stages and a different audio output valve. The P2 uses a 6HG5 and the P2Z uses a 6AQ5.

I should add that the P3 model uses the same chassis as the P2Z.

There are a surprising number of P5's (and variants) still around. I see one for sale at least once a year.
The distinctive styling and ease of hiding one in the back of a cupboard would explain the higher than average survival rate.

In comparison, the larger P2, P3, P7, P9 and P10 models are all but extinct. I'm sure a few are hiding in a garage or two but with the exception of Chris's P2 I have never seen one.

The P4 is somewhere in between. It is a large set but due to the unusual styling they are slightly more numerous, though still much rarer than the P5.

I've sent you an email regarding an AWA P10Z I spotted Andrew. Do you know what the "Z" suffix on the model number signifies, as numerous P-series sets seem to use it.

Chris